Should I Share My Medical History with My Travel Insurance Company?

Well, let us first understand why it is crucial to have travel insurance and why it has turned out to be non-negotiable. Travel insurance protects your travel against any losses that may occur as a result of an unanticipated incident, such as flight delays or cancellations, luggage loss, medical emergency, belonging loss, or any other trip-related risks.

Hence, before embarking on an overseas journey for business or pleasure, it is best to research international travel insurance policies. If you're travelling to any Schengen nation, you must have a travel insurance policy in order to obtain a visa. Aside from these nations, there are numerous others that do not allow visitors to set foot in the country without valid travel insurance.

Thus, it is understandable that travel insurance, besides being a protective cover for financial and medical emergencies, is also a legal need.

So, before you pay a visit to any foreign country, ensure you buy an international travel insurance plan from leading insurers in India like Tata AIG to stay legally and financially protected. With us, you can claim travel insurance policy without any hassle or fuss. Contact Team Tata AIG to learn more regarding various overseas travel insurance packages.

Overseas travel is increasingly prevalent these days, whether it's for a family vacation, a single adventure, foreign education, business purposes, or a honeymoon with your spouse. Most travellers or tourists get travel insurance since they believe it reimburses or covers the loss of baggage, loss of one’s passport, and also pays for medical emergencies and hospitalisations. They also buy because travel insurance covers financial losses such as flight cancellations and trip cancellations under certain conditions.

Travel insurance covers emergency accident and sickness medical expenses for accident and/or sickness when the insured is abroad, but with some exclusions. It does not pay the medical expenses for any pre-existing condition or any complication arising from it. Therefore, it becomes essential to share patient medical history so that the insurer gets an idea about any pre-existing medical condition.

Further, purchasing a travel insurance policy is simple these days, and that too, in a matter of seconds, owing to digitalisation. Most travel insurance providers do not ask for any medical checkup before issuing a policy, so it is critical for the policyholder to make the required disclosures and share the history of past illness.

We forget that travel insurance, like health insurance in India, might be denied for a variety of reasons. One of the most common reasons for your travel insurance claim being denied is the failure of medical history assessment due to the lack of your past medical history record. It makes not sharing the past medical history a hurdle to making the correct claims.

Ailments, health risks, and diseases that lead to medical emergencies are examples of pre-existing medical issues. Listed below are some medical issues that are considered commodities or pre-existing conditions and should be disclosed when purchasing overseas travel insurance:

• Recent surgeries
• Medical issues that necessitate routine visits to a health specialist
• Terminal illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, and so forth
• A medical problem that may necessitate immediate surgery for the insured.

As a result, when purchasing travel insurance, it's critical to understand which medical issues may impact the policy coverage. Once you get a clear idea of travel insurance medical history — the inclusions and exclusions — placing a claim request becomes a lot easier.

Some customers are concerned that their comorbidities or pre-existing health conditions may cause the insurance company to refuse the travel insurance plan or raise the premium. However, this is not the case.

As soon as your insurance provider receives your application, they meticulously examine your medical history, paying specific attention to current medical concerns. The insurer then decides on the premium amount depending on the risk and analysis.

It is seen that most people avoid disclosing their history of past illnesses while purchasing travel insurance to avoid any price hike. Most individuals consider it an extra expenditure since they believe that paying a higher price for a short holiday abroad is not warranted.

However, if they become ill or require medical treatment abroad due to pre-existing health issues, their claim may get rejected, for the insurer could not perform a proper medical history assessment due to lack of information. Therefore, sharing the patient medical history and paying the small increase in the premium beforehand is a wise decision to ensure peace of mind and also avoid paying outrageous charges abroad for medical expenses.

If you're still not sure about being open about your medical condition, consider the following advantages:

• Assured Coverage

Once you've revealed your pre-existing medical issues, you may sit back comfortably and chill, knowing that if they create complications during your vacation, your travel insurance coverage will cover the costs. Because your insurance provider is already aware of your health issues and history, the odds of your insurance claim being denied are quite low, and you're likely to receive your claim benefits later.

• Options for Add-ons

Firstly, stating your underlying medical issue saves you the time and effort of researching several plans that do not meet your requirements. Because some insurers do not cover previous illnesses, you may exclude them from your search and learn about policies that do. In most circumstances, you may purchase pre-existing sickness add-ons together with your travel insurance coverage for an extra fee. This add-on will cover your medical concerns, and disclosing them will give you peace of mind while you're having fun on your vacation.

• No False and Empty Promises

Well, even if your insurance provider restricts their pre-existing health issues or you are not insured for a certain ailment, you will not be disappointed with insurance claim benefits later. Learning the specifics of your insurance plan's coverage can keep you attentive and allow you to manage your medical bills overseas correctly.

• Economical

By disclosing your health issues, you will most certainly have to pay a high premium to be covered for that illness throughout your vacation. This, however, is a little amount to pay for your medical as well as financial security.

Healthcare in developed nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and many others is extraordinarily expensive, costing four to ten times what it costs in India. Knowing that your disease is covered allows you to make an informed decision to save money later.

Financial losses that would otherwise be costly overseas can be reduced with a travel insurance policy. Indian nationals paying a visit to Schengen nations, Australia, the United States, and numerous Gulf nations must obtain travel insurance in order to be financially capable of dealing with medical and other crises. In such instances, it is critical to be truthful about your health status before purchasing any travel insurance coverage.

You may get overseas travel insurance from Tata AIG, which has a wide network of hospitals or medical facilities under its ambit. And make sure to disclose your medical history.