What is a pre-existing medical condition?
In general terms (actual definitions vary between insurers), a pre-existing medical condition (PEC) is any illness, condition or injury that you're aware of, or should be aware of, and have recently received a medical examination, consultation, treatment, investigation and/or medication for.
What are some examples of pre-existing medical conditions?
The definitions of pre-existing conditions vary between insurance providers, but examples could include:
- Allergies
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Back pain
- Eczema
- Gallstones
- Heart, vascular and lung illnesses
- Hernias
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
Do I need to tell my insurer about any pre-existing medical conditions?
Not necessarily. That depends on the nature of your PEC. Typically, insurers will only require you to disclose pre-existing medical conditions that could seriously affect your health. Things like heart, vascular and lung issues (high blood pressure or cholesterol, recent heart attacks, angina, asthma, etc.)
If you have a less serious issue, such as hay fever or eczema, it's unlikely that you'll need to disclose it.
However, some insurers stipulate that if you disclose any pre-existing conditions you must disclose all of them. So if you have high blood pressure and eczema, you'll need to disclose both.
What does a pre-existing medical condition do to my travel insurance?
This will depend on the condition and the insurer. Some insurers will simply give you the green light and it won't be an issue. Some will bump up your premiums a little to factor in any increased risk that you might require medical attention while overseas.
And in some cases, depending on what your pre-existing medical condition is, you might be denied cover for it altogether. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you can't still get a travel insurance policy, for all the other stuff that can go wrong on holiday. The policy will just exclude cover related to your PEC.
It's also worth noting that some insurers may give you the option to exclude cover for your PECs, or pay an extra premium to include them.
What happens if I don't disclose my pre-existing medical condition?
If anything (relating to your PEC) was to happen, your insurer is unlikely to cover any related costs.
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