Travel is in our DNA! According to Southern Cross’ third Future of Travel study, published in March 2024, New Zealanders still love to travel and prioritise it in their lives. Three in five, or 61 per cent of Kiwis plan to travel overseas over the next 12 months, and 83 per cent plan to travel domestically.

And when we’re travelling, most of us do take out travel insurance. This makes sense when 53 per cent of New Zealand international travellers experience cancellations, extreme weather events, and illness (in addition to the ever-present Covid), according to the study. Domestically, the plans of 42 per cent of travellers were also jinxed. 

So what can we do to get adequate travel cover when we have pre-existing medical conditions?

Chances are that your holiday will go off without a hitch. However, even with the most careful preparation, mishaps can still happen, and the consequences of inadequate coverage can be severe.

“It’s true our amazing public health system and the ACC are there to help anyone who falls ill or who is injured in New Zealand, but they don’t pick up the tab for cancelled flights, accommodation, events or attractions around the East Cape, on the Tranz-Alpine Express, for a cruise in domestic waters or even for a Great Walk, for example,” says Jo McCauley, CEO for Southern Cross Travel Insurance.

So it’s vital to check what you’re covered for, if you do take out travel insurance. Typically, if it isn’t stated explicitly in your policy documentation that your conditions are included, it usually means they’re excluded.

In general, if the insurer doesn’t enquire about your medical history during the purchasing process, you must contact the company to add your conditions. If the status of your cover is unclear, contact the provider anyway to ensure you’re covered.

“Some of the more challenging cases we’ve had recently relate to assisting older travellers who have taken off on a long-awaited holiday,” says Jo. “Sadly, a number have been struck down with fall-related injuries or strokes, which are just as likely to occur at home in New Zealand as they are in Greece, France, or poolside in the Pacific.”

Jo says, “When we are speaking with customers who want cover and who have a pre-existing medical condition, we ask them to complete a medical assessment when they buy their policy. They can do this online or over the phone. Cover is available depending on the customer’s individual circumstances, but we’re confident in our ability to offer support in most cases. In those instances where we are unable to cover a high-risk pre-existing medical condition, we can still offer a travel insurance policy to cover other needs such as unexpected events, medical accidents, flight delays and cancellations.”

Whether you have a medical condition or not, shop around as widely as possible to find out what prices are available for you and what cover is most suitable for your needs.  

Price comparison websites are a good place to start because they allow you to compare the ratings of popular insurers without having to visit each one. Comparetravelinsurance.co.nz and Glimp.co.nz are two such examples.

When comparing travel insurance, Allianz Partners, the company which provides AA Travel Insurance among others, advises people that the cheapest option may not necessarily be the best option.

“It is important to do your own due diligence to make sure you have the coverage you need,” says David Wallace, Sales Director New Zealand, from Allianz Partners. 

“Recently, a customer of ours collapsed and took a turn for the worse on a European cruise. Unfortunately, a scan revealed a brain tumour. Due to the size and the unpredictability of the lesion, we did not want to take any chances of jeopardising her chance of survival. So, we ended up chartering an air ambulance to fly at sea level to prevent altitude air pressure fluctuations, as this could have been fatal. We had three full medical crews working in shifts around the clock. Twenty-seven hours flight time, ex Spain – Dubai – Singapore – Australia and finally Wellington. Thankfully, she had comprehensive travel insurance. A policy which cost approximately $360 ended up costing Allianz over $800,000.”

It’s essential to be honest when answering queries about your conditions. If any questions are difficult or unclear about whether they apply to your particular situation, call the insurer to clarify and to confirm that you’re covered.

“We ask a range of questions to help us calculate the risk, and customers must tell us about all their pre-existing medical conditions or changes to health, not just some of them,” says Jo from Southern Cross. “Even if we are unable to offer them cover for their condition, we would encourage them to call and speak to one of our knowledgeable sales team who can explain the policy coverage in more depth.”

Jo goes on to say, “Examples of the questions we ask are: What treatment are you having for the condition? What medication you are taking, and how much or how many medications? Do you have any future treatment planned? It’s important to note that we deal with each of these enquiries on a case-by-case basis and do our level best to help where we can, all while ensuring that we’re spreading our risk to keep policy costs affordable across the board for other travellers.”