travel insurance for a pre existing medical condition

I know lots of people have given some great advice here on travel insurance but can anyone recomend an insurance company that will insure us for a pre existing medical condition without us having to jump through hoops! They all seem to want a medical form filled out by the Dr which we ar trying to avoid as it%26#39;s just extra work (and expense) we don%26#39;t need. I understand that it will cost extra %26amp; that%26#39;s OK so I don%26#39;t know why we have to go to so much trouble to get the insurance . Has anyone else experienced this? Any info would be great.

Cheers

Cheryl

travel insurance for a pre existing medical condition

Hi Cheryl

I purchased online insurance with travelinsurancedirect.com as they have some good reviews here on TA %26amp; the policy seems to cover what I need.

I have a pre existing medical condition which I disclosed to them and I did not have to provide any medical reports. I think I did have to pay a higher premium but not unreasonable. It may depend on the seriousness of the medical condition as to what info they need.

Maybe this will suit you too.

Hope this helps

Pete

travel insurance for a pre existing medical condition

Cheryl, It depends on the pre existing medical complaint, as geriatric travellers we get annoyed at having to provide a medical certificate for some tour companies and then find that younger people are not as fit as us, but it depends on the severity of the complaint, have a look at some of the online companies as they explain what is acceptable and that which isn%26#39;t, as a suggestion have a look at a Seniors newspaper and the adverts in there even if you are not a senior

cheers alex and liz

Hi Cheryl,

I to have gone with insurance direct.

They do pre-existing medical decisions but in the end I opted not to include it.

They give you a whole list of conditions...in one group if you have that you pay extra, in another group you don%26#39;t have to do anything and so on.

But...if like me, your condition is not listed you have to pay more (out of my budget) and also go and get a statement from your doc.

So I have chosen not to include my lower back problem. Nothing anyone can do for me if it plays up while I%26#39;m on holidays other than pain killers and resting. Will be my excuse to lay on the beach for a few days ;)

Have a look at their website:

http://www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au

cheers

Lorree

If it%26#39;s a medical condition that could require hospitalisation or repatriation home, I would definitely get it. My husband had a heart attack 13 months ago, and is actually now fitter and healthier than he%26#39;s been for years, due to diet, exercise, and trying to have a generally healthier lifestyle. We%26#39;ve had 2 trips since, but had to pay extra to cover him for the heart condition. We could have paid the normal premium, without cover for his heart, but I would have had a heart attack worrying about the cost if he did. We had to get a form filled out by our doctor for each trip, but only needed the original one from the specialist. One thing also that a lot of companies have is that pre-existing conditions can also apply to family who are not travelling. For example, if a parent died from a pre-existing condition, and you needed to cancel or change your travel arrangements to come home, you may not be covered for it. Something to consider. Really, for the small extra cost and time, compared to what you%26#39;re paying for the trip, isn%26#39;t it worth it?

Hi Cheryl

I have worked in the Insurance industry for 15 or so years and during that time I dealt with travel insurance claims. The insurance company is probably asking you to get a form filled out to assess whether or not they will provide cover for the condition. Some insurance companies are stricter than others.

I know it may seem like you are jumping through hoops and that you are doing extra work, but when your health is concerned I don%26#39;t really think that it%26#39;s something that should be taken lightly.

If something was to happen while you are overseas (god forbid) and it was associated with the pre ex medical condition and you hadn%26#39;t told them about it or complied with their policy conditions then you would not be covered. Nothing would be worse than being ill in a foriegn country and not having the coverage/support from your insurance company.

If you are willing to pay the extra to be covered, then why not pay the extra expense to go to the doctor and get the form filled out. It is really worth the effort when you consider that it%26#39;s your health you are talking about.

Cheers

Karen

I was told that if something happened to me while overseas and it was not related to my pre existing condition (which I%26#39;m not including on my policy, as its a colapsed disc and arthritis in my back) that I would still be covered.

Say I broke my leg and I was put in hospital, I would be covered.

Is this not the case???

I%26#39;m a little concerned now!!

I didn%26#39;t see the point of getting my lower back covered, because no one can do anything to help it. Its not a hospital type of thing, unless I%26#39;m in an accident and I break my back or something like that.

Oh I don%26#39;t know now!! I just can%26#39;t afford the extra $155.00 that it was going to cost to get it covered!! :(

Eljay 99

i think you need to consult with your travel insurance company about your back problem. you say that if you break your back in an accident you will be covered. well i%26#39;m not so sure. if you have existing back problems the insurance company can argue that because of your ';weak'; back this may have predisposed your back to be more likely to break unless of course it was caused by severe trauma e.g car accident. however what is more likely to happen is you suffer a prolapsed/slipped disc while on holiday?

i suffered a prolapsed disc in my lower back in 1998. from time to time it flares up - a general ache with some sciatica, but usually resolves withina a few days (not enough to stop me from working). no travel insurance or health insurance company will cover me for fear of it happening again.

further, non-declaration of a pre-existing condition can negate the whole policy even if you are claiming for something else. need to read the small print to be sure. insurance companies will look for any avenue to avoid payment.

bkk3

Eljay 99,

I agree with bkk33...contact your insurance company and further discuss your pre-existing back condition.

Just as the insurance company has a duty to tell you what you are/arent covered for you also have a duty to disclose any information to them and failure to do so can result in refusal to pay claims or reduction of claims.

Always read the policy wording carefully to see what you are covered for and check the exclusions.

Karen

I have a problem at the moment with this issue. Myself, my sister and my 11 year old son are travelling to Phuket in October.

My 11 year old has two pre-existing conditions.

One is hydrocephalus(excess fluid on the brain, for which he has two shunts), the other is a cyst in the spinal cord for which he also has a shunt. Insurance company quoted cover for the first one but not the second one.

My son is a bit unstable at the moment medically due to the cyst in his spinal cord so I am quite worried that if something happens due to this reason before we go or while we are away we won%26#39;t be covered.

Don%26#39;t have insurance as yet.

He will be having MRI scans of the brain and spinal cord 1 month before we go.

Neurosurgeon is also issuing us with the name of a Neurosurgeon in Thailand and a copy on disc of his most current scans, just in case.

Anyone have any advice?

Tania

Hi Tanya

My advice is to check with your insurance company to see what you are covered for etc. Tell them exactly what is going on with your son and ask as many questions as possible.

Some policies have exclusions that don%26#39;t provide cover for cancellation/curtailment of holidays if the reason for it is due a pre-existing medical condition for which they have not covered you for.

All policies have different conditions/exclusions so it%26#39;s best to check it out with them.

I hope that your son gets better soon.

Regards

Karen

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