Travel Insurance for Existing Medical Conditions

When travelling with existing medical conditions (also known as pre-existing medical conditions), it’s important to make sure you have travel insurance that helps cover you for any related losses or issues.

That’s why before you travel, it’s important to check if your health conditions are defined as existing medical conditions, and if so, consider taking the steps to apply to have them covered and pay the additional premium where required.

Qantas Travel Insurance automatically covers 40 existing medical conditions under the International Comprehensive and Annual Multi Trip policies at no additional cost, provided you satisfy all criteria listed for the condition(s). 

If your existing medical condition is not automatically covered under our policy, you have the option to complete a medical screening to see if we can cover your condition. You can do this via the Qantas Travel Insurance website at the time you buy your policy or by calling us on 13 49 60.

If we assess you to be eligible, and you accept the cover and pay any additional premium required, you’ll have cover from the date you purchase your policy. If you experience health issues from a pre-existing medical condition before you leave for your trip, your Annual Multi Trip or International Comprehensive policy may provide added cover for non-refundable trip cancellation costs as well.

If you’ve already purchased a travel insurance policy with your Qantas flights and need to add on cover for an existing medical condition, please call us on 1800 954 270 to update your cover.

What does a travel insurance policy with existing medical conditions cover and why might you need it?

Many international travel insurance policies exclude cover for existing medical conditions when it comes to benefits including medical expenses and trip cancellation. If you have health concerns or have experienced issues in the past, it’s important to share all known conditions when completing a screening. Providing a full picture of your health history helps us better understand the medical cover available to you. 

While travelling overseas with existing medical conditions, it’s always a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected. Even if your health is currently stable, it’s possible to experience unforeseen medical issues or a decline in your health that may require medical attention. 

Consider taking out travel insurance that could include cover for existing medical conditions for added peace of mind. 

Why get travel insurance with existing medical conditions cover?

• 24/7 Emergency travel assistance                                          

• Medicare doesn’t cover you overseas

• You’ll have coverage from the date the policy is purchased

You can check if your existing medical conditions are covered by completing a medical screening for your pre-existing health conditions. This should be done at the time you purchase your policy, so you know exactly what is covered before you travel.

What is an existing medical condition for travel insurance purposes?

An existing medical condition (or pre-existing medical condition) is any sickness that you were aware of, or a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to be aware of when applying for cover. 

This includes a sickness, mental health condition, injury or disability, that is experienced in the one-year period before the date the policy is issued, which: 

• manifested itself, worsened, became acute or exhibited symptoms that would have caused an ordinarily prudent person to seek diagnosis, care or treatment;

• required taking prescribed drugs or medicine, or tests or further investigation had been recommended by a medical practitioner; or

• was treated by a medical practitioner or treatment had been recommended by a medical practitioner.

An existing medical condition also includes any congenital, chronic or ongoing condition which you are aware of, or could reasonably be expected to be aware of before the date the policy was issued.

You won’t be covered unless your existing medical condition is listed and meets the criteria outlined in our list of automatically covered conditions, or you’ve been offered cover after completing a medical screening for a Specified Medical Condition and you have agreed to and paid any additional premium.

For more information on existing medical conditions and what’s covered, please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

Which existing medical conditions are automatically covered?

Below is a list of automatically covered existing medical conditions under our policies. 

If all your medical condition(s) are listed as ‘automatically covered conditions’ and meet the criteria outlined in the PDS, then you will be covered by the standard terms and conditions of your policy.

These conditions and criteria are explained in the ‘automatically covered conditions’ section in the PDS.

What if your existing medical condition isn’t automatically covered?

If any of your existing medical condition(s) are not listed in the PDS or do not meet the criteria, then you have the option to complete a medical screening to see if we can provide additional cover for your condition(s).

It’s important to share all known medical conditions when completing a screening, not just the ones you’re seeking cover for. By providing a full picture of your current and past health status, we can better understand the medical cover available to you and any premiums that may apply. If your existing medical conditions, as well as important details from your health history, aren’t fully disclosed during the medical screening, it may impact our ability to pay your claim. 

If you choose to pay the premium, your existing medical conditions will be added to your Certificate of Insurance as Specified Medical Conditions, and they will be covered from the date the policy is purchased. 

To make sure your medical screening accurately reflects your current health status, it’s important to complete a screening each time you apply for travel insurance cover. 

A pre-existing medical condition won’t be covered under any of the scenarios indicated below:

• if you have been advised not to travel by a medical practitioner;

• you have a condition that has been given a metastatic or terminal prognosis;

• you have a condition or set of symptoms that are under or awaiting further investigation;

• you have declined to undergo an investigation or treatment recommended by a medical practitioner; or

• if you are travelling to obtain medical care, treatment or advice of any kind, whether or not this is the sole purpose of your trip.

For more detail on existing medical conditions and medical screenings, please refer to the Qantas Travel Insurance Product Disclosure Statement.

What can you expect from a travel insurance medical screening?

A medical screening for travel insurance will ask you some basic questions about your health and medical conditions. 

You can choose to proceed without completing a medical screening, however you will not have cover for claims related to your pre-existing medical condition. 

If you proceed with the questionnaire, you’ll be asked questions tailored to your condition(s), which typically only takes a few minutes. Once the questionnaire is complete, you’ll know your cover options right away.

It’s often helpful to have the relevant medical records, list of medications or other medical documents on hand to help you respond to the questions accurately. 

The online medical screening process will require you to:

1. answer some basic questions about your current and historical health and medical conditions; and

2. understand if cover is available and if any additional premium is payable. You can then accept or decline the cover. 

To help make sure you have the right cover before you travel, it’s important to be honest and provide as much information as possible for all of your medical conditions. You need to disclose all known medical conditions when completing a screening, not just those you want to cover. If you are unsure what your full list of existing medical conditions is, it might be helpful to speak to a medical professional before screening, as we cannot give you advice about your existing medical conditions.

Purchasing additional cover is optional. If you choose not to, you’ll still have standard cover for unexpected medical issues that may arise during your trip, excluding those related to existing conditions. These conditions and criteria are explained in the ‘automatically covered conditions’ section in the PDS. It is important to seek independent financial advice or carefully consider the financial impacts of unexpected medical costs when travelling without cover for existing medical conditions.

To learn more about what information is required when completing a medical screening, please refer to the Qantas Travel Insurance PDS.

Apply for Qantas Travel Insurance for existing medical conditions.

Start your quote online or by calling a specialist on 13 49 60:

1. Provide some basic information about your trip;     

2. Provide your Qantas Frequent Flyer details;     

3. Review and select your cover options;     

4. Tell us who is travelling;     

5. Complete the medical screening;

6. Review the outcome of your screening, and decide whether you would like to proceed with the additional premium cover, or opt out;

7. If you have multiple travellers with existing medical conditions, please repeat the medical screening for each traveller. When completing a screening for someone else, please make sure you’re authorised to provide and discuss medical information on their behalf;

8. Review your quote and take out your policy when you're ready.