Best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions - Coverage, providers, and more

Planning a trip can be exciting, but it’s important to make sure you’re properly protected before you leave by getting travel insurance. They’re to help when the unexpected happens, not all travel insurers automatically cover pre-existing conditions.

We’re going to break down what you need to know about getting travel insurance as a Kiwi with a pre-existing condition. We’ll look at what may or may not be automatically covered, how it can impact the cost and what providers are out there. We’ll also touch on Wise, a handy travel companion, to safeguard yourself from foreign transaction fees when spending abroad.

Table of contents
What are pre-existing conditions? Best providers in New Zealand Allianz 1Cover Cover-More World Nomads Zoom Choosing the right policy for pre-existing conditions Save on foreign transaction fees with Wise FAQs

Understanding pre-existing conditions and travel insurance

In the context of travel insurance a pre-existing condition is generally any medical, physical or mental condition, illness, defect or injury that you were aware of before your policy started.¹ Some of the common pre-existing conditions people have are:

• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Cancer
• Chronic illness
• Recent surgery or serious injury
• Immune deficiency
• Neck or back conditions

It could be a condition you have symptoms for but not a formal diagnosis yet, have been prescribed medication for, or have visited a hospital or clinic for.

What is not considered a pre-existing condition?

Not every health issue is automatically classed as a pre-existing condition. Usually, travel insurers don’t consider these circumstances as pre-existing medical conditions.

• The issue arose for the first time after the policy started
• It’s a mild illness that doesn’t require ongoing treatment, like seasonal allergies or a cold
• It’s a temporary issue that can resolve without specialist treatment, like a minor sprain

Getting travel insurance coverage for specific conditions

Some insurers have a set list of pre-approved, pre-existing conditions that are automatically covered. This list can include the following medical conditions, keeping in mind each comes with a set of criteria you’d need to meet.²

• Asthma
• Allergies
• Bell’s palsy
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Coeliac disease
• Congenital blindness
• Congenital deafness
• Epilepsy
• Hip, knee or shoulder replacements

If the condition has not been pre-approved then it must be declared when you apply to buy a policy to try to get a waiver.

Does travel insurance cover diabetes?

Travel insurance coverage for people with diabetes varies. Some insurers offer opportunities for automatic coverage, while others require it to be applied for.

As an example, Cover-More travel insurance automatically covers people with diabetes if they meet the criteria below.²

• Diagnosed over 6 months ago
• Not been hospitalised or needed treatment from a medical practitioner in the last 12 months
• Your diabetes isn’t under investigation
• Not waiting on any investigation, surgery, treatment or procedures for the diabetes

If they don’t, they need to apply for a waiver to get coverage.

Does travel insurance cover heart conditions?

Whether or not a heart condition can be covered depends on a few factors including what the condition is, your medical history and the policies of the travel insurer. To assess your eligibility for a coverage waiver, the insurer will ask for health information as part of a medical assessment.

Going back to Cover-More as an example, they require anyone who has a cardiovascular disease to complete a health assessment.² If the request for insurance is approved, the person then has to pay an additional premium. Without doing this, there’s no coverage for the cardiovascular condition or another heart or cardiovascular system problem, including heart attacks or stroke.

Best New Zealand travel insurers for pre-existing conditions

To help you choose a New Zealand travel insurer for your next trip, we’re going to take a look at 5 different companies who offer policies. This table compares the benefits of each, focusing specifically on the international comprehensive policies.

Insurance Providers	List of pre-approved conditions in the PDS	Overseas medical expenses	Emergency repatriation/evacuation	Cancellation costs
Allianz³	No	$20 million	$20 million	As selected
1Cover¹	No	Unlimited	Unlimited	As selected
Cover-More²	Yes	Unlimited	Unlimited	As selected
World Nomads⁴	Yes	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited for up to 14 insured events
Zoom⁵	No	Unlimited	Unlimited	As selected

Now let’s look at each of these providers in a little more detail.

Allianz

Allianz offers domestic and international policies for singles, duos and families.³ Cover can then be expanded with add-on packs such as the Cruise Pack, Snow Pack and Adventure Pack.

For pre-existing conditions, Allianz only provides cover if it’s been disclosed and they’ve agreed to cover you in writing. The details of your approval will be on the Certificate of Insurance or the Medical Terms of Cover.

Here’s some of the key benefits of the Comprehensive Plan policy for a single international traveller, along with the limits.

• Overseas medical expenses - $20 million
• Additional expenses - $50,000
• Resumption of journey - No specific coverage

1Cover

1Cover offers international, domestic and already overseas policies with options for frequent travellers and medical only insurance.¹ Depending on what you’re planning to do on your trip, you may also need to purchase an activity add-on pack such as Cruise pack, Cruise Pack, Winter Sports Pack and more.

With 1Cover, pre-existing conditions need to be declared when you apply for the policy and the medical assessment must be completed. They’ll then choose whether to decline coverage, limit the amount of cover, exclude certain medical conditions from cover, or agree to provide coverage for an additional premium.

Here’s some of the key benefits of the 1Cover Comprehensive policy, along with the limits.

• Overseas medical expenses - Unlimited
• Hospital cash allowance - $5000
• Resumption of journey - No specific coverage

Cover-More

Cover-More has policies for international, domestic and inbound travel, offering a few different packages for additional coverage.² Add ons they offer include Cruise Cover, Adventure Activities, Snow Sports and more.

For pre-existing conditions they divide them into three categories; those that can't be covered, those that are automatically covered and those that Cover-More needs to assess. Included in the things that absolutely can’t be covered are conditions involving alcohol dependency and conditions that you’re travelling to seek advice or treatment for.

Here’s some of the key benefits of the Cover-More International Comprehensive policy, with the applicable limits.

• Overseas medical expenses - Unlimited
• Additional expenses - Unlimited
• Hospital incidentals - $6000
• Resumption of journey - $5000

World Nomads

World Nomads offers two international travel insurance plans; the Standard Plan and Explorer Plan.⁴ These can then be expanded by adding levels of special features that add additional coverage for adventure, work, study and volunteer experiences.

When it comes to pre-existing conditions, World Nomads offers automatic cover with no extra premium for 40 existing medical conditions, provided you meet all of the criteria. This list includes allergies, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and certain cardiovascular conditions. If the condition isn’t on the list, you can still buy a policy and be covered for everything but that condition.

Here’s some of the key benefits of the comprehensive Explorer Plan, as well as the limits.

• Overseas medical expenses - Unlimited
• Hospital cash allowance - $5000
• Resumption of journey - $1500

Zoom

Zoom offers a few international travel insurance policies, as well as domestic and frequent traveller policies. The coverage offered by those policies can then be expanded with one or more of add ons such as Cruise Pack, Bicycle Pack and more.

With Zoom, pre-existing conditions must be declared. They then need to agree in writing and an additional premium has to be paid for you to receive coverage. As part of the process you’ll need to answer questions about your health, completing a medical assessment.

Here’s some of the key benefits of the policy along with the limits.

• Overseas medical expenses - Unlimited
• Hospital cash allowance - $5000
• Resumption of journey - No specific coverage

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How do I declare my pre-existing conditions to ensure coverage?

To declare a pre-existing condition there’s usually a space to do it when going through the online quote process. As mentioned earlier, some conditions may require you to do a health assessment for the insurer to make their decision.

If you’re not sure whether a condition would be pre-existing, it’s best to reach out to the insurer's customer service to check, or just declare it during the quote process for them to assess. The last thing you want is to find out that you’re not covered for something you thought you were during an emergency.

Choosing the right travel insurance policy

Selecting the right travel insurance policy is crucial if you have a pre-existing condition. Here are some practical tips to help you make the right decision.

• Check if your specific condition is covered and get proof in writing
• Read the exclusions, limits and terms of each policy carefully
• Compare the coverage, price and conditions of a few different insurers
• Think about whether you’ll need any of the add-ons on offer
• Check to see what the support and claims process is like during an emergency - Will they pay the hospital directly or reimburse you later?

Travelling soon? Safeguard yourself from foreign transaction fees with the Wise card

Travelling with peace of mind starts with the right insurance. Once you’ve got your travel insurance lined up, it’s time to work out the best way to spend when you’re overseas. Meet the Wise account and card.

Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, add money in NZD right from your bank account, and switch to any of the supported 40+ currencies with the mid-market exchange rate. With no foreign transaction fees and one of the fairest exchange rates out there along with low, transparent fees, you’re usually getting the best value for your money. You’ll also be able to get a linked Wise card to use for contactless payments, add your card to a wallet like Apple Pay, or make up to 2 free ATM cash withdrawals per month to a combined value of 350 NZD.

Wherever you’re headed, take the Wise card with you, and save up to 8x when you spend internationally.

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Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected New Zealand banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more, please visit https://wise.com/nz/compare

Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

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FAQs

Do I have to pay extra for pre-existing conditions?

While it depends on the insurer and pre-existing condition, there’s usually an increase in the premium for the additional coverage. To find what the cost would be for you and where to get the cheapest, best value coverage, you’d need to get quotes from a few different providers.

What's the difference between international health insurance vs travel insurance?

If you're travelling with international health insurance, do you need travel insurance too? That decision depends on what you’re already covered for, and what gaps there are. For example, international medical insurance usually doesn’t cover things like cancellations, emergency evacuations and trip resumption, which could be needed if you have a medical issue during your trip.

Learn more about international health insurance vs travel insurance here.

Is there travel insurance for seniors with pre-existing conditions?

Getting travel insurance for a pre-existing condition can be a little more complicated as a senior, because some insurers have age based caveats. It may be best to search for a seniors travel insurance policy first, then check what those cover for pre-existing conditions.

Is pregnancy a pre-existing condition?

How pregnancy is approached and whether it’s treated as a pre-existing condition depends on the insurer. Usually it’s considered separately but has some medical conditions that need to be reported, so it’s important to check when choosing which travel insurance policy is best for pregnancy.

Learn more about travel insurance for pregnancy here.

What's the difference between coverage for pre-existing conditions vs waiver?

When you buy travel insurance it’s possible to get coverage or a waiver for pre-existing conditions. They are slightly different, but both result in you being insured if something goes wrong. Coverage means your plan includes protection for certain pre-existing conditions without extra steps while waiver means the insurer has formally agreed to cover conditions that they would otherwise exclude, if you meet their criteria.

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Sources used:

1. 1Cover - Policy wording
2. Cover-More - Policy wording
3. Allianz - Policy wording
4. World Nomads - Policy document
5. Zoom - Policy wording

Sources last checked on date: 21 April 2025