Travel Insurance Pre-existing Conditions Coverage - How It Works
![]() |
What is a Pre-Existing Medical Condition?
When a trip cancellation travel insurance company refers to a "Pre-Existing Condition", they are talking about medical conditions that exist in the Lookback Period that immediately preceeds the travel insurance purchase date.
Simply put, a Pre-Existing Condition is any medically documented condition (no matter how minor) an Insured Person, Traveling Companion or Family Member has been treated for, consulted with or received advice on. This includes any adjustments or changes in any prescription drugs or medication during the Lookback Period. The condition has to be medically stable.
Medically Stable also includes the idea that nothing is foreseen or expected to "be a turn for the worse". In other words if you're given a week to live and you want to buy travel insurance for a cruise next month, you can't cover the Pre-Existing Condition. It's like wanting to buy Fire Insurance when your house is on fire.
Here's some actual policy wording:
"Any injury, illness, sickness or medical condition of an Insured or Family Member which either manifests itself or exists during the Lookback Period immediately preceding the day you buy Travel Insurance, unless the condition is controlled through the taking of prescription drugs or medication and remains controlled throughout the Lookback Period. A pre-existing condition has manifested itself when medical care, treatment or diagnosis has been given."
What this means is starting today, if during the Lookback Period:
- You, a traveling companion or a family member, has any injury, illness, disease, sickness or medical condition and
- Has been diagnosed, treated for it, had any prescription changes (increase or decrease), been advised to be treated, had symptoms of it, hopitalized, saw a medical professional for it, etc.
- Then that person has a Pre-Existing Condition as defined by a Travel Insurance policy. Note: If that person has a medical condition that's farther in the past than the Lookback Period, they don't have a Pre-Existing Condition.
Why is this important?
You can cancel or interrupt your trip or receive medical treatment even if you have a Pre-Existing Condition ? if you follow the rules.
Trip cancellation travel insurance excludes claims due to pre-existing medical conditions. Some travel insurance plans will waive the pre-existing condition exclusion at no extra charge if you get your travel insurance in the first 10, 14 or 21 days after your first trip payment date (before the end of these 10, 14 or 21 days).
Any payment on your trip is considered the first payment. This includes the tax you pay when you redeem frequent flyer tickets, refundable deposits or even a trip planning consultation fee if that fee is later credited toward your trip costs.
You'll protect yourself if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip or receive medical treatment because of that pre-existing medical condition. There are three primary rules to keep in mind:
- You have to insure your trip's full prepaid, non-refundable cost and
- person with the medical condition has to be medically stable when you get your insurance and
- You must get your travel insurance in the first 10, 14 or 21 days after your first trip payment date
If you're past the first 10, 14 or 21 days you will be governed by the "Lookback Period".
What's the bottom line?
If Pre-Existing Conditions are a concern for you or your traveling companions, you have to buy your trip cancellation travel insurance within the deadlines.
Steve Dasseos is the CEO of TripInsuranceStore.com. You can compare travel insurance policies at this website. Contact Steve here.
|
|
10 Tips To Save On Healthcare Insurance
Americans shopping for their own healthcare insurance can substantially cut premiums by following 10 simple steps, according to leading insurers.Answer Financial Inc. (http://www.answerfinancial.com), cites the following cost-saving measures:Comparison shopYou can save money by comparison shopping and exploring various options such as higher de...(related: Insurance)
Health Care And Health Insurance Costs Can Be Controlled Through Lifestyle Choices
As you probably know all to well, the cost of healthcare and health insurance premiums continue to increase at levels substantially above the general inflation rate. The reasons given for these extraordinary cost increases are numerous and include: technological advancements in the medical field, increased demand for medical services and prescription drugs, the aging of the population, cost shifting caused by the uninsured and governmental reimbursement rates, state and federal mandates, and costs associated with medical related lawsuits.As individual consumers, we have very little control over some of the factors contributing to the cost of healthcare. However, all of us have control ...(related: Insurance)
Facts About Renters Insurance
If you rent an apartment or house, you might consider purchasing renters insurance.Renters insurance provides coverage for damage or loss of personal property for people in rental housing. It's to insure the renter's belongings from theft or damage. In addition, renters insurance also provides liability coverage for people in rental housing if somebody is injured while in the rental ...(related: Insurance)
Your Cars After-impact Diminished Value
The(ACV)Actual Cash Value Policy DOES NOT insure the property itself but the VALUE of the property.Okay let's say the insurance company chooses to "Repair" their insureds damaged property (as is their option within their contract of insurance). HOWEVER, such an election DOES NOT relieve them of their contractual duty to restore the Pre-Loss VALUE of the motor vehicle...(related: Insurance)
A Guide To Insuring Your Sailing Dinghy
If you've just bought a dinghy or are thinking about changing insurance companies, Noble Marine's Guide to insuring your dinghy may help you decide the sort of policy you need.Both the cover provided by different Insurance Companies, and the service they offer, can vary greatly. Bear in mind that a cheaper policy may end up costing you more, if you have to make a claim and you should always check what cover is being offered before signing up.
Guide To Home Insurance
Here is a useful guide to Home Insurance. Home insurance covers damage from incidents such as fire, theft, and vandalism to your house, usually adjacent structures like a garage or shed, and your personal belongings. It covers living expenses if your house becomes temporarily unusable.Home insurance, also known as Household Insurance is a policy designed to cover your home and if applicable its contents against the possible risks. If you have a mortgage, your lender will insist you have buildings insurance.There are two types of home insurance - contents insurance and buildings insuranceContents insurance is designed to cover your possessions if in the home in circumstances where you suffer a burglary or you have an accident where damage is cause...(related: Insurance)
Health Insurance Providers Online - Benefits To Applying Online
Health insurance providers are going online to find new customers. As a result, there are more affordable health insurance options for families, the self-employed, and small b...(related: Insurance)
The Life Insurance Policy And What You Need To Know Before You Buy
Are you looking to buy a life insurance policy? Well, be careful. Life insurance can be difficult to understand and it's easy to be conned into buying something under false pretenses.Recently a prominent life insurance company together with several of its agents paid a huge fine because it permitted the sale of a life insurance policy disguised as a retirement plan. There was little attention given to what a life insurance policy is truly designed to provide.Life insurance is not an investment for your benefit. It's guaranteed income tax-free cash paid to someone you designate in the event of your death. If...(related: Insurance)

Canadian Funeral Insurance: Our Final Gift To Those We Love
Most of us don't like thinking about our own funerals, but no matter how much we ignore the inevitable, the truth is that when the time comes someone will be responsible for those expenses. The question is will it be our grieving loved ones who f...(related: Insurance)
Home Insurance Terms
Home insurance, or even homeowners insurance, is an insurance policy that combines insurance on the home, its contents, loss of the use of the home (additional living expenses) and, typically, the more individual possessions of the homeowner, as well as liability insurance for accidents that can transpire at the home.The cost of homeowners insurance scales upward depending on what it would cost to replenish the home, and which extra "riders", meaning extra items to be insured, are bound to the policy. The insurance policy itself is a long contract, and list what will and what will not be paid in the case of various cases.Virtually all insurers charge less if it appears less likely the home will be damaged or even destroyed: as an example, if the...(related: Insurance)
The Life Insurance Plan Online
Thank goodness the internet age has arrived helping us to find a life insurance plan online. Manually quoting policies was very time consuming and frankly discouraged the broadest recommendations because of so much work involved. Today finding a life insurance plan online is actually quite easy.You'll be able to research different kinds of coverages, amounts, underwriting requirements and etc. If you go ...(related: Insurance)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 Insurance | All Rights Reserved. | Insurance