I took my elderly mother on a Cruise of the South Pacific and I took out Travel Insurance with the RAA for both of us. We both have pre-existing medical conditions, so I notified the Insurance company and filled out all of the appropriate forms online.
Sadly we both fell ill with a virus that infiltrated the entire Ship, and our long awaited holiday was spent entirely in our Cabin vomiting etc and I even ended up in the Medical Unit on an IV unit due to chronic dehydration.
Thankfully the RAA Travel Insurance I had taken out covered us completely. When I was well enough I completed the appropriate forms online, and the entire total costs incurred were in my Bank Account five days later.
Now how is that for service !!!
I will always use the RAA Travel Insurance in future. The ease of taking it out, all easily done online, and then of claiming - again all easily done online was simple, quick and easy.
I can not sing RAAās praises highly enough when it comes to Travel Insurance.
To date we have used GMHBA which basically just gave a discount for Allianz. Not sure now though as I went to get it again for an upcoming trip to Japan & the premiums have sky rocketed - particularly for snow ski cover. We found - IN THE PAST - though that Allianz was quite good for online assess/accept for PEM. They cover quite a lot of PEM with a added premium increase that I considered fair. We have never had to claim though so who knows if the crunch came. As said though I am NOT going through them this time as the increases are like in realm of 150% compared to 2 years ago - pffft
Please be very careful with travel insurance that comes with using your credit card. You need to read the fine print re eligibility and most donāt cover you until day of departure.
I am pleased to see you are at last writing an article on this topic as it causes great angst for many of us when planning travel.
On our last trip overseas (to Japan for a month) the quotes from several insurers were for $1000-2000 for a couple because of pre-existing conditions. My husband had a double bypass 3 years ago and has diabetes (well-controlled). My conditions are nothing out of the ordinary for anyone in the 60+ age group: the most significant being minor arthritis and (well-controlled) high blood pressure.
I eventually obtained insurance through my Westpac credit card, underwritten by Allianz. We completed a lengthy phone questionnaire, and they agreed to cover me for all conditions but would not cover my husband for heart conditions or diabetes. The fee was $45 each. Even though my husband was not covered for some conditions I thought it was worth us being on the same policy in case of a situation that affected us both such as a natural disaster. We had to spend $500 each for our trip on the Westpac card to be covered.
The medical questionnaire that insurers require you to answer requires a detailed knowledge of your own medical history. I needed to obtain my GPās Patient Health summary and copies of recent specialist reports to have the information needed.
My husband also obtained cover through his Commonwealth Bank credit card. They agreed to cover including heart and diabetes for an additional fee of $275.
The total fee for our insurance was $365 so was considerably less than the quotes I had originally obtained but I canāt say that I was entirely confident that any claims would be trouble-free. The definition of pre-existing conditions in the policy is very broad and I think it leaves lots of scope for rejecting claims. Some policies limit pre-existing conditions to ones where you have received treatment in past 2 years, but the Westpac one has no time limit.
After we returned from our holiday I noticed a letter in SMH Traveller with exactly the sort of problem people confront with claims re pre-existing conditions : http://www.traveller.com.au/traveller-letters-left-high-and-dry-to-the-tune-of-25000-h1dtfy
At the moment we are reluctant to plan further overseas trips as I found it so arduous reading the policies and obtaining insurance - hopefully Choice will make the process simpler.
When ANZ changed to Allianz from QBE, they knocked me back for pre-existing conditions. Cancelled the card. QBE used to charge me $75 for an assessment and then covered me (quadruple heart by pass). I then saw that NAB had QBE as part of their credit card. Signed up and spent the qualifying amount. Then read the conditions - NO COVER for Pre Existing conditions. I took out a pre existing condition policy with Cover More.
Under the section: Max period of cover, Iām covered for incidents that occur in the period of cover (as stated in the Certificate of Insurance). If return to Au has been delayed because of:
āReasons beyond your controlā¦or an event for which you can claim under International Travel Insuranceā¦your period of cover may be automatically extended at no additional cost.ā
If for any other reason than stated above, an extension to the period of cover can be activated, and an additional premium will apply, if extension is accepted.
Yes, Iāve just had some experience with this. My husband is 83, I am 69. Heās certainly well enough to travel and we plan to go to Japan next May. He has health issues concerning his heart and circulation which are well managed with medication. Firstly I got quotes for insurance for us both from companies that claimed they covered seniors/people of our age. These quotes varied wildly usually for no discernible reason (amounts covered, excess, the same). I started with the cheapest quote (which admittedly did have lower, but adequate, levels of cover). I declared my tendency to depression and after some questions was āpassedā. But after several questions about my husbandās health, I was advised they could not cover usā¦but I could ring them to discuss other options. So I rang and we have taken the cover. My husband isnāt covered if a claim arises which relates to his pre-exisiting health conditions. Iām not completely confident about what that means, but Iām hoping we donāt have occasion to make a claim and find out. My impression after looking at a couple of potential policies is that nobody would cover my husband for his pre-exisitng conditions.
You may be interested to add in some inbound travel insurance from a Japanese insurer after you arrive in Japan to cover conditions that your current travel insurance does not cover.
I considered this insurance when I was visiting Japan earlier this year because I was having trouble finding insurance to cover pre-existing conditions, especially re my husbands heart. I did eventually find insurance so did not go ahead with taking up the Japanese policy but before that I had done some preliminary research.
This is one company: https://www.sompo-japan-off.jp/travelins/travelins_en.html. JAL also includes travel insurance from this company with some of their packages: https://www.au.jal.co.jp/aul/en/jaldp/insurance/
You canāt take out the insurance or even access the insurerās website from outside Japan so itās difficult to find out exactly what it covers. I did look at the website for this insurer when I was in Japan and from what I recall it did not exclude pre-existing conditions. I also donāt recall any age limit - but was not specifically looking for that. The prices seemed very reasonable and if I had not obtained insurance for all our pre-existing conditions I would have taken it up.
The availability of inbound insurance is a Japanese government strategy to reduce the number of tourists leaving unpaid medical bills: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/07/01/national/japan-urges-tourists-pick-travel-insurance-hospitals-complain-unpaid-medical-bills/#.XWOAOxp_WhA
Thanks very much Judy. This is very interesting and Iām looking into it.
Iāve gotten domestic travel insurance the last couple of years for a weekend to attend a convention interstate, just for myself. The first time I went through Medibank and it cost me $29.75, plus $11.95 to cover my new phone with a $500 excess. I have a chronic sinusitis so put that in when getting a quote, and donāt remember the exact figure, but including it more than doubled the cost of the insurance. After speaking to someone at the call centre I decided not to obtain the existing medical condition cover, knowing I wouldnāt be covered for anything that would be related to it.
Then when I looked last year the cost of Medibank quote was doubled, tho did notice they had changed their underwriter. I checked out ahm who was cheaper than Medibank, even tho ahm is owned by Medibank, and the quote for the including the chronic sinusitis effectively doubled the cost again. So sent a message to them and got this included in the reply, āYes, you are welcome to seek cover for your existing medical conditions, or if you choose not to, you may travel without cover for the conditions as long as you understand you will not be able to claim for anything directly or indirectly related to the conditions.ā
I ended up going thru hif, also without the existing medical condition cover. hif only cost $30. Iāve found that adding the sinusitis as an existing condition pretty much doubles the cost of the insurance premium.
This year im going to the same con, and havenāt really sorted insurance out yet. Im travelling there using Virgin, and coming back with Qantas. I ended up getting Qantas insurance while booking the ticket with my Frequent Flyer points. Donāt remember how many points it cost, but it only covers the day of the return trip.
Had someone from RAA come thru at work once and was telling him how they were the most expensive, at over $100 for a weekend, and they said that it seems to be the shorter your trip the more expensive it is for some reason.
Iāve never had to make a claim, but have always taken a copy of the policy with me and left one at home for family to access in case.
Have traveled a couple of time over the past three years to do the UK Coast to Coast walk and the Camino in Portugal/Spain. A friend referred us to Columbus Insurance on the basis that they have a good claims record with ASIC and few complaints. The application is online and fairly extensive. I have type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Process becomes a little more complicated once you tick these boxes and there is an adjustment in premium of around $100-$120 but coverage is fairly extensive. To date have not had to make a claim (thank heavens) but would use them again. Premiums are very competitive with other insurers after doing a number of comparisons.
Hi, i have Hashimotos, (non-functioning thyroid). I have been overseas frequently since i was diagnosed.
Most insurers accept the condition as long as it is managed with GP, bloodtests and medication - easy enough to comply as i would be dead without it!.
Others require me to do their assessment, and the one time i went through that the price increased.
One insurer specified that i be currently seeing a specialist - which i was - though they made no request for proof of it.
We have an ANZ credit card and the travel insurance is with Allianz. After the experience of a friend who had a urinary track infection whilst on a 6 week cruise and receiving a $10000 bill when she arrived home I did some more checking. She was insured with RACV and had to pay upfront. They then requested 2 years of medical records to see if she had this previously as it is considered a chronic condition. It was her first time so they paid. However, it makes you wonder what other things they consider chronic which are not mentioned in policies. For our trip to Europe I wanted cover for 2 pre-existing medical conditions, lymphedema in a lower limb and a meningioma which has not changed in 6 months and may have been there for years undetected. Allianz would not cover and told me not to try anyone who was underwritten by them. I then tried National Seniors who I have a domestic travel policy with, they also would not cover. I then tried the one called Insure and Go through the Fifty Up club. They covered me for an extra $900 which was a basic cover plus the 2 conditions. Fortunately I did not have to use it but I was told that I should also have covered my husband under a new policy as the others would not pay if he had to stay with me. Next time we book a holiday I will start researching a lot earler to find out who does cover pre-existing conditions as I was under the assumption they all did if you paid extra.
Weāve used Allianz and RACQ as well as the option of our credit card providers included insurance.
With one of us retired with three relatively common issues (hypertension, high cholesterol, and replacement knees) we were able to navigate the questionnaires without any major problems. Even with CC which I contacted to clarify the items and cover for the trip there were no problems.
Currently our most notable concern is that in going through the process with a number of different providers each time, older age limits will become the biggest hurdle. Cover is either limited, excluded, or subject to ā¦?
This has been a pet beef of mine for many years. I suffer from Cardiomyopathy plus diabetes and various other more common issues of old age. I have been travelling the world for over 15 years, and each time travel insurance gets harder to obtain. The thing that irks me is the generic, formulaic approach taken by insurance companies. Rather than assessing you as an individual they apply an algorithm based on assumptions rather than upon facts.
Cardiomyopathy is a killer. However, it is not a universal, one size fits all killer, and I have lived with it for decades without being unduly impacted by it. I have travelled to 40 countries without issue and my cardiologistās assessment is that I am fit enough to do so with his blessing. Others may die within a short time, so we are not algorithms - we are individuals.
Do insurance companies ask for or factor in the views of my medical specialists? No. They are only interested in how I tick their boxes. Too many ticks and youāre out. Surely a skilled medical practitioner who knows me and my history is better placed to assess my suitability for travel than a computer? Apparently not.
I have succeeded in obtain cover every time, although the company has changed. I now use Insure and Go, who have a relatively painless assessment procedure and have covered me without hesitation. The premiums are high, but one has to expect some sort of loading in my situation.
As an aside, many people operate under the false belief that credit card insurance is great. However, they donāt read the fine print. All policies exclude pre-existing conditions unless you have specifically negotiated a premium which includes those conditions. Anyone who believes theyāll be covered anyway is delusional. The primary aim of any insurance company is to avoid paying out money wherever possible. The industry desperately needs a government monitor and very tightly controlled rules about their overall philosophy, business practice and ethical values. Making money is the only value they really understand, and so we all need to be very careful about what we think weāre signing up for as distinct from what we are really covered for. There is a need for the policy conditions to be spelt out in words of two syllables or less, and every condition should be clear, concise and transparent.
I would dearly love an investigation into travel insurance which results in much tighter and fairer rules being put in place. Travel insurance is something the elderly will need as they spend their final years roaming the world. They need protection, otherwise they will pay a lot of money for insufficient cover.
Yes, took out insurance with Good2Go about three years ago. Declared depression, and prostate cancer, but in remission at the time, wife declared bipolar and they covered us with an extra payment.
Used them again about 12 months ago. We both declared the same illnesses, except my cancer is now metastatic, but added controlled high blood pressure for both of us. They refused to cover us for any of the pre existing illnesses, but would would cover us for anything else. No explanation given on why they wouldnāt cover the other items.
Imagine if we bought Chinese take-away the same way we bought insurance ā¦
Some really good comments - it really can be a minefield and checking what your product actually provides and the timeframe it provides it for is a common theme, donāt assume. Another point well made is donāt assume a cards āautomatic coverā is actually āautomaticā - terms and conditions, etc etc.
Re the Chinese take-away - Iād prefer the opposite, buying insurance to be like buying the take-away, order from the menu and get what you order as a known quantity. Itās interesting there has been a makeover of health insurance partly in an attempt to make sure people could actually rely on it to some extent - maybe it is about time to treat insurance as the virtual racket that it seems to be and legislate across the board for types and levels of cover across all market segments, especially given people are typically predisposed to fear and have terrible risk assessment ability ā¦
Go Insurance was the only insurer who would cover my pre-existing condition. It was expensive as my trip was to the USA, but it was totally worth it for the peace of mind knowing that if something went wrong, I was covered. I filled out so many requests for insurance, they all came back with yes, weāll insure you, but not for anything relating to your pre-existing condition. I have not had to claim 
Interesting commentary so far from a consumer view point.
What about from the insurer/under-writers?
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Does the industry determine an average risk across all travellers of all ages and health conditions. Then charge based on the average. That way those who have less risk pay more than their true risk level while those with greater risk are subsidised and pay less than they might otherwise.
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Or does the industry rank us by age group and nominal demographic. Enough to ensure that younger travellers as a whole share just the risk for their age group, while older travellers all pay the same for their age group irrespective of risk.
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Or per current practice is each individual assessed based on age, health and other risk factors. The choice then is whether to cover all but specified exclusions. There is perhaps the option of premium cover for the added risks of pre-existing conditions.
The trap for those who are older or even young with a known condition, is there is a greater risk of needing medical support when OS.
Which is fairer or best?
Equally shared cost despite differing risk levels, or direct apportioning of cost to risk?
Insurers have typically chosen the second over the first.
Is the issue for insurers when considering existing medical conditions, the difficulty of determining the exact individual risk in every instance?
Perhaps worse for consumers with pre-exiting conditions that they are refused cover for those conditions. What is the most likely scenario for these individuals? Itās that they will need attention for the very ailment they are not covered for!
Allianz Disclosure Statement:
āInternational Medical insurance provides cover for emergency medical events that are unforeseen.
Cover is not provided for pre-existing medical conditions except those prescribed in the section: medical conditions which are coveredā¦ā
The list includes high cholesterol and hypertension provided there is no cardiovascular disease or diabetes. A history of cardiovascular diseases is a pre-existing condition and therefore it is excluded.
As I have no history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes I should be covered, all going well, I guess you find out how good your cover is when you actually make a claimš
@boblorel, Iād greatly appreciate it if you would share if you or someone you know well, had any actual experience with Credit card travel insurance medical claims 
