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your favorite travel insurance for pre-existing conditions


reader135
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In the past, we have booked directly with the cruise line for insurance, but we are considering booking through a travel agent this time. The policy offered doesn't cover pre existing conditions within 120 days of sailing...I have a child with a peanut allergy, and though he hasn't had anaphylaxis in years, I'm sure that would fall under the pre-existing condition window. This will be my first time purchasing insurance not through a cruise line. I know I have to purchase insurance fairly close to the deposit, which we haven't made yet. Thanks for any suggestions!

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I'm in the same position you are. We've always booked Cruise insurance through the cruise line. This is the first time that will be purchasing private insurance. We also have a need for a pre-existing condition exception.

 

I've been rooting around trying to get assistance in understanding things a bit better. It's amazing how proprietary some folks get about their own personal opinion. So be well aware of that. Despite that I seem to have been coalescing around one particular policy that seems to do the trick. I think we're going to be purchasing a cruise specific policy from Nationwide Insurance.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

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I think we're going to be purchasing a cruise specific policy from Nationwide Insurance.
I wasn't by a computer yesterday when I posted my earlier comment, so I couldn't provide links. This is the insurance we're now very likely to get:

 

https://travel.nationwide.com/plans-cruise-choice.html

 

I'm very impressed by how many of the questions I have been asking here and and other forums for several days were actually answered right there on the insurance company's website, and in very easily understandable English.

 

https://travel.nationwide.com/support/faqs-cruise.html

 

I couldn't figure out how to get a quote for anything other than the top plan on Nationwide's website, but insuremytrip.com offers Nationwide insurance and allows you to select which policy you wish.

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In the past, we have booked directly with the cruise line for insurance, but we are considering booking through a travel agent this time. The policy offered doesn't cover pre existing conditions within 120 days of sailing...I have a child with a peanut allergy, and though he hasn't had anaphylaxis in years, I'm sure that would fall under the pre-existing condition window. This will be my first time purchasing insurance not through a cruise line. I know I have to purchase insurance fairly close to the deposit, which we haven't made yet. Thanks for any suggestions!
Reader135; are you saying you don't wish to use the TA's insurance and you prefer to stay with the cruiseline insurance? (Which you can still do even if booking thru the TA). Or now you want to select third party insurance?

 

In your case, I would suggest that you opt for a policy which does not have a lookback window for PEC, which, as you said, usually means purchasing within 14-20 days from deposit. There are many options, but going with a top brand that has good claim handling is likely your best option. Travel Guard, Travel Insured and CSA are three that I use, and have had good claims experience with the first two. Did not file a claim with the third. There are other good policies and experiences out there, too.

Edited by cherylandtk
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I wasn't by a computer yesterday when I posted my earlier comment, so I couldn't provide links. This is the insurance we're now very likely to get:

 

https://travel.nationwide.com/plans-cruise-choice.html

 

I'm very impressed by how many of the questions I have been asking here and and other forums for several days were actually answered right there on the insurance company's website, and in very easily understandable English.

 

https://travel.nationwide.com/support/faqs-cruise.html

 

I couldn't figure out how to get a quote for anything other than the top plan on Nationwide's website, but insuremytrip.com offers Nationwide insurance and allows you to select which policy you wish.

 

Thanks, I'll look into these.

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Reader135; are you saying you don't wish to use the TA's insurance and you prefer to stay with the cruiseline insurance? (Which you can still do even if booking thru the TA). Or now you want to select third party insurance?

 

In your case, I would suggest that you opt for a policy which does not have a lookback window for PEC, which, as you said, usually means purchasing within 14-20 days from deposit. There are many options, but going with a top brand that has good claim handling is likely your best option. Travel Guard, Travel Insured and CSA are three that I use, and have had good claims experience with the first two. Did not file a claim with the third. There are other good policies and experiences out there, too.

 

Thanks for these suggestions. Great to hear someone who's filed a claim with Travel Guard and Travel Insured and still recommends them. How do you use the cruise line insurance if you book with a TA? It wasn't given as an option.

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Last cruise, we honed in on pre existing conditions due to diabetes among 1 of the travelers in our group and found this comparison on PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS terms & conditions to be very helpful:

https://www.thediabetescouncil.com/diabetes-travel-insurance-guide/

 

The #1 rated for pre existing flexibility is CSA which re-named to GENERALI but per their website https://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/view-travel-insurance-plans.html their Premium plan includes pre existing until 24hr from final payment.

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Thanks for these suggestions. Great to hear someone who's filed a claim with Travel Guard and Travel Insured and still recommends them. How do you use the cruise line insurance if you book with a TA? It wasn't given as an option.
I tell the TA I want the cruiseline insurance. Sometimes they have tried to tell me 'their' insurance is better and I reply that the CFAR offered by the cruiseline and the age-blind pricing is preferable to me. (If a TA told me they would only sell their insurance I would be booking with a different TA, but have never had that happen).
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  • 4 weeks later...
We seek advise on appropriate insurance plan, and choices for insurance companies from www.tripinsurancestore.com.

 

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Forums mobile app

 

I agree! That site lists 6 plans, easy to compare, and explains pre-existing condition and all kinds of other things and shows which plans are primary. I used that site today for first time and it made it easy to choose an insurance.

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I tell the TA I want the cruiseline insurance. Sometimes they have tried to tell me 'their' insurance is better and I reply that the CFAR offered by the cruiseline and the age-blind pricing is preferable to me. (If a TA told me they would only sell their insurance I would be booking with a different TA, but have never had that happen).

 

Most cruiseline insurance have low medical coverage and insufficient medical evacuation coverage. For us those amounts are much more important than CFAR coverage. Each person's needs/wants are different.

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Thanks for these suggestions. Great to hear someone who's filed a claim with Travel Guard and Travel Insured and still recommends them. How do you use the cruise line insurance if you book with a TA? It wasn't given as an option.

 

Just to add a comment that we've had two large claims with Travel Insured for medical reasons. We had the Waiver of that pesky pre-existing condition exclusion (always!).

 

It was just simple.

They needed to get verification of all costs claimed, and also documentation of the medical condition and how it affected (cancelled, delayed, etc.) the trip.

 

But there was NO need for them to request any medical history, because it just wouldn't matter.

That also made the claim payment pretty quick. If the insurer has to scroll through what might be complicated medical history, to make sure that the claim is NOT based upon some pre-existing condition, that could take a long time (especially as many medical offices aren't all that prompt about getting copies of medical records sent out).

 

In both cases, it might not have been clear whether the condition was or was not related to something pre-existing, and we certainly would not have wanted to get into that type of argument with a major insurer.

 

The only thing we found peculiar was that they needed "proof of purchase" of the travel insurance, e.g., credit card statement for the payment.

That just seems odd... surely they have a record of the initial policy purchase and receipt of our money, in their records with the policy number, etc. (??). :confused:

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I realize the initial inquiry here was nearly a month ago but had not visited this forum in a while. Last year we had a very large medical claim with Travel Guard and have been singing the company's praises ever since.

 

They couldn't have been more efficient and helpful; and the claim was paid promptly and to our complete satisfaction.

 

Three important keys: First, if pre-existing conditions are to be covered, most companies (incl. TG) require the policy to be purchased within a certain number of days of the initial deposit--usually 14. Inquire carefully: Some companies don't cover pre-existing conditions at all or do so only on certain types of policies.

 

Second, contact the insurance company as soon as you realize you're having a problem. We phoned TG right from the emergency room, and their staff doctor was able to confer directly with the doctor treating me. By phoning and faxing back and forth we learned exactly what was needed and were able to file much of the paperwork (complete with the doctors' signatures) directly from the ER.

 

And thirdly, keep receipts for everything--beginning with that first deposit, the insurance purchase, and all expenses related to whatever problem might arise.

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I realize the initial inquiry here was nearly a month ago but had not visited this forum in a while. Last year we had a very large medical claim with Travel Guard and have been singing the company's praises ever since.

 

They couldn't have been more efficient and helpful; and the claim was paid promptly and to our complete satisfaction.

 

Three important keys: First, if pre-existing conditions are to be covered, most companies (incl. TG) require the policy to be purchased within a certain number of days of the initial deposit--usually 14. Inquire carefully: Some companies don't cover pre-existing conditions at all or do so only on certain types of policies.

 

Second, contact the insurance company as soon as you realize you're having a problem. We phoned TG right from the emergency room, and their staff doctor was able to confer directly with the doctor treating me. By phoning and faxing back and forth we learned exactly what was needed and were able to file much of the paperwork (complete with the doctors' signatures) directly from the ER.

 

And thirdly, keep receipts for everything--beginning with that first deposit, the insurance purchase, and all expenses related to whatever problem might arise.

I found some very useful information in your post. Thanks.

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  • 4 weeks later...

bUU - I can't thank you enough for the link you posted...I was searching desperately for a policy that would work for us -- I didn't think of the insurance this time, just too much going on when I made the deposit, and then time got away from me...and hubby is less than a year out from a double lung transplant. I'm not silly enough to think we can travel without insurance at this point, but I couldn't find any that would work for our PEC...Nationwide's policy works...Lord willing, we won't need it at all :) But that's what insurance is for, right?

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