Tag: pre-existing medical condition

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Health Insurance

3 commonly asked questions about health insurance answered

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Is it your first time purchasing an individual health insurance policy? If so, you probably have many questions and concerns regarding health insurance and how it works. Below, we’ve answered three commonly asked questions about health insurance to keep you informed.

1. Does health insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Most insurers don’t cover pre-existing conditions because the risks are higher. For instance, if you have diabetes and get into an accident, your wounds may take longer to heal, requiring more treatment and more doctor visits. This means more money paid out by your health insurance provider, so many plans steer clear of pre-existing conditions.

However, some policies do cover pre-existing medical conditions but at an added cost. Talk to an insurance expert, as they can advise you on the best solution based on your circumstances.

2. What is not covered by health insurance?

The most common exclusions found in health insurance plans include:

• Pre-existing conditions
• Chronic conditions
• Trial or experimental treatments and drugs
• Prescribed drugs
• Fertility treatments
• Sex change and organ transplants
• Cosmetic surgery and treatments
• Drug or substance abuse

It’s essential to note that policies differ from provider to provider, and what may be covered by one insurer may not be covered by another. Therefore, always contact multiple providers at a time and get quotes to compare and contrast what’s covered in each policy.

This way, you can find a comprehensive cover that meets your health needs.

3. Can I use my health insurance policy when travelling abroad?

Your health insurance plan only covers you while you are in the country. For example, if you purchased your cover in the UAE, you won’t get reimbursed if you fall ill when abroad. To ensure you’re covered during your trip, you need other types of insurance, like travel insurance.

The right travel insurance plan will cover medical expenses and emergency repatriations in the countries specified in your policy.

Ready to shop?

Now that you know more about health insurance, it’s time to shop. Use our resources here at Compare Insurance to compare health insurance quotes from various providers. You’ll get access to numerous plans, ensuring you find a policy that suits you.

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Travel Insurance

Everything you need to know about specialist travel insurance

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It’s no secret that having travel insurance is vital when travelling abroad as it provides you with a financial safety net against a myriad of risks. Unfortunately, at times, the standard travel insurance policy isn’t enough to protect you from accidents and emergencies. Here’s where specialist travel insurance comes in.

What is specialist travel insurance?

A specialist travel policy covers you from situations that a standard travel insurance policy doesn’t cover. It’s usually provided by dedicated insurers who offer tailored insurance solutions to meet the unique needs of a traveller.

Although specialist travel insurance can be expensive, it’s a worthwhile investment for people whose travel needs are unconventional, e.g., you have to travel against FCDO advice for business purposes.

When should I get specialist travel insurance?

Choosing between a standard travel insurance policy and a specialist cover can be difficult as you never really know the risks you’ll face on a trip. To give you an idea of when you might need it, we’ve compiled three situations below that warrant a specialist insurance policy.

1. You have pre-existing medical conditions

Insurers rarely cover pre-existing medical conditions as it places you at a higher risk of injury, illness and even death. But, with a specialist insurance policy, you’ll be covered for medical emergencies, even those related to COVID, giving you peace of mind if you’re travelling with a medical condition.

Just be sure to check what medical conditions your provider covers because there may be exclusions on certain diseases.

2. Extreme winter sports

If you plan to go heli-skiing, glacier climbing or perform any other dangerous winter sports that are deemed extreme and not standard, you’ll need specialist insurance. Due to the high-risk nature of these sports, your standard policy may not cover them, forcing you to pay for expenses out of pocket.

3. Travelling against FCDO advice

If you plan to travel to a country that’s red-listed (not government-approved), you need to buy specialist insurance to cover you against various risks, including theft, vandalism, medical emergencies and lost baggage.

Ready to find your ideal cover?

Use our tools and resources today to find the perfect specialist annual holiday insurance for your trip.

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Travel Insurance

Everything you need to know about travel insurance and pre-existing medical conditions

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Travel insurance is intended to cover you for any mishaps and accidents that may occur whilst you are on holiday. It should cover your luggage, reimburse you for cancelled flights, and cover any unexpected medical expenses. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, however, it is crucial that you find the best travel insurance with medical conditions for you.

What is considered a pre-existing condition?

Insurance defines pre-existing conditions as illnesses or injuries that you had before taking out the policy. This includes both physical and non-physical conditions, including but not limited to, cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, anxiety, and depression.

Pregnancy is not usually considered a pre-existing condition, and your insurance should cover you for any medical emergencies related to the pregnancy. There are also some restrictions about how late into the pregnancy you can travel, so always check with the insurer to make sure that you are covered.

How much are insurance premiums?

Medical costs are the most expensive type of claim made against travel insurance, and as a result, insurance for people with an existing condition tend to be higher. The effect on the premium will depend on your condition. Unfortunately, some insurers may not cover certain conditions at all, however, there are specialist insurers that will be able to help you out.

Do I need a medical examination?

Some insurers may insist on a medical examination to get cover, and others may simply ask you several in-depth questions about your condition. Whilst these are invasive questions that can be uncomfortable to answer, they are necessary to enable the insurance company to tailor the cover to your needs.

Why should I declare a medical condition?

It is crucial that you declare any pre-existing medical conditions on your policy. If you don’t declare the condition and then go on to make a claim related to this condition, your claim may be rejected, forcing you to cover the costs yourself.

Travel insurance is a critical investment for anyone, but especially for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. At Compare Insurance, we can help you to compare travel insurance policies from a range of providers. Simply use our search engine to find and compare the best options for you.

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Travel Insurance

Three things that may be increasing the cost of your travel insurance

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Despite the benefits of travel insurance, such as cover for medical emergencies, some people don’t invest in it due to its cost. Travelling without cover could end up costing you far more than the price of cruise insurance, should something go wrong. Regardless, here are three things that may be increasing the cost of your travel insurance and what you can do about it:

Unnecessary benefits

In general, the more benefits a travel insurance policy offers, the more it will cost. Factors such as the value of lost goods covered and the amount of cover for medical expenses will impact how expensive a policy is. Obviously, you should ensure the policy you take out offers you the cover you need. However, if you don’t need the highest level of cover, don’t pay extra for it. For example, if the policy offers to cover stolen goods up to a value far higher than the value of your belongings, you could save money by reducing the value the policy covers.

Paying per trip rather than annually

If you travel more than twice a year, you could probably save money by choosing an annual travel insurance plan. These plans cover you for an entire year, regardless of how many trips you take during that time. As well as being more cost-effective, annual plans are a good option for people who frequently travel on short notice and so don’t have much time to organise insurance before leaving.

Pre-existing medical conditions

As travel insurance is partially intended to help you pay for medical emergencies while away, factors such as pre-existing medical conditions can increase the cost of your policy. This is because some medical conditions make it more likely that you will become unwell and need to make a claim. However, this does not mean it is impossible to get travel insurance if you have a pre-existing condition. Using a comparison website, such as ours, is a quick and easy way to see the options available to you.

To check how much you could save on your flight insurance, use our website to compare the policies available and find the best option for you.

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Travel Insurance

4 common travel insurance mistakes to avoid

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You’ve purchased your tickets, checked that your visa and passport documentation is valid, purchased your holiday money and you’re all set to go. Well not quite, in the rush to get everything done prior to your trip it is easy to forget about travel insurance. In this article, we will take a look at some of the common errors travellers make when it comes to travel health insurance.

1. Forgoing vaccinations

If you are travelling to a country where diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever or malaria are commonplace, you will need to make sure you are vaccinated. Failure to do so will not only have the potential to make you seriously ill, but you’ll end up footing the bill for all the medical treatment you receive.

2. Failing to declare pre-existing medical conditions

Your travel insurance will not pay out should you fall ill due to a pre-existing medical condition if you have not declared it when taking out your policy. Not only will you then be liable for costs of medical treatment whilst abroad, but you will also have to foot the bill for any flights or changes to your travel plans that come as a result of your enforced rest.

3. Buying travel insurance just before you travel

Because travel insurance covers more than just falling ill when you are away, you need to sign up to a travel insurance policy as soon as you know you will be leaving the country. Airline strike disruption, flights cancelled due to adverse weather or cancelling your travel plans due to personal reasons can all be covered by a good travel insurance policy.

4. Don’t rely on free insurance policies

Many credit card companies and banks offer travel insurance perks, but you’ll need to read the small print carefully, as these policies typically cover emergencies only, and you will need a more comprehensive policy for peace of mind.

Summary

A travel insurance policy should give you peace of mind in the event of something unexpected happening, be it a medical emergency or flight cancellation, baggage loss etc, but always double-check your any travel insurance policy offers the best coverage before you buy.

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Health Insurance

A quick guide to health insurance in the UAE

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Although UAE healthcare is free for all citizens, expats working in the Emirates often struggle to meet medical costs, particularly dental charges; so much so that many expats prefer to fly back to their country of origin for any kind of dental treatment. What’s more, UAE citizens and expats alike find it difficult to access the specialist and high tech services available at Dubai Healthcare City without medical insurances. Although all employers are legally obliged to provide health insurances, the cover provided may not be adequate and does not cover family members and dependents.

If you’re considering taking out private medical insurance in the UAE, there are lots of different things to consider. First off, you’ll need to decide whether to take out a fully underwritten health insurance plan or opt for a moratorium plan.

What’s the difference between moratorium health cover and fully underwritten health insurance?

The main difference between the two policies is that fully underwritten health insurance requires you to provide your insurer with your entire medical history – this choice can work out cheaper over the long term and may offer far more medical insurance than a moratorium policy. Here in the UAE, a fully comprehensive insurance of this nature can be the best way for speedy access to more specialist, private healthcare.

With a moratorium policy, you simply need to complete a questionnaire, giving a limited amount of detail to your chosen insurer. This can be a much simpler way to insure your health, but it may not offer the extensive coverage you’d acquire with fully underwritten insurance. The choice between the two comes down to your budget and own health history.

Specialist health insurance

You can also opt for specialist medical insurance, which simply covers against certain treatments or in specific criteria. Examples include medical insurance for over 50s and medical insurance for specific conditions. This type of insurance can help you to compile the medical coverage you need, while also relying on any free services in your locality for any other medical conditions. One major benefit of specialist medical insurance is that it can help you skip the queues for a range of treatments and diagnostic tests, such as CT scans, knee or hip replacement surgery, and cataract surgery.

What does private health insurance cover?

You’ve probably already recognised that different private health insurance policies offer varying service models. You can rely on most policies to cover you for inpatient care at any time you need to overnight in a hospital setting. Although outpatient treatments also tend to be covered by most policies, the amounts that can be claimed back are very different as caps are often in place.

In addition, some insurance policies cover the costs of drugs that are not readily available locally, and may also provide some cover for psychiatric care. If you already have a pre-existing medical condition, your insurance premiums will be impacted, although it is still possible to source the policy you need.

Check out Compare Insurance now to discover the wide range of policies available in the UAE and worldwide.

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