A pre-existing condition is a medical ailment that existed before the start of the visitors insurance cover. One of the biggest concerns for travelers is to buy travel health insurance for pre-existing conditions.
Good visitor insurance with Pre-existing conditions coverage is particularly important for older travelers and parents. Only some visitors insurance offer coverage for pre-existing ailments and even there the coverage is mainly for acute onset of pre-existing ailments**.
Some other international travel insurance with pre-existing conditions coverage will pay for medical expenses after the first year of coverage or a waiting period.
Acute onset of pre-existing conditions means sudden, unexpected emergency due to a pre-existing condition that can be dangerous to life and the traveler cannot wait to get treatment in the home country but to receive treatment immediately. It should be noted that for acute onset coverage, treatment must be sought within the defined time period for the plan and chronic and congenital conditions may not be covered.
Health care expensesThe cost of travel insurance is directly proportional to the age of the traveler. The older the traveler and greater will be the cost of the visitors health insurance.
Comprehensive travel insurance which provide exhaustive coverage are more expensive than fixed benefit travel insurance.
The price of visitors medical insurance is directly dependant on the maximum medical coverage and inversely proportional to the deductible of the plan chosen.
Travel insurance depends on the coverage region. The cost for visitor health insurance for the United States is most expensive.
The longer the duration of visitor medical insurance required, the higher will be the cost.
Travel insurance is coverage only for unexpected medical expenses while you are on a trip away from home. Some companies offer coverage for what they call "acute onset" of a pre-existing condition (excluding chronic or congenital disorders). This would be a life or life-style threatening situation that cannot wait to be taken care of when the trip is over.
It must be "acute" meaning that it came on suddenly and needs to be taken care of quickly (defined as within 24 hours of symptom onset). A "pre-existing condition" does not necessarily have to have been previously diagnosed. If it is reasonable to assume that this condition started in the patient before the start date of the insurance, then it will be considered pre-existing to the policy. Note that the exclusion for chronic (conditions that worsen over time) and congenital (conditions a person is born with) limit greatly the application of this exception.
If asthma is not considered chronic, then an emergency due to asthma could be covered by a policy which covers at least "acute onset" of pre-existing conditions. If a person requires regular medication and/or doctor visits for their asthma, this will NOT be covered and will have to be paid by the insured completely out of pocket.
Note that in the US, the same medications can differ widely in costs depending on the pharmacy you use and some medications (generally generics) for common illnesses can be purchased for $40 per month at the Walmart pharmacy (although there may be long wait times). Also, some drug companies have special "coupons" available online for some of their drugs. There are often "discount cards" available at pharmacies and other stores for prescriptions that are free to use.
These are all resources your visitor can use to avoid paying full price for costly required medications should they run out while they are in the US. Other countries may not require a prescription and may not be as costly to obtain. Having a prescription with you, however, may be a good idea to ease getting the medication and show authorities you are allowed to have it (in the case of regulated substances which can vary country to country).
No. When you purchase any of our travel insurance plans, they offer guaranteed coverage with no medical questions. However, be aware that they all exclude pre-existing medical conditions. So, please take any medications you use regularly or for flare ups of your conditions since these will not be covered by travel insurance. As far as I know, arthritis cannot lead to a life-threatening situation, so will be excluded from coverage by short-term travel policies.
If you are a frequent traveler and want major medical coverage in any country to which you travel, you can opt for global medical policies which will (after the first year, generally) cover all aspects of health costs.
You can Compare and buy Global health insurance policies. To apply for these policies, you will have to reveal your entire medical history and you are not guaranteed coverage.
The application must go through underwriting and you can be approved, rejected, or approved with exclusions. In any case, you can opt out of the policy 10 days from your approval for no cost to you or simply reject the exclusions they require on the policy. Note that these policies are best for people who want health insurance for a whole year, or better, longer.
Once you are approved on the plan, you are guaranteed coverage year after year and the price is determined by your age group, not your individual medical history. So, in the case of a global medical insurance application, you would have to declare your arthritis on the application and you may or may not be covered for that illness by the policy they offer you.
Absolutely, yes! Travel insurance is meant to cover you in the unlikely event of a sudden illness or accident while you are on your trip. Even if you have a pre-existing condition that complicates treatment, that is not relevant to the coverage for an unexpected illness or injury.
Naturally, your pre-existing conditions themselves are excluded from coverage, so you should pack as much medication as you will comfortably need for your trip.
Yes. Any medical condition you have been diagnosed with or are being treated for will be considered pre-existing to a new travel policy. If you take regular medication for your condition, this will not be covered by the policy. However, should you, for example, have an accident and break a bone, this would be covered even if your condition may have made you a little more vulnerable to the break (unless you were being particularly reckless).
Accidents are generally always covered (car accidents are more complicated because if you were not at fault, the driver's insurance may cover part of your injuries) unless caused by intoxication.So, even if you have osteoarthritis or some other pre-existing condition, you are still eligible for coverage by a travel insurance policy which will protect you from sudden illness or accident/injury while you are on your trip.
This is a tough question. And, unfortunately, the answer depends on where you are traveling to and from.
For people that are traveling to the US from abroad:
As a broker, I am not a medical professional, so I can only tell you this from the insurance side of the question. Generally speaking, the most common cause for heart attack as I understand it is due to plaque build up in the person's arteries.
Since that build up happens slowly, over time, I think it's fair to say that it would NOT be covered by any travel health insurance. This is because travel health insurance excludes pre-existing conditions from any coverage (even emergency coverage if they are chronic or congenital). So the answer for the common cause of heart attacks is NO. So, foreigners run a risk (hopefully a small one) when traveling here.
Health insurance can still help with costs of accidents and other unexpected illnesses while on vacation. However, the answer is be different for people who are US residents traveling abroad. US residents can purchase trip cancellation plans and some of those waive the pre-existing condition exclusion IF you purchase them within a short time of your initial trip deposit (that is the earliest date you pay for any portion of your trip).
Check out trip cancellation plans. Notably, the GeoBlue student and travel plans also waive the pre-existing condition exclusion for people who had creditable prior insurance coverage, and these plans are only available to US residents with US domestic coverage. And, for travel plans for US residents going abroad, some, like the Safe Travels Outbound plans, will cover pre-existing conditions IF they have been stable in the last 6 months (meaning there have been no changes, episodes, or changes to medication in that time frame). You can Compare Safe Travels Outbound Insurance plans.
No. Travel health insurance is meant to cover a sudden illness or accident, such as you get a stomach flu or you twist or break your ankle. Since arthritis is not a life-threatening illness, it will not be covered by a short-term travel plan. Should you require regular medications or ointments, you should bring them or purchase ointments available in the visiting country for your condition.
Some countries may not require prescriptions to purchase medications. However, you should be cautious in using a new medication since there may be side-effects of concern. You may want to stick to what you know or consult with your own physician if you can.
Yes, INF is one company that offers travel insurance for pre-existing conditions. Some other US travel insurance providers offer travel insurance for acute onset of an pre-existing ailment. The INF Elite and INF Premier travel plans provides greater flexibility for coverage of pre-existing conditions.
The following travel insurance plans cover acute onset of pre-existing conditions:
A pre-existing condition is an existing condition/illness that exists at the time of application of the travel insurance, whether or not it has been treated and diagnosed or disclosed to the company, and any of or all of the subsequent complications or consequences related to or resulting from the ailment.
Mental and Nervous disorders, maternity and newborn care, preventive care, chronic illness which cannot be cured, for instance, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, pre-existing conditions except for sudden recurrence of the pre-existing conditions are some of the medical conditions that the travel insurance completely excludes from coverage.
Travel Insurance plans do not specify anything about the waiting period, but some plans have a look back period for coverage for pre-existing conditions. Most travel insurance plans only cover the acute onset of pre-existing conditions with INF being the exception which offers coverage for Pre-existing conditions up to the defined limit with their INF Premier and INF Elite travel insurance plans.
US Student medical insurance plans which are useful for international students coming to the US for higher studies however do provide a waiting period of 6 months to one year which varies from one plan to another.
Travel Insurance plans provide coverage for unexpected sickness and injury. They provide benefits to cover emergency medical evacuation and repatriation. Apart from this, they provide coverage for the acute onset of pre-existing conditions. If there is a medical condition that you do not need any coverage for, then yes, you can still purchase travel insurance for unexpected medical accidents which might result in a highly expensive claim expense.
US short term travel insurance plans are bought online by filling out the travel insurance application form provided by the insurance company. In the insurance company application form, there are no specific questions about the pre-existing condition the customer might have.
However, on American Visitor Insurance on the form to travel insurance quotes, we ask the customer to fill in the requirement details including if coverage for pre-existing conditions is needed. This helps us display the plans with the best coverage for pre-existing conditions or for acute onset of pre-existing conditions. The available travel insurance plans can also be filtered depending on the pre-existing condition coverage requirement.
This way it is easier for the customer to view the plans that provide good pre-existing condition coverage. In conclusion, the customer does not have a way to disclose what pre-existing condition they have in the application form. Again only INF insurance offers coverage for pre-existing conditions while other providers only offer acute onset of pre-existing condition coverage, and they will not be covered for the pre-existing condition unless the incident is reported by the doctor as a acute onset of a pre-existing condition.
A fixed benefit travel insurance plan is the cheapest travel insurance plan option. Fixed benefit travel insurance is cheap because it has a fixed limit of coverage for different medical benefits.
Fixed benefit travel insurance plans work well in case of small ailments but can be inadequate in the event of a serious medical ailment or hospitalisation.
Comprehensive travel insurance plans provide exhaustive coverage for health expenses up to the policy medical maximum amount. In contrast to fixed benefit plans there are no limits for each benefit. Comprehensive insurance is more expensive when compared to fixed benefit plans but provides significantly better coverage in case of a medical emergency or hospitalisation.
Complete the travel insurance quote request form by providing details of the traveller and insurance requirements.
Compare the price and the benefits of the different travel insurance options to identify what fits your needs best.
Purchase the plan that fits your needs and budget best by using a credit card and completing the online application.
Review the travel insurance documents received by email closely for coverage details and relevant contact numbers
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are planning to travel to USA next year somewhere in the month of June, 2022. Policy is for myself and my spouse. We shall be visiting on B2 (visitor) Visa. My wife is having a problem regarding urinary continence and last two years she has to change catheter every 12 to 13 weeks i.e. after every three months.
I would like to know that Suprapubic catheter changing is covered in the policy? Since we are planning to stay for 5 to six months one catheter change in USA is inevitable hence this query. We will be in Austin in the Texas State of USA.
Dear Arun,
There are no plans which specifically say that these conditions are covered. The travel insurance plans cover acute onset of an pre existing condition. Here is a plan that provides very good coverage for acute onset of pre existing condition.
You can call the insurance company Trawick International for this plan.
Their number is 888-301-9289
Please let us know if we can help you further in any way.
Regards,Given the concern for pre-existing condition insurance plan for visitors, the common question among elderly travelers is how insurers determine what is considered a pre existing medical condition. No medical examination or doctor’s report is required to purchase short term health insurance.
So, how can they know what is pre-existing? The insurance company will rely on information gathered from the care provider, such as, medications taken, onset of symptoms, etc.
Those travelers with pre-existing conditions have to take extra care while in a foreign country to avoid possible medical emergencies. Visitors with medical history should always purchase a plan with pre-existing medical coverage, otherwise an emergency due to a pre-existing condition may NOT be covered by their insurance.
There are some plans with coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions** for all ages. You can compare International health insurance that covers Pre existing conditions and select the one which best suits your unique situation
We clearly explain the policies that provide international health insurance for pre existing conditions coverage and all the terms and conditions that go with it. These insurance plans are ideal for visitors or parents visiting from India.
The best coverage of Pre-existing Conditions can be found with Major Medical plans which are under the Global health insurance section of our website. These plans are ideally suited to someone who wants long term insurance (12 months and above). For more clarifications please refer to the Pre-existing conditions travel insurance FAQ.
Please explain the difference between full coverage for pre-existing conditions and coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions by US visitor insurance.
Most of the US visitors insurance plans provide coverage for "Acute Onset of Pre-Existing Conditions**". This basically provides coverage in the event of an existing medical ailment becoming life threatening and needing emergency medical care. This coverage will usually have exclusions for coverage of gradual or slow worsening of the existing ailment.
INF is one of the few companies which offers USA travel insurance plans for visitors to the US with full coverage for pre-existing ailments. INF offers best travel insurance for pre existing medical conditions with full Pre-Existing conditions coverage. This means INF visitors insurance with pre-existing conditions coverage insures any in-patient, out-patient, urgent care, specialist, doctor visits, anything related to pre-existing conditions.
The INF plans treat the pre-existing conditions like any new sicknesses. Prescription Medications are also covered when prescribed for a recent medical incident caused by a pre-existing condition. However, maintenance medications like Lipitor are not covered under this plan. This also means INF will not have exclusions that are typical in 'acute onset of pre-existing conditions**'. Some of the common pre-existing condition exclusions are:
This also explains why 'Full pre-existing conditions coverage' is more expensive than coverage only for 'acute onset of pre-existing conditions'. However, please note the INF does not support medical tourism, where patients buy this insurance simply to get medical treatment for an existing ailment.
Why are INF Full travel insurance pre existing conditions plans more expensive than other travel insurance covering pre existing conditions?
The Full pre-existing conditions coverage plans treat any issue related to a pre-existing condition like a New Accident and Sickness, subject to the policy maximum and deductible limits. This explains why 'Full pre-existing conditions visitor insurance coverage' plans are more expensive than coverage only for 'acute onset of pre-existing conditions**'
In short the answer is Yes. INF insurance will cover any pre-existing conditions ranging from blood pressure, diabetes, to kidney complications and arthritis. All of these issues are all covered by the INF Premier, INF Elite, Elite Plus and INF Elite 90 best travel insurance for pre existing conditions
Compare the best travel insurance for full pre-existing conditions plans INF Premier & INF Elite best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions.
Note: **INF Premier, Elite, Elite Plus and Elite 90 plans have a fixed pre-existing condition maximum limit up to which the pre-existing condition would be covered.
There are some USA Covid travel insurance plans available for travel that cover covid19 as a new illness. International travelers can compare best Covid travel insurance plans and buy it online.
These US covid travel insurance plans are available for visitors to the US, US citizens and US residents traveling abroad as well as non US travelers traveling outside their home country.
Simply put, a pre-existing condition is a disease or condition a person is already diagnosed with, being treated for, or has, with reasonable certainty before the start of the insurance policy.
Companies use a "look back" period to determine if a condition will be considered pre-existing or not. Click here to Read more>>.
No, there are no medical tests required for purchasing visitor travel insurance to usa with pre existing conditions.
The short term visitor insurance plans usually do not cover pre-existing medical conditions, however some plans do provide limited coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions**. You can compare the insurance plans that offer pre-existing condition coverage using our compare tool option.
Many people, although healthy and able to travel, particularly older travelers take medications for certain medical conditions. While these conditions can be called "normal" for a person of their age, not all people have these conditions and they will be classified as "pre-existing" by an insurance company. If you do NOT have coverage for it, then the policy will pay $0 for any incident of it, emergency or not.
The coverage you can get is limited to "acute onset" of a pre-existing condition which can cover an unexpected life-threatening emergency of the condition which would then give you as complete coverage as you could get for your travels or visitor. This is why we offer some options with this coverage for nearly all ages of travelers. For more information, go here
Travel insurance plans usually cover unexpected or sudden sickness or injuries. Pre-existing condition is a condition a person has been diagnosed with, is being treated for, or has with reasonable medical certainty before the start of the plan". So a person does not need to know they have the condition for it to be considered pre-existing (a diagnosis is not required).
Some international travel insurance plans offer coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions. Acute onset of pre-existing conditions means sudden, unexpected emergency due to a pre-existing condition that can be dangerous to life and the traveler cannot wait to get treatment in the home country but to receive treatment immediately.
It should be noted that for acute onset coverage, treatment must be sought within the defined time period for the plan and chronic and congenital conditions may not be covered.
While most US travelers insurance plan do not cover pre-existing conditions, however some US travel insurance plans cover acute onset of pre-existing conditions. INF insurance is the one provider who offers travel insurance with coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Most travel insurance plans will consider blood pressure as a pre-existing condition for travel insurance. However the INF insurance offer travel insurance that covers pre-existing conditions ranging including Blood pressure. The INF Premier & INF Elite travel insurance for preexisting conditions are two INF plans with coverage for blood pressure.
Mental and Nervous disorders, maternity and new born care, preventive care, chronic illness which cannot be cured, for instance, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, pre-existing conditions except for sudden recurrence of the pre-existing conditions are some of the medical conditions that the travel insurance completely excludes from coverage.
US short term travel insurance plans are bought online by filling out the travel insurance application form provided by the insurance company. In the insurance company application form, there are no specific questions about the pre-existing condition the customer might have.
However, on American Visitor Insurance on the form to travel insurance quotes, we ask the customer to fill in the requirement details including if coverage for pre-existing conditions is needed. This helps us display the plans with the best coverage for pre-existing conditions or for acute onset of pre-existing conditions. The available travel insurance plans can also be filtered depending on the pre-existing condition coverage requirement. This way it is easier for the customer to view the plans that provide good pre-existing condition coverage. In conclusion, the customer does not have a way to disclose what pre-existing condition they have in the application form. Again only INF insurance offers coverage for pre-existing conditions while other providers only offer acute onset of pre-existing condition coverage, and they will not be covered for the pre-existing condition unless the incident is reported by the doctor as a acute onset of a pre-existing condition.
Get quote for visitor medical insurance with pre-existing coverage.
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Hi,I am looking for advice on how to get 3 months of medical insurance for my son while he works in the USA for Americamp. The insurance they provide does not cover an acute onset of a medical condition. He has type 1 diabetes. He would not need prescriptions or any ordinary care as he will be bringing insulin etc with him but I am concerned that if there was to be an incident related to his condition he would not be covered. Please get back to me with any suggestions.
Thanks
Dear Tania,Hi! You can get insurance to cover what is called "acute onset" of a pre-existing condition. This means that if you have some unexpected emergency due to your pre-existing condition then it should be covered (there are some medical conditions that are excluded from coverage). It depends on the age as to which policies and for how much they will cover you. You can use this link to search suitable plan options for you:
Pre-existing coverageYou can get instant quote here by filling this quote form:
Please note that regular medication, treatment, or doctor visits due to a pre-existing condition will not be covered and, of course, the condition must be stable before you travel.
I hope we can find something for your situation. If you want a more specific quote and option, tell us the age as well as your dates of travel and we can make a suggestion for you.
Importance of travel insurance with pre-existing conditions coverage for USA.
Click here to read more »Details of using visitor travel insurance in an emergency.
Click here to read more »Steps to buy best pre-existing medical travel insurance.
Click here to read more »Visitors to the US with pre-existing ailments need to review plans that provide them coverage for their medical ailments. The plans offered here provide such coverage.
Click here to read more »Travelers who already have existing medical ailments need to be aware of the limitations of travel medical insurance coverage, and seek to buy plans that specifically offer some coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Click here to read more »Get free quotes of pre existing visitor medical insurance and compare. Some of the tips for diabetes patients to be healthy.
Click here to read more »
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