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What the heck is a pre-existing condition?

What the heck is a pre-existing condition? Featured Image

What the heck is a pre-existing condition?

One of the most important things to understand when considering a travel medical plan, is whether or not it covers a pre-existing condition(s). A pre-existing condition is anything you have or take medication for, saw the doctor for, have symptoms of, prior to the day that you start your travel medical insurance policy. Just because you haven’ t gone to the doctor yet, if you felt poorly with stomach pain for the last couple days, you couldn’t buy a travel medical policy and go to the doctor for your stomach issues. All travel insurance plans will cover new things that happen after your coverage starts. If you need to see a doctor for a pre-existing condition while on your trip, there are fewer plans available that will cover those issues.

As an example, if you take high blood pressure medication, that is considered a pre-existing condition. If you had a heart attack or stroke, the majority of the travel medical plans out there would not cover you. You may also see a benefit advertised as “an acute onset of a pre-existing condition” – what does that mean? An acute onset is something that comes up unexpectedly and without advanced warning. That definitely sounds like what a heart attack or stroke would be considered, right? However, when you look into the binding document of your policy, the definition of an acute onset excludes chronic and congenital conditions from the acute onset benefit. Taking daily medications would qualify as a chronic condition is why a heart attack or stroke would not qualify as an acute onset.

Depending on what daily medications you take – you may not be worried about any issues on your trip. I personally take a thyroid pill every morning. This is not anything I would ever worry about giving me a problem while on vacation.

The good news is that there are plans for U.S. citizens or U.S. residents that will cover pre-existing conditions! Make sure to ask an expert – their job is to help you! 800-647-4589

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