Traveling to the USA with pre-existing medical conditions? Selecting the right travel medical insurance is essential to ensure you’re fully protected throughout your trip. INF offers a variety of plans specifically designed for travelers with pre-existing conditions, providing peace of mind and comprehensive coverage.
This section compares INF’s insurance plans and highlights key features to help travelers with pre-existing conditions choose the right coverage.
Most of the US visitors insurance plans provide coverage for "Pre-Existing Conditions". This basically provides coverage in the event of an existing medical ailment becoming life threatening and needing emergency medical care. This coverage will usually have exclusions for coverage of gradual or slow worsening of the existing ailment.
INF is one of the few companies offering USA travel medical insurance plans for visitors to the USA, Canada, and Mexico with full coverage for pre-existing ailments. Unlike most travel insurance policies that only cover the acute onset of pre-existing conditions, INF’s full coverage plans treat pre-existing conditions just like any new sickness including in-patient, out-patient, urgent care, specialist visits, and doctor consultations. Prescription medications are also covered when prescribed for a recent medical incident caused by a pre-existing condition. However, maintenance medications (such as Lipitor) are not covered.
Full pre-existing condition coverage is available in select plans: Elite, Elite 90, Elite Plus, and Premier all of which cover full pre-existing conditions up to age 99 and Premier Plus, which covers full pre-existing conditions up to age 69. If travelers also want preventive care, maintenance benefits, and annual wellness coverage, Premier Plus and Elite Plus are the best options.
INF plans do not have common pre-existing exclusions such as:
Because these INF plans offer true full pre-existing conditions coverage, they are more expensive than plans that only cover acute onset of pre-existing conditions. INF does not support medical tourism and coverage cannot be purchased solely for the purpose of receiving treatment for an existing condition.
In addition to full coverage plans, INF offers the SafeVista plan for the acute onset of pre-existing conditions up to 99 years, providing emergency protection for sudden, unexpected flare-ups of existing illnesses. This plan offers flexible durations from 10 days to 364 days.
Pre-existing Condition means any illness, disease, or medical issue that existed in the 12 months before coverage began. This includes conditions with symptoms, those that worsened or became acute, those requiring prescribed medication (unless stable without prescription changes), and those treated or recommended for treatment by a doctor.
Traveling abroad with a history of pre-existing medical conditions? Understanding the differences between Full Pre-Existing Condition Coverage and Acute Onset of Pre-Existing Conditions is important while choosing the right INF travel medical insurance plan for your needs.
| Features | Full pre-existing coverage plans | Acute onset coverage plan |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible plans | Elite, Elite 90, Elite Plus, Premier, Premier Plus | SafeVista Comprehensive |
| Coverage type | Full coverage for all pre-existing conditions | Covers only sudden & unexpected flare-ups |
| Defination | Covers all eligible treatments for pre-existing medical conditions just like new illnesses or injuries, including hospital stays, specialist visits, diagnostic tests, and prescription medications (except maintenance drugs). No common exclusions like cardiac events or UTIs. | Sudden, unexpected recurrence of a pre-existing condition without prior warning or symptoms, requiring immediate medical attention. Coverage applies only for emergencies during the trip, not for ongoing or scheduled treatment. |
| Eligible ages | Up to 99 years | Up to 99 years |
| Minimum purchase | 90 days | 10 days |
| Preventive / Maintenance / Wellness | Available in Elite Plus & Premier Plus | Not covered |
| Exclusions | No common pre-existing exclusions (covers cardiac events, UTIs, etc.) | Standard acute onset exclusions apply |
| Best for | Travelers who need ongoing treatment, preventive care, and full protection | Travelers looking for lower cost emergency only coverage |
Do you have any pre-existing medical conditions? INF plans offer full pre-existing condition coverage or acute onset coverage make sure to pick the one that matches your health status.
Most INF plans, such as INF Premier and INF Elite, offer full pre-existing condition coverage for travelers up to age 99. If you want acute onset coverage instead, consider the SafeVista plan, which provides acute onset coverage for travelers up to 99 years old.
Select deductible and maximum benefit limits based on your budget and risk tolerance. Lower deductibles cost more but reduce your out-of-pocket expenses during claims.
Look for emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, and visa-specific benefits like border entry protection if needed.
INF plans are available for different durations monthly or up to 90 days. Plans like Elite, Elite Plus, and Premier Plus offer coverage up to 90 days, while SafeVista Comprehensive is available starting from just 10 days.
INF is one of the few insurance providers in the USA that specializes in travel medical coverage for visitors with pre-existing health conditions. Unlike most plans that exclude or limit pre-existing coverage, INF offers two types of protection Full Pre-Existing Coverage and Acute Onset Coverage giving travelers the flexibility to choose the right option for their health needs and budget.
With INF, pre-existing coverage isn’t just an afterthought it’s built into the plan design to work like coverage for any new medical condition, ensuring travelers have peace of mind while visiting the USA.
Key reasons to choose INF:
INF’s pre-existing condition travel medical insurance plans are ideal for:
The cost of INF pre-existing travel insurance starts at $158 per month. The price may vary depending on the traveler’s age, policy maximum, deductible, and travel duration..
In this table SafeVista Comprehensive rates are based on a monthly basis, while all other plan rates are based on a 90-day period with a $250 deductible applies to all plans, except for Elite Plus, which has a $500 deductible.
| Plan Name | Medical maximum | Age 50 | Age 60 | Age 70 | Age 80 to 99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SafeVista Comprehensive | $100,000 - $1,000,000 | $158 - $225 | $215 - $247 | $320 | $789 |
| Premier X | $100,000 - $1,000,000 | $377 - $580 | $405 - $623 | $1,088 | $1,641 |
| Premier Plus X | $300,000 | $1,150 | $1,190 | Not Available | Not Available |
| Elite X | $150,000 - $1,000,000 | $962 - $1,033 | $1,369 - $1,473 | $3,268 | $4,194 |
| Elite 90 X | $150,000 - $1,000,000 | $1,112 - $1,195 | $1,584 - $1,705 | $3,786 | $4,861 |
| Elite X Plus | $150,000 - $1,000,000 | $1,481 - $1,560 | $1,863 - $1,977 | $3,646 | $4,788 |
There are many international travelers who have medical ailments and it is important for them to be well informed about visitors insurance for pre-existing conditions. Many of the regular travel insurance plans exclude any coverage for pre-existing conditions. The definition of pre-existing conditions varies for different insurance providers as they have a ‘look back’ period and any medical ailments during this look back period would be considered pre-existing. At American Visitor insurance, we offer plans which do offer coverage for acute onset of a pre-existing condition, as well as full coverage for pre-existing conditions up to a clearly defined limit in the policy document. All of these details can be better understood by using our facility for comparing visitors insurance for pre-existing conditions.
Pre-existing conditions travel insurance plans are designed to provide coverage for conditions that existed or still exist which started before the insurance plan became effective. Normally , travel insurance provides coverage for unexpected medical emergencies, trip cancellation, baggage delay and loss and medical emergencies and hospitalization. The plans that cover pre-existing conditions can vary from one provider to the other.They also have limitations for age factor and do not provide coverage for most people above 70.It is important to review the policy carefully to see if it covers the things that you want to get coverage.
Pre existing condition is defined as the medical condition that has been diagnosed with or received treatment for certain period of time before the policy became effective.
Coverage exclusions: The pre -existing condition travel insurance may restrict the coverage for some specific conditions,and will have limitations around the age of the individual, or have waiting periods to start coverage.
Medical emergency coverage: If the traveler experiences medical emergency related to the pre-existing condition, during the trip, then the insurance will cover the eligible medical expenses.
Trip cancellation or Interruption: Some plans will provide coverage for trip cancellation related to the pre existing condition in case you need to cancel the trip for the medical issue.
Claims: For a covered claim, you need to file a claim with the insurance provider
Reviewing the policy: Before purchasing the plan, carefully review the policies terms and condition to understand the coverage, limitations and requirements for pre-existing conditions.
Unfortunately, this simple question has a fairly complicated answer. The answer is: it depends. Firstly, it depends on whether you are a US resident traveling outside the US or a visitor to the US. US residents can purchase trip cancellation insurance that can cover pre-existing conditions and even plans that are travel medical only without cancellation often are more generous in their coverage of pre-existing conditions. These plans may have specific requirements in order to waive the usual exclusion of coverage for pre-existing conditions (like purchase them within a certain number of days of your initial trip deposit or that you have a primary domestic insurance plan in the US), so you should check these details carefully if this is important to you.
Non-US residents or US residents traveling into the US have much more limited options to insure their pre-existing conditions are covered. Some plans offer coverage for "acute onset" of pre-existing conditions. However, this is misleading, since a careful look at their definition excludes chronic or congenital disorders from such coverage. Chronic illnesses are those that worsen over time and congenital disorders are issues one is born with. They exclude emergencies due to chronic illness because they will say that is not "acute" it is simply a worsening of your condition. There are only two policies we know of that offer coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. They are INF Premier and INF Elite plans.
Firstly, they define pre-existing conditions in the following way: A pre-existing condition is a condition for which the insured received treatment or took medication for in the previous 12 months before the start of the policy. If the medication dosage has not changed and is taken as a maintenance medication, this would NOT count as a flare up or treatment of the condition. In that case, very stable conditions that have no flare ups in the past 12 months are not even excluded as pre-existing conditions. Conditions that have had flare ups or doctor recommended treatment or change in medication, are still covered by the plans but with a higher deductible and a lower maximum.
INF Elite (also INF Elite 90) are comprehensive plans offering fairly complete coverage. INF Premier is a fixed plan. Find details on these plans here.
The above plans must be purchased for at least 90 days and can be quite pricey for seniors, but they offer the only real coverage for chronic conditions.
The other option, of course, is to take a plans with little ($1000) or no coverage for pre-existing conditions and take a risk that that condition will not flare up during the trip.
INF plans boast they offer "full" coverage for pre-existing conditions. This can be a little misleading. Firstly, any regular treatment or medication that is required by the condition is never covered. The main advantage to the INF Elite and INF Premier is that they cover sudden illness/injury regardless of whether it is pre-existing or not. The only difference is that a pre-existing condition will be covered with a higher deductible at at a lower maximum than any other "new" illness or injury. However, coverage is not limited to an emergency or life-threatening situation.
The "Acute Onset of a Pre-Existing Condition" is a sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a pre-existing medical condition which occurs without any advance warning either in the form of physician recommendations or symptoms and requires immediate care (within 24 hours of first symptoms). A Pre-Existing Condition that is a chronic or congenital condition or that gradually becomes worse over time will not be considered acute onset.
The acute onset coverage benefit does not include coverage for known, scheduled, required, or expected medical care, drugs or treatment existent or necessary prior to the effective date of coverage. An example of this might be someone who has a food allergy or bee allergy and is unknowingly exposed to their allergen and requires immediate medical attention.
Acute onset of a pre-existing condition can be defined as the sudden & unexpected occurrence of a pre-existing condition which requires in-patient, emergency hospitalization within 24 hours of exhibiting first symptoms. The main difference between acute onset & full pre-existing is that with Full Pre-Existing coverage, is that one is covered for all pre-existing conditions and associated medical costs and this includes follow up visits, hospitalizations and doctor’s visits, etc. The acute onset coverage will only cover the in-patient hospitalization expense.
Full Pre-existing means we will cover any issue regarding a pre-existing condition, however, if one is traveling to the United States solely for medical treatment, that will not be covered. INF plans do not cover any medical tourism related claims. Pre-existing conditions under the INF plans are covered with a higher deductible and a lower maximum than other illnesses or injuries. These are chosen or specified when you purchase you plan.
Yes, the INF policies will cover any pre-existing issue that the traveler may have during their stay in the United States. This includes blood pressure, diabetes, kidney related issues and arthritis, all of which are covered by the INF Premier, INF Premier Plus, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90 Plans.
The insurance company takes on an enormous risk by insuring individuals and including coverage for pre-existing conditions without any prior medical examination. Under the INF plans, you are paying more, but you are getting the full value for the money you pay given the very high cost of US healthcare. With the INF Premier, INF Premier Plus, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90 Plans, even though it is expensive, you can have the comfort of knowing that you are covered for any emergency or contingency. This peace of mind given the expensive US healthcare expense is what makes INF plans worth it despite being expensive.
The list of covered services under Visitors insurance full pre-existing conditions coverage can be found on the American Visitor insurance website of the INF Premier, INF Premier Plus, INF Elite, INF Elite Plus and INF Elite 90 Plan pages. INF plans are open to green card holders
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