Why You Should Share Your Medical History While Buying Travel Insurance

What is Travel Insurance?

Travel Insurance offers coverage against several risks during the journey. It extends its coverage to any disruptions in travel, such as loss of passport, flight delays or cancellations, personal injuries, etc. Without the financial protection of travel insurance, such unforeseen losses can be a drain on your pocket.

There is no restriction in travel insurance on the type of transport or the destination you choose, as long as you provide all the correct details while purchasing a travel insurance policy. Although travel insurance is more preferred for travelling abroad, you may opt for it for international as well as domestic travels. You should buy travel insurance from the day your journey begins till the day you come back home.

What is covered under Travel Insurance?

To know the exact risks covered under a particular travel insurance policy, make sure you read the list of inclusions from the policy document. Moreover, insurance companies offer some additional benefits in the form of add-ons, which you may purchase separately for a nominal increase in the premium. Here are some of the common risks covered under Travel Insurance in India:

• Personal Accident Cover, which covers the policyholder's death, and permanent disability

• Medical expenses arising out of an accident or sickness

• Loss of passport

• Loss of checked-in baggage

• Baggage delay

• Flight delay

• Flight cancellation

• Home burglary while the policyholder was on a trip

• Emergency evacuation

• Repatriation of remains

• Hijack

• Missed connection or departure

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What is a disclosure of pre-existing diseases?

Although buying a travel insurance policy has become easier these days, and a policy can be bought online in a matter of seconds, it is crucial for the policyholder to make the necessary disclosures. Your medical history is one such essential disclosure.

Nowadays, more and more people have been travelling to foreign countries for several reasons like an adventurous solo trip, family trip, business, etc. Most travellers think the travel insurance policy will take care of any unexpected expenses or uncertainties, and they will not have to pay for anything since they have bought a Travel Insurance Plan. However, similar to health insurance, your travel insurance claim can get rejected due to several reasons. One of the main reasons why your travel insurance claim can get rejected is not disclosing the existing medical conditions that you are aware of.

Pre-existing medical conditions include ailments, diseases, and health risks that can lead to medical emergencies. Here are some of the medical conditions that are considered as pre-existing conditions that you should disclose at the time of buying travel insurance:

• Recent surgeries

• Medical conditions that require regular visits to a specialist

• Terminal diseases, such as cancer, AIDS, etc.

• A medical condition that may require hospitalisation or surgery in the near future

Hence, before buying travel insurance, it is necessary to understand which medical conditions can affect the policy coverage.

Why you should disclose pre-existing medical conditions to the insurer

You might be aware of the pre-existing medical condition or not. But, if you are aware, it is your responsibility to inform the same to the insurer.

Some people think that disclosing their pre-existing condition will either make the insurer reject the policy issuance or increase the premium. However, that is not true. After receiving the application, the insurer conducts a thorough analysis of your medical history, especially the more recent medical conditions. Based on the analysis and the risk associated with it, the insurance company decides the premium.

If you have a certain pre-existing ailment that you are worried about, it is advisable to buy a separate rider or add-on by paying some extra travel insurance premium to ensure the specific ailment is covered under the policy. In case you have any medical emergency due to a pre-existing medical condition while travelling and you have purchased an add-on to cover it, the insurance company will cover the medical expenses raised out of medical emergency. However, if you do not buy the add-on or rider, you will have to bear the medical cost in case of a medical emergency in a foreign land, which could be very expensive. Therefore, it does not make sense to hide any medical conditions to save a few pennies and take the risk of claim rejection.

To Conclude:

Travel Insurance is the first thing travellers need to check for when they plan their next vacation. You can buy travel insurance online from the comfort of your home at an affordable premium. While purchasing the travel insurance online, make sure you read all the terms and conditions, lists of inclusions and exclusions, policy exemptions, etc., beforehand to avoid any unpleasant surprises during your much-awaited vacation. Most importantly, remember that concealing or suppressing the medical history or misrepresenting the details will lead to your claim being rejected. Therefore, for a successful claim settlement, it is advisable to disclose all the medical facts correctly at the time of purchasing the travel insurance policy as well as filing a claim. Moreover, do not hesitate to spend a few extra pennies on insurance premium to buy necessary riders and add-ons to ensure you have an adequate coverage.

Warm Regards,
Ketki Jadhav
Content Writer