We are looking for a company who will insure my husband for a minor precondition. The specialists inserted a heart monitor in him for a short period just to see if the condition was heart-related. It is due to come out within months but the companies we have been to say they won't insure the precondition as "it is still under treatment".
- M Wright
Pre-existing conditions are always a tricky one and it can be difficult to understand how various conditions are defined and whether it's worth declaring them at all.
Of course, it's essential to disclose, as the consequences can be costly. I received some advice from Natalie Ball, director of comparetravelinsurance.co.nz on this.
Some conditions are simply not covered by standard travel insurance - such as certain types of cancer and chronic lung disease - and this includes conditions you are currently receiving treatment for.
"Generally speaking, medical conditions that have not yet stabilised will not be covered," Ball says. "Though this doesn't mean you should rule out travel insurance altogether, you need to be mindful that you may be out of pocket for any costs related to that condition."
If you're willing to investigate other avenues, you could try your luck with an insurance broker, such as healthinsurance.co.nz.
Ball also recommends that travellers start planning their travel insurance well in advance.
I was on a flight recently that had wi-fi service. Another passenger was using it to talk on a phone app and it was incredibly annoying. What is the etiquette on telling people to shut up?
