International Travel Insurance for Arthritis

No. When you purchase any of our travel insurance plans, they offer guaranteed coverage with no medical questions. However, be aware that they all exclude pre-existing medical conditions. So, please take any medications you use regularly or for flare ups of your conditions since these will not be covered by travel insurance.

As far as I know, arthritis cannot lead to a life-threatening situation, so will be excluded from coverage by short-term travel policies. If you are a frequent traveler and want major medical coverage in any country to which you travel, you can opt for global medical policies which will (after the first year, generally) cover all aspects of health costs.

You can Compare and buy Global health insurance policies. To apply for these policies, you will have to reveal your entire medical history and you are not guaranteed coverage. The application must go through underwriting and you can be approved, rejected, or approved with exclusions. In any case, you can opt out of the policy 10 days from your approval for no cost to you or simply reject the exclusions they require on the policy.

Note that these policies are best for people who want health insurance for a whole year, or better, longer. Once you are approved on the plan, you are guaranteed coverage yea after year and the price is determined by your age group, not your individual medical history. So, in the case of a global medical insurance application, you would have to declare your arthritis on the application and you may or may not be covered for that illness by the policy they offer you.

No. Travel health insurance is meant to cover a sudden illness or accident, such as you get a stomach flu or you twist or break your ankle. Since arthritis is not a life-threatening illness, it will not be covered by a short-term travel plan. Should you require regular medications or ointments, you should bring them or purchase ointments available in the visiting country for your condition.

Some countries may not require prescriptions to purchase medications.

However, you should be cautious in using a new medication since there may be side-effects of concern. You may want to stick to what you know or consult with your own physician if you can.

Yes. Any medical condition you have been diagnosed with or are being treated for will be considered pre-existing to a new travel policy. If you take regular medication for your condition, this will not be covered by the policy. However, should you, for example, have an accident and break a bone, this would be covered even if your condition may have made you a little more vulnerable to the break (unless you were being particularly reckless).

Accidents are generally always covered (car accidents are more complicated because if you were not at fault, the driver's insurance may cover part of your injuries) unless caused by intoxication.

So, even if you have osteoarthritis or some other pre-existing condition, you are still eligible for coverage by a travel insurance policy which will protect you from sudden illness or accident/injury while you are on your trip.

Absolutely, yes! Travel insurance is meant to cover you in the unlikely event of a sudden illness or accident while you are on your trip. Even if you have a pre-existing condition that complicates treatment, that is not relevant to the coverage for an unexpected illness or injury. Naturally, your pre-existing conditions themselves are excluded from coverage, so you should pack as much medication as you will comfortably need for your trip.