Travelling with medical conditions can have serious repercussions. Can you imagine how much of a nightmare it would be if you have high blood pressure and you suddenly cut short your foreign trip because of a heart attack? This is why many travel insurance companies are very particular when it comes to travelling with medical conditions.
Going on a trip with medical conditions will affect not only you, but also those who are with you in your holiday. Case in point is when you have to cancel a trip because your husband or mother falls ill and needs to undergo a medical emergency. Most travel insurance firms will refuse to compensate you if they found out that the trip cancellation was due to a pre-existing medical condition.
But what is a pre-existing medical condition? This is an injury or illness that you are aware you have, like diabetes and high blood pressure
Travel insurance companies have different approaches to travelling with a pre-existing medical condition. But most of these firms don’t recognize pre-existing medical condition as covered by travel insurance. Other factors that may be taken into consideration are the amount of time since you were diagnosed of the ailment and specific details of the condition.
Before purchasing travel insurance…
You must be careful in purchasing a standard travel insurance policy as there is a chance that this would go to waste if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Likewise, you should disclose any pre-existing medical condition that you have so that the travel insurer can give you an appropriate travel insurance coverage. It helps that most insurers nowadays have health helplines that consumers can contact to clarify if they are buying the right policy.
When searching for an insurer that will cover your pre-existing medical conditions, you will be asked certain questions and required to submit at times very personal answers. You will be asked regarding a wide range of conditions, both physical and mental in nature.
Although this can be a very frustrating process, keep in mind that this is necessary as the insurer can tailor the right policy for you taking into consideration your needs. You may be tempted to withhold certain details so that you can qualify for a cheaper premium, but you should also realize that the insurer will be able to find out everything about your medical history in the event of a claim.
Once you have answered all the questions posed by the insurer, there are several possible outcomes. One is that the insurer can offer you the standard travel insurance coverage depending on the severity of your condition, or exclude medical coverage for certain pre-existing medical conditions. The insurer may also offer you insurance but at a higher price, or refuse to provide insurance to you at all.
The bottom line is that no matter how tempting it would be not to divulge your medical conditions, but the insurer will be able to uncover the truth once you make a claim. So spare yourself of the headaches and be as truthful as possible. This way, the insurer can also give you the appropriate insurance policy.