FYI, I believe at least one of the popular trip insurance companies has a policy that will cover pre-existing, if you purchase coverage at time of final payment. The one unknown is, in between making your $25 deposit and making your final payment, what if a new pre-existing condition happens to you?!
I believe the minimum you can cover is $500 pp. Sometimes I do that, at deposit time, and add the rest of the coverage later. I believe keeping the $500 pp coverage and not adding any more is kind of like self-insuring most of your trip costs, but having the benefit of the medical evacuation coverage, which I feel is a very important component, hardly ever needed but so nice to have, just in case. Also you have some travel delay and baggage protection.
For the scenario the OP was so concerned about, I’m glad there was a workable solution.
Oops, thx, kctwinmommy, it wasn’t the OP!