Pre existing medical condition cover

[FeebeeH]

1 hour ago, Galesa said:

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. 

I can understand you not wishing to obtain expensive TI but it's the "whatifs?" ... should you have a recurrence of your angina and needed to cancel your trip or any other part of your journey whilst overseas - how much could you potentially be out of pocket with no or limited insurance as opposed to what costs would be covered by an expensive TI covering those conditions?

[cruisine21]

2 hours ago, Galesa said:

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. 

You could alway use the Westpac Insurance for yourself and see if 1Cover and Insure and Go will cover your wife.

[Galesa]

1 hour ago, FeebeeH said:

I can understand you not wishing to obtain expensive TI but it's the "whatifs?" ... should you have a recurrence of your angina and needed to cancel your trip or any other part of your journey whilst overseas - how much could you potentially be out of pocket with no or limited insurance as opposed to what costs would be covered by an expensive TI covering those conditions?

Yes. We'll have to make a decision about that before we go. We'd have to be very unlucky for these conditions to impact our trips over 12 and 18 days respectively when they haven't for more than 10 years. That said, travelling to Africa without full coverage and allowing the insurer an opportunity to deny a claim, even if there's mearly a tenuous link to the EMCs, would be risky.

Quite happy to hold that risk, however, for pre-travel cover. I'm very confident these conditions will not impact our ability to travel. It's being stranded in Africa that's the worrying aspect of travelling without EMC cover.

Cruisine21: that's a reasonable suggestion.

[cruisine21]

1 minute ago, Galesa said:

Quite happy to hold that risk, however, for pre-travel cover. I'm very confident these conditions will not impact our ability to travel. It's being stranded in Africa that's the worrying aspect of travelling without EMC cover.

The problem is insurance companies will go to extreme lengths not to pay out on a claim.

[Galesa]

11 minutes ago, cruisine21 said:

The problem is insurance companies will go to extreme lengths not to pay out on a claim.

Yes. Understand that but everything's cancellable, and frankly the risk is very low - pre-travel.