Pre existing medical condition cover

[sanne]

Worth having a look at Worldcare, RACQ, Allianz and Bupa … all these companies have covered my osteoporosis with just a few questions plus  an extra cost of course. And I’m not young! 

[iq6000]

I spent a couple of days reading PDSs for travel insurance recently so that I could find one which would cover my husband's (really minor) conditions. I found some that just did not offer coverage for the conditions whereas others allowed a medical assessment then charged an extra premium. One of the policies included all his conditions in the list of automatically accepted conditions. It was a really eye-opening exercise.
I ended up having to create a spreadsheet to help me decide which one would be best for us. I am glad I am retired now to have time for this research...

[greyskier]

I have pre existing cardiac problems and ANZ platinum would not cover me.  After going through so many PDS'S for a recent PNG cruise I found Qantas came out the best and only added an extra 103$ for my pre existing. I found there was a huge variation in prices out there.

[NSWP]

10 hours ago, greyskier said:

I have pre existing cardiac problems and ANZ platinum would not cover me.  After going through so many PDS'S for a recent PNG cruise I found Qantas came out the best and only added an extra 103$ for my pre existing. I found there was a huge variation in prices out there.

ANZ use Allianz, before that QBE. 
Allianz I found rather tough, knocked me back several times. Last cruise, I used NRMA they use Covermore.

[Galesa]

This is the bane of our (travelling) existence! I have Angina. My wife has Arrhythmia. We found that only Covermore would cover these conditions but it's really expensive.

 

Neither of us have any ongoing health issues beyond these recorded conditions. Neither of us have had heart attacks or other related events. My wife did have a TIA around 15 years ago.

 

In fact I've become so frustrated that I'm having my condition re-investigated after 11 years in the hope I might have it treated once and for all.

 

But to get more to the point of the recent discussion, I have taken out insurance that covers everything except the EMCs. Obviously there's a risk but given the day to day management of the conditions the risk is quite low, particularly to places with reciprocal agreements.

 

Of course, travel to North America is a different story.

[cruisine21]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

ANZ use Allianz, before that QBE. 
Allianz I found rather tough, knocked me back several times. Last cruise, I used NRMA they use Covermore.

Westpac use Allianz as well.

[Kinkacruiser]

Searching for a company that will cover you for a pre-existing conditions is frustrating. Just when you have the time, some spare cash and would love to travel, you hit this minefield. 

Galesa..like yourself, I doubt we'll ever get over to the USA again.

 

Best wishes to those in the travel insurance search process and scoring something reasonable. 

 

[Patois]

I certainly agree with Galesa it is a real pain. I would like to know when a pre existing condition no longer becomes pre existing. I also have suffered from Angina but my cardiologist now reckons I am a much lower risk after treatment than I was before but all insurance companies still charge extra regardless of any medical opinion. I won't even start to on about the total rip off that domestic travel insurance is.

 

[CCC's]

Australia Post Cruise Insurance....Just completed an online quote for a cruise in Feb 2024 from Auckland to Sydney.  I have several pre existing medical conditions which were answered during the online quote process.   Very competitive pricing compared to other insurers.  Worth giving them a try.

[lyndarra]

There was an article in today's Sunday Telegraph about travel insurance claims. It seems some have had a problem with Cover More. In particular trying to prove they were not intoxicated when injured by a fall. One insurance company was wanting copies of bar receipts to see what the claimant had been drinking.

[LittleFish1976]

4 hours ago, lyndarra said:

There was an article in today's Sunday Telegraph about travel insurance claims. It seems some have had a problem with Cover More. In particular trying to prove they were not intoxicated when injured by a fall. One insurance company was wanting copies of bar receipts to see what the claimant had been drinking.

Providing receipts for what you didn't drink is rather difficult!

[Yaya_in_Oz]

What next, a mandatory breathalyser reading or blood test?🙄

[possum52]

5 hours ago, lyndarra said:

There was an article in today's Sunday Telegraph about travel insurance claims. It seems some have had a problem with Cover More. In particular trying to prove they were not intoxicated when injured by a fall. One insurance company was wanting copies of bar receipts to see what the claimant had been drinking.

There was the case last month where a Newcastle woman tripped and hit her head at a resort in Thailand and was refused cover by Covermore. Covermore was able to obtain her bar receipts and claimed she was 'dangerously intoxicated'. Her blood alcohol level was not tested, so Covermore decided to refuse the claim from footage of the fall and her (and her husband's) bar tab. Covermore wouldn't have known if the woman had drunk too much or if it was her husband doing the drinking. Covermore Declines Travel Insurance Claim

It is behind a pay wall unfortunately. 

 

'Twelve days after a crowd-funding effort brought NSW woman Kylee Enwright home after a horrific accident in Thailand, the 48-year-old woman has started the long road to recovery.

The mum of three was left in a “vegetative state” after falling and hitting her head at her Thailand resort, last month.

She spent three weeks in and out of a coma in a Thai hospital, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills after her insurer refused to cover her fall.

It took a mammoth operation, funded entirely by Australians, to bring Kylee home.

Her battle with her holiday insurance provider has shone a spotlight on a growing anger against travel insurers — complaints have soared over the past 12 months.

Kylee’s return home was paid by ordinary Australians through *****.'

 

'Ms Enwright’s case sparked national outrage after her insurance company refused to cover her $250,000 medical bills and repatriation, claiming she had been “dangerously intoxicated” at the time of her fall, voiding the contract.

She suffered the fall after accidentally stepping off a 0.5m-high deck she mistook for a step. Her entire weight landed on her head.'

 

[valantine80]

9 hours ago, CCC's said:

Australia Post Cruise Insurance....Just completed an online quote for a cruise in Feb 2024 from Auckland to Sydney.  I have several pre existing medical conditions which were answered during the online quote process.   Very competitive pricing compared to other insurers.  Worth giving them a try.

 

Do they provide any cover for Covid, cancellation or treatment on board?

[cruisine21]

Thanks everyone. I’m covered by the Westpac Altitude Black Card if I end up cancelling if I get Covid before traveling. I ended up going with 1Cover because they covered all my pre-existing conditions. It makes it very difficult as we get older,

[sanne]

10 hours ago, cruisine21 said:

Thanks everyone. I’m covered by the Westpac Altitude Black Card if I end up cancelling if I get Covid before traveling. I ended up going with 1Cover because they covered all my pre-existing conditions. It makes it very difficult as we get older,

Good to hear you’ve managed to find TI that suits you. Unfortunately iCover doesn’t cover over 80 year olds. 

[possum52]

On 7/2/2023 at 9:30 AM, CCC's said:

Australia Post Cruise Insurance....Just completed an online quote for a cruise in Feb 2024 from Auckland to Sydney.  I have several pre existing medical conditions which were answered during the online quote process.   Very competitive pricing compared to other insurers.  Worth giving them a try.

We haven't tried the Aus Post travel insurance but ended up with their home and contents insurance a month or so ago. Our regular insurer for years had jumped by over $1000 in one year so we decided to do some online quotes, Wow, what a eye opener that was! Quotes varied by thousands of dollars for basically the same insurance cover. Anyway Aus Post was very reasonable and covered all we needed. Coverage is managed by QBC and it was named Canstar’s Outstanding Value Home & Contents Insurance for 2022.

[possum52]

5 hours ago, sanne said:

Good to hear you’ve managed to find TI that suits you. Unfortunately iCover doesn’t cover over 80 year olds. 

Do you mean 1Cover and not iCover? 1Cover does cover over 80s but has a hefty excess for them.

[sanne]

2 hours ago, possum52 said:

Do you mean 1Cover and not iCover? 1Cover does cover over 80s but has a hefty excess for them.

Unfortunately not for an annual one which was what was required. 

[LittleFish1976]

22 hours ago, possum52 said:

There was the case last month where a Newcastle woman tripped and hit her head at a resort in Thailand and was refused cover by Covermore. Covermore was able to obtain her bar receipts and claimed she was 'dangerously intoxicated'. Her blood alcohol level was not tested, so Covermore decided to refuse the claim from footage of the fall and her (and her husband's) bar tab. Covermore wouldn't have known if the woman had drunk too much or if it was her husband doing the drinking. Covermore Declines Travel Insurance Claim

It is behind a pay wall unfortunately. 

 

'Twelve days after a crowd-funding effort brought NSW woman Kylee Enwright home after a horrific accident in Thailand, the 48-year-old woman has started the long road to recovery.

The mum of three was left in a “vegetative state” after falling and hitting her head at her Thailand resort, last month.

She spent three weeks in and out of a coma in a Thai hospital, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills after her insurer refused to cover her fall.

It took a mammoth operation, funded entirely by Australians, to bring Kylee home.

Her battle with her holiday insurance provider has shone a spotlight on a growing anger against travel insurers — complaints have soared over the past 12 months.

Kylee’s return home was paid by ordinary Australians through *****.'

 

'Ms Enwright’s case sparked national outrage after her insurance company refused to cover her $250,000 medical bills and repatriation, claiming she had been “dangerously intoxicated” at the time of her fall, voiding the contract.

She suffered the fall after accidentally stepping off a 0.5m-high deck she mistook for a step. Her entire weight landed on her head.'

 

What a frightful ordeal for that poor woman and what awful treatment she received from CoverMore. To fall from a deck which is 50cm off the ground is the repsonsibility of the resort! That's too big for a step and big enough to cause yourself an injury if you don't realise it's not a step and fall from it. But also small enough that you might misjudge it if there's no cue that it's not a step. A deck which is higher than a step should have a safety rail or some sort of visual/physical cue to alert you to the fact that it's not just a few inches off the ground.

 

I'll make sure I remember not to renew my annual travel insurance which I took out with CoverMore last year knowing I had a few trips planned for the year ahead. Companies that are going to refuse claims are poor value at any price (and it wasn't particularly cheap anyway).

 

 

 

[cruisine21]

9 hours ago, sanne said:

Good to hear you’ve managed to find TI that suits you. Unfortunately iCover doesn’t cover over 80 year olds. 

The Westpac TI only covers up until 81.

[cruisine21]

On 7/1/2023 at 4:08 PM, Patois said:

I certainly agree with Galesa it is a real pain. I would like to know when a pre existing condition no longer becomes pre existing. I also have suffered from Angina but my cardiologist now reckons I am a much lower risk after treatment than I was before but all insurance companies still charge extra regardless of any medical opinion. I won't even start to on about the total rip off that domestic travel insurance is.

 

 

[cruisine21]

On 7/1/2023 at 4:08 PM, Patois said:

I certainly agree with Galesa it is a real pain. I would like to know when a pre existing condition no longer becomes pre existing. I also have suffered from Angina but my cardiologist now reckons I am a much lower risk after treatment than I was before but all insurance companies still charge extra regardless of any medical opinion. I won't even start to on about the total rip off that domestic travel insurance is.

 

I’ve found Domestic TI to Norfolk Island to be just as expensive as international even though it doesn’t cover medical while on the island.

[rickays]

On 7/2/2023 at 4:09 PM, possum52 said:

On 7/2/2023 at 10:09 AM, lyndarra said:

There was an article in today's Sunday Telegraph about travel insurance claims. It seems some have had a problem with Cover More. In particular trying to prove they were not intoxicated when injured by a fall. One insurance company was wanting copies of bar receipts to see what the claimant had been drinking.

 

There was the case last month where a Newcastle woman tripped and hit her head at a resort in Thailand and was refused cover by Covermore. Covermore was able to obtain her bar receipts and claimed she was 'dangerously intoxicated'. Her blood alcohol level was not tested, so Covermore decided to refuse the claim from footage of the fall and her (and her husband's) bar tab. Covermore wouldn't have known if the woman had drunk too much or if it was her husband doing the drinking. Covermore Declines Travel Insurance Claim

It is behind a pay wall unfortunately.

I think its a bit harsh blaming Cover More for declining the claim.  They cover accidents involving alcohol up to a blood reading 0.15 which I think is very generous.  The lady in question had a bar tab showing she had drunk 9 Long Island Tea (made with vodka, tequila, light rum, triple sec, gin, and a splash of cola) while her husband had consumed 12 beers, Cover More estimated her blood alcohol was over 0.37.  I am sure Husband could have requested a blood alcohol reading be done on blood hospital had collected when she first arrived if he was sure she wasn't drunk.

[Galesa]

Hi again folks.

 

Just gone through the process of getting a letter of insurance from Allianz via Westpac Altitude Black CC for cruise to NZ in Feb and trip to South Africa in May. Unsurprisingly, they would not cover my Angina nor my wife's Arrythmia or Breast Cancer. Very frustrating. I'm totally fit and healthy. I exercise regularly. I've had absolutely no problems since my first diagnosis in 2012. My wife has been cancer free for 10 years. 

 

Choice now is to risk not having cover for those conditions or obtain expensive TI from Covermore. At least we're covered for now. Probably need full cover for SAfrica.