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.
Best Visitors insurance plans for pre-existing conditions Visitors insurance for pre-existing conditions coverage reviewsAcute 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.
US travel insurance cost in 2024 for visitors with pre-existing conditions has increasingly reduced the disposal income with a major portion of the income going to health care deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. The cost of a routine physician's visit is significantly higher in the U.S. where it might be $176. An echocardiogram can cost around $1,000 in Massachusetts and around $3000 in New Jersey depending on the provider. The cost of common ailments like Diabetes Mellitus with Hyperglycemia admitted to an emergency room would cost around $2,500 -$5000. Stroke resulting in ICU for about 10 days would cost $120,000, Heart attack treatment with medical bills for ambulance, hospital emergency room, ICU, EKG and MRI heart scans and continuing care from cardiologists would cost about $20,000, The average treatment cost of acute kidney failure in the USA was over $22,000.
While there's no simple explanation for the high costs, an important contributing factor is the significant administrative expenses in healthcare and given the litigious nature of US society, the cost of medical-malpractice legal expenses. Employing numerous billing clerks by both hospitals and physicians, as well as by private insurance companies is a requirement in the US insurance system. In addition to that, the system's reliance on advanced technology, costly labor and the steep price of malpractice insurance in the US also contributes to the overall expenses.
While there are several reasons for high healthcare costs, the fact remains that one cannot afford to be uninsured while visiting the US. In US hospitals the cost for any treatment is much lower if you have insurance and the hospital is part of the PPO network when compared to getting the same treatment without any insurance. This is beyond the actual insurance coverage itself, so simply having visitors insurance reduces the bill substantially. This high price without insurance is unimaginable for visitors to pay out of their pocket. It is important for visitors to realize the importance of health insurance while visiting the US.
The visitor health insurance usa cost ranges from $16 to $150 a month. The price varies based on several factors such as the age of the visitor, medical maximum coverage, deductible for the plan, coverage type (Fixed vs comprehensive coverage), and the coverage for pre-existing conditions. For an average traveler, there are cheap travel insurance plans at less than a dollar a day.
“Pre-existing Condition” means an illness, disease, or other condition of the Covered Person that in the 12-month period before the Covered Person’s coverage became effective under the Policy:
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Price range | $768 - $860 |
Coverage range | $150,000 - $300,000 |
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Price range | $768 - $860 |
Coverage range | $150,000 - $300,000 |
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Price range | $752 - $841 |
Coverage range | $150,000 - $300,000 |
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Price range | $278 - $448 |
Coverage range | $150,000 - $300,000 |
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Price range | 1038 |
Coverage range | $300,000 |
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Should you experience a sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a pre-existing condition, this coverage provides necessary emergency care for any medical emergency that is life threatening or requires immediate medical treatment. Coverage is available for travelers under age 70, and maximum limits vary by plan and age.
An Illness, disease, or other condition of the Insured Person that in the twelve (12) month period before the Insured Person’s coverage became effective under this insurance: a) first manifested itself, worsened, became acute, or exhibited symptoms that would have caused a person to seek diagnosis, care, or Treatment; or b) required taking prescribed drugs or medicines, unless the condition for which the prescribed drug or medicine is taken remains controlled without any change in the required prescription; or c) was Treated by a Physician or Treatment had been recommended by a Physician.
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Price range | $90 - $170 |
Coverage range | $50,000 - $1,000,000 |
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Price range | $485 - $728 |
Coverage range | $50,000 - $250,000 |
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Acute Onset of Pre-Existing Condition(s): The occurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition that meets all the following criteria:
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Price range | $160 - $290 |
Coverage range | $50,000 - $1,000,000 |
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Price range | $110 - $180 |
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Acute onset of a pre-existing condition is a sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence that is of short duration, is rapidly progressive, and requires urgent care. A pre-existing condition that is chronic or congenital, or that gradually becomes worse over time, is not acute onset of a pre-existing condition.
The Acute Onset of Pre-existing Condition benefit will only apply if all of the following conditions are met:Estimate Plan Cost | |
Price range | $110 - $230 |
Coverage range | $50,000 - $2,000,000 |
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Price range | $40 - $80 |
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ACUTE ONSET OF PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS for an Acute Onset of a Pre-Existing Condition up to the maximum as stated in the Schedule of Benefits provided the condition or event: 1. occurs spontaneously and without advance warning either in the form of Physician recommendations or symptoms, is of short duration, is rapidly progressive, and requires urgent and immediate medical care; 2. occurs a minimum of 48 hours after the Effective Date of the Coverage; and 3. Treatment is obtained within 24 hours of the sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence.
Any repeat/reoccurrence within the same Period of Insurance will no longer be considered Acute Onset of a Pre-Existing Condition and will not be eligible for additional coverage. This benefit covers only one (1) Acute Onset episode of a Pre-Existing Condition. Sudden and Acute Onset of a Pre-Existing Condition Coverage expires upon medical advice that the condition and onset is no longer acute, or the Covered Person is discharged from a medical Facility.
To be eligible for the foregoing limited coverage and benefits for an Acute Onset of a Pre-existing Condition, the Covered Person must be in compliance with all Terms of this insurance. The Company will provide such coverage and benefits only when all of the following conditions and restrictions have been met.
At the time of the Acute Onset of the Pre-existing Condition:Benefits are payable for an Unexpected Recurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition up to the maximum as stated in the Schedule of Benefits provided the condition or event: 1. occurs spontaneously and without advance warning either in the form of Physician recommendations or symptoms, is of short duration, is rapidly progressive, and requires urgent and immediate medical care; 2. occurs a minimum of 48 hours after the Effective Date of the Coverage; and 3. Treatment is obtained within 24 hours of the sudden and Unexpected outbreak or recurrence. Any repeat/reoccurrence within the same Period of Insurance will no longer be considered Unexpected Recurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition and will not be eligible for additional coverage. This benefit covers only one (1) Unexpected Recurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition per Period of Insurance. Sudden and Unexpected Recurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition Coverage expires upon medical advice that the condition and onset is no longer acute, or the Covered Person is discharged from a medical Facility.
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Price range | $90 - $160 |
Coverage range | $50,000 - $1,000,000 |
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Price range | $90 - $160 |
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sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a Pre-existing Condition(s) which occurs spontaneously and without advance warning either in the form of Physician recommendations or symptoms, is of short duration, is rapidly progressive, and requires urgent care. The Acute Onset of a Pre-existing Condition(s) must occur after the effective date of the policy. Treatment must be obtained within 24 hours of the sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence. A Pre-existing Condition that is a chronic or congenital condition or that gradually becomes worse over time will not be considered Acute Onset. This benefit does not include coverage for known, scheduled, required, or expected medical care, drugs or Treatments existent or necessary prior to the Effective Date of coverage.
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Price range | $130 - $220 |
Coverage range | $50,000 - $1,000,000 |
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Acute Onset of Pre-existing Condition means a sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a preexisting condition(s) which occurs spontaneously and without advance warning either in the form of physician recommendations or symptoms, is of short duration, is rapidly progressive, and requires urgent care. The Acute Onset of a Pre-existing Condition(s) must occur after the certificate effective date. Treatment must be obtained within 24 hours of the sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence. A pre-existing condition that is a chronic or congenital condition, or a complication or consequence of a chronic or congenital condition, or a condition that gradually becomes worse over time will not be considered Acute Onset. This benefit does not include coverage for known, scheduled, required, or expected medical care, drugs or treatments existent or necessary prior to the certificate effective date.
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Price range | $50 - $190 |
Coverage range | $50,000 - $250,000 |
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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.
The following is the visitors insurance pre-existing conditions coverage buy different US travel insurance providers:
INF Plans. These plans offer full Pre-existing conditions up to the pre-existing conditions coverage limit in the policy:
International Medical Group - IMG offers both full Pre-existing and Acute onset of Pre-existing condition coverage :
WorldTrips offers acute onset of Pre-existing conditions:
Trawick International offers Acute onset of Pre-existing conditions and sudden, unexpected recurrence of a Pre-existing Conditions:
Seven Corners offers acute onset of Pre-existing conditions:
The Lookback period is the period before the travel insurance policy's effective date during which the pre-existing medical condition must be stable. The look back period varies depending on the policy.
No, typically, you must not receive any treatment or medication for the pre-existing condition during the Lookback period to be eligible for coverage under the policy.
Yes, there is typically an age limit for purchasing visitors travel insurance for acute onset of pre-existing conditions. The age limit varies depending on the policy.
Yes, Green Card holders are eligible to enroll in the INF Plans as long as they maintain a residence outside the US.
Yes, people who are already in the US, can buy the INF plans, but they must get prior permission to apply for INF plans. To do this, they must submit the following forms:
The I-94 form is a government doc that can be filled out on line, they should choose “Get most Recent” on the website here: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/ and you should complete this “health attestation form”.
Note : Hop Travel Assist plans are not available if visitors are already in abroad
Yes, you can purchase INF travel medical insurance even if you have pre-existing conditions. INF offers Premier, Elite, Elite Plus and Elite 90 plans that provide coverage for pre-existing conditions. However, coverage for pre-existing conditions may have some limitations and exclusions depending on the plan and your specific condition. It is important to carefully review the policy details and ensure that the coverage meets your specific needs.
INF travel medical insurance for pre-existing conditions is a type of travel insurance that provides coverage for individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions.
The INF insurance plans are designed to provide coverage for medical emergencies and unexpected medical events that may occur while traveling. The plans include benefits such as hospitalization, doctor visits, prescription medication, emergency medical evacuation, and more.
INF offers several insurance plans for travelers with pre-existing conditions, including the INF Premier, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90. These plans have varying levels of coverage and benefits, so it is important to review each plan carefully to determine which one best fits your specific needs.
The cost of the INF visitors insurance will vary depending on the age of the traveler, the type of coverage and the length of your trip. Typically, visitor’s insurance policies cost can start even as low as $1 per day, but will be much higher for older travelers seeking coverage for pre-existing conditions that INF insurance offers.
The INF Elite Travel Insurance plan is INF’s comprehensive insurance for visitors traveling to the United States. There are 3 types of INF insurance Elite plans and the price of these plans varies depending on the coverage they provide. The INF Elite plan, INF Elite 90 plan and INF Elite Plus plan.
The INF Elite plan is a comprehensive travel medical insurance plan that offers coverage for emergency medical and dental expenses, medical evacuation, trip interruption, and other benefits for visitors to the USA. The INF Elite plan, INF Elite 90 plan and INF Elite Plus plan are all part of the Elite Network of plans offered by INF.
The INF Elite 90 plan is designed for travellers who need coverage of eligible medical expenses up to 90%.
The INF Elite Plus plan provides coverage for pre-existing conditions as defined in the plan, as per policy limitations, exclusions and maximums, with no benefit waiting period.
INF Elite Plus also provides Preventive & maintenance care benefits, which can be used for a number of different covered medical services and offers coverage for TDAP, Flu, etc Vaccines.
You can apply for INF insurance online through American Visitor Insurance. You can also call them at (877) 340 7910 to get more information on how to apply for INF insurance from licensed insurance agents.
The maximum length of coverage for INF insurance is 364 days.
INF insurance is available for international visitors to the United States, Canada or Mexico.
The main requirements for applying for INF insurance is the travelers passport details and the travel dates. You can apply for INF insurance online on American Visitor Insurance or call (877) 340 7910 to get help in applying for INF insurance.
To purchase INF insurance coverage, you must not be a citizen or permanent resident of the host country you are traveling to, ie the US, Mexico, or Canada. The coverage is available for non-U.S. residents and non-U.S. citizens traveling to the United States, Mexico or Canada between the ages of 14 days and 79 years. US green card holders can buy INF insurance if they have a residence outside the USA. The coverage duration is available from 5 days up to 364 days.
There is a minimum purchase of 90 days required to buy these INF Elite plans.
The INF plans use the United Healthcare Preferred Provider Organisation (PPO). This means that even if the pre-existing coverage limit is low, customers will still be able to access the full PPO discounts via United Health Care (UHC).
For example : A customer has to go to the Emergency Room (ER) for blood pressure and get a bill of $10,000 and the customer has the INF HOP UltraPlus plan. Although the UltraPlus covers $700 for pre-existing, the customer will get the PPO discount on the bill since it is covered. This in itself can translate to very significant savings such as an 80% discount + $700 paid out. This means your total coverage was $8,700 and out of pocket expense is only $1,300.
USA Travel insurance cost depends on the following factors indicating why it is very expensive.
Despite travel insurance for the US being expensive, it is extremely risky to be uninsured in the United States. US insurance companies work with preferred provider (PPO) networks that are linked to the hospital and healthcare facilities. Patients who have health insurance and go to a PPO provider get billed significantly lower than those patients who do not have any insurance coverage. Simply having health insurance reduces hospital bills, along with this price reduction is the actual healthcare expenses which are paid for by the medical insurance plans.
Here are some travel insurance tips for travelers with pre-existing conditions
There are many health insurance for us visitors options for international travel. However, many usa travel insurance for visitors plans exclude pre-existing conditions. Hence the traveler insurance will not cover the costs of treating a pre-existing medical condition. However at American Visitor Insurance, we offer some travel medical insurance plans that have coverage for pre-existing conditions and the policy clearly states what is covered for a pre-existing conditions, as well as specifying a limit to this coverage.
Some travel health insurance plans like Atlas America, Patriot America Plus offer coverage for an acute onset of a pre-existing conditions, ie, when there is a sudden medical emergency without any prior symptom that needs to be treated immediately. This typically includes emergency medical treatment, hospitalization and evacuation expenses related to the acute onset of the pre-existing condition. INF insurance however has the INF Elite insurance which covers pre-existing conditions going beyond the acute onset coverage. It is important to compare visitors insurance for pre-existing conditions on American Visitor Insurance both for the price as well as pre-existing conditions coverage before making a decision.
The travel health insurance plans which cover pre-existing conditions have clear definitions of what is a pre-existing condition, the look back period for pre-existing condition, whether the travel insurance coverage is limited to acute onset of pre-existing conditions, and if it provides full coverage for pre-existing conditions the coverage limit within the policy for pre-existing conditons. Any travel health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions will depend on all these.
The following are important factors for buying travel insurance for pre-existing conditions
Traveling anywhere outside worldwide is supposed to be an eye opening, special and a relaxed trip experience. Traveling with a health condition brings in more challenges in order to get covered for the unexpected medical expense in case of odd surprises during the trip. This calls out for an insurance plan that covers the pre-existing conditions that will relieve the unnecessary stress of taking extra care of yourself during your most memorable travel experience.
The plans also will be expensive considering the risks involved to cover pre-existing conditions. Many of the travel insurance plans exclude pre-existing conditions. At American Visitor Insurance we offer plans that cover acute onset of pre-existing conditions as well as some cover full pre-existing conditions.
Unfortunately, this simple question has a fairly complicated answer. The answer is: it depends. Firstly, it depends on whether you are a US resident traveling outside the US or a visitor to the US. US residents can purchase trip cancellation insurance that can cover pre-existing conditions and even plans that are travel medical only without cancellation often are more generous in their coverage of pre-existing conditions. These plans may have specific requirements in order to waive the usual exclusion of coverage for pre-existing conditions (like purchase them within a certain number of days of your initial trip deposit or that you have a primary domestic insurance plan in the US), so you should check these details carefully if this is important to you.
Non-US residents or US residents traveling into the US have much more limited options to insure their pre-existing conditions are covered. Some plans offer coverage for "acute onset" of pre-existing conditions. However, this is misleading, since a careful look at their definition excludes chronic or congenital disorders from such coverage. Chronic illnesses are those that worsen over time and congenital disorders are issues one is born with. They exclude emergencies due to chronic illness because they will say that is not "acute" it is simply a worsening of your condition. There are only two policies we know of that offer coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. They are INF Premier and INF Elite plans.
Firstly, they define pre-existing conditions in the following way: A pre-existing condition is a condition for which the insured received treatment or took medication for in the previous 12 months before the start of the policy. If the medication dosage has not changed and is taken as a maintenance medication, this would NOT count as a flare up or treatment of the condition. In that case, very stable conditions that have no flare ups in the past 12 months are not even excluded as pre-existing conditions. Conditions that have had flare ups or doctor recommended treatment or change in medication, are still covered by the plans but with a higher deductible and a lower maximum.
INF Elite (also INF Elite 90) are comprehensive plans offering fairly complete coverage. INF Premier is a fixed plan. Find details on these plans here.
The above plans must be purchased for at least 90 days and can be quite pricey for seniors, but they offer the only real coverage for chronic conditions.
The other option, of course, is to take a plans with little ($1K) or no coverage for pre-existing conditions and take a risk that that condition will not flare up during the trip.
INF plans boast they offer "full" coverage for pre-existing conditions. This can be a little misleading. Firstly, any regular treatment or medication that is required by the condition is never covered. The main advantage to the INF Elite and INF Premier is that they cover sudden illness/injury regardless of whether it is pre-existing or not. The only difference is that a pre-existing condition will be covered with a higher deductible at at a lower maximum than any other "new" illness or injury. However, coverage is not limited to an emergency or life-threatening situation.
The "Acute Onset of a Pre-Existing Condition" is a sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a pre-existing medical condition which occurs without any advance warning either in the form of physician recommendations or symptoms and requires immediate care (within 24 hours of first symptoms). A Pre-Existing Condition that is a chronic or congenital condition or that gradually becomes worse over time will not be considered acute onset.
The acute onset coverage benefit does not include coverage for known, scheduled, required, or expected medical care, drugs or treatment existent or necessary prior to the effective date of coverage. An example of this might be someone who has a food allergy or bee allergy and is unknowingly exposed to their allergen and requires immediate medical attention.
Acute onset of a pre-existing condition can be defined as the sudden & unexpected occurrence of a pre-existing condition which requires in-patient, emergency hospitalization within 24 hours of exhibiting first symptoms. The main difference between acute onset & full pre-existing is that with Full Pre-Existing coverage, is that one is covered for all pre-existing conditions and associated medical costs and this includes follow up visits, hospitalizations and doctor’s visits, etc. The acute onset coverage will only cover the in-patient hospitalization expense.
Full Pre-existing means we will cover any issue regarding a pre-existing condition, however, if one is traveling to the United States solely for medical treatment, that will not be covered. INF plans do not cover any medical tourism related claims. Pre-existing conditions under the INF plans are covered with a higher deductible and a lower maximum than other illnesses or injuries. These are chosen or specified when you purchase you plan.
Yes, the INF policies will cover any pre-existing issue that the traveler may have during their stay in the United States. This includes blood pressure, diabetes, kidney related issues and arthritis, all of which are covered by the INF Premier, INF Premier Plus, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90 Plans.
The insurance company takes on an enormous risk by insuring individuals and including coverage for pre-existing conditions without any prior medical examination. Under the INF plans, you are paying more, but you are getting the full value for the money you pay given the very high cost of US healthcare. With the INF Premier, INF Premier Plus, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90 Plans, even though it is expensive, you can have the comfort of knowing that you are covered for any emergency or contingency. This peace of mind given the expensive US healthcare expense is what makes INF plans worth it despite being expensive.
The list of covered services under Visitors insurance full pre-existing conditions coverage can be found on the American Visitor Insurance website of the INF Premier, INF Premier Plus, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90 Plan pages. INF plans are open to green card holders
The best travel insurance covering pre existing conditions is listed here :
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.
Contact our customer service team, we are here to help you!
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