Travel insurance for Illinois residents

What is not covered?

Every plan lists exclusions in its plan document. Common ones across our plans are:

• Pre-existing medical conditions, unless you qualify for the waiver.
• War and acts of war.
• Intentionally self-inflicted injury.
• Being intoxicated or under the influence of drugs not prescribed by a physician.
• Certain adventure or extreme sports and professional sports.
• Normal pregnancy and childbirth for medical benefits; routine or elective care.
• Go Ready Choice: also excludes traveling against the advice or recommendations of the U.S. State Department, the CDC or the World Health Organization (not in the New York version), and organized amateur sports competitions (not in the Illinois version).

Standard cancellation also does not pay for changing your mind or fear of traveling, because those are not listed reasons. The list differs by plan and state, so read the Exclusions section of your plan document.

More answers: What travel insurance covers

What do I lose if I miss the 14 or 21 day window?

You usually lose the pre-existing condition waiver and the option to add Cancel for Any Reason. On some plans you also lose supplier bankruptcy coverage.

The other benefits remain, subject to the pre-existing condition exclusion: a claim caused by a condition that showed symptoms or was treated in the look-back period (30 to 180 days, depending on the plan and state) would not be paid.

• Go Ready Choice: the look-back period is 180 days (Florida version: 30 days; Illinois version: 6 months before the covered loss).

More answers: When to buy travel insurance

What is a pre-existing condition?

A pre-existing condition is an illness, injury or other medical condition that, in a set period before your coverage takes effect (the look-back period), showed symptoms, was tested or treated, had a test or treatment recommended, or was treated with prescription medication.

• The look-back period is 30 to 180 days, depending on the plan and state.
• On most plans, continuing to take an unchanged prescription does not by itself make a condition pre-existing. It is still pre-existing if you had symptoms, a test, an examination or treatment for it in that period.
• Go Ready Choice: the definition covers a condition for which a test, examination or treatment was received or recommended, or a prescription was taken or received, in the 180 days before your plan payment is received (Florida version: 30 days; the Illinois version uses 6 months before the covered loss). It applies to you and to companions or family members booked to travel with you.
• Losses caused by a pre-existing condition are excluded unless you qualify for the plan's waiver.

More answers: Travel insurance and pre-existing conditions

How far back do the plans look for pre-existing conditions?

The look-back period is counted back from the day your coverage takes effect.

• Travel Insured Deluxe: 90 days. Platinum: 60 days. New York plan: 60 days.
• Trawick Pathway Plus and Premier: 180 days (90 days in the New York versions).
• WorldTrips Atlas Journey (all plans): 90 days.
• Go Ready Choice: 180 days, counted back from the date your plan payment is received (Florida version: 30 days; Illinois version: 6 months before the covered loss).

More answers: Travel insurance and pre-existing conditions

My condition is stable and controlled by medication. Is it pre-existing?

Possibly not. Most of our plans say that taking a prescription does not by itself make a condition pre-existing, if the condition is controlled only by that medication and the prescription did not change during the look-back period.

• The condition is still pre-existing if you also had symptoms, tests, examinations or treatment for it, or these were recommended, during the look-back period.
• A change in dose or a new medication counts as a change. Travel Insured Deluxe and Platinum and WorldTrips do not count a switch between brand and generic, or an adjustment to insulin or blood thinner dosage.
• Trawick's California version has no stable-medication exception.
• Go Ready Choice: the prescription must not have changed during the 30 days before coverage begins. Its definition counts tests, examinations and treatment received or recommended (the Illinois and New York versions word it differently, and New York's medical coverage also counts symptoms).

The insurance company decides this from your medical records at claim time. Buying within the time-sensitive period, so the waiver applies, avoids the question.

More answers: Travel insurance and pre-existing conditions

Which plan is best for pre-existing conditions?

If you are past the 14 or 21 day window, Trawick Pathway Premier is our pick: it still waives the pre-existing condition exclusion when the plan is paid for on or before your final trip payment due date.

• In New York you must also insure all prepaid trip costs.
• Trawick looks back 180 days (90 in New York), longer than the Travel Insured and WorldTrips plans, so the waiver matters more.
• Go Ready Choice: also looks back 180 days (30 days in the Florida version, 6 months before the loss in Illinois); its waiver requires buying within 14 days.
• You must be medically able to travel when you buy.

If you are still inside the 14 or 21 day window, the other plans' waivers are available too.

More answers: Travel insurance and pre-existing conditions