Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions.

When it comes to health problems, travel insurance is no different from other types of cover, higher risks often attract an additional premium.

This may mean if you want to cover an existing health problem a specialised insurer needs to assess your condition(s) and cost your policy appropriately.

The good news is that almost all relatively stable conditions, even for elderly people can be covered, so you can holiday with peace of mind.

Within Europe you also have the added protection of State healthcare when you have a Free NHS 'EHIC' card.

EHIC Card

The European Health Insurance Card "EHIC" that replaced the E111 Form allows you treatment for existing medical conditions in state facilities on the same basis as the EEA country's own residents. Sometimes it is free, but often it is NOT, and you may even find yourself being shepherded to private healthcare where you will be charged.

"The EHIC is NOT an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical healthcare or ... repatriation to the UK, or lost or stolen property ... For these reasons and others, it is important to have both an EHIC and a valid private travel insurance policy." NHS.uk

Travel Medical Insurance

Travel policies medical clauses are designed to cover losses due to unexpected:

• Cancellation, curtailment and interruption - due to death, injury, illness, disease, pregnancy complications of you, fellow traveller, someone you are staying with, close relative or business associate
• The cost of Emergency medical treatment, surgical, hospital, ambulance and nursing fees & repatriation due an "incident" causing bodily injury, illness, disease or quarantine

An insurer therefore needs to know about any relevant conditions that could increase the risk and cost of a claim.

Relevant Conditions

The definition varies between insurers, but usually:

• Within the last 2 years any medical condition(s) requiring:
  • any prescribed medication
  • treatment received
  • any consultation
  • investigation
  • follow-up
• If you're awaiting or know of the need for further treatment, test, investigation, or results;
• If you've ever been diagnosed with or treated as a patient for:
  • any heart condition
  • hypertension (raised blood pressure)
  • blood clots
  • raised cholesterol and use of statins (lipid-lowering drugs)
  • any cerebrovascular problems such as stroke, or transient ischaemic attack (TIA)

Conditions to Declare

Having to recall and declare medical problems can remind you of times you'd rather forget and leave you feeling upset. Selecting an insurer with expertise in confidentially assessing medical conditions you can make this a little less onerous.

Examples of existing health problems if they are present within 2 years, or in some cases longer, include:

• Heart conditions and problems: had cardiac arrest, heart failure or heart attack, bypass surgery or suffer with coronary heart disease, angina, atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathy
• Liver or kidney failure, disease, damage, transplant or disorders
• Cancer, leukaemia, terminal, secondary and in remission
• Strokes, even mild stroke and thrombosis
• Mental health, depression, anxiety, dementia and alzheimer's disease, bi-polar/manic depression, schizophrenia
• Diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, Gestational
• Respiratory conditions: asthma, pneumonia, emphysema, bronchitis, emphysema, COPD, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleurisy, tuberculosis (TB)
• Autoimmune diseases lupus rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, narcolepsy, Crohns disease

Accepted Conditions

Many minor conditions (broken bones for example) are 'accepted conditions' so won't affect prices quoted. The list below are those provided by an insurer to us.

Some insureres do not need notifying of these minor ailments - it helps simplify policy purchase the less you need to declare. Insurers will always make clear what you are require you to tell them about as you go through the quotation process.

Problems

If NOT Covered

If you choose to travel without a medical condition covered, or fail to declare the condition this may affect any directly or indirectly related claims arising as a result, for:

• cancellation and curtailment
• emergency medical and other expenses
• hospital benefit
• personal accident

Failure to Declare

If you are uncertain whether to declare a condition or not, insurers advise you do so because if deemed 'not declared' or 'not accepted' a claim may be void. If between buying your insurance and your travel your health or medication change then you need to contact your insurer to let them know. Medical treatment and repatriation can be very expensive especially if in America or if you need an air ambulance, so it is worth being scrupulous about your health details.

Travel Against Advice

You will usually find cover is void if you travel:

• against the advice of a medical practitioner
• do not taking the recommended treatment or prescribed medication for your medical condition
• to get any elective surgery, procedure or hospital treatment
• travel against any health requirements stipulated by your carrier or their handling agent
• incur medical costs you knew would be required before travel

Over 65's Insurance

The good news for elderly people aged over 65's competition exists for your business! There are insurers who want to insure you and you can usually get competitive quotes.

Even the over 75s with chronic heart problems, as our video shows, travel to America with a preexisting heart condition for Eleanor is possible. She regularly visits her grandson in Miami USA knowing everything is covered. She travelled and updates us from Miami at the end of the video before returning home safely!

Holiday in America and covered for a heart condition

Single Annual and Long Stay

It is often easier to get single trip cover if you have an existing condition, especially if you are over 65 years old. Annual policies need to be kept up to date should there be changes in your condition.

Seamless Online Policy Purchase and Medical Screening

Some insurers, such as AXA, allow you include existing health problems and cost this into the policy so you can travel with reasonably comprehensive medical cover in your travel insurance, which is especially important when travelling outside of Europe.

Citybond Suretravel policies provide:

• Seamless Online policy purchase & Medical Screening
• FREE cover for over 300 medical conditions and option to include pre-existing medical conditions
• Full medical excess waiver if you use the European Health Insurance Card
• Single trip policies with no upper age limit

You get a 10% discount using our Know-Insurance quote system

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