Key Takeaways
- Travel insurance generally excludes pre-existing conditions, but many policies waive this exclusion if you purchase coverage early.
- A pre-existing condition is an illness or injury diagnosed, treated, or symptomatic during a policy’s “lookback period”, 60-180 days prior to purchasing a policy.
- Pre-existing condition waivers can apply to Emergency Medical coverage, Medical Evacuation coverage, Trip Cancellation & Interruption coverage, among other benefits.
- To be eligible for Pre-existing Condition coverage, you generally must purchase coverage within 14-21 days of your initial trip deposit, insure your full trip cost, and have primary health insurance.
- The easiest way to find a policy with Pre-Existing Condition coverage is to use our quote and comparison tool.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Pre-Existing Conditions?
Some travel insurance plans can cover medical flare-ups of an existing health issue, but providers don’t apply this coverage automatically. To be covered, you must meet specific requirements to qualify for a Pre-Existing Condition Waiver.
What Is a Pre-Existing Condition Waiver?
A pre-existing condition waiver removes the exclusion of pre-existing medical conditions and extends travel insurance benefits to cover you and your travel companions if a flare-up disrupts your trip.
This is different from a standard waiver you may encounter, as there is nothing you need to sign or disclose when purchasing your policy. Instead, a waiver is automatically included when you purchase a plan with pre-existing coverage and meet the requirements for the waiver.
What Is Considered A Pre-Existing Medical Condition for Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance providers typically define a pre-existing condition as any illness, injury, or health condition that you, a family member, or a traveling companion has been diagnosed with, treated for, or shown symptoms of before your trip.
This includes undiagnosed symptoms that were noticeable and would have led a reasonable person to seek medical attention.
Common examples of pre-existing conditions include:
- Heart issues, including heart disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, arrhythmias, high blood pressure
- Strokes and neurological conditions like sudden seizure activity or an MS relapse
- Cancer
- Diabetes medication changes or complications
- Hospitalization due to an asthma attack or COPD
- Hospitalization for gastrointestinal conditions (Crohn’s, IBD)
- Kidney disease
- Joint issues like arthritis & herniated disks
- Recent injuries
To determine if a condition was pre-existing, providers review your medical history during a lookback period, which is a window of time typically between 60-180 days before your policy purchase date.
If your provider determines that your medical condition was unstable during the lookback period, it typically won’t qualify for coverage as it is considered a pre-existing and foreseen condition. Medical conditions that are controlled by consistent prescription medication are generally not considered pre-existing and are covered by most plans.
Tip: Always check if your condition is “stable” per the policy definition. A condition can be well-managed but still excluded if your medication was adjusted in the lookback period. You can contact our customer service department at 1-800-240-0369 if you’re unsure.
Which Travel Insurers Cover Pre-Existing Conditions?
Not all travel insurance plans cover pre-existing conditions, but the majority of providers offer plans with pre-existing condition coverage. More than 50 plans on Squaremouth include a pre-existing waiver, including certain plans from the following providers:
- Aegis
- AXA Assistance USA
- battleface
- Berkshire Hathaway
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions
- HTH Travel Insurance
- IMG
- John Hancock
- Redion
- Seven Corners
- Tin Leg
- Travelex
- Trawick International
- WorldTrips
How Does Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions Work?
Unlike typical health insurance, you don’t have to declare your condition to get pre-existing condition coverage. Rather, when you file a claim, your insurer will review your medical history to determine if your condition qualifies for coverage.
If you meet all the requirements for a waiver, most plans will cover disruptions related to pre-existing conditions before and during your trip. The type of travel insurance benefit that applies depends on when the disruption occurs.
Comprehensive travel insurance plans may offer the following protection when a waiver is applied, depending on the plan:
- Emergency Medical: Provides reimbursement for medical emergencies relating to an existing health issue during your trip.
- Medical Evacuation: Pays for transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility, or back home, if a severe flare-up requires specialized care.
- Trip Cancellation: Reimburses up to 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable costs if you’re forced to cancel your trip due to a flare-up of a pre-existing condition before your departure date.
- Trip Interruption: Covers unused travel expenses if you’re forced to cut your trip short while traveling due to a pre-existing medical condition flare-up.
- Trip Delay: Reimburses additional expenses like hotels and meals due to a delay resulting from an illness or injury of you or a traveling companion.
Your provider’s 24-Hour Emergency Assistance services can also refer you to quality care if you’re unsure where to turn for treatment. In some cases, your provider may arrange upfront payment for medical expenses if it’s required before care begins.
What’s Excluded From Pre-Existing Condition Coverage?
Some conditions are universally excluded from coverage, even if you meet the plan’s pre-existing waiver requirements.
Examples of medical conditions not eligible for travel insurance protection include:
- Mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders
- Psychological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- Terminal illnesses
- Pregnancy
- Injuries or illnesses related to alcohol abuse, substance abuse, or intentional self-harm
- Health issues that render you medically unable to travel at the time of plan purchase
- Known injuries or illnesses left untreated before your trip
- Elective procedures
- Traveling against the advice of a physician
Tip: Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) and Interruption For Any Reason (IFAR) can cover cancellations and interruptions that may be excluded even with a pre-existing condition waiver.
How Much Is Travel Insurance With a Pre-Existing Condition?
Travel insurance plans with pre-existing condition waivers cost around 50% more on average than plans with no coverage. Among plans sold on Squaremouth in the past 12 months, consumers paid $662 on average for comprehensive policies with pre-existing coverage versus $448 for plans without it. Meanwhile, consumers paid $143 on average for medical-only plans with pre-existing coverage versus $91 for medical-only plans with no coverage.
That said, premiums can vary greatly and a number of other factors can affect the cost of coverage, including age, trip cost, trip length, origin, and destination.
Tip: Some plans like Seven Corners Travel Medical Annual Multi-Trip excl US have a low cap on Emergency Medical for unexpected recurrence of a pre-existing condition. Be sure to check for separate limits for pre-existing conditions before purchasing a plan.
How to Get Travel Insurance With a Pre-Existing Condition
To be eligible for a pre-existing condition waiver, you typically need to meet the following requirements:
- You must find a plan that offers a waiver, which can be done by applying filters to your search
- You must purchase your policy early, usually within 14 to 21 days of your initial trip deposit date
- You must be medically stable when you buy the plan, meaning there haven’t been recent changes in your condition, treatment, or prescription medications
- You must insure the full cost of your trip, not just a portion of it
Looking for specific plan recommendations? Visit our guide to the best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions to compare top-rated policies.
>> Learn more: Why Buying Travel Insurance Early is Key
Is It Worth It to Buy Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions?
Yes, if you have a chronic illness, a recent diagnosis, or any medical history that could affect your travel plans, a policy that includes coverage for pre-existing conditions is a must-have.
A flare-up of a known condition could lead to costly medical bills or force you to cancel your trip entirely. Without this benefit, travel insurance typically won’t cover claims related to pre-existing conditions, so a policy with this coverage adds critical protection.
This type of coverage is especially important for:
- Travelers with ongoing conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or autoimmune disorders
- Anyone who has had a recent surgery, diagnosis, or change in medication
- Older travelers, particularly those relying on Medicare (which doesn’t cover international care)
- Anyone traveling internationally, where their regular health insurance likely won’t apply
A flare-up of a known condition could lead to costly medical expenses or force you to cancel your trip entirely. Without this benefit, travel insurance typically won’t cover claims related to pre-existing conditions, so a policy with this coverage offers much-needed coverage.
Quote, Compare, & Buy Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions
Compare top plans & providers to find the best travel insurance coverage for your trip. Compare Pre-Existing Condition Coverage
FAQs: Travel Insurance For Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
Yes, it’s possible to buy travel insurance that covers pre-existing medical conditions. Pre-existing conditions are generally excluded in travel insurance, but many plans waive this exclusion if you purchase coverage early. To qualify for a waiver, you generally have to:
- Be medically fit to travel
- Be within 14-21 days of your trip deposit
- Cover your full trip cost
If you file a medical claim during or after your trip, your travel insurance provider will likely ask for documentation that proves your condition was stable during the lookback period.
Examples of documents providers often request include:
- Medical records from your doctor or specialist showing consistent treatment with no significant changes in medication, dosage, or symptoms
- Physician’s notes confirming that your condition was stable leading up to your trip
- Prescription history to verify there were no new medications or dosage adjustments
- Hospital or clinic discharge summaries if you were recently treated or monitored
Your travel insurance provider will advise you on the specific documents needed to support your claim.
Yes, waivers can apply to travel companions listed on your policy and, depending on the policy, may also include non-traveling family members. Trip Cancellation insurance may exclude an illness or injury to a family member due to a chronic illness, existing injury, or other type of pre-existing medical condition. A pre-existing condition waiver would be required to be eligible for coverage in this case.
Review the policy details or the certificate of insurance before buying your policy to ensure it covers pre-existing conditions. This documentation will also outline any time-sensitive requirements you must adhere to in order to qualify for a waiver.
If you qualify for pre-existing condition coverage, you will receive your waiver after purchasing your plan, along with other policy documents. We recommend reaching out to our customer support team or contacting your provider if you’re unsure if your plan covers your pre-existing medical condition.
When comparing plans on Squaremouth, you can apply a ‘Pre-existing Medical’ filter to your results, which excludes any plan that does not offer a pre-existing condition waiver. Start looking for coverage within 14-21 days of making your initial trip payment to meet eligibility requirements.
Pre-existing condition coverage is typically only available in comprehensive travel insurance plans. When getting quotes, you will need to insure 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs.
Many plans on Squaremouth offer pre-existing condition waivers. To see the top plans, visit our Best Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions page.
Most travel insurance policies do not cover death resulting from a pre-existing medical condition, including costs related to the repatriation of remains, unless you purchase a plan that includes a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver.
This also applies to Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) cash payments offered by your policy if you or a traveling companion passes away during a covered trip.
Yes, some annual travel insurance policies can cover pre-existing conditions, including several plans on our site. Annual plans may come with additional requirements that comprehensive travel insurance policies don’t have. For example, with battleface’s Multi-Trip Annual plan, pre-existing condition coverage doesn’t apply until 60 days after purchasing coverage.
You don’t have to declare a pre-existing condition when you purchase travel insurance. Rather, you have to purchase a policy with a pre-existing condition waiver to get coverage for a pre-existing condition. Having a pre-existing condition usually doesn’t affect your premium, unless you have to purchase a waiver separately as an upgrade. However, plans with pre-existing condition waivers do cost more on average than plans without waivers.
If you purchase travel insurance while you are waiting on test results or a diagnosis and then your condition is diagnosed afterwards, it would be considered pre-existing and excluded from coverage by most travel insurance plans.
If you can’t qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver, any disruption during your trip related to your condition, including medical emergencies, cancellations, and interruptions, could be denied by your insurer. However, you will still be covered for other medical issues that impact your trip, as long as they are unrelated.
Please be aware that coverage and eligibility requirements for this benefit differ by policy.
Browse Other Benefits
Last updated: October 12, 2026