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Osteoporosis And Travel Insurance

Osteoporosis is  considered a pre-existing medical condition

This doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get travel insurance, but you do need to disclose your condition when you’re booking your travel insurance.With osteoporosis, all grades need to be disclosed, even if you’re not taking medication.
 

If you have osteoporosis, you can still get travel insurance.* it might just mean that:
  • You can obtain travel insurance, but if you want your osteoporosis to be covered, you’ll need to pay extra; or
  • you can obtain travel insurance but it will mandatory to purchase coverage for your osteoporosis; or
  • your condition won’t be covered at all, but you can still purchase travel insurance. 

Please note, there’s a possibility we might not be able to cover you at all, but we will tell you this during your medical assessment.

*based on osteoporosis being your only pre-existing condition
 

How do i let you know about my Osteoporosis? 

The process is simple and quick. You don’t need to call us and you don’t need to provide doctor’s certificates or other documents. All you need to do is answer a simple questionnaire when you’re purchasing a policy online.

You’ll be asked about pre-existing conditions during your online purchase and if you select ‘yes', you’ll fill out the questionnaire. This is where we’ll ask you everything we need to know about your osteopororis.

Once you’ve filled out this questionnaire, you’ll immediately find out your travel insurance options.

Get A Quote & Medical Assessment

 

travelling with osteoporosis

Osteoporosis happens when there is not enough calcium deposited on the bones. This lack of calcium makes bones brittle and causes them to break more easily. Women get osteoporosis more easily than men and the risk of osteoporosis increases with age. Symptoms include pain in the bones, lower back pain and bones breaking/fracturing.

Because travel involves so much mobility, you should make sure you’ve taken all the necessary steps to keep yourself safe and healthy on your trip.

Please note, the below is general advice only is not intended to replace the advice or information from a registered body or your doctor.
 

before You Travel
  • Speak to your doctor about your travel plans. If you haven’t been very active before you travel, you might want to talk to your doctor about daily habits that will increase your stamina. You might not be going somewhere that will require you to move around much, but being in the best condition you can before travelling is a good idea.
  • Research your destination. If you want to minimise risk for trips and fall, your destination should have decent infrastructure. Luckily, tools like Walk Score and Google Street View can give you some insight before you even get to your destination. You can check out your neighbourhood before you get there, and you can see how close you are to public transport and other amenities.
  • Think about the activities you're going to take part in. This is something you will definitely need your doctor’s advice on. What sort of sports and adventure activities can you take part in that aren’t too risky?
  • Make sure your airline knows about your osteoporosis. You can request an aisle seat, extra leg room, or even request a wheelchair at the airport if your osteoporosis causes you pain and you’re flying for a long time.
  • Take lightweight luggage and pack appropriately. ​Lifting heavy suitcases is not recommended for people with osteoporosis. If you don’t have anyone to help you, then make sure your luggage has a spin feature so you don’t have to lug it behind you. Additionally, don’t pack heavy items at the top of your suitcase because this can cause it to tip over.

  • Consider appropriate footwear.  Good support and non-slip sole is your best bet if you’re going to do a lot of sightseeing - and supportive shoes can also be stylish! Also, if you’re doing water activities or visiting beaches, you can use water shoes to minimise slipping.

  • Take more medication than you need. Before you leave, ask your doctor about getting extra refills of your prescription. You’ll need your medication on your trip, but also when you get back.

During your Trip
  • Make sure you’re comfortable while flying. Neck support and back support help you to maintain good posture, which can reduce pain and discomfort. And if you need extra  support under your feet, you can use a provided footrest, or a carry on bag to keep your feet raised. 
  • Stretch and move around regularly. This is especially important on a long flight. During a long journey, get up and walk around every 45 minutes. 
  • Avoid heavy lifting. This can be hard to do when you’re in a rush, but try to make arrangements so that other people can help you. 
  • Think about your alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol is common on holiday, but if you drink a lot, it could lead to you losing your balance. 
  • Educate yourself about what a fracture feels like. If you’ve never had a fracture before, it might not seem obvious. But it’s something that should be treated as soon as possible, even if you’re overseas. 
  • Become familiar with your hotel room/accomodation. When you’re in new surroundings, it’s easy to trip, so don’t store your luggage on the floor and check for non-slip mats in the bathroom. 
  • Make a note of what works for you on your trip. Use this knowledge for upcoming trips. 

Osteoporosis Related FAQs

  • If I’m not covered for osteoporosis, is there any point in travel insurance?
  • Travel insurance provides cover for a wide range of benefits, although in some cases we may not be able to provide cover for your condition we may say still be offering cover for other unforeseen injury or illness along with other benefits of the our comprehensive policy, such as luggage & personal effects, cancellation fees & lost deposits, and family emergency.  

  • I only have mild osteoporosis. Do I still have to disclose my condition?
  • Yes, osteoporosis is a medical condition that is not on our automatically covered list so you will need to disclose it, and you may need to pay an additional premium. When you purchase your policy, you will be asked to complete a medical assessment, and we will advise straight away if we can cover your osteoporosis or not.

  • How does osteoporosis affect my Frequent Traveller policy?
  • Cover for osteoporosis on a Frequent Traveller policy works in the same way as single trip policies. Your condition may be automatically covered if you meet all of the auto-cover criteria or you will need to complete a medical assessment to determine if we can offer cover, and under what conditions.

    If you’re diagnosed with osteoporosis part way through your Frequent Traveller policy, your new condition will be considering a pre-existing condition for the remainder of your policy.

    Unless you meet the criteria for automatic coverage, you’ll need to disclose your osteoporosis before you go on further trips.

  • What if I have osteoporosis as well as other pre-existing medical conditions?
  • A pre-existing condition could be anything that is chronic or ongoing, or that you take regular medication for. Visit our pre-existing medical conditions page for our full definition.  

  • Why is osteoporosis considered a pre-existing medical condition?
  • Travel insurance provides cover for a wide range of benefits, so although, in some cases, we may not be able to provide cover for anything that’s related to your condition, we may offer cover for other unforeseen events.

    If you don’t take out any travel insurance you will be liable to pay all expenses that you incur when the unforeseen happens.

  • I didn’t know I had osteoporosis before I had an accident overseas. What happens now?
  • If you didn’t know you had osteoporosis, and there were no signs, symptoms or investigations prior to purchasing the policy then you may still have a provision to claim for unforeseen incidents that arise from osteoporosis.

    For any future policies you would need to disclose it as a pre-existing medical condition.

  • What if i have osteoporosis but I don’t get travel insurance?
  • Having a diagnosis of osteoporosis or a low bone density means you have a higher risk of fracture (breaking bones). If you fracture a bone whilst on holiday this might mean you need medical treatment and you will usually incur extra costs as a result. If we agree to cover your osteoporosis, you may have a provision to claim for these costs.

    But even if we don’t cover your osteoporosis, it’s still a good idea to have travel insurance for other things that might happen to you that aren’t related to your osteoporosis (eg. other medical emergencies, lost/delayed luggage, cancellations, etc.).

  • What do i do If I have an accident overseas?
  • If you’re sick or injured, we advise that you or a member of your travelling party call our medical assistance team as soon as possible. Our medical team will liaise with the treating hospital, and if you are covered, may provide written guarantees of payment for reasonable expenses (subject to your claim being approved). If you are covered and approved for medical evacuation, they will arrange this, if it’s deemed necessary.

    For minor ailments, such as those that only require a GP visit, you may choose to visit a doctor, pay for your visit upfront, and then submit your claim either from overseas or once you return home. Make sure that you keep all receipts and reports from your treating doctor, including the diagnosis and treatment notes and any other documents.

    If your total cost of treatment will exceed $1,000 you MUST contact our medical assistance team as soon as possible.
    If you are still uncertain about what to do in relation to an injury or illness, please contact our medical assistance team for further advice.

 

READ ALL FAQS

 

Do you need to know About...

 

pre-existing Conditions

A pre-existing medical condition is something that must be disclosed when you’re purchasing travel insurance. Find out what they are and how they affect your travel insurance.

Pregnancy

You or someone you’re travelling with is going to have a baby…so you’ll need to find out how travel insurance works for pregnant women.

Repatriation

Repatriation is the process of returning a person home after a medical emergency or at worst case death. Being covered for repatriation is important, so read the ins and outs.

Vaccinations

It’s important that you have all the right vaccinations before you travel. From malaria to meningococcal, find out what you need to know about vaccinations and travel insurance.

 

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One Last Thing: Handy resources 


Osteoporosis Australia aims to improve awareness about the disease in the Australian community and reduce bone fractures. You can find a plethora of information about how to care for yourself, here and abroad.
 

 

Learn about Osteoporosis, what treatments exist, and get helpful tips to help form your musculoskeletal pain co-management plan. A potentially useful read before you go away. 
 

 


 

 

 

 

visit painhealth


IAMAT are a non-profit organization who help travellers plan a healthy trip,  and connect travellers with reputable English-speaking doctors. They are a useful point of contact for anyone travelling with a health condition.


People who have osteoporosis may treat themselves with medication from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Find out what you need to know on Medicare Australia’s official page for Australians overseas.