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Good Neighbor Travel Insurance Blog

What is a Pre-Existing Condition and Will My Health Insurance Cover It?

September 23, 2009 By : Doug Gulleson

Would an insurance company consider a roller skating accident when you were 3 years old a
pre-existing condition?

Probably not. But you never know.

A pre-existing condition is:  Any injury or sickness that manifested itself prior to the effective date of insurance coverage – regardless of whether you received medical attention for it or not.

A lot of us are perplexed because health insurance companies won’t cover pre-existing conditions. Companies know that if they cover all pre-existing conditions they won’t be in business long. Insuring a person with a pre-existing condition is like insuring a burning building.  Of course no one wants to be compared to a burning building, but we get the picture. You insure a burning building, you are losing money; you insure a person with serious pre-existing conditions, you are losing money.

What you need to know is that different companies put a time limit on what is considered a pre-existing condition. Sometimes a condition can go back to your childhood. One insurance company gives a five-year look-back as the time span for determining a pre-existing condition. Others state time limits at 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 60 months, etc.

Lesson:  check with your insurance company on their time limits.

Call Good Neighbor Insurance for your international health and travel insurance  needs.

Doug Gulleson

Search Results

Why Emergency Evacuation is Vital to Your Health and Wallet

December 15, 2016

  Emergency evacuation is often the most expensive part of the bill if you are hurt overseas and is often considered the most important part of any emergency travel health insurance. As a layperson, I’ve been learning that it is much more than a simple helicopter coming to get you and taking you to the […]

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Should I offer dental insurance to my employees?

May 4, 2015

Should I offer dental insurance to my employees? Why Not? It is relatively inexpensive to include dental benefits in an employer’s benefits plan, and it may help the employer attract and retain highly skilled employees. Because dental hygiene is associated with overall health, employees with dental plans are often healthier. Employees without dental benefits may […]

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I hate insurance but…

August 7, 2015

Our owner recently said, “I hate insurance” in a training meeting for our staff. He also said “I don’t think I’m unique in feeling that way.” Since we offer travel insurance and overseas medical insurance for those working and living abroad, it got my attention. After he said “I hate insurance”, I furiously wrote down […]

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What Is Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance and Do I Need It Overseas?

June 15, 2022

Accidental death and dismemberment insurance is an important type of insurance coverage for international employees, travelers, and expatriates. Let’s first read Sara’s story to discover more about accidental death & dismemberment insurance, or AD&D. Sara was a bright, talented young woman with a vibrant spirit. During her junior year at Georgetown University, she decided to […]

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International medical insurance indemnity benefit

June 12, 2013

What is an indemnity benefit on international medical insurance policy?  (https://www.gninsurance.com/health/)  Great question!  An indemnity benefit on plans such as our GMMI international medical insurance career plan or GMI International health insurance works as follows: A cash benefit of $400 per day (in addition to medical expenses paid) sent directly to the insured for approved […]

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What customers are saying about why international travel insurance is so important

May 25, 2011

Good Neighbor Insurance Inc, www.gninsurance.com, has been helping clients with their international travel needs since 1997.  Who wants to buy insurance when we feel that nothing will happen to us?  Right!  I personally prefer putting that money I would spend on travel insurance on some Kindle e-books or grabbing a couple movies from iTunes.   Oh, […]

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