Travel Insurance Post Diagnosis
Summary
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Keep in mind that you may not have a lot of time to wait to purchase travel insurance after booking a trip. Many insurers will not cover a pre-existing medical condition unless you buy the insurance within a certain number of days after you make the first payment for the trip. If you miss the window, the policies will still cover other medical emergencies that are not related to pre-existing conditions (health conditions you have at the time you take out the insurance).
Travel insurance is recommended for anyone travelling with a pre-existing medical condition.
Before buying travel insurance:
- Think about what risks you want to insure. For instance,
- Cancellation or interruption of your trip due to health reasons.
- Emergency transport to a qualified medical facility or back to the U.S.
- Carrier delay
- Dying in a plane crash
- Check your existing health insurance, other insurance such as homeowners and auto, and credit cards to see what aspects of travel are covered.
- Once you know which risks are not covered, you know what you want to look for in a travel insurance policy.
- If you are a veteran, check to see if you can receive care at military faclities outside the country.
- Read the policy you are considering carefully to be sure it covers what you want. For instance, be sure that a policy covers pre-existing medical conditions. (If the policy is written in language that is too difficult for you, ask a family member or friend to review it for you. Do not rely on what a sales person tells you the policy says).
Keep in mind that there are travel policies that limit coverage to health care.
You can purchase travel insurance through your travel agent, through airlines or transportation companies, online or directly through insurers.
- According to the Wall Street Journal, standard policies cost between 4% and 10% of the total cost of the trip.
- It generally costs less to purchase a policy independently than through an airline.
- Cost can vary based on the length of the trip and your age.
In addition to travel insurance, you can assure that you will be evacuated to a facility of your choice by contracting with a company such as MedJet Assistance.
If you have a medical or other covered issue while traveling, it is advisable to call your provider as soon as you have a problem to confirm that you are following the correct steps. In any event, be sure to keep receipts.
For additional information, see: