Getting travel insurance is an issue almost all travelers go back and forth on. Derik and I hadn’t ever thought about purchasing any until the beginning of this year when we went on our long trip in January-February. I couldn’t be happier that we made that decision, especially since I had to take a trip to Urgent Care within our first week in Hawaii. I will be discussing more on our travel health insurance later next month.
But what about travel insurance if you have a major health issue? To be honest I had no clue until a lovely company contacted me about doing a post on it. I think it’s important to say informed on information like what is shared below, because you never know what will happen down the road; you may need to know this kind of stuff!
The following post is contributed (written by) by site supporters of Living Another Language
What Should I do about Travel Insurance if I have a Major Health Issue?
If you have major health issues and you want to travel, the one thing you should definitely not do is not declare the problems on your travel insurance application. Failure to declare this type of information can lead to your policy being void.
It’s important to remember that declaring a major health problem does not necessarily mean that you will be excluded from being able to purchase travel insurance but you will have to pay attention to the details to determine what cover you can get. Read more about the travel insurance possibilities at HBF on their new site.
How should I get started?
If you are a Medicare user you will not be covered for health care outside of the United States. But if you have your own health insurance it may cover some costs should you be ill while you are travelling. You will need to check the details of your health insurance as a first point of reference.
What if I need Travel Insurance Cover as well?
You may still need to look at travel insurance for cover for other situations aside from your health, or if you need additional health coverage. Some travel insurance policies exclude pre-existing medical conditions from cover so you need to check the policy details carefully to see if it will provide the cover you need. In a lot of cases if your condition is under control you will be able to get coverage for your trip.
You may also want to consider travel medical insurance which can provide additional coverage such as increased pay outs and emergency travel home should you need it. Again you will need to look at the exclusions of the policy very carefully.
What if I am Having Problems getting Travel Insurance?
There are some conditions such as HIV which can still cause problems when you are trying to get travel insurance. But due to the increased stability in managing these illnesses the situation has improved greatly since the 1980s and specialist insurance providers will now consider every case individually.
For terminal illnesses the situation is more complicated although this does not mean you won’t be able to travel if you have been given a terminal prognosis. Again specialist travel insurance companies will look at each case. The decision on whether a policy can be given is an individual one. The insurer will consider how long you have to live and how well your condition is being managed. It should be noted that there are no guarantees you will be able to get travel insurance if you are terminally ill.
A pre-existing health problem does not necessarily stop you from getting travel insurance but you may need to look around for a policy that does not exclude you from coverage. In doing this you will need to be vigilant when reading the policy wording. If you are having problems finding a travel insurance policy to suit you never be persuaded to lie; you will nullify any coverage. Go and see a specialist in travel insurance for people with serious health issues; you may have to pay more but they will do their best to help.
What are your suggestions?
