International Medical Only

Pre-existing medical conditions

Pre-existing conditions are not automatically covered under your travel insurance policy. We want to help you understand what a pre-existing medical condition is and what you need to do if you have any so that you know what you are covered for under your travel insurance policy.

 

What is a pre-existing medical condition?

We consider a pre-existing medical condition to be any illness, injury or health symptom to which all the following apply:

  • You know about it, or a reasonable person should have known about it before the date your insurance starts.
  • In the 3 years before the date your insurance starts, any of the following applied:
    • You sought or received medical help
    • Someone recommended you seek or receive medical help
    • A reasonable person would have sought or received medical help
    • You were waiting for medical help.

In this definition, ‘medical help’ means any of the following:

  • Advice from a health professional
  • Tests, investigations, or specialist consultations
  • Care, treatment, or medical attention including surgery
  • Medication or a script for medication.

An illness, injury or health symptom doesn’t need a confirmed medical diagnosis to count as a pre-existing medical condition.

If you are completing the online application for other people, make sure you know their medical history.

 

How to apply to cover your pre-existing medical conditions

During the policy application process, you will be asked a few questions about whether you have any pre-existing medical conditions. To apply for cover for your pre-existing medical condition you must:

  • Complete the medical assessment when you apply for cover
  • Tell us about all your pre-existing medical conditions or changes to your health when you complete the medical assessment.

We need to know the name of the health condition or health symptom of your pre-existing medical condition or changes to your health when you apply. If you’re unsure, check with your doctor first.

If you don’t tell us about all your pre-existing medical conditions or changes to your health, it could affect your cover when you submit a claim.

 

Further information about pre-existing medical conditions

We understand that getting cover for your pre-existing medical conditions for your travels can be confusing, so we’ve simplified it. You can read more about how and when we can cover your conditions in section B. ‘How we cover pre-existing medical conditions’ contained in our policy document. We recommend you read this section prior to purchasing your cover.