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Pre-existing condition....need help understanding!


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So happy to have found this forum! I've been reading and reading the last couple of days, and I'm more confused than ever. I'm hoping someone here can help me...

 

I have a mild heart condition that only gives me trouble a couple of times a year. I love cruising, and my cardiologist encourages me to do so. I'm more than anxious, though, in case something would happen while on the ship, and I'm not quite sure what kind of insurance we should purchase.

 

We always buy our insurance at the time of FINAL PAYMENT. I understand that we cannot get pre-existing conditions covered if we do that. Am I correct?

 

We just booked our cruise for next summer a few days ago, and we need to get this insurance figured out. In order for my condition to be covered while on the cruise, must I have a policy that covers pre-existing conditions?

 

I will so appreciate it if someone can explain this to me. I want to be able to travel with my mind at ease that if something happens, we will be covered.

Thanks so much for any help you can offer!

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When you buy insurance you will be asked to declare all pre-existing conditions,such as your heart problem.

 

If you do not declare pre-existing conditions then the insurance company may not pay out should you need to claim, whatever the reason, as they will say that you did not declare your state of health honestly.

 

It is always advisable to declare any health problems at the outset. It might put up your payment but honesty is the best policy.

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Thank you. I have never been asked for any health conditions when purchasing our cruise insurance. Does that mean, all these years, that I would not have been covered if I had had problems with my heart on the cruise?? That's quite scary to me!!

 

If we purchase insurance with the pre-existing condition, I should inform of my problem. Correct?

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Call "insuremytrip" they will explain everything and you need to buy your insurance within 14 of initial deposit. They are wonderful and will explain everything and go over coverage for different companies to compare....

 

No I don't work for them, call now the info is Free!!!!

 

 

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Thank you. I have never been asked for any health conditions when purchasing our cruise insurance. Does that mean, all these years, that I would not have been covered if I had had problems with my heart on the cruise?? That's quite scary to me!!

 

If we purchase insurance with the pre-existing condition, I should inform of my problem. Correct?

 

Yes, and yes. If your insurance company discovers you have a pre-existing condition which was not declared and you make a claim (not just for a heart problem) they could deny you any payment, as they could say you did not tell them the truth. It does happen. People think oh that's not important, I don't need to tell the insurance company, then they have a medical problem, and the insurance company won't pay out.

 

So yes, inform them of any problem. It may not have a significant impact on the cost of your insurance, but better to be safe than sorry. If you tell them they will assess their risk and charge accordingly, or they may not charge extra at all, and every insurance company is different.

 

We declare everything, even my very mild and infrequent asthma that requires no medication.

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Thank you. I have never been asked for any health conditions when purchasing our cruise insurance. Does that mean, all these years, that I would not have been covered if I had had problems with my heart on the cruise?? That's quite scary to me!!

 

If we purchase insurance with the pre-existing condition, I should inform of my problem. Correct?

 

Please CALL Steve (or his associates) at

 

TripInsuranceStore.com

 

Don't bother reading all the available policies on their Website. TALK with them, explain exactly what you need, and what your concerns are.

 

We had a claim with a policy we purchased from them (through TravelInsured), and there was NEVER ANY QUESTION about whether there was anything pre-existing or not.

 

We DID get the coverage without pre-existing condition exclusions.

It could happen to anyone, but if, for example, one had a heart attack or stroke, and it turned out you had high blood pressure, withOUT the coverage for pre-existing conditions, the claim could be denied if the insurer determined the medical event was related to the high blood pressure, etc.

 

For this particular coverage, one must buy it within 21 days (STRICT) after making the very first payment.

 

We purchased it in case something happened ON our cruise. It never occurred to us that with less than 2 weeks to go... a medical emergency forced us to cancel everything.

 

We then spent a couple of months worrying about the eventual health outcome (pretty good, given our fears!), and took a different trip about 5-6 months later. A bit scary, but everything was fine, and we had a wonderful time.

 

We now add an annual MedJetAssist medevac policy that is quite inexpensive, given the amount of traveling we hope to be doing :)

 

GeezerCouple

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There are a couple policies available that will cover pre-existing conditions all the way up to final payment (some policies from CSA and HTH come to mind) but you'll have a lot more options available if you buy insurance just after deposit instead.

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Also, I just want to clarify that you are not asked to disclose pre- existing conditions at purchase; that only comes into play if you make a claim and then your physicians will have to certify whether it is a new or pre-existing condition.

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Also, I just want to clarify that you are not asked to disclose pre- existing conditions at purchase; that only comes into play if you make a claim and then your physicians will have to certify whether it is a new or pre-existing condition.

 

And if you have coverage that does not exclude pre-existing conditions, then these questions don't even come into play.

There just aren't any issues about whether there was something pre-existing that contributed, etc.

 

As long as you were "able to travel" on the day you first purchased the policy, it covers whatever might happen later. (That's how it's phrased for most policies, but always read the fine print.)

 

GeezerCouple

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So......when I purchase the insurance with the pre-existing waver within 14 days of initial deposit, I do not have to tell them about my heart condition?? I'm still a bit confused.....

 

*PLEASE* call the staff at

 

http://www.TripInsuranceStore.com

 

Don't just read the website descriptions of policies. Speak with them about all of your concerns, questions.

 

This is a situation where you do not want to "withhold" anything, or you might end up paying for insurance that doesn't pay because the policy wasn't valid.

 

But to the best of our knowledge (and I am *NOT* an insurance expert, although we've had some recent experience with this as consumers), for at least some policies, as long as you are medically able to travel on the day that you purchase your insurance policy, AND you select a policy that does not have exclusions for pre-existing conditions, if your trip is disrupted/cancelled/etc., due to medical reasons, it would be covered... for any medical reasons.

 

And with our policy, it's within 21 days of FIRST PAYMENT of any type per trip.

 

Again, ASK THE EXPERTS.

 

All I know with certainty is that for the several policies we have taken out, with coverage that did not exclude pre-existing conditions, there were no questions of any type other than about dates of travel, destination, payments made, etc.

However, we couldn't be too sick to travel, etc., at the time we took out the policy.

(So while DH was still recovering, and unable to travel, we couldn't plan any other trips that might require travel insurance.)

 

It is also possible that for policies that DO exclude pre-existing conditions, they wouldn't screen you in advance. But if you filed a medical claim, they WOULD demand your medical history/records for some specified period in advance, and even having a recent change of medication, as well as specific illness, could result in having the claim denied.

The length of time of the "look back" and other terms would be in the policy documents.

 

There are many different insurers and even more types of policies.

 

Steve and his colleagues will help you find the right policy if there is one.

 

We hope you have lots of wonderful trips, and the reassurance of having travel insurance that will put your mind at ease.

 

GeezerCouple

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Call "insuremytrip" they will explain everything and you need to buy your insurance within 14 of initial deposit. They are wonderful and will explain everything and go over coverage for different companies to compare....

 

No I don't work for them, call now the info is Free!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I will do that. That's where I always go online to compare policies.

 

Thank you!

 

I also recommend insuremytrip. They also have a live chat function where you can get immediate answers, plus you can always call them if needed as well.

 

I like their web interface better than some of the other sites, and they seem to offer more choices.

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TripInsuranceStore.com and Insuremytrip are both great sites and you can't go wrong with either! Call and talk to them and they will help you figure out what kinds of policy meets your needs and budget ....

 

 

 

 

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*PLEASE* call the staff at

 

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

 

Don't just read the website descriptions of policies. Speak with them about all of your concerns, questions.

 

This is a situation where you do not want to "withhold" anything, or you might end up paying for insurance that doesn't pay because the policy wasn't valid.

 

But to the best of our knowledge (and I am *NOT* an insurance expert, although we've had some recent experience with this as consumers), for at least some policies, as long as you are medically able to travel on the day that you purchase your insurance policy, AND you select a policy that does not have exclusions for pre-existing conditions, if your trip is disrupted/cancelled/etc., due to medical reasons, it would be covered... for any medical reasons.

 

And with our policy, it's within 21 days of FIRST PAYMENT of any type per trip.

 

Again, ASK THE EXPERTS.

 

All I know with certainty is that for the several policies we have taken out, with coverage that did not exclude pre-existing conditions, there were no questions of any type other than about dates of travel, destination, payments made, etc.

However, we couldn't be too sick to travel, etc., at the time we took out the policy.

(So while DH was still recovering, and unable to travel, we couldn't plan any other trips that might require travel insurance.)

 

It is also possible that for policies that DO exclude pre-existing conditions, they wouldn't screen you in advance. But if you filed a medical claim, they WOULD demand your medical history/records for some specified period in advance, and even having a recent change of medication, as well as specific illness, could result in having the claim denied.

The length of time of the "look back" and other terms would be in the policy documents.

 

There are many different insurers and even more types of policies.

 

Steve and his colleagues will help you find the right policy if there is one.

 

We hope you have lots of wonderful trips, and the reassurance of having travel insurance that will put your mind at ease.

 

GeezerCouple

Totally agree...call Steve or his staff....they are all so helpful and knowledgeable and will work with you to get the coverage you need for your particular situation....good luck:D

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I have just had a long chat with a most helpful woman on Insuremytrip and she recommended a policy that seem to suit our needs, and less expensive than most with similar coverage. But, I have never heard of this company - RoamRight Travel Insurance and can't find much information or recommendation on Cruise Critic. Has anyone used this Travel Insurance? :confused:

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I Googled them and they are rated A+ by Best who is the Industry Rating standard. And the company you spoke with is highly respected ....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Their underwriter is the one that gets the AM Best rating. It has nothing to do with Roan Right's plan coverages, their claims-paying, or their customer service.

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Thank you both. I too Googled them and saw the underwriters were rated A+

but I felt I needed some input from other CCr's who have used RoamRight. I also called Tripinsurancestore and spoke with a woman to clarify whether the line "need to insure full trip cost to get the Pre-ex Waiver" meant the cost of the cruise and the flights? She said yes,but, that the cost of the cruise did not have to include the Port Charges and the Taxes !!

 

As the airlines are so terribly strict about cancelling/changing flights, I am amazed the insurance would pay if we had to cancel/change the flights. Hopefully, I did understand the woman correctly...that's why I'm still confused :confused:

 

I also found another Insurance on their website called TravelSafe Classic which seems interesting too.

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I am somewhat shocked that this entire thread doesn't define a pre-existing condition.....because MOST people don't actually have a pre-existing condition as defined by their travel insurance policy.

 

I will paraphrase many policies here (read your specific policy): A preexisting condition is one that occurs within 60 (sometimes 90/120) days prior to your purchase of the policy.....or any other condition where your medical treatment or prescription has changed within the 60/90/120 days of purchasing the policy.

 

If you have high blood pressure and it is controlled and you have not had only routine visits to your doctor (pertaining to the high blood pressure) and your medication has not changed....you do NOT have a pre-existing condition.

 

Stop using what you think is a pre-existing condition and read the policy which clearly defines what THEY consider a pre-existing condition.

 

This is the most misunderstood part of travel insurance...and it is perpetuated by those who want everyone to buy a policy the day the book the trip because the money you pay for the insurance isn't refunded, even if you cancel the trip with no penalty. Don't fall for this...read the policy....it's actually very easy reading...and you can read it at insuremytrip, squaremouth or the other travel insurance sales sites.

 

I had high blood pressure...I've been on the same medication for years...I do NOT have a pre-existing condition as far as travel insurance policies.

 

Now that I've hopefully demystified this, there is a caveat....if something happens to a family member who is not on the trip, you may find that if they had a pre-existing condition, some insurance companies might try to avoid paying for trip interruption or cancellation. That's a stickier topic which I haven't explored thoroughly.

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Thank you both. I too Googled them and saw the underwriters were rated A+

but I felt I needed some input from other CCr's who have used RoamRight. I also called Tripinsurancestore and spoke with a woman to clarify whether the line "need to insure full trip cost to get the Pre-ex Waiver" meant the cost of the cruise and the flights? She said yes,but, that the cost of the cruise did not have to include the Port Charges and the Taxes !!

 

As the airlines are so terribly strict about cancelling/changing flights, I am amazed the insurance would pay if we had to cancel/change the flights. Hopefully, I did understand the woman correctly...that's why I'm still confused :confused:

 

I also found another Insurance on their website called TravelSafe Classic which seems interesting too.

 

Please double check on the *specific* policy you are interested in, but with our policy that doesn't exclude pre-existing conditions, we must insure all NON-REFUNDABLE charges. So IF you had airfare that could be refunded, then you probably do not need to include that cost. Ditto excursions that are refundable, vs. those that are not.

 

Yes, the cost to re-route you, if something interfered with your ability to get to the ship on time or other travel disruption, is often very high indeed, with mostly full-fare seats available (if anything is), and few "less expensive advance fare" tickets, by definition.

But that is reflected in the premiums charged.

 

But our policy doesn't require the full amount to be "covered" up front... just the amount already paid. So we first just insure the tiny deposit, and then up the coverage as we make more *non-refundable* payments for cruise/air/hotel/etc. Thus, most of the insurance costs aren't paid until a few months before the trip, even if the first payment was a year or more in advance.

 

GeezerCouple

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I am somewhat shocked that this entire thread doesn't define a pre-existing condition.....because MOST people don't actually have a pre-existing condition as defined by their travel insurance policy.

 

I will paraphrase many policies here (read your specific policy): A preexisting condition is one that occurs within 60 (sometimes 90/120) days prior to your purchase of the policy.....or any other condition where your medical treatment or prescription has changed within the 60/90/120 days of purchasing the policy.

 

If you have high blood pressure and it is controlled and you have not had only routine visits to your doctor (pertaining to the high blood pressure) and your medication has not changed....you do NOT have a pre-existing condition.

 

Stop using what you think is a pre-existing condition and read the policy which clearly defines what THEY consider a pre-existing condition.

 

This is the most misunderstood part of travel insurance...and it is perpetuated by those who want everyone to buy a policy the day the book the trip because the money you pay for the insurance isn't refunded, even if you cancel the trip with no penalty. Don't fall for this...read the policy....it's actually very easy reading...and you can read it at insuremytrip, squaremouth or the other travel insurance sales sites.

 

I had high blood pressure...I've been on the same medication for years...I do NOT have a pre-existing condition as far as travel insurance policies.

 

Now that I've hopefully demystified this, there is a caveat....if something happens to a family member who is not on the trip, you may find that if they had a pre-existing condition, some insurance companies might try to avoid paying for trip interruption or cancellation. That's a stickier topic which I haven't explored thoroughly.

 

Some of us most definitely DO have "pre-existing conditions" as defined by the trip insurance policy.

 

We absolutely do read the policies for all insurance, and other contracts, too.

 

That's why we pay extra for that coverage.

No point in paying for trip insurance if it won't cover something that is more likely to be the reason for a claim or might interfere with payment, after all.

 

There are plenty of complaints on CruiseCritic from people whose claims were NOT paid because they hadn't read the "fine print".

 

Especially for those who are older, there are a variety of things can can need monitoring with changes that also need adjustments, etc.

You are fortunate if your only "condition" is very stable high blood pressure.

 

[And we also wouldn't want to have a sky-high overseas medical claim denied because a doctor had written, pre-cruise and possibly even unknown to us, something like 'xyz seems to be progressing and needs to be seen again within abc months' or something like that. The insurance company beancounters are looking for exactly something like that when they look back in the medical history when there is a claim that does exclude pre-existing conditions.]

 

GeezerCouple

(who have absolutely no affiliation to anyone in any insurance-related business.)

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I would call back until all you confusion and answers are settled.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Totally agree medical is very important to know what is and is not covered

Get them to reply in writing also

Insurance companies work close to what is printed and nothing else

 

 

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