Amex Travel Insurance - Very Stringent on Pre-Existing Conditions

[Renato1]

I have three pre-existing conditions.
1. Marginally high blood pressure.
2. Marginally high cholesterol - so that I have to answer Yes, to the question of has anyone ever recommended you take medication for cholesterol.
3. Type 2 Diabetes.

I've always travelled with travel insurance - I just paid the extra money for the pre-existing conditions.

Last year I entered the exact same three details at the Amex Card Travel Insurance site, and was rejected outright - no options were given to me for paying a premium for pre-existing conditions.

The annoying part is that two of my pre-existing conditions are so marginal - I know heaps of people with much much higher readings than mine, but I suspect they would be insured if they only have two conditions.

Any ideas why Amex rejects people like me, where three other insurers happily covered me after I paid the extra premium?

Regards,
Renato

 

[neil37]

Insurers change their definitions of what they will and will not accept all the time. I am a professional singer who has asthma, which as you can imagine has to be well controlled for me to sing. One year the insurer won't insure me, the next they will despite me being older, because of changed defintions. But the way I figure it what I am really insuring for is the unexpected situation like a car accident, and whether or not I have asthma is unlikely to be a factor. So the way I see it is that, if you are willing to put up with the slight risk of what you describe as marginal conditions flaring up, you should be OK.

 

[Cynicor]

You may find that most insurance companies allow you to say no to pre existing conditions with those top 2 issues. T2DM is possibly a bit different but this may help someone else, at least. Have a quick read of the PDS and see what they say about stable hypertension etc. Good luck!

 

[Renato1]

Insurers change their definitions of what they will and will not accept all the time. I am a professional singer who has asthma, which as you can imagine has to be well controlled for me to sing. One year the insurer won't insure me, the next they will despite me being older, because of changed defintions. But the way I figure it what I am really insuring for is the unexpected situation like a car accident, and whether or not I have asthma is unlikely to be a factor. So the way I see it is that, if you are willing to put up with the slight risk of what you describe as marginal conditions flaring up, you should be OK.

That's surprising thanks. Asthma being so common in Australia, you'd think a premium for it would be available from all insurers.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

You may find that most insurance companies allow you to say no to pre existing conditions with those top 2 issues. T2DM is possibly a bit different but this may help someone else, at least. Have a quick read of the PDS and see what they say about stable hypertension etc. Good luck!

Thanks,though I'd be worried - perhaps wrongly - that if I didn't mention the first two, and say I had a major car accident, that they would try use the non disclosure about the pre-existing conditions as a mechanism to wheedle out of paying anything for the car accident.
Regards,
Renato

 

[TheRealTMA]

Thanks,though I'd be worried - perhaps wrongly - that if I didn't mention the first two, and say I had a major car accident, that they would try use the non disclosure about the pre-existing conditions as a mechanism to wheedle out of paying anything for the car accident.
Regards,
Renato

Not according to the insurance companies I spoke to last week whom I asked the exact question. They said other claims not related to pre-existing conditions would be covered. Was told only need to declare conditions if we wanted option of adding extra coverage for them. So one needs to discuss directly with the insurance company to check the T&Cs.

 

[Renato1]

Not according to the insurance companies I spoke to last week whom I asked the exact question. They said other claims not related to pre-existing conditions would be covered. Was told only need to declare conditions if we wanted option of adding extra coverage for them. So one needs to discuss directly with the insurance company to check the T&Cs.

That's very reassuring to know, thanks.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Cynicor]

The companies are coughs, but PEMCs are only an issue for medical claims related. If you go and break a foot without declaring BP issues, you will be fine. If your BP issues lead to a side effect of treating the broken foot, then the whole claim would be declined.

That's very reassuring to know, thanks.
Regards,
Renato

 

[albyd]

This is a definite trend with Amex. Platinum charge card cover is useless for me now. I put my trip on Citi Prestige Visa instead and called up and got the pre-existing coverage for a $50 fee upon going through a short interview on that call.
Even CBA has the option of covering pre-existing conditions on answering a short questionnaire and paying an extra fee (Citi and CBA use Allianz whereas Amex uses Chubb).

 

[sinophile888]

I have a number of related pre existing medical conditions including marginally high blood pressure and normal but medicated cholesterol. When the conditions first appeared, I had a great deal of trouble finding a company to insure me.

As I have reported elsewhere on this wonderful forum, I finally found insureandgo after 13 rejections. I have since needed to claim on the company and everything went very smoothly; I got everything back except the $100 excess.

I would only travel overseas if I have travel insurance which includes my PEMCs.

 

[drron]

Having reached 70 several Insurance companies are out now.I carefully read the PDS of all that would insure over 70s.One company under exclusions had-
Pre existing illnesses which you do not know about.
I thought that was like saying -We wont pay out on any illness.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Having reached 70 several Insurance companies are out now.I carefully read the PDS of all that would insure over 70s.One company under exclusions had-
Pre existing illnesses which you do not know about.
I thought that was like saying -We wont pay out on any illness.

Ah! A modern insurance company by the sound of it!

 

[Renato1]

This is a definite trend with Amex. Platinum charge card cover is useless for me now. I put my trip on Citi Prestige Visa instead and called up and got the pre-existing coverage for a $50 fee upon going through a short interview on that call.
Even CBA has the option of covering pre-existing conditions on answering a short questionnaire and paying an extra fee (Citi and CBA use Allianz whereas Amex uses Chubb).

Thanks, I see you are in similar boat to me, with Amex being totally useless, although with your more expensive Amex card, you would be even more annoyed than me - would you not?

I see I need never be bothered wasting my time with Chubb, which cuts down search parameters.
Regards,
Renato

The companies are coughs, but PEMCs are only an issue for medical claims related. If you go and break a foot without declaring BP issues, you will be fine. If your BP issues lead to a side effect of treating the broken foot, then the whole claim would be declined.

Thanks for adding to my knowledge about this, it's trickier than I thought.
Regards,
Renato

I have a number of related pre existing medical conditions including marginally high blood pressure and normal but medicated cholesterol. When the conditions first appeared, I had a great deal of trouble finding a company to insure me.

As I have reported elsewhere on this wonderful forum, I finally found insureandgo after 13 rejections. I have since needed to claim on the company and everything went very smoothly; I got everything back except the $100 excess.

I would only travel overseas if I have travel insurance which includes my PEMCs.

Thank you, I have just added insureandgo to my favourites, to make sure I never forget it - like I forgot to do, when I did indeed read what you reported in another thread.
Regards,
Renato

Having reached 70 several Insurance companies are out now.I carefully read the PDS of all that would insure over 70s.One company under exclusions had-
Pre existing illnesses which you do not know about.
I thought that was like saying -We wont pay out on any illness.

That's a handy business model.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[PaulyB]

I have just added insureandgo to my favourites, to make sure I never forget it

Yes! This is the first senior's site I have really liked the look of and will explore. I am keen on the current AMEX?QANTAS Ultimate option but as my wife is not covered - 76yo (she would have a supplementary card so isn't covered even though she is healthier than many half her age)
Thanks!
Paul

 

[get me outta here]

This should probably be in some travel insurance thread, but there may be some extant InsureAndGo deals. Try : insure10 for 10%. Also, try GROUPON20 for 20% off.

 

[sinophile888]

This should probably be in some travel insurance thread, but there may be some extant InsureAndGo deals. Try : insure10 for 10%. Also, try GROUPON20 for 20% off.

I have had a recent quote for annual travel insurance including cruise cover from insureandgo, the only company who will cover me. It was a tad eye-watering. A discount will be most useful, potentially saving many hundreds.

However, I can't travel without insurance. So I will try to include as much travel as I can in the 12-month period.

 

[PaulyB]

It was a tad eye-watering

Oh they all are

And finally, just to put this slight diversion to bed, AFF have a deal with Columbus which we found useful (have to be a Gold Member). Plenty about this in other forums
Paul

 

[Spizz]

This should probably be in some travel insurance thread, but there may be some extant InsureAndGo deals. Try : insure10 for 10%. Also, try GROUPON20 for 20% off.

Going by product reviews they don't do to well when you need to claim. YMMV.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Having reached 70 several Insurance companies are out now.I carefully read the PDS of all that would insure over 70s.One company under exclusions had-
Pre existing illnesses which you do not know about.
I thought that was like saying -We wont pay out on any illness.

ANZ platinum credit card - $79 annual fee and $250 payment on any travel expense before you leave home - covers you for any booking made until your 81st birthday. Older card holders not subject to any additional exclusions than younger ones. Has saved my parents a lot of $$ in the last 10 years!

ANZ CC insurance also covers high blood pressure, type 1 and 2 diabetes and asthma... and a range of other conditions without the need for any pre-authorisation provided those conditions are stable and you don't have any treatment pending for those conditions. (There are some limited restrictions... diabetes is not covered if you were diagnosed in the previous 12 months for example, which is probably fair enough).

 

[ksthommo]

Now Bankwest/Allianz will not cover medical conditions not listed
in their PDS as covered. They used to with an additional fee.
Rang yesterday, got knocked back to cover my wife's condition.

Tried ANZ/QBE, no worries there, paid the $75 fee, all good.