Pre-Existing Conditions and Travel Insurance in Canada

A Practical Guide to Understanding Stability Periods

Canadians travel more than ever, and whether you are crossing the border for a quick weekend trip or heading overseas for the winter, Emergency Travel Medical Insurance is essential. Even a short hospital visit outside Canada can cost thousands of dollars. For travellers with pre-existing medical conditions, the financial risk is even higher. The concept of a stability period is the key to understanding how insurers assess these risks before offering coverage.

As an independent brokerage, Garrett Agencies works with all major Canadian travel insurance providers. Our job is to match travellers with the most appropriate coverage based on their unique medical circumstances. This is especially important for anyone with pre-existing conditions, since different insurers have different definitions of stability and different solutions available.

This article explains stability periods in plain language, outlines real-world implications, and provides options for travellers who may assume they are uninsurable. Most people with pre-existing conditions can still travel safely when they understand how stability rules work.

What Is a Pre-Existing Medical Condition?

A pre-existing medical condition is any medical condition that exists on or before the effective date of your travel insurance policy. Examples include:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Heart rhythm problems
• COPD or asthma
• Previous cancer
• Recent surgeries
• Mental health conditions
• Chronic pain disorders
• Any condition for which you take prescription medication

Having a pre-existing condition does not prevent you from obtaining travel insurance. In fact, most Canadians over age fifty have at least one. The question insurers focus on is simple. Has the condition been stable for the required period of time?

What Is a Stability Period?

A stability period is the minimum number of days your pre-existing condition must be stable before your policy begins. Stability period lengths vary by insurer and policy. Common examples include sixty days, ninety days, one hundred eighty days, or one full year.

What does stable mean?

Although definitions differ slightly by insurer, a condition is generally considered stable when the following criteria are met:

• No new symptoms
• No worsening of the condition
• No change in medications related to the condition
• No new treatments, tests, or referrals
• No new hospital visits related to the condition

Insurers want to know that the condition is predictable. If something changed recently, the risk is less predictable. This is why even minor medication adjustments can affect coverage.

Why Stability Periods Matter

Stability periods are one of the main reasons why emergency medical claims are denied. If a traveller has a medical event that is related to a pre-existing condition that was not stable for the required period, the insurer may not cover the claim. It does not matter:

• If the change was small
• If your doctor believed it was safe for you to travel
• If you felt completely fine

If the condition did not meet the stability requirement, it is considered unstable.

This is why professional advice matters. Independent brokers like Garrett Agencies can help you navigate timelines, interpret policy wording, and match your medical history to the insurer whose definitions best fit your circumstances.

A Pre-Existing Condition Does Not Mean You Cannot Travel

Many travellers assume that any medical change immediately makes them uninsurable. This is not true. Even when a recent change exists, solutions may still be available. Several insurers in Canada offer enhanced options designed for situations where a condition has not met the standard stability period.

Here are two common examples. These descriptions are generic and do not reference specific insurers.

1. Reduced Stability Period Options

Some insurers allow travellers to purchase an enhancement that shortens the stability period for a specific condition. In some cases, the stability requirement can be reduced to as little as seven days for the condition that has changed recently.

Coverage under these options typically works as follows:

• The recently changed condition may be covered for up to three hundred thousand dollars
• All other conditions are covered under the normal policy limit, often up to ten million dollars
• An additional premium applies

This option is valuable for travellers who have had a minor medication change or mild new symptoms but have been cleared by their physician to travel.

2. Zero Day Stability Options

Some insurers offer underwriting programs that allow for a zero day stability period. This means the traveller may still qualify for coverage even if the medical change occurred very recently. These programs often require:

• A phone interview with an underwriter
• A review of detailed medical information
• A customized offer
• A higher premium due to the individual assessment

These programs are often the only viable option for travellers with complex medical histories.

Important Limitation: Pending Tests

Regardless of the insurer, no company will approve a traveller who is waiting for test results or who has tests scheduled to investigate an undiagnosed issue. This is true across the industry. Once the results are known and the situation is documented, stability can be reassessed. Until then, insurers view the situation as an unknown risk.

Case Study: A Realistic Example of How Stability Periods Work

Daniel’s Trip to Florida

Daniel is a seventy two year old man from Vancouver. He planned a two week vacation to Florida with his partner. Daniel has a history of atrial fibrillation that has been well controlled for several years. His cardiologist monitors him regularly and his medication had been unchanged for a long time.

Six weeks before his departure date, Daniel experienced mild chest discomfort. His cardiologist adjusted his medication dosage. Daniel felt fine afterward. He assumed this small adjustment did not matter and that he was good to travel.

One week into his trip, he developed dizziness and shortness of breath. He was taken to hospital where tests showed a recurrence of his heart rhythm issue. He was treated and kept in hospital for two days.

Total cost of care: forty eight thousand five hundred dollars.

Why the Claim Was Denied

Daniel bought a standard travel insurance plan that required his heart condition to be stable for ninety days. His medication change only occurred six weeks before departure. As a result, his heart condition did not meet the required stability period.

His claim was denied for any expenses related to his heart.

What Would Have Helped

If Daniel had contacted Garrett Agencies before his trip, he could have been directed to:

• A reduced stability period option
• A zero day stability assessment program

Both solutions existed at the time. The issue was that Daniel did not know these options were available.

This case shows why it is important to get advice early.

When to Contact Garrett Agencies

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, especially if you have had any medical change in the last twelve months, contact us before travelling. We help with the following situations:

• Recent medication changes
• New diagnoses
• Specialist referrals
• Emergency room visits
• New symptoms
• Chronic conditions that may or may not be stable
• Declines from other insurers
• Uncertainty about which insurer has the most favourable wording

We work directly with all major travel insurance providers in Canada. Our goal is to find the best possible solution for your specific circumstances.

Final Thoughts

Travel insurance becomes more complex as medical history becomes more complex. Complexity does not mean you cannot travel. It simply means you need the right plan and the right advice.

Most travellers with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage. The key is understanding stability periods and selecting an insurer whose criteria match your actual medical timeline.

The safest approach is to speak with an advisor before you leave.

Book Your Consultation

Book your consultation prior to your departure date and we will ensure you are matched with the most appropriate solution for your unique personal circumstances.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information only. Coverage varies by insurer and by policy. The official policy wording always governs. Travellers should consult a licensed advisor to review their medical history and determine eligibility for coverage.