How Pre-Existing Conditions Impact Travel Insurance - Medi-Quote (2024)
It’s very important to understand how pre-existing conditions impact travel insurance because there is a lot of misinformation floating around about how pre-existing conditions are not covered at all. Sometimes people incorrectly assume that their existing conditions would not be covered by a policy. However, most of the time pre-existing conditions can be covered, as long as you disclose the condition to your broker so you are put on the proper plan, and the condition meets the plan’s stability criteria.
What is stability?
Stability refers to the requirement of a policy, that there be no changes in a medical condition for a period of time. A change means a change in treatment or symptoms, including:
Being hospitalized;
Being put on a new medication;
An increase in a prescribed medication dosage;
Reducing or coming off a prescribed medication;
A flare-up, or worsening of symptoms.
Coming off a medication or having your dosage reduced is considered a change in stability even if it seems counter-intuitive
People are often surprised to learn that a reduction in dosage or being taken off a medication altogether is considered a change in stability. The reason is that you won’t know right away what effect coming off a medication will have. It may mean your condition worsens, but you won’t know until some time passes.
Coverage is available for conditions with as little as 7 days of stability
Different providers and plans have different requirements to qualify. A certain condition with 12 months of stability may qualify for a less expensive plan than the same condition with only three months of stability. For people with very recent stability changes, we offer a 7 day stability buy-down. Meaning, that as long as your condition and the treatment of that condition hasn’t changed for 7 days before departure, your condition will be considered stable.
Medical testing affects stability
If you’ve had medical tests and are awaiting results, that is considered not stable. If you have tests scheduled, it’s the same, you would not be considered stable. If your doctor has told you that you will need testing, but no test have been scheduled yet, that may or may not be considered stable, depending on the insurance company. It can be complicated, so just let us know what is going on and we’ll let you know what it all means.
Your doctor is not a travel insurance broker
If your doctor says something will or won’t affect your travel insurance, take it with a grain of salt. They are not experts in insurance. Trust your doctor for medical advice, but leave the interpretations about the insurance side of things to us!
Track your medical changes, exact dates are very helpful
Knowing the exact date that a change was made can make getting on the right plan easier. And even though it may cost more, getting the right insurance can save you a lot of money in the long run. Keep track of your doctor’s visits and whether you have changes to medications and other treatments. You can use our client portal atMyMediquote.cato track these changes in your medical history. And when it comes time to quote your travel insurance we’ll have the exact information because you’ve updated the information as it happened.
Don’t put off doctor’s visits
Go to the doctor now. If you’ve got travel coming up, give yourself plenty of lead time in case any medication adjustments are made. You’ll have more time between the change and your departure date, which means a longer period of stability. Don’t avoid the doctor for fear a change will affect your travel insurance costs negatively. Your health is the most important thing you have!
Watch our video below that discusses how pre-existing conditions impact travel insurance.
Travel insurance companies impose a “look-back period,” which is a specific time frame when a pre-existing condition is considered stable, usually between 60 and 180 days. To qualify for a waiver, your condition must be stable within this period, meaning it has not changed or worsened.
Health insurance companies cannot refuse coverage or charge you more just because you have a “pre-existing condition” — that is, a health problem you had before the date that new health coverage starts.
If your health plan is fully compliant with the ACA and obtained in either the individual/family market or the employer-sponsored market, you no longer need to worry about pre-existing condition exclusion periods.
You can also find travel coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions due to preexisting conditions. Look-back periods are generally between 60 and 180 days.
Is there health insurance for pre-existing conditions? Choosing a health plan is no longer based on the concept of a pre-existing condition. A health insurer cannot deny you coverage or raise rates for plans if you have a medical condition at the time of enrollment.
When it comes to travel insurance, honesty is key, and failing to disclose pre-existing medical conditions can lead to a voided insurance claim. You may need to disclose the medications you're taking, vaccination status, ongoing treatments, and even any pending diagnoses to be safe.
A pre-existing medical condition (PEMC) is an illness or injury you had before your policy began or was renewed. Examples of pre-existing medical conditions include, diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol or a long-term back condition.
The ACA complements the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) which prohibits discrimination by most health insurance plans and employers based on genetic information such as an inherited genetic mutation associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Does Medicare Advantage cover preexisting conditions? Yes. Medicare Advantage (MA) plans won't reject your enrollment if you have a preexisting condition. But since MA plans are offered by private insurance companies, coverage levels and costs can vary from company to company.
A pre-existing medical condition is a disease, illness or injury for which you have received medication, advice or treatment or had any symptoms (whether the condition has been diagnosed or not) in the five years before your joining date. Health insurance doesn't usually cover 'pre-existing conditions'.
The time period during which a health plan won't pay for care relating to a pre-existing condition. Under a job-based plan, this cannot exceed 12 months for a regular enrollee or 18 months for a late-enrollee.
Pre-existing conditions are typically not covered by credit card travel insurance. Even if you have a limited amount of cover for a pre-existing medical condition, you're not guaranteed to have coverage for any claims made due to your condition.
While most travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions from medical expenses and evacuation coverage, you may be able to obtain coverage with a pre-existing conditions waiver.
Though you can buy travel insurance before you book your flight, it's actually better to wait until after you reserve your seat on the plane. This way, you'll know your ticket price and can make sure your travel insurance will cover the full cost of the ticket, in case you need to file a claim later.
This period could be anywhere from 12-18 months, meaning that if you receive treatment for your condition prior to this period having passed, then you must pay for costs out-of-pocket. To understand the specifics of your plan, contact your health insurance provider.
Can I buy travel insurance when I'm already on holiday? Yes. Some insurance providers offer post-departure insurance – sometimes called 'already travelling insurance'. This is extremely handy if you've forgotten to buy cover or realise your policy has run out.
Regardless, if you feel too sick to travel it's important to have your opinion confirmed and your diagnosis documented by a doctor. Medical documentation will be required if you're looking to be reimbursed for your non-refundable trip costs if you have to cancel your trip.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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