Does travel insurance cover treatment for a condition I already have?
Pre-existing conditions
For most travel insurance companies, you’d need to get a waiver that allows your medical coverage to be extended if you have a pre-existing condition.
There are various categories of travel insurance, including medical. And there are definitely travel insurance companies that specialize in providing coverage for the crowd of travellers that decide to travel during times when their health status is either weak, or controllable through medications. Providers require a full disclosure of your medical stability, and, if any changes arise, they need to be notified in order to continue your coverage.
Be prepared with your prescriptions before you travel
If you have a pre-existing condition that requires some frequent doctor visits, prescription refills or a lot of attention in general, this needs to be disclosed to your provider so that they can adjust your premium accordingly. If you fail to disclose anything that relates to your condition, you may be stuck paying out of pocket if or when your claim gets denied.
You should be talking to your doctor weeks prior to leaving for your trip so you can refill on prescriptions that will last the trip’s duration. You need to apply for the medical travel insurance well in advance of your trip, so that your provider has an opportunity to assess your medical history (typically 14 to 21 days prior; the more notice the better).
The medications and pharmaceutical brands that you rely on at home may not be available abroad. Further, if they are available, they may be available at exorbitant prices that your medical travel insurance will not cover if it was not an unforeseen requirement.
If your treatment is not considered an emergency, or if it can be delayed, it is unlikely that your medical travel insurance will provide coverage or reimbursement. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the right amounts of your medication on your travels. If you do not need the treatment immediately, it probably won't be reimbursed. Please talk to your insurance provider to discuss the limitations of your policy.
When will my travel insurance cover treatment for a condition that I already have?
What if you’ve been treated for something like a string of migraines before your trip, and you were considered fully healed and recovered and ready to go?
To explain this scenario, we’re going to use an example.
You have a trip in three months, but you’ve been getting these repetitive migraines for the last couple of weeks. Your doctor treats you, prescribes you some medication and subsequently clears you. You had fully recovered.
You land in Cuba for your trip and are thrashed by the return of your migraine headache, accompanied by dizziness and nausea. You go to a medical facility and receive treatment.
This treatment situation is covered by emergency medical travel insurance; can you guess why?
You were already considered recovered and healthy once you left your home country, and the onset of the migraine would be considered sudden and unforeseen, causing you to seek emergency medical treatment.
Look back period
Most medical policies have a “look-back” period that will determine your stability and health heading into the trip. They will look into your medical history over a period of a two to four months to see if you had any ongoing medical events that required attention, and if your health was cleared up by a medical professional.
“Any medical condition that existed during the look-back period is considered a pre-existing condition if you had symptoms and/or were treated or had a change in your prescription medications,” explains one licensed travel insurance agent.
Just ask and be honest
Today, most travel insurance policies have coverage for people with medical conditions, but you are responsible for being prepared before you head out. You are also responsible for talking to your provider and making sure they are aware of everything that is required by your health condition. They’re there to ensure you have the safest vacation possible.