Do you cover pre-existing conditions

Question: Hi, We (Doanldson Europe BVBA in Belgium) are looking for a hosptal & medical insurance for one of our families (family van den Enden) we are relocating to Brockville, Canada. Up till now we haven't found an insurance compay willing to cover the pre-existing condition of Mrs. van den Enden which is bronchial asthma. Would you be able to offer us a solution with an insurance who is willing to cover also the pre-existing condition. Thanks in advance for your reply, Veerle Matthijs

There are a number of options in regards to the coverage of a pre-existing condition under a global health insurance plan. Typically, however, international health insurance plans will not cover a pre-existing condition, as insurance is meant to protect against future risks, not to pay expenses for risks that have already occurred. Insurance companies will generally deal with a pre-existing condition in one of 4 ways. These are; moratorium, exclusion, premium loading, or medical history disregarded.

Exclusion

In many cases where a pre-existing condition is present the insurer may decide to offer coverage, but will exclude the condition and ‘all consequences’ of that condition from coverage.

Moratorium

A moratorium is a waiting period of, typically, 24 months and during this time the condition will be excluded from coverage. If, however, no treatment is sought for the condition, no symptoms are displayed, and no medication is prescribed, then the insurer may reconsider offering coverage.

Premium Loading

Some pre-existing conditions may be considered for coverage under an international medical insurance plan; however this will come with an increased annual premium. The type of condition will affect the amount of the loading, and not all pre-existing conditions can be covered by a premium loading.

Medical History Disregarded

This is by far the easiest way to obtain coverage for a pre-existing condition, but will usually only pertain to groups with more than 20 members. In this situation the insurer may offer to disregard the medical history of all the group members and offer coverage for any pre-existing conditions that may be present.  

There are ways to deal with pre-existing conditions under a global health insurance plan. However, the coverage offered under a policy will change between insurance companies and even between different plans. For more information about the coverage of a pre-existing condition please contact one of our expert advisers today.