When you go on holiday abroad with your family, one of the vital things you need to take care is a good family travel insurance policy. This will help keep you and your family protected from large expenses should you need to receive medical care overseas, if you have to cancel your holiday, as well as in a number of other situations.

However, one thing that you have to be very careful about is pre-existing medical conditions. Here is a guide to help you work out whether you will be covered or not.

Overview of Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Pre-existing medical conditions are an important consideration when you're buying family travel insurance for your trip. Every insurer will have their own specific definitions of exactly what these are, but in general they are any medical conditions that you or a member of your family has at the time of purchasing a policy.

For example, you may have received treatment for cancer in the past, and this may be considered as a pre-existing condition. Most insurers will ask you to confirm any conditions you have, and they may also ask about treatment received in last six months or a year in relation to the condition. Some minor conditions may be considered pre-existing by some insurers but not by others, so it is always important to declare anything applicable.

Why You Should Always Declare Medical Conditions

The reason insurers want to know about these conditions before you buy your family travel insurance policy is because the conditions may increase the risk of you needing treatment while you are overseas. If the risk that you may need medical care is increased, the insurer may ask you to pay a higher premium to cover this risk. Alternatively, they may refuse to provide you with cover for your condition. Sometimes the insurer may cover you for all eventualities apart from any treatment directly related to your medical condition.

If you do not declare your condition and then need to receive treatment while overseas, this could affect your insurance coverage. You may find out that your insurer refuses to pay for treatment, so it is very important to be clear on this before you travel.

Always Check With Your Insurer Before You Travel

If you think you or someone in your family may have a pre-existing medical condition, always inform your insurer before you buy your family travel insurance policy. There is no point taking any risks when you go overseas, because if you end up requiring medical care you could run into some huge costs. Read through the terms of the policy before you make any decisions, and always tell your insurer if you may be affected by a pre-existing condition.

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Insuremore. We provide low cost travel insurance and offer a range of policies including family travel insurance, annual, multi-trip and single-trip insurance. For all your travel cover needs, Insuremore can help you in the quickest and most cost-efficient way.