Our policies may offer cover if you suffer from an existing medical condition. However, it’s important to be aware of what conditions are covered, the terms of coverage, and what happens for conditions that aren’t covered.
What is an existing medical condition?
Under both our Standard and Explorer plans, an existing condition is any medical condition which at the time you buy your policy is:
- chronic; or,
- displaying symptoms; or
- under investigation; or
- pending follow-up consultation, treatment or surgery; or where these are recommended or planned; or
- metastatic or terminal; or
- In the six months prior to the time you buy your policy there has been:
- treatment by a medical practitioner; or,
- medication prescribed or surgery; or
- the condition first comes into existence, shows symptoms, is diagnosed or is treated while in Australia during a home visit which breaks your trip.
Note: this includes any surgery you might have had at any time for any reason. For example, you had a knee reconstruction five years ago? You might feel fine right now, but if it starts playing up while you’re away it’s probably not going to be covered.
Can I get cover for existing medical conditions?
Our policies offer automatic cover for more than 40 existing medical conditions including Asthma, Diabetes, Epilepsy and Migraines, subject to all criteria being met.
What criteria do I need to meet to be covered for existing medical conditions?
If you have an existing medical condition, it will be automatically covered if you can meet the following requirements:
- it’s one of the listed automatically covered conditions (we cover more than 40 existing medical conditions. For more information, see your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or see below.
- the specific requirements noted for that condition are met.
- you haven’t been hospitalised for any condition (and this includes day surgery or a visit to an Emergency Department) within the last 2 years.
If you’re not sure about whether you meet terms and conditions for pre-existing medical conditions, contact us.
What if I don’t meet the criteria for automatic cover?
If you don’t meet the criteria for automatically covered medical conditions, you can still purchase a policy but you won’t be covered for any claims that arise from the existing medical condition.
What if I have an existing medical condition that isn’t automatically covered?
If an existing condition is excluded from cover, you won’t be covered for any claims that arise from, are affected or exacerbated by that existing condition, but you will still have cover for any sudden illness or serious injury that is unrelated to an excluded condition.
Trip cancellation if a close relative or travel partner suffers from an existing condition
Did you know you could submit a claim in relation to existing conditions of people you’re travelling with, and your close relatives who are not listed on your policy. How does that work?
If your trip is affected due to a close relative or travel partner suffering from an existing medical condition, you may submit a claim for consideration. Always check your PDS as cover for medical conditions is limited.
Note: The terms and conditions about existing medical conditions apply to your close relative or travelling companion/s too. If your father had a heart condition, or your friend had a knee reconstruction, before you bought your policy, those are existing medical conditions and benefit limits will apply. For claims involving someone who is not a close relative or a travelling companion, there is no cover.
Got questions?
Be sure to read the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of the PDS for what's covered. If you’re not sure, contact us.
What are the automatically covered conditions?
Your medical condition is classified by us as an automatically covered condition if it’s listed in the table below, provided you satisfy all criteria listed for that condition.
|
Medical Condition |
Criteria |
|
Acne |
You haven’t received treatment for your acne from a medical practitioner in the three months prior to buying your policy. |
|
Allergies |
You follow advice in accordance with your medical practitioner (such as to carry EpiPens, antihistamines/other preventative medication at all time) and, at the time you buy your policy, you:
|
|
Anaemia (Iron Deficiency) |
No criteria apply. |
|
Asthma |
At the time you buy your policy, you:
|
|
Bell’s Palsy |
No criteria apply |
|
Benign Positional Vertigo |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t required hospitalisation for benign positional vertigo in the last two years, including as an outpatient. |
|
Bunions |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t had surgery for bunions in the last three months and have no surgery planned. |
|
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome in the last three months and have no surgery planned. |
|
Cataracts |
At the time you buy your policy, you have no ongoing complications, haven’t had surgery for cataracts in the last three months, and have no surgery planned. |
|
Coeliac Disease |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t required hospitalisation for coeliac disease in the past two years, including as an outpatient. |
|
Congenital Blindness |
No criteria apply |
|
Congenital Deafness |
No criteria apply |
|
Diabetes Mellitus (Types I and II) |
At the time you buy your policy, you:
|
|
Dry Eye Syndrome |
No criteria apply |
|
Ear Grommets |
At the time you buy your policy, you have no current ear infection. |
|
Epilepsy |
At the time you buy your policy, you’ve:
|
|
Folate Deficiency |
No criteria apply |
|
Gastric Reflux |
Your gastric reflux doesn’t relate to another underlying diagnosis (example: hernia or gastric ulcer. |
|
Glaucoma |
At the time you buy your policy, you have no ongoing complications, haven’t had surgery for glaucoma in the last three months, and have no surgery planned. |
|
Goitre |
The underlying medical cause excludes tumour. |
|
Graves’ Disease |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t received treatment from a medical practitioner for Graves’ disease in the last six months. |
|
Hashimoto’s Disease |
The underlying medical cause excludes tumour. |
|
Hiatus Hernia |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t had surgery for hiatus hernia in the last six months and have no surgery planned. |
|
Hypercholesterolemia/ Hyperlipidaemiatension (High Cholesterol/ High Lipids) |
Provided you have no cardiovascular/ coronary heart disease. |
|
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) |
Provided at the time you buy your policy:
|
|
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) |
The underlying medical cause excludes tumour. |
|
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) |
The underlying medical cause excludes tumour. |
|
Impaired Glucose Tolerance |
At the time you buy your policy, you:
|
|
Incontinence |
You have no underlying gastrointestinal or urinary condition. |
|
Insulin Resistance |
At the time you buy your policy, you’ve:
|
|
Iron Deficiency |
No criteria apply. |
|
Macular Degeneration |
No criteria apply. |
|
Migraine |
You haven’t required hospitalisation for migraines in the two years prior to buying your policy, including as an outpatient. |
|
Nocturnal Cramps |
No criteria apply. |
|
Osteoporosis/ Osteopenia |
At the time you buy your policy, you:
|
|
Pernicious Anaemia |
No criteria apply |
|
Plantar Fasciitis |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t required surgery for plantar fasciitis in the last three months, and have no surgery planned. |
|
Raynaud’s Disease |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t required treatment by a medical practitioner for Raynaud’s disease in the last six months. |
|
Sleep Apnoea |
At the time you buy your policy, you:
|
|
Solar Keratosis |
Your condition has been confirmed as benign. |
|
Trigeminal Neuralgia |
You haven’t required treatment by a medical practitioner for trigeminal neuralgia in six months prior to buying your policy. |
|
Trigger Finger |
At the time you buy your policy, you haven’t had surgery for trigger finger in the last three months, and have no surgery planned. |
|
Vitamin B12 Deficiency |
No criteria apply. |
This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your PDS in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.
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