Travel Insurance, Existing Conditions

[FayeW]

My brother an SIL are planning a trip to the US a will stay for 2 months. She is a senior with diabetes, and he has heart disease. The quotes for Travel Insurance are very high. Can anyone recommend decent insurance for travelers w pre existing conditions?

 

[Starwind]

Much depends on their age and what they want coverage for in terms of the insurance.

Each year I buy a multi-trip travel medical policy that has a 7 day stability clause for pre-existing conditions (there are certain things excluded always as there is no stability for them), which was the shortest period I could find.

SW

 

[FayeW]

Much depends on their age and what they want coverage for in terms of the insurance.

Each year I buy a multi-trip travel medical policy that has a 7 day stability clause for pre-existing conditions (there are certain things excluded always as there is no stability for them), which was the shortest period I could find.

SW

Where do you get your insurance?

 

[disneymath]

There are some insurance policies geared towards "Canadian snowbirds" ... you might want to look into those. Sorry, I don't recall any specific policy names. Also, I discovered during my insurance research for a trip last summer that the cost for seniors in general (and those with pre-existing conditions in particular) is higher than for younger adults. My parents' per person cost was much higher than mine.

 

[Starwind]

Where do you get your insurance?

Several years ago I discovered an Ontario insurance broker online, Ray Battiston ( http://www.ecanadianinsurance.com/ ). I purchase it through him and have been pleased with the service and process. However, the policy I get is also available through other brokers.

I get a multi-trip plan each year which covers unlimited number of trips outside home province as long as no single one is longer than 35 days. The pre-existing condition exclusion period is the shortest I have been able to find: you only have to be stable for SEVEN DAYS before departure if you are under a certain age and the trip length is 35 days or less. Everything else I could find is 30, 60, 90, or 180 days.

The policy I have right now is the TuGo Traveller ( used to be called Travel Underwriters Freedom plan)

http://www.ecanadianinsurance.com/TravelUnderwriters.html

Mr. Battiston also offers other types of travel insurance (trip cancelation and interruption, baggage, etc) AND single-trip policies AND policies for longer trips, snowbirds and seniors. He has a variety of insurance companies to choose from to best meet your needs, as do other insurance brokers.

Find a broker you are comfortable with and trust.

Each year I call and we go over my needs to make sure I am getting the best policy that is the right fit. This is useful, because policies change from year to year and I have pre-existing conditions that need to be covered as much as possible. As an example, the policy I had the first year is NOT what I have now because the original company changed their pre-existing condition terms from no stability period to having one longer than the 7 days of the current policy. I notice that the current policy I have now's wording has changed for the next time I renew so I will have to review it again and it may or may not be the best option.

Also, READ ANY POLICY BEFORE YOU BUY to make sure you understand it, its exclusions, what it covers, when you have to nofity the insurer, etc etc. You want to know before you buy, and now, before you travel instead of running into a "gotcha" on a trip when you have an emergency. As noted above, I also found having a discussion with your broker is important -- though you need to read the policy, they can help you understand it and they have various policies to choose from and can make sure you are getting the one most suitable for you. Even if you renew the same policy each year, they will be able to let you know of the subtle and not so subtle changes that have taken place, or new options you may not otherwise be aware of or "catch".

This is the TuGo website and they have a look up a broker near you feature: https://www.tugo.com/

Here is another broker site's TuGo traveller page, but they have links to the tuGo Quest and other company's policies as well. Good for getting info about the different kinds of options. http://www.tninsurance.ca/travel/travel_underwriters/TUtravel.htm

I don't know what policy will be best for your needs, but an insurance broker is probably the best place to start, at least for the first time buying travel medical insurance. After the first time you may feel comfortable getting policies more on your own, but I still recommend the broker route.

SW

 

[Starwind]

There are some insurance policies geared towards "Canadian snowbirds" ... you might want to look into those. Sorry, I don't recall any specific policy names. Also, I discovered during my insurance research for a trip last summer that the cost for seniors in general (and those with pre-existing conditions in particular) is higher than for younger adults. My parents' per person cost was much higher than mine.

When I have been comparing insurance, I have discovered a few things:

- the price goes up with age (every year) (so buying just before a birthday will save you a small amount vs buying after the birthday)

- somewhere around age 55, 60 or 65 the price goes up quite a bit (age and amount depends on policy)

- somewhere between age 55 and 70 significant changes take place:
- pre-existing condition stability periods usually increase quite a bit from the period that applies to younger people
- medical questionnaires may/are be needed when they aren't required for younger people

- there are specific policies aimed at snowbirds and seniors (and "senior" can start as low as 55 dep. on the policy)

- there is usually a maximum age beyond which it is nearly impossible to purchase travel medical insurance at any price -- seems to be around 90 but for some policies is lower

- preexisting condition stability periods vary considerably and a policy that may be good at one age may no longer be the best choice above a certain age

- some policies let you purchase an optional coverage to get better coverage for preexisting conditions (for a price), usually at a reduced level of benefit

All these reasons are why it is good to have an insurance broker you trust who can help navigate the multitude of options and restrictions to determine the best policy for a given person's needs.

SW

 

[Starwind]

Here is another broker's site: https://www.firstrateinsurance.com/index.html

On the righthand side are links to some really good articles about travel insurance / travel medical insurance.

SW

 

[FayeW]

Wow, thank you so much for the detailed information! I will share those links with my brother so he can get quotes.

 

[bankr63]

Also check out Ingle Insurance. They have a handful of options. We have a family travel policy that has a stability period of 7 days (MUCH better than the 90 days required by my former TD insurance), and will cover your named children even if not travelling with you (my former policy they had to be with you), which is important if there are independent teens in your household. They have other options for longer stays (ours caps at 21 days), and seniors.