Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Medical Conditions: Detailed Guide

Many individuals who purchase visitors insurance are shopping for coverage for their loved ones who are often 50 years of age or older. Along with age comes preexisting conditions and the need for visitor insurance with preexisting conditions coverage. Those purchasing travel insurance are also interested in pre-existing condition coverage, as they want to ensure they are not hit with massive medical bills if their condition flares up while they are traveling abroad.

The concept of pre-existing condition coverage in travel insurance is relatively new, and not all plans offer it. In this article we’ll answer many common questions you may have about travel insurance with medical conditions and offer some suggestions for coverage that may be right for you.

What Qualifies as a Pre-Existing Condition For Travel Insurance?

Even though the precise definition of preexisting conditions varies among different insurance companies and products, what qualifies as a pre-existing condition is generally any injury, illness, sickness, disease, or other physical, medical, mental or nervous condition, disorder or ailment that, with reasonable medical certainty, existed at the time of insurance application or at any time during a set number of years prior to the effective date of the insurance. 

Some common examples of pre-existing conditions may include:

• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• COPD
• Heart disease 
• Depression
• Arthritis
• Kidney disease
• Epilepsy
• High blood pressure

Please note that this is only a list of hypothetical examples of conditions that may be considered preexisting. Each insurance plan will detail what it considers to be preexisting conditions in its policy documents, which are freely available to read on this website prior to purchase.

Are Pre-existing Conditions Covered in Travel Insurance?

Pre-existing conditions are only covered in travel insurance plans if the plan explicitly states that they are covered. The majority of travel medical insurance and visitors insurance plans will only cover the acute onset of preexisting conditions, though there are options to cover non-acute onset preexisting conditions as well. When comparing plans, be sure to look at the benefits section to understand the exact pre-existing condition coverage of that specific plan so you can make an informed purchase.

How to Qualify For a Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Waiver

If you are purchasing a travel insurance plan, you can get travel insurance preexisting conditions exclusions waived only if:

• You purchase the insurance within a specific date range of the initial trip deposit. With some plans you must purchase the insurance on the same date as you make the initial trip deposit. With others, you must purchase it within 7-30 days of the initial trip deposit. Finally, other travel insurance plans allow the exclusion to be waived if you simply buy the insurance prior to making the final trip payment.
• You purchase insurance for full trip cost. Some companies allow you to insure only the nonrefundable prepaid costs. In this case, you would have to add any subsequent arrangements to the trip cost by the date of payment or deposit for those additional arrangements. Make sure you do not round down when calculating the trip cost, as it could disqualify you from the pre-existing condition waiver.
• You are considered medically fit to travel at the time the travel insurance is purchased.
• You must purchase insurance for the entire length of the trip, not just a portion of it.

However, even if you meet all of these conditions and receive a pre-existing condition waiver, it is important to note that there may still be exclusions, such as:

• Pregnancy, mental, and emotional disorders.
• A reduced medical maximum for claims related to preexisting conditions.
• No available waiver for very expensive trips, such as those over $50,000.
• Even with the waiver, all losses caused the preexisting condition may not be covered, particularly if the loss is determined to have been reasonably foreseen at the time you purchased the insurance. 

The key here is to read the policy documents thoroughly before making a purchase. If you have any questions or need clarification, our agents are happy to help.

Can Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions?

Insurance companies pay legitimate claims as detailed in the policy documents for the particular plan. So long as your claim for a pre-existing condition is stated as being covered by that particular insurance plan in that particular situation, there’s no reason for coverage to be denied. However, at the end of the day only the insurance administrator can decide if a claim is paid or not. At Insubuy we make every effort to make all policy documents freely available to read prior to purchase, and we encourage you to thoroughly read this information so you know what is covered and what is not. 

Why Travel Insurance with Pre-existing Conditions Coverage is Important

Beyond a certain age, it’s common for travelers to have pre-existing medical conditions. This typically isn’t an issue in our home country, as our domestic health insurance can cover this. However, you’re just as likely to suffer the acute flareup of a pre-existing condition while traveling abroad as you are at home. In order to make sure you do not get stuck paying a massive doctor’s bill out of your own pocket, you need to purchase visitors insurance, travel medical insurance, or travel insurance that can cover the acute onset of your pre-existing conditions.

Best Travel Insurance for Pre-existing Conditions

When it comes to visitors insurance plans for visiting the USA, these are some of the plans we highly recommend that can offer acute onset of pre-existing conditions coverage.

If you’re traveling outside the USA, you can also browse and compare our selection of travel medical insurance and travel insurance plans.

How to Get Pre-Existing Conditions Visitors Insurance with Insubuy

To get pre-existing conditions visitors insurance with Insubuy, you can either get instant quotes by clicking on any of the plans above or fill out your own custom quote form to get a curated list of plans for your situation. In either case, you can purchase coverage in minutes, and it can begin as soon as the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions

Are you required to undergo any medical tests to buy pre-existing conditions travel insurance?

No, you are not required to undergo any medical tests to buy pre-existing conditions travel insurance. 

How do insurance companies determine pre-existing conditions?

Each insurance company has its own criteria for determining pre-existing conditions. Please read the policy documents of any plan before you purchase it so you have a full understanding of what is covered and what is excluded. If you have further questions, please contact us.

What is the difference between a pre-existing condition and an acute onset of a pre-existing condition?

What is a pre-existing condition? A pre-existing condition is any injury, illness, sickness, disease, or other physical, medical, mental or nervous condition, disorder or ailment that, with reasonable medical certainty, existed at the time of insurance application or at any time during a set number of years prior to the effective date of the insurance.

The acute onset of a pre-existing condition is a sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a pre-existing condition that occurs spontaneously and without warning either in the form of doctor recommendations or symptoms and is of short duration, is rapidly progressive, and requires immediate care.