Medical conditions and travel insurance

Explore RACV Travel Insurance with cover for 38 medical conditions, with specific criteria, when you travel overseas

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Medical benefits for your overseas trip

RACV International Travel Insurance includes cover for overseas medical and hospital costs.

This includes cover for medical conditions that meet the criteria below and listed in the Product Disclosure Statement. Your policy does not cover all medical conditions or all stages of pregnancy. 

Domestic Travel Insurance does not include medical or hospital cover as you’re covered by Medicare when travelling in Australia.

How your policy defines medical conditions

Medical condition means a condition, disorder, disease, disability or illness, (including mental illness) that meets any of these conditions:

  • chronic, ongoing or terminal
  • affects or involves your heart, circulatory system, lungs or respiratory system, brain, kidneys, liver or cancer
  • has required surgery involving the back, neck, joints, or abdomen.

A medical condition also means that during the past 24 months you:

  • presented with symptoms to a medical professional for opinion or treatment
  • experienced symptoms that become exacerbated or complicated
  • were diagnosed, treated or recommended treatment by a doctor.

A medical condition does not prevent you from purchasing this policy.

If you have a medical condition

Check our list below to see if your medical condition is covered by RACV Travel Insurance. If it’s not automatically covered, you should:

  1. disclose it when getting a quote
  2. complete a medical assessment if required.

If accepted, you may need to pay an additional premium to be covered and reduce the risk of a claim being denied.

Which medical conditions are covered

You’re covered automatically for 38 medical conditions if you meet all criteria. If your condition is not covered automatically, you’ll need to apply for cover.

These conditions are automatically covered if you:

  • have not been hospitalised or needed treatment beyond routine check-ups, blood tests or prescription appointments in the past 24 months.
  • are not awaiting the outcome of any investigation, tests, surgery or other treatment for the condition
  • meet any additional criteria listed below.

We’ve grouped medical conditions into categories below. For the full alphabetical list, see the Product Disclosure Statement.

Allergies

Including Rhinitis, Chronic Sinusitis, Eczema, Food Intolerance, Hay Fever. This cover excludes any Anaphylaxis from any medical condition.

Circulatory system conditions

  • High Cholesterol (Hypercholesterolaemia)+
  • High Blood Lipids (Hyperlipidaemia)+
  • High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)+

+If you don’t have a cardiovascular disease or Diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 and 2

If you meet all these criteria:

  • were diagnosed over 24 months ago
  • have no eye, kidney, nerve or vascular complications
  • do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease, hypertension or hypercholesterolaemia
  • are under 50 years of age when you buy your policy.

Other endocrine conditions

  • Graves’ Disease
  • Hypothyroidism, including Hashimoto’s Disease
  • Insulin Resistance.

Eye conditions

  • Cataracts
  • Congenital Blindness
  • Dry Eye Syndrome
  • Glaucoma
  • Macular Degeneration.

Gastrointestinal conditions

  • Coeliac Disease
  • Gastric Reflux
  • Gastric/Peptic Ulcer
  • Hiatus Hernia.

Musculoskeletal conditions

  • Bunions
  • Gout
  • Hip/Knee replacement (if performed more than 24 months ago but less than 10 years ago)
  • Nocturnal Cramps
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Trigger Finger.

Neurological conditions

  • Bell’s Palsy
  • Benign Positional Vertigo
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Epilepsy if your medication has not changed in the past 24 months and you are not on more than one anti-convulsant medication
  • Meniere’s Disease
  • Migraine
  • Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Respiratory conditions

  • Asthma if you have no other lung disease and are under 60 years of age when you buy your policy
  • Sleep Apnoea.

Skin conditions

  • Acne
  • Eczema
  • Solar Keratosis.

Other conditions

  • Congenital Deafness
  • Incontinence
  • Raynaud’s Disease.

Your medical condition is not automatically covered if it’s not listed under the ‘Covered’ tab and in the Product Disclosure Statement, or if you don’t meet all of the criteria.

For example — if you have asthma and were hospitalised for this condition 6 months prior to buying the policy, you no longer meet the automatically covered conditions list. This means you must complete a medical assessment to be covered for asthma on your policy.

Complete a medical assessment

For these conditions you will need to complete an online medical assessment.

If your medical condition is accepted, you’ll need to pay any additional premium. This will be shown on your Certificate of Insurance.

You can complete this as part of your travel insurance quote online or call 13 13 29 for support.

Cover for pregnancy

We recommend expecting parents seek their doctor’s advice before travelling and check that RACV Travel Insurance provides the cover needed.

Eligibility and what’s covered

If, at the time of travel, you're 25 weeks pregnant or less with one child, and without any complications, you’re automatically covered for: 

  • unexpected pregnancy complications
  • childbirth, which was accelerated by accidental injury in limited circumstances.

When to disclose a pregnancy

You may need to disclose your pregnancy when buying your policy if it does not meet automatically covered criteria.

Medical assessments

You need to apply for cover and complete a medical assessment if you:

  • had complications with this or a previous pregnancy
  • are expecting more than one child (such as twins or triplets)
  • have a medical condition which could have an adverse impact on your health. 

Get organised before your trip

International cover

Choose from 3 levels of international travel insurance, with cover for medical and hospital.

Travel alerts

RACV Travel Insurance won't cover you for destinations with a "Do Not Travel" status.

Check travel status before you plan and start your trip.

Changes in your health

If you become aware of changes in your health before your trip, you should contact us as soon as possible on 13 13 29.

This includes any new medical condition that is not covered by the policy, or any changes to existing medical conditions that could affect the:

  • diagnosis, severity, or management
  • treatment, medication or dosage
  • symptoms or conditions.

You may need to complete a medical assessment and have any changes included in your Certificate of Insurance.

The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) Ltd AR 001243563 is an authorised representative of the issuer and receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. RACV Travel Insurance Issued by Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd ABN 80 000 438 291 AFSL 246 548. Terms & conditions apply, refer to the PDS.

The RACV Travel Insurance policy does not cover all medical conditions (Medical Conditions) or all stages of pregnancy. If you are unsure, need clarification or wish to ask specific questions, call us on 13 13 29.

Once you purchase or amend your policy, any specific conditions which you have listed and which the insurer, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co Ltd (ABN 80 000 438 291 AFSL 246 548) (Insurer) has offered cover for, and which you have accepted by paying any applicable premium, will be shown on your certificate of insurance.

Claims directly or indirectly arising from or made worse by a Medical Condition are not covered under this policy, unless you have listed the Medical Condition and the Insurer has offered cover which you have accepted by paying any applicable premium.