What is a Travel Insurance Pre-Existing Medical Condition Lookback Period & How Does It Work?
The Pre-Existing Condition Lookback Period is usually the 60, 90 or 180 days prior to the travel insurance policy's coverage effective date.
What date is a travel insurance policy's coverage effective date? And why does it matter?
If you insure at least a $1 trip cost, all our plans' effective dates will be 12:01 am of the day after your purchase date. However, & this is really important: a $0 trip cost makes the policy effective date the later of 12:01 am of your departure date or 12:01 am of the day after your purchase date.
What during the Lookback Period causes a medical condition to be considered a Pre-Existing Condition?
If the person with the condition has any symptoms, appointment or visit or consultation with a medical professional, test, diagnosis, medication adjustment or change, then this condition would be considered pre existing.
What problems can arise when a condition is a pre-existing medical condition?
Here's an example:
Let's say you have high chloresterol. You're fine now. Your condition is completely controlled with no diagnosis, care, consultations with any medical professional, treatments nor any changes in medication within the time frame required by your plan. Therefore if the condition has remained stable, and all insured's are medically able to travel when the coverage is purchased it would not be considered a pre-existing medical condition.
Medically Stable means that in the 60, 180 or 365 days (depending on the provider) prior to, and including, the day you buy travel insurance, there can't have been any medical condition which:
Manifested itself, became acute or exhibited symptoms which would have caused one to seek diagnosis, care or treatment;
Required the taking of prescribed drugs or medicine, unless the condition for which the prescribed drug or medicine is taken remains controlled without any change in the required prescription; or
Required medical treatment or treatment was recommended by a legally qualified physician.
If 1, 2 or 3 apply and you're past the first 14, 21 or 30 days after you made your initial trip deposit or more than 24 Hours after you paid your final trip payment, you won't have any coverage for claims from that pre-existing medical condition.
Here Are The Lookback Periods:
Having said all that above, there is one plan you can get if you have any more trip costs you can pay before you depart on your trip. It can be a bit more costly, but if you are medically able to travel it's an available option:
If you're past all the Pre-existing Conditions Exclusion Waiver deadlines and you absolutely need a Pre-existing Conditions Exclusion Waiver, you may qualify for another plan. The reason you can't easily find it on TripInsuranceStore.com is because its pricing is more complex. Therefore, I (Steve) built a completely different website for this plan. Note: the cost may be higher, but, then again, it may be your only choice. This plan's deadline is the date you pay the last prepaid expense you pay before you depart on your trip. Get the details. | |
Ready to Order? It's easy (and safe) to order online or over the telephone - just call Deanna, Becky, Tony or Steve toll free at 1-888-407-3854 (US & Canada) or 507-214-3854.
PS - Steve has some Free Gifts & Fun Stuff for you to enjoy just for visiting TripInsuranceStore.com
PPS - 
Read Steve's Blog or you can Subscribe to Steve's blog here
Can't find what you need? Try TripInsuranceStore.com's Search Page:
PS - Even though TripInsuranceStore.com is the world's most informative travel insurance website, you are still responsible to know what's in your policy's Certificate of Coverage. Click here to get each plan's Certificate of Coverage.
