Should Medical History be Shared with Travel Insurance Company?

Posted on: Jun 9, 2022 | | Written by:

Should Medical History be Shared with Travel Insurance Company?

Sharing Medical History with Travel Insurance Company

With travel restrictions getting ease by many countries, many people have started travelling abroad for leisure or work-related purposes. Whenever, you travel, make sure to buy a travel medical insurance policy for your trip as it safeguards your journey from any financial loss that might occur due to any unforeseen events. Most importantly, while buying a travel insurance policy, ensure that you share your medical history with the travel insurance company. In this blog, we will tell you why it is necessary to tell about pre-existing medical disease to the insurer before purchasing an international travel insurance policy.

Why Do You Need Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance secures your trip against any losses that might occur due to an unforeseen event like loss of luggage, flight delays, medical emergencies and any other journey related risks. So before you are setting off for an international trip for work or leisure, it is preferable to check out overseas travel insurance policies. If you are travelling to any Schengen country, it is mandatory to have a travel insurance policy for getting the visa. Apart from these countries, there are many other nations which does not allow travellers to enter without a travel insurance policy.

What is a disclosure of pre-existing diseases?

Most travellers have a perception that a travel insurance policy will take care of any unexpected expenses or uncertainties, and they will not have to pay for anything since they have bought a travel medical insurance plan. However, similar to health insurance, your travel insurance claim can get rejected for several reasons. One of the main reasons your travel insurance claim can get rejected is not disclosing the existing medical conditions you are aware of.

Pre-existing medical conditions include ailments, diseases, and health risks leading to medical emergencies. Here are some of the medical conditions that are considered pre-existing conditions that you should disclose at the time of buying travel insurance:

• Medical conditions that require regular visits to a specialist

• Recent surgeries

• Terminal diseases, such as cancer, AIDS, etc.

• A medical condition that may require the insured person to get surgery soon.

Hence, before buying travel insurance, it is necessary to understand which medical conditions can affect the policy coverage.

Why you should disclose pre-existing medical conditions to the insurer

Some people fear that their pre-existing condition will either make the insurer reject the policy issuance or increase the premium. However, that is not true. After receiving the application, the insurer thoroughly analyses your medical history, especially the more recent medical conditions. Then, based on the analysis and its risk, the insurance company decides the premium.

Options for Add-ons

Most insurers offer add-ons for pre-existing diseases that can be bought at an additional premium along with your travel insurance policy. Your pre-existing health conditions can get covered under this add-on. By purchasing this add-on, you can have peace of mind while travelling and worry less about any medical expenses you might incur during the trip.

Conclusion

Even if travel insurance is not mandatory by the country you are travelling to, it is advisable to secure your journey. You can opt for travel medical insurance from HDFC ERGO which has a wide network of 1 lakh plus cashless hospitals. Also, ensure to share about your medical history to the insurer before buying any travel insurance plan.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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