Travel Insurance for Preexisting Conditions

What Is a Preexisting Condition?

Travel insurance companies typically define a preexisting condition as a health issue, illness or injury that you received treatment for, were diagnosed with or showed symptoms of during a certain time period before your travel insurance coverage became effective. This window of time is called a lookback period. The lookback period usually ranges from 60 to 180 days prior to buying your policy, but can be a year or more, depending on your insurer.

Chronic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma may not be considered preexisting if there's been no change in your diagnosis, symptoms or treatment during the lookback period.

For example, here's how insurers might evaluate high blood pressure when you purchase travel insurance and try to get a preexisting condition waiver.

• Diagnosed two weeks before buying travel insurance: Likely considered a preexisting condition
• Controlled with the same medication for one year: Likely not considered a preexisting condition
• Long-term condition, but treatment changed one month ago: Likely considered a preexisting condition

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Does Travel Insurance Cover Preexisting Conditions?

Standard travel insurance usually excludes preexisting conditions unless you qualify for a preexisting conditions waiver. Without a waiver, your policy generally won't cover your medical treatment for a preexisting condition.

Suppose you're diagnosed with high blood pressure three weeks before leaving on a Mexican cruise and suffer a heart attack on board. Since the high blood pressure was discovered within the lookback period, it will be considered a preexisting condition, and your travel insurance most likely won't cover your medical care.

Learn more: What Is Travel Medical Insurance and How Does it Work?

What Is a Preexisting Conditions Waiver?

A preexisting conditions waiver is a clause in your travel insurance policy that waives the exclusion of preexisting conditions from coverage. With a preexisting conditions waiver, your travel insurance usually covers the cost of your losses and medical treatment if an existing health issue flares up on your trip. There's typically no charge to get a preexisting conditions waiver as long as you meet the insurance company's qualification requirements.

Keep in mind that even with a preexisting conditions waiver, certain medical issues generally aren't covered by travel insurance. These include:

• Alcohol- or drug-related illnesses or injuries
• Anxiety
• Alzheimer's disease
• Cosmetic procedures
• Dementia
• Depression
• Injury or illness due to risky activities such as extreme sports
• Normal pregnancies or childbirth

Trips worth more than a certain dollar amount, such as $10,000, may not be covered either.

Tip: Comprehensive travel insurance typically extends your preexisting conditions waiver to your immediate family members, but only if they were medically stable during the policy's lookback period. Travel medical insurance, on the other hand, usually limits preexisting conditions coverage to the policyholder.

Learn more: What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

Who Qualifies for a Preexisting Conditions Waiver?

In order to get a preexisting conditions waiver, you must usually meet the following requirements:

1. Buy your policy within a certain time after making your first nonrefundable payment for the trip. The window for purchasing coverage is typically 14 to 21 days.
2. Be medically stable. There cannot have been any changes to your health status, treatment or medications during the policy's lookback period. You also cannot have any tests or procedures scheduled.
3. Insure all of your nonrefundable travel expenses when you buy your policy. Be sure to consider all aspects of your trip, including transportation, accommodations, rental cars, and tours or excursions.
4. Be medically fit to travel at the time you purchase travel medical insurance. Proving this may require a doctor's note.

Specific terms can vary depending on the insurance company's policies, so be sure to check requirements for coverage carefully.

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How to Get Coverage for a Preexisting Condition

To get travel insurance that covers a preexisting condition, you need to buy your policy within the purchase window, be medically able to travel at that time, be medically stable and insure all the nonrefundable expenses associated with your trip.

Some insurance companies require you to prove your eligibility when you apply for coverage. They may want to see your medical records or request doctors' notes, for instance.

Other insurers treat a preexisting conditions waiver as a "benefit of good faith," meaning they assume you're eligible unless proven otherwise. In this case, the insurer may ask to review your medical records, prescription history and hospital records when you file a claim related to a preexisting condition. If they determine that you weren't actually eligible for a preexisting condition waiver, your claim will be denied.

Learn more: Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

Frequently Asked Questions

Protect Your Trip With Travel Insurance

Before purchasing any type of travel insurance, carefully evaluate coverage and exclusions. You should also check your wallet to see if any of your credit cards offer credit card travel insurance as a benefit. While this coverage is usually more limited than travel insurance from third-party companies, some credit cards reimburse you for trip cancellation, interruption and delays; medical treatment and emergency evacuation; lost luggage and more. You typically must book travel with the card in order to be covered.

Don't have a travel rewards credit card? Use Experian's card comparison tool to get matched with credit card offers based on your credit profile. It's an easy way to shop and compare travel credit cards that can make your next trip easier.