Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions
March Break. Mid-Winter blahs. There are a lot of reasons to want to get away at this time of year. But what if you have epilepsy or some other pre-existing medical condition - can you get travel insurance?
The short answer is yes. There are a number of companies that will cover pre-existing medical conditions, such as a seizure disorder, but there may limitations on the coverage. The number one condition that normally applies is that the individual must be "stable" for a determined length of time prior to the effective date of the policy. For someone with epilepsy remaining stable normally means 'seizure free'.
Another regular condition on the insurance may be a doctor's support of the decision to travel. The insurance coordinator may want to get directly in touch with your doctor to ensure that this is indeed the case.
Some tips:
- For most pre-existing conditions there is NO coverage if the individual's condition is unstable.
- If you are part of a group plan check to make sure that you are in fact covered. Because the health of the people buying into this coverage varies, it may cover you, but check to be sure.
- Ontario Blue Cross will cover an individual if, over the preceding three months, they have NOT changed medications, or treatments, have not been hospitalized and have been seizure free. If the person has uncontrolled seizures they can be covered for other eventualities (car accidents) but not for seizure activity.
Be sure to explain your specific situation. Each person is different and what applies to one person may not apply to you.
Overall be sure to read the fine print – if you are not sure what you are reading ask the insurer to explain it in detail to you so that you know what you are getting. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Some helpful numbers:
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