Having a pre-existing medical condition doesn’t mean you can’t get travel insurance — but it does require care in how you shop, declare, and compare policies. Here’s what NZ travellers with health conditions need to know.
What Is a Pre-Existing Medical Condition?
A pre-existing medical condition is any medical condition, illness, injury, or symptom you’ve experienced before you purchase your policy — regardless of whether you’re currently receiving treatment.
This includes:
- Conditions you’re actively being treated for (diabetes, heart disease, depression)
- Conditions you’ve had in the past, even if resolved (a prior cancer, surgeries)
- Conditions you’ve been advised to seek treatment for but haven’t yet
- Chronic conditions managed by medication (asthma, high blood pressure)
- Pregnancy and any complications
Why Pre-Existing Conditions Matter for Travel Insurance
Standard travel insurance covers new, unexpected medical events that happen during your trip. If you have a pre-existing condition and it flares up or causes a medical event overseas, this may be excluded unless you’ve specifically declared it and had it assessed.
Example: A traveller with type 2 diabetes has a diabetic emergency in Japan requiring hospitalisation ($40,000 NZD). If they didn’t declare their diabetes, their travel insurer may decline the claim on the basis that it’s a pre-existing condition that wasn’t disclosed.
The rule is simple: disclose everything and get assessed. The consequences of non-disclosure are potentially catastrophic.
How to Get Cover for a Pre-Existing Condition
Step 1: Choose an Insurer That Allows Declarations
Not all travel insurers handle pre-existing conditions the same way. Look for insurers with a medical assessment process — where you can declare your condition and receive an answer about whether and how it’s covered.
In NZ, Southern Cross Travel Insurance and Cover-More have established processes for assessing pre-existing conditions. Some others do not cover pre-existing conditions at all.
Step 2: Complete the Medical Declaration Accurately
Declare every condition, medication, and relevant health history. Be thorough — disclose too much rather than too little.
Typical questions:
- What conditions do you have?
- Are you on medication? What, and at what dose?
- When did you last see a doctor about this condition?
- Have you been hospitalised for this condition in the past 12–24 months?
- Is your condition stable?
Step 3: Receive the Assessment Outcome
After declaration, the insurer may:
- Cover the condition at no extra cost — if it’s well-controlled and low-risk
- Cover the condition with an additional premium loading — extra premium for the additional risk
- Exclude the condition — the policy will cover everything else but not that specific condition
- Decline to insure you — in rare cases of very high-risk conditions
Step 4: Review What’s Covered and What’s Excluded
Read the outcome carefully. If a condition is excluded, you’re covered for everything else — but that condition won’t be covered if it causes a medical event. This is still valuable (you’re covered for a broken leg, an unrelated heart attack, etc.) but you need to understand the limitation.
Common Pre-Existing Conditions and How They’re Typically Handled
| Condition | Typical outcome |
|---|---|
| Well-controlled asthma (on standard inhaler) | Often covered at standard rates |
| High blood pressure (medicated, stable) | Often covered with or without loading |
| Type 2 diabetes (diet-controlled or stable medication) | Often coverable with loading |
| Prior cancer (in remission 5+ years) | May be covered with loading, depending on type |
| Recent cancer treatment (last 2 years) | Likely excluded or high loading |
| Hip or knee replacement (surgery 12+ months ago, fully recovered) | Often covered |
| Planned surgery before the trip | Typically excluded |
| Mental health conditions (stable, on medication) | Variable — some cover; some exclude |
| Heart disease (stable, no recent events) | Coverable with loading |
If Your Condition Is Excluded — What Now?
If an insurer excludes your condition, you still have options:
- Get a policy anyway — you’re covered for everything else; if you have an unrelated accident, you’re covered
- Try another insurer — each insurer assesses risk differently; a condition excluded by one may be accepted by another
- Consider a specialist insurer — some insurers specialise in high-risk or complex medical profiles
- Consult a travel insurance broker — they can access multiple insurers and find the best outcome for your specific profile
The Golden Rule: Disclose and Document
Never travel without disclosing your medical conditions. If in doubt about whether something needs to be disclosed — disclose it anyway. The inconvenience of a slightly longer application process is minimal compared to the risk of a declined claim for tens of thousands of dollars.
Related guides: