Will travel insurance cover an illness that started after purchase & before the trip?

moneyballs2

I am going on holiday on Sunday eve for 3 weeks, been looking forward to it for a year.

I have swollen throat and earache, may be an infection.

Will travel insurance cover any doctor visits if I need to see a doctor abroad? It's not pre-exisitong, and not very painful, so wouldn't see a doctor at this stage if I wasn't going away.

I'm concerned that because symptoms, albeit minor, presented before the flight that they may refuse to pay out if it gets worse.

How do these things work?

Buzby

I'd say no - but you would need to see the policy small print for the detail. Your doctor visits may be covered within the EU, but this is for emergency cover only.

katejo

moneyballs2 wrote: »

I am going on holiday on Sunday eve for 3 weeks, been looking forward to it for a year.

I have swollen throat and earache, may be an infection.

Will travel insurance cover any doctor visits if I need to see a doctor abroad? It's not pre-exisitong, and not very painful, so wouldn't see a doctor at this stage if I wasn't going away.

I'm concerned that because symptoms, albeit minor, presented before the flight that they may refuse to pay out if it gets worse.

How do these things work?

Have you got a European Health Insurance Card? Can you see your GP before your planned departure?

moneyballs2

I'm travelling outside of Europe to New York, where medical care would probably bankrupt me.

It's just a sore throat, and I'm being paranoid! I hope

InsideInsurance

Buzby wrote: »

Your doctor visits may be covered within the EU, but this is for emergency cover only.

It doesnt have to be an emergency under the EHIC scheme, you just cannot have traveled for the express purpose of having treatment.

NHS wrote:

Your EHIC lets you get state healthcare at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. It will cover you for treatment that is needed to allow you to continue your stay until your planned return. It also covers you for treatment of pre-existing medical conditions and for routine maternity care, as long as you're not going abroad to give birth.

The fact it is for "emergencies only" is an urban myth

moneyballs2

If I got antibiotics today and was told I could indeed travel, and it didn't fully clear up, would I be covered then?

I've read the small print and it doesn't say anything along these lines.

I'm also going to ask, if I need the antibiotics, for the strongest ones and three weeks worth, as I had an infection in the past that took 2 weeks to clear.

This is very frustrating. Would break my heart to cancel the holiday!

Quentin

You now have an existing condition.

You need to read up in your policy what if anything it says about new conditions/changes that occur after you take out the policy and before you travel.

Then take it from there.

duchy

Usually providing you are not travelling against medical advice you'd be covered so make sure you get to see your GP before you travel and get antibiotics to try and clear the ear ache before you go as the changes in pressurization won't help it but by the sounds of it you have exactly what I have at the moment a post Christmas bug that will clear up with a bit of TLC and staying warm. In your shoes I'd be getting antibiotics just to make sure any secondary infections like a chest infection didn't take hold. Have a great trip !

thenudeone

As long as the condition didn't exist when you bought the policy, you should be okay, whichever way it turns out; but you should take medical advice about whether you are fit enough to travel.
If you aren't fit, the insurance should cover the cost of the travel you have had to pay for but can't use.

duchy

Oh and the other thing is over the counter medicines in the US are a lot less restrictive than ours (eg stronger and bigger range) so with a drugstore on literally every corner in Manhattan you'd probably not need to see a doctor anyway as you'd not need a prescription.