How do I buy travel insurance if I want to be covered for my pre-existing medical condition?
Pre-existing medical conditions are defined as conditions that you have experienced for at within the last six months prior to your applying for travel insurance cover. If it is something as serious as cancer, the required time period will go back to as much as three years before you try to buy travel insurance. It could also be something for which you are receiving treatment or are awaiting diagnosis.
Pre-existing medical conditions are generally excluded from the standard coverage of the policy. This is, of course, because there is a greater risk for a claim if you already have an existing condition. And indeed, your sickness can greatly increase the possibility of your making a claim.
For example, if you get an attack right before your trip and you are not able to make it for your trip, you may try to file a claim for trip cancellation. If the insurance company determines that your reason is because of a pre-existing medical condition, it will deny your claim.
However, if you have already added this pre-existing condition to your travel insurance coverage, the insurance company will cover this risk and pay for the claims associated with your sickness. You will have to pay an additional premium so that you can have this cover.
The insurance company also will apply stringent screening and medical investigation to determine if it will agree to add to the cover. Of course, it is natural that the insurance company would like to limit its risks so it would like to limit the possibility of that medical condition causing you to file a claim against your travel insurance benefits.
You will have to prove that the medical condition you have is currently under control, that you are taking medications for it and that its likelihood of rearing its ugly head during the trip. They will ask a lot of questions about your physical condition and may even require tests to be conducted and a check-up with their accredited doctors.
At any rate, you should answer all their questions with honesty and openness, even though you may feel frustrated at times. You should be able to prove that you are medically able to travel.
The additional premiums the insurance company will charge will be dependent on the level of risk you have. If this risk factor is too high, the insurance company may refuse to cover the pre-existing medical condition altogether.
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