In my experience every insurer has different rules. I have a pre-existing medical condition (PEMC) and am young (just over 50). I have found the following practices amongst insurers (and I mean BIG names):
I will not be covered because I have a condition outside their list; or
My PEMC is several years old and so I need not declare it on my application form and hence not pay a surcharge which is required for approved PEMC; or
I will be covered for my PEMC if I am approved by the insurer. This requires me to pony up many documents to explain the state of my health in respect of that condition and if approved by the insurer, I need to pay a surcharge.
What must be borne in mind is that the âapprovalâ process by the insurer seems to be a simple matter (they ask an in house doctor to review the application which contains one or a few medical reports) but in my experience it takes several days for the insurer to approve or decline.
I have a number of pre-existing medical conditions. In my expericence the treatment by travel insurance organisations was totally arbitrary and not based on knowledge or evidence. When I have tried (nicely) to get explanations for their determinations; none have been forthcoming. Therefore it is impossible to correct any misunderstanding.
Travel insurance firms are very risk averse, and so will refuse insurance by any means if there is any perceived increase in risk, whether real or not.
Can anyone recommend insurers who will cover Type 2 diabetes? Most I see will give me insurance but any claims related to the pre-existing condition will not be covered. I am trying to find an annual policy that will cover my diabetes, as well as being reasonable in all other respects.
Hi @Obviousman, diabetes is an issue similar to any other pre-existing condition as regards travel insurance so I merged your query. Although the Choice article that started this topic was last update pre-COVID (2019) many insurers have been consistent in their approach.
That is the starting point. Many will cover certain approved conditions for an additional fee. Your need for an annual rather than a one-trip policy could reduce your choices.
Have you checked if your credit card comes with free insurance cover? If so, read the pds ie policy paperwork to verify what pre-existing conditions are automatically covered. If what you want is not covered, then call them and ask how to go about including cover for diabetes 2 and if so what would be the extra fee?
Yes, my card does come with cover but although having diabetes does not exclude me, if my claim is related to my diabetes then they will not pay. Nothing to do with the diabetes? Then it is covered.
Ok then. Your options are to ask if the bank will cover diabetes with an extra fee paid by you. If they will not cover it under any circumstance or their fee is prohibitive, then I suggest before you decide which way to go, that you consider the chance that diabetes will impact your health whilst abroad.
If the chance is very low, then why not take the complimentary insurance for everything but specifically diabetes related events.
Because anything that can be related to diabetes is then subject to exclusion such as heart attack, stroke, falls/tripping accidents (claiming that hypo or hyper glycemic vertigo was contributory), the list is fairly extensive that they could throw at a claimant as to why they may not cover the issue. Then the claimant must prove that the issue was not at all contributed to by the diabetes. This list of possible events can extend to things like car accidents, skiing accidents, Urinary Tract InfectionsâŠthings many would not consider to be diabetes related. When we used it, it became only claims for lost luggage etc and nothing health wise was in reality, covered.
We now pick countries that provide reciprocal health rights, NZ, UK, and others. While many of these only extend to emergency matters eg heart attack at least they do cover us. Repatriation of a body or a very sick person then becomes a non issue for us, happy to be planted in the sod anywhere in the World or wait until fit enough to travel home under our own steam.
Norway is a great country for the cover they provide us.
care from a National Insurance Scheme (NIS) GP
care in an NIS hospital
care in as an out-patient in an NIS hospital
specialist care if you have a referral from an NIS GP
ambulance travel
emergency dental care
other medical care if an NIS GP prescribes it
prescription medicine - youâll pay full price until you spend about $347 in 1 year; itâs free after that - you may need to show proof that youâve spent over the limit
free health care for children up to the age of 12 - this includes physiotherapy
free visits to a doctor for children up to the age of 16
free prescription medicines for children up to the age of 16
free psychological care for children up to the age of 18
Graholl makes a good point inasmuch as an insurer may link any adverse medical event to diabetes. In my experience most insurers accept or reject claims on a similar basis. That is to say, Grahollâs point would I think apply to many insurers, so you do not gain much by studying other insurersâ policies.
It all boils down to what medical events that you or your GP know you have experienced that were or could be linked to diabetes. Also what events which could be linked to diabetes are you at risk of suffering from.
Also, establish how long ago did you suffer an event that could be linked to diabetes. This is because if you had a certain illness, linked to diabetes, say 10 years ago but not since, what is the chance of getting it again and getting it while on holiday.
Possibly high chance. Change of diet, stress, sleep patterns altered, all of which can alter BSL. The insurer then looks at the problem and the pre-existing condition and ponders that if the pre-existing condition could or could not contribute. If they determine that in their opinion it does contribute, well it becomes a task and a half for the affected person to argue their case and pay the cost in the meantime. A traveller with chronic pre-existing conditions (such as diabetes) needs to be prepared to wear the cost (take the risk), pay generally an extreme cost to cover the prospect of a claim, choose a destination that has reciprocal rights that cover the eventuality, or not travel.
You make many valid points. I think from a consumerâs point of view, the risk that one gets ill and that no matter how threadbare the link between an illness and diabetes, a consumer must prepare for such behaviour by the insurer.
I am aware that travel insurance has changed a lot due to the pandemic. Is anyone aware of an insurer that offers travel insurance to those with a pre-existing medical condition?
Thank you!
There are a few topics about travel insurance but the recent ones focus on COVID and the last Choice review is now dated. A list of the Choice articles can be found by clicking through here.
I changed the title of your topic to start a more current discussion about travel insurance issues.
Most insurers cover certain pre-existing and common conditions by default, others need to be contacted, and some will cover some on application for an additional fee. One needs to check each PDS and if it still is unclear, contact them and have their answer in writing/email if they indicate the condition is covered.
It sometimes depends on whether it is international or domestic.
You can search the Community using the search tool for the different variations on travel insurance that have been discussed.
Thank you Phil,
My question relates to everything but Covid 19. There is difficulty locating travel insurers that will provide comprehensive cover for existing medical conditions at the moment. Most of them either discontinued operations during the Covid lockdown or have suspended sales and have yet to re-start. And the remainder, from what I understand, offer to cover people but specifically exclude the existing medical condition.
I would love to know if anyone has been able to secure travel insurance in 2022 with a known medical condition.
Thank you so much!
I have not tried to get a policy but scanned some I was familiar with. Some have changed since my last trip, pre-COVID. Covermore has had good reviews and might be one to look at, pre-existing conditions addressed from p16.
Some of the policies returned from a similar search reference pre-existing conditions in the hits, but some have their pre-existing conditions clauses gutted compared to previous years, only discoverable by looking at each PDS.
It seems 20 April is when many (all?) PDS got updated.
There are a few different underwriters and as you suggest, the policies underwritten by each underwriter regardless of the branding are essentially all the same barring the logos and commission trails.
For anyone researching policies checking the underwriter can save time. If a policy underwritten by X does not offer appropriate cover or looks good, all the policies underwritten by X will almost certainly have the same deficiencies/issues/strengths/benefits. The prices may vary depending on how the policies are sold and how the limits differ.
for the different variations on travel insurance that have been discussed.