Sometimes people get sick, or they have an accident, it’s just one of life’s unfortunate risks. To protect ourselves from having to pay large sums of money for treatment in the event of a serious health problem arising, we purchase insurance. Basically this involves paying an amount of money now to protect us if we get charged an exorbitant amount for treatment later.
The Issue with Pre-Existing Conditions
The problem is that most insurance companies won’t provide coverage for any pre-existing conditions! So, if you have suffered from asthma since you were a child, your new insurance plan won’t take a risk on you developing a more serious illness arising from it later, and will refuse you any asthma coverage at all!
Travelling and Pre-Existing Conditions
Many people who are travelling abroad purchase extra health insurance that will cover them internationally during the trip, but these supplemental plans usually don’t cover pre-existing conditions. Therefore it’s in their best interests to find some health insurance that covers pre existing conditions so they will have complete coverage while they are on the road, and can enjoy their trip with confidence. Let’s learn a bit more about those pesky pre-existing conditions and their potential effects on our overall health and well-being!
What Exactly is a Pre-Existing Condition?
As we touched upon above, a pre-existing condition is a medical condition, injury, or illness that was treated by a licensed physician and that required medication be prescribed, that occurred before the starting date of the intended insurance policy. The length of time a condition can be considered pre-existing varies, and can be anywhere from 30 days to 6 months or longer before the start date of the new coverage.
Understanding Pre-Existing Condition Waiting Periods
The length of time following the starting date of an insurance policy that a person must wait before any pre-existing conditions are covered is called the pre-existing condition exclusion waiting period. The waiting period for individually purchased policies is often longer than those that businesses or other organizations offer to their employees or members.
Options for Addressing Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions
In the face of the pre-existing condition problem many organizations negotiate “short-term duration” accident and sickness group policies for their members. They are able to negotiate options that will:
Reduce the time period that defines the presence of pre-existing conditions
Remove the exclusions for pre-existing conditions
Remove exclusions for mental health conditions
Offer a predetermined maximum amount of limited coverage for pre-existing conditions and/or medications
Provide coverage in the case of an emergency that can stabilize a pre-existing condition
Exclude any condition in which the individual uses a prescribed drug or medicine that controls the condition without any changes being made before the start of coverage from the definition of a pre-existing condition.
There are times when a policy that doesn’t exclude pre-existing conditions explicitly will include language regarding coverage for an “unexpected” reoccurrence or aggravation of the condition instead. Some examples of these kinds of unforeseen health changes that are often associated with disability-related conditions could include the need for mental health counselling in the case of a breakdown, or things like treatment for an asthmatic attack, infection, blood clot, pressure sore, or an adverse reaction to a new medication.
In any case, travellers are advised to always make an effort to have their pre-existing conditions covered so they can stay safe!
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