If you’ve got a pre-existing medical condition, here’s some good news first: you’re in the majority, not the exception. Most Australians do, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – around 61% of us carry at least one.
You’re not being singled out by a health questionnaire, and in most cases you’re not being locked out of travel insurance either. But this is also one of the few corners of travel insurance where getting it wrong has real financial teeth – claims get declined here more often than almost anywhere else in the policy, usually over something that could’ve been avoided with one honest tick of a box. Here’s what actually counts as “pre-existing,” how the major insurers handle it, and where the genuine traps sit. This guide covers travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions in Australia, including cancer, diabetes, heart conditions and asthma, and what changes for over 65s and over 70s.
Affiliate Disclosure: The Champagne Mile may earn a commission via links on this page. You should assess your own financial situation and needs and read all relevant Product Disclosure Statements and Terms and Conditions on the website of each Vendor before making a decision to purchase any service or product we display.
Our pick for pre-existing conditions
AllClear
Built specifically around pre-existing conditions rather than treating them as an exception. If a mainstream insurer has knocked you back, this is where to go next.
Also worth a quote
Cover-More
Many conditions automatically included, others assessed for an added premium.
Also worth a quote
Southern Cross Travel Insurance
Considers a broad range of conditions, with no age cut-off and 40+ years in the business.
Travel Insurance With Medical Conditions: What to Check
If you are looking for travel insurance with medical conditions, start by listing every condition you have been treated for, plus your regular medications. Insurers use this information to decide whether to cover the condition, add an extra premium or exclude it.
Before you buy, check three things in the PDS: how the policy defines a pre-existing condition, whether a medical assessment is needed, and what happens to your cover if your health changes between buying the policy and travelling. Keeping a note of your conditions and medications makes the quote process faster.
How Pre-Existing Conditions Work in Australia
In Australia, each insurer sets its own definition of a pre-existing condition in its PDS, so the same condition can be treated differently from one policy to the next. When you apply, the Insurance Contracts Act requires you to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to the insurer, which in practice means answering every medical question honestly and completely.
It matters because Medicare doesn’t pay for most overseas medical care. If a condition is excluded, or you left it off your application, you can end up personally liable for hospital and evacuation bills. If a claim is declined, you can complain to the insurer first and then to AFCA.
What Actually Counts as a “Pre-Existing Condition”
Insurers define it broadly, and it catches a lot of people off guard. A pre-existing condition is any condition, illness or defect you’re aware of – diagnosed or not – for which you’ve had treatment, medication, investigation, surgery or even just medical advice. It doesn’t need a formal diagnosis to count. A general rule of thumb is to declare anything you’ve sought treatment for in the past 12 months, plus any chronic or major condition regardless of how long ago it was managed.
Here’s where it gets genuinely tricky. Most policies exclude a condition if you were “awaiting investigation, referral, treatment or results” at the time you bought the policy – even without a diagnosis. In one real AFCA case, a traveller with osteoarthritis, diagnosed years earlier, had her claim initially declined because her doctor had discussed a possible future hip replacement between booking her trip and buying her policy. AFCA ultimately sided with her – the surgery wasn’t imminent or expected at the time – but it shows how fine the line can be.
And it’s not just about your own health. Cancellation cover can hinge on a travelling companion’s condition too – or even a family member who isn’t travelling with you at all. In another real AFCA case, a man cut short his overseas trip to be with his terminally ill sister-in-law and was declined on the claim, because her illness counted as a pre-existing condition under the policy and he hadn’t disclosed it. He hadn’t even realised he needed to. It’s a genuinely underappreciated trap: the health of people you’re not travelling with can still affect your cover.
Automatically Covered vs Needing Assessment
Insurers sort pre-existing conditions into three groups, and knowing which one yours falls into tells you what to expect from a quote.
- Automatically covered. Many insurers include a short list of common, stable conditions without an assessment. The list differs by insurer, so check the PDS rather than assuming. Cover-More auto-includes many conditions, Freely auto-covers some under its Explorer Plan, and World Nomads automatically covers 40+ common conditions on its Standard and Explorer plans if you meet set criteria.
- Covered after assessment. You answer a medical questionnaire, and the insurer either covers the condition, adds an extra premium or excludes it. Specialists such as AllClear, which considers 1,300+ conditions, assess a far wider range than most mainstream insurers.
- Not covered. Conditions the insurer declines, or that you choose to exclude to cut the premium. Any claim connected to them is declined, and conditions that were still being investigated when you bought the policy can land here too.
Stability usually decides the outcome. A condition with no recent change in medication, no hospital visits and no new symptoms is far more likely to be covered than one that flared up recently.
How to Declare a Condition
Declaring properly is the best way to protect a future claim. Before you start a quote:
- List every condition you have had treatment, tests or advice for in the past 12 months, plus any chronic or major condition from further back.
- Write down your medications, including the dose and any recent changes.
- Note dates and specialists for recent hospital stays, procedures, follow-ups and pending test results.
- Answer every question in the questionnaire, and keep a copy of your answers and the policy documents.
If your health changes between buying the policy and leaving, tell the insurer straight away, because many policies expect you to update them.
Best Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions in Australia Compared
| Insurer | PEC Approach | Notable Feature | Best For | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AllClear | Specialist – 1,300+ conditions considered | No upper age limit, three cover tiers | Complex or multiple conditions | Get a quote |
| Cover-More | Assessed individually, many auto-included | Zurich-backed, 15M+ travellers covered annually | Mainstream cover with a solid PEC process | Get a quote |
| Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) | Broad range of conditions considered, often more than competitors | 40+ years in the business, no separate seniors product or age cut-off | Established insurer covering a wide range of conditions as standard | Get a quote |
| Tick Travel Insurance | Considered in Standard & Top Cover (international only) | Budget-friendly tiers | Straightforward conditions on a budget | Get a quote |
| Fast Cover | Individually assessed, including pregnancy | Lloyd’s-backed underwriting | Pregnancy and general pre-existing conditions | Get a quote |
| Zoom | Assessed via medical questionnaire | Grandkids and kids under 19 travel free | Families managing a condition | Get a quote |
| Freely | Some auto-covered under the Explorer Plan, others assessed | App-based, adjustable cover | Simple, well-controlled conditions | Get a quote |
| World Nomads | Covers 40+ common conditions automatically if you meet set criteria | Under 70 only, and conditions outside the list are not covered | Younger travellers with common, well-controlled conditions | Get a quote |
| WAS Insurance | Considered, subject to disclosure | Broad activity cover alongside PEC | Active travellers managing a condition | Get a quote |
| Travel Protect | Depends on the policy selected | – | Check directly before relying on this one | Get a quote |
| Butter | Not clearly built for this | Youth-focused, modular cover | Probably not your first choice here | Get a quote |
Table compiled 2 August 2026. PEC assessment outcomes depend entirely on your specific condition, so treat this as a starting point for comparison, not a guarantee of cover – always complete the insurer’s own medical questionnaire and read the PDS.
TCM Spotlight The specialist built around pre-existing medical conditions
AllClear considers 1,300+ conditions, with no upper age limit
- 1,300+ Pre-existing conditions considered, so complex cases are not ruled out
- No limit No upper age limit, so older travellers can still get a quote
- 3 tiers Three levels of cover to choose from, so you match cover to your trip
Our Top Picks
Best overall for complex or multiple conditions: AllClear. Built specifically around pre-existing conditions rather than treating them as an exception process. If a mainstream insurer has knocked you back, this is where to go next.
Best mainstream option: Cover-More. With many conditions automatically included and others assessed for an added premium, Cover-More is a strong middle ground if you don’t need a specialist.
Best for older travellers wanting no age cut-off: Southern Cross Travel Insurance. Considers a broad range of conditions, often more than competitors, with 40+ years in the business and no separate seniors product or age cut-off.
Best budget option for straightforward conditions: Tick Travel Insurance. Considers pre-existing conditions at Standard and Top Cover on international policies – just don’t expect the entry-level Basic tier to include it.
Best for younger travellers with common conditions: World Nomads. Its Standard and Explorer plans automatically cover 40+ common conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, migraines and epilepsy, when you meet the criteria. Conditions outside that list aren’t covered, and cover is for travellers under 70 only.
Best for pregnancy: Fast Cover. Explicitly assesses pregnancy alongside other pre-existing conditions, rather than treating it as a separate, harder conversation.
Best for families managing a condition: Zoom. Conditions go through a medical questionnaire, and dependent kids and grandkids under 19 travel free – handy if you’re planning a family trip around someone’s health needs.
Two to double-check before relying on: Travel Protect and Butter. Travel Protect’s own FAQ says PEC cover depends on the policy you choose, without much detail. Butter doesn’t address pre-existing conditions in its own materials.
Current offers from these insurers
Over 65s and Over 70s With Pre-Existing Conditions
Age and pre-existing conditions are assessed together, and each one pushes the other. Older travellers are more likely to have a condition to declare, and insurers price both the age and the condition into the premium, so the cost rises faster than it would for either factor alone. Age by itself won’t get you rejected at an insurer with no upper age limit, but you still go through the medical assessment.
That makes the choice of insurer matter more as you get older. AllClear has no upper age limit and specialises in complex conditions, and Southern Cross Travel Insurance has no separate seniors product or age cut-off. Some other insurers apply age limits or extra assessment above certain ages, so check the limits before you quote.
For age-specific cover, see our seniors travel insurance guide, plus the guides for over 70s and over 80s.
Travel Insurance for Cancer Patients
Cancer is one of the most common reasons people look for specialist cover, and it is one where insurers ask the most detailed questions. Whether you can get cover usually depends on where you are in your treatment. Many insurers ask about your diagnosis, the stage, whether you are in treatment or remission, and any recent scans or results.
Cover is generally easier to find if you are in remission and stable. Active treatment, a recent diagnosis or a pending test result can mean an extra premium or an exclusion, and some insurers will decline outright. Because the assessment is so individual, quote with a specialist like AllClear and a mainstream insurer, and compare what each one excludes. Ask whether cancellation cover applies if your treatment plan changes before you leave.
Travel Insurance for Diabetes
Insurers usually assess diabetes on how well it is controlled. Many want to know the type, how you manage it, your recent results and whether you have any related complications. Type 1 and Type 2 can be assessed differently, so say which you have. A well-controlled condition with no recent hospital visits is usually the easiest to cover.
A published AllClear example shows a 40-year-old with Type 2 diabetes paying $132 to $138 for a week-long Bali trip, depending on the cover tier, so a declared condition does not automatically mean an unaffordable premium. Declare related complications too, such as eye, kidney or nerve problems, because insurers assess them as separate conditions. World Nomads automatically covers Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes on its Standard and Explorer plans if you were diagnosed more than six months ago, your blood sugar is stable and you have no recent complications or cardiovascular disease, so check you meet each criterion. Pack enough medication and supplies for the whole trip, and carry a letter from your doctor.
We put this to the test. For a Sydney couple aged 72 heading to Japan for 14 days, Cover-More accepted tablet-controlled type 2 diabetes with no extra premium, and AllClear covered it after a short online medical screening. See the full quotes in our over 70s guide.
Travel Insurance With a Heart Condition
Insurers price heart conditions carefully, because a cardiac event overseas can mean expensive hospital treatment and evacuation. Expect detailed questions about your diagnosis, medication, recent procedures such as stents or surgery, and any recent chest pain or hospital stays.
Premiums can rise sharply for older travellers with a heart condition heading to a destination with expensive healthcare, such as the US. A recent change in medication or a recent cardiac event can lead to an exclusion, so a stable condition is the easiest to cover. A specialist such as AllClear is worth quoting alongside a mainstream insurer, and get your own quote rather than relying on someone else’s price.
Asthma Travel Insurance
Asthma is common, and mild, well-controlled asthma is often one of the easier conditions to cover. Some insurers automatically include certain stable conditions without an assessment, while others ask a few questions about how often you use your medication, whether you have needed a hospital visit or oral steroids recently, and how severe it is.
Severe or recently worsened asthma is more likely to need an assessment or carry an extra premium. Declare it even if you think it is minor, take your preventer and reliever in your carry-on, and check that your cover applies if you need treatment overseas. World Nomads automatically covers asthma if you are under 60, have had no hospitalisation for it in the past two years and have no other respiratory conditions.
The Traps and Caveats to Watch For
“Stable and well-controlled” is doing more work than it sounds like. Insurers rarely cover a condition unconditionally – they cover it if their medical questionnaire decides it’s behaving itself. A recent flare-up, a medication change, or a hospital visit in the last year can get a condition excluded or loaded with an extra premium.
Non-disclosure doesn’t just shrink your payout – it can wipe out the whole claim. Leave a condition off your application, and if it turns out to be connected to your claim, the insurer isn’t obliged to pay a reduced amount. They can decline the entire thing, and in some cases void the policy altogether. This is, by a wide margin, the most common reason claims get denied in this category. When in doubt, declare it.
Choosing to exclude a condition from cover is allowed – but it’s an all-or-nothing decision. Most insurers let you opt out of cover for a specific declared condition, usually to keep the premium down. That’s a legitimate choice. Just understand what you’re agreeing to: any claim connected to that condition, however it shows up, gets a flat no. There’s no partial cover or case-by-case leniency once you’ve opted out.
The severity of your condition moves the price far more than simply having one. A younger traveller with a well-managed, low-risk condition might barely notice the premium difference. An older traveller with something like a heart condition heading somewhere with expensive healthcare, like the US, can see a genuinely steep jump. Don’t benchmark your expected cost against someone else’s condition – get your own quote.
Entry-level policy tiers often exclude pre-existing conditions altogether, even at insurers that support them elsewhere in their range. Tick’s Basic tier is a good example – the PEC consideration only kicks in at Standard and Top Cover. Picking the cheapest tier to save money can quietly remove exactly the cover you actually need.
It’s not just your own health that matters for cancellation cover. As the AFCA case above shows, a travelling companion’s condition – or even a non-travelling family member’s – can be relevant to a claim. If you’re cancelling or cutting a trip short because of someone else’s health, check whether that person’s condition needed to be disclosed too.
Annual multi-trip cover often assesses your condition once, and less flexibly, compared to single-trip cover. A single-trip insurer can underwrite a specific condition for a specific trip and destination. An annual policy tends to apply one blanket assessment across every trip in the year, which can be less forgiving of a condition that varies in severity. If you’re weighing the two, our annual vs single-trip guide walks through the wider trade-offs.
Pre-existing conditions and age limits compound each other. Insurers assess age and health together, so getting older changes how your conditions are underwritten. Our seniors travel insurance guide covers that overlap.
A cruise add-on doesn’t change your base policy’s medical assessment. If your trip includes any time at sea, cruise cover sits on top of your existing policy – it doesn’t reset or soften the underlying PEC rules. See our cruise travel insurance guide if that’s part of your trip.
What the Data Says
A few numbers worth knowing before you buy:
- A real published example from AllClear shows a 40-year-old with Type 2 diabetes paying between $132 and $138 for a week-long Bali trip, depending on cover tier – a useful reality check against the assumption that a declared condition automatically means an unaffordable premium.
- AFCA’s own published guidance and case determinations show non-disclosure disputes are a genuine, recurring source of complaints. Often it is the definition of “pre-existing” (including conditions you weren’t formally diagnosed with, and even conditions affecting people you’re not travelling with) trips people up more often than outright condition severity does.
How to Actually Buy the Right Policy
- Declare everything, including anything treated in the past 12 months and any chronic condition, no matter how minor or well-managed it feels.
- Get quotes from at least one specialist (AllClear) and one mainstream insurer, even if you expect the mainstream option to say no – the outcome isn’t always predictable.
- Ask about the “awaiting investigation, referral, treatment or results” wording specifically if anything is currently being looked into, even without a diagnosis.
- Check whether a travelling companion’s condition – or a close family member’s – needs to be disclosed too, particularly for cancellation cover.
- Read what happens if you opt out of cover for a specific condition. Understand it’s an all-or-nothing exclusion, not a partial one.
- Check the policy tier, not just the insurer. PEC consideration is sometimes limited to higher tiers only.
- Use the cooling-off period (usually 14–21 days) to have your PDS checked properly if you’re unsure a declared condition is genuinely covered.
More Travel Insurance Guides
Every trip, traveller and risk changes what you need from a policy. These guides go deeper on each situation, and it’s worth comparing providers before you buy. Browse all travel insurance guides.
Other Useful Links
Got a complaint about a travel insurer’s decision on a pre-existing condition? Lodge it with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) – give the insurer a chance to resolve it internally first, usually within 45 days.
For current government travel advisories, check Smartraveller – Australia’s official travel advisory service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a pre-existing medical condition for travel insurance?
Any condition, illness or defect you’re aware of – diagnosed or not – for which you’ve had treatment, medication, investigation, surgery or medical advice. A general rule is to declare anything treated in the past 12 months, plus any chronic or major condition regardless of how long ago it was managed.
Can I get travel insurance if I have a pre-existing medical condition?
Yes, in most cases. Mainstream insurers assess pre-existing conditions individually and may include them automatically, approve them for an extra premium, or decline them depending on how stable the condition is. Specialist insurers like AllClear are built specifically around complex and multiple conditions and are worth trying if a mainstream insurer says no.
What happens if I don’t disclose a pre-existing condition?
Non-disclosure is one of the most common reasons travel insurance claims get declined. If a condition isn’t declared and turns out to be connected to your claim, the insurer can refuse to pay the entire claim, not just reduce it – and in some cases void the policy entirely. Always disclose everything asked for in the medical questionnaire.
Does a family member’s health affect my travel insurance if they’re not travelling with me?
It can. Cancellation cover can be affected by a pre-existing condition belonging to a close family member, even one who isn’t part of your trip, if that condition is the reason you cancel or cut your trip short. This has caught genuine claimants out in real AFCA determinations. If you’re unsure, ask your insurer directly before you travel.
Is it cheaper to exclude a pre-existing condition from my policy instead of declaring it for cover?
You can usually choose to opt out of cover for a specific declared condition to reduce your premium, but it’s an all-or-nothing exclusion – any claim connected to that condition will be declined, with no partial or case-by-case cover. Weigh the premium saving against that risk carefully.
How much more does travel insurance cost with a pre-existing condition?
It varies significantly by condition and severity rather than by the simple fact of having one. A published AllClear example shows a 40-year-old with Type 2 diabetes paying $132–$138 for a week-long Bali trip. Older travellers with more complex conditions heading to expensive-healthcare destinations like the US can expect a bigger jump. Get a specific quote rather than assuming a cost based on someone else’s condition.
What pre-existing conditions are not covered by travel insurance?
It varies by insurer. Conditions are usually not covered if you did not declare them, if the insurer declined or excluded them, if you were awaiting investigation, referral, treatment or results when you bought the policy, or if you chose to exclude them to reduce the premium. Check the PDS and the outcome of your assessment.
Why Trust Us
-
Independent and Australian
We focus on deals Australians can actually use. Commercial partnerships never decide which brands we cover or how we rank them.
-
Sourced and checked
Codes come from the brands themselves and our official affiliate partners, not scraped from other coupon sites. We note terms like minimum spend, eligible products and new customer rules.
-
Kept up to date
Offers can change at short notice, so we review our pages regularly. The last updated date is shown on this page.
-
Corrections welcome
Spotted something out of date? Let us know and we will look into it and update the page. See our editorial policy.
Michael has been publishing deals and travel content for Australians for more than 10 years and runs the deals section of The Champagne Mile. With a Bachelor of Commerce and a background in commercial law, he reads the fine print so you don’t have to, from insurance PDSs to promo code terms. Every deal on the site is checked before it goes live and updated when offers change. When he’s not testing codes, he’s planning his next overseas trip or out on his dirt bike.
Last Updated on 3 November 2026
