Choosing A Travel Insurance That Covers Pre-Existing Conditions In Singapore (2024)
When it comes to planning a trip, ensuring you have the right travel insurance policy is crucial – no matter what your destination may be. However, when it comes to finding insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, things can get a little tricky since most run-of-the-mill travel insurance plans exclude pre-existing conditions. This means, if you need to seek medical treatment or be sent home due to a known medical condition (e.g. diabetes) during your travels, you will not be compensated. That sounds severe.
Well, if you currently have a stable medical condition, that shouldn't deter you from travelling. You simply need to choose from a small handful of policies that cover pre-existing conditions.
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What Are Pre-existing Conditions?
Pre-existing medical conditions are defined as illnesses or injuries that people were aware of before travelling, or were diagnosed with, took medication for, have medical records of, received treatment for or had been asked to get medical treatment for in the past year before their travel date. Examples include asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases and conditions. A majority of travel insurance policies will automatically exclude this if you had medical records of these conditions before you leave Singapore. Hence, it is essential that you first ascertain whether you have these conditions before you travel as this will affect the type of insurance you should purchase.
Why Is Travel Insurance Important If You Have Pre-existing Conditions?
Medical emergencies and emergency medical care are the one thing you do not want during a trip. These unexpected overseas events can be highly stress-inducing, life-endangering, and can translate to expensive medical costs & bills for you or your family members.
Buying travel insurance in Singapore that includes coverage for pre-existing conditions is a necessity because it can offset unforeseen medical costs such as overseas hospitalisation and medical evacuation.
Best Travel Insurance With Coverage For Pre-Existing Conditions
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Travel Insurance That Covers Pre Existing Conditions In Singapore
Looking for a travel insurance plan that would cover you for all medical expenses and emergency evacuation costs, even those of pre-existing medical conditions?
Best Travel Insurance With Pre-Existing Conditions Coverage Benefits
| Best for | Travel insurance plan | Estimated premium rate* |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability and coverage of a decent range of pre-existing conditions | Etiqa Pre-Ex Entry, Savvy and Luxury plans | $95 - $151 |
| Maternity medical expenses and pre-existing conditions (with certain general exclusions) | MSIG TravelEasy® Standard Pre-Ex, Elite Pre-Ex, Premier Pre-Ex plans | $61 - $112 |
| Elderly with pre-existing conditions | MSIG TravelEasy® Standard Pre-Ex, Elite Pre-Ex, Premier Pre-Ex plans | $189 - $304 |
| More specific pre-existing conditions such as asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease and more | Income Insurance (formally known as Income) Enhanced PreX Plan | $536 |
| *Estimated premium rates are based on a 5D4N single trip plan to a country in Asia. |
What Is The Average Cost Of A Travel Insurance With Coverage For Pre-existing Conditions?
| Travel insurance provider/plan | Medical expenses | Personal accident | Overseas hospital allowance | Trip cancellation | Estimated total premium* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etiqa Pre-Ex | Up to $200,000 | Up to $150,000 | Up to $5,000 | Up to $5,000 | $95 |
| MSIG TravelEasy® Pre-Ex | Up to $75,000 | Up to $150,000 | Up to $20,000 | Up to $5,000 | $61 |
| Income Insurance Enhanced PreX® (formally known as Income) | Up to $300,000 | Up to $100,000 | Up to $20,000 | Up to $10,000 | $536 |
| *Estimated premium rates are based on a 5D4N single trip plan to a country in Asia, and comparing our round-up of the 3 best travel insurance plans in Singapore with coverage for pre-existing conditions. |
As there are not many insurers in Singapore offering travel insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions, we’ve done a straight-forward comparison of the best 3 plans from more renowned and reliable insurance providers which you can take a look at. Comparing between the 3 travel insurers’ benefits and premiums, the average cost of a travel insurance plan with pre-existing conditions coverage for a 5D4N vacation is about $231, assuming that we take the most basic plan offered by each travel insurance provider.
Estimated average cost of a travel insurance plan:
$95 + $61 + $536 = $692
$692 ÷ 3 = $231
If you’re looking at a more cost-efficient plan, perhaps the ones by MSIG would be more suitable, because for a lower premium you get about the same maximum coverage limit for most key aspects of your plan except for medical expenses, when compared with Etiqa. However, when considering more comprehensive coverage for medical expenses you’ll probably want to go with Income Insurance’s Enhanced PreX® plan as you can claim a lot more for medical expenses as compared to MSIG and Etiqa.
Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance For Pre-existing Conditions In Singapore
What is pre existing condition exclusion?
- Most travel insurance plans in Singapore do not cover pre-existing conditions. It will be stated in the policy wording under "exclusions". These conditions are injuries or illnesses that you are aware of and/or receiving treatment for, before departing for your trip. Some examples of such conditions include asthma, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, hypertension, eczema and so on.
Is there any travel insurance that covers pre-existing conditions in Singapore?
- Yes. Currently there are several insurers providing such plans and they include MSIG TravelEasy® Pre-Ex, Income Insurance Enhanced PreX® (formally known as Income) and Etiqa Pre-Ex. The premiums are higher than regular plans, but they provide overseas medical expenses that cover pre-existing conditions.
How much does it cost to buy pre-existing travel insurance?
- The premium for MSIG TravelEasy Pre-Ex (Standard) starts from $61 for a 5D4N trip in Asia. The same duration and destination would cost you $95 for the Etiqa Pre-Ex Entry plan with pre-existing conditions. It costs more for higher tiers.
Note that actual premium prices may change depending on chosen add-ons and travel dates. How can I get travel insurance with pre-existing coverage for my trip?
- There are several ways to get coverage for your/ your family members’ pre-existing conditions in your preferred travel insurance plan. The quickest way is often through your preferred travel insurance mobile app, and other ways include the travel insurance company’s website or by contacting your insurance agent. You may either get coverage for pre-existing conditions as an add-on benefit or as part of an existing travel insurance plan.