Pregnancy is a super exciting time, but with pregnancy comes a whole host of medical conditions you might never have experienced before – gestational diabetes, anyone? So if you’re travelling pregnant and need to claim for a pregnancy related hospital visit, will travel insurance cover you oversea?
Travel insurance is there to cover unforeseen risks and accidents – like broken bones due to a serious fall, or a burst appendix that strikes out of the blue. So when you are already unwell, or have a medical condition that could cause you to need hospitalisation, we call that a ‘pre-existing medical condition’.
Pre-existing medical conditions: See what’s automatically covered
Pregnancy – as much as it’s a joy and not a ‘medical condition’ is viewed in this way by insurance brokers. So, if you’re travelling while pregnant, we would see you as have a pre-existing medical condition. Now with pre-existing medical conditions, some are automatically covered on all policies, and some are not, plus there are conditions – like not having been hospitalised for your condition in the last 2 years.
What does this mean for medical claims while pregnant?
Because pregnancy can lead to a raft of conditions all over the body, a pregnancy could very well land you in hospital for something related but not quite focussed on your baby. Gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension are two such conditions.
So, if an emergency trip to the hospital is related to your pregnancy – which is seen an a ‘pre-existing medical conditions’, you won’t be able to claim your medical costs for a list of conditions. That is, unless you add our optional Pregnancy Pack to your policy.
Optional pregnancy-pack
Travel with Kit offers an optional extra Pregnancy Pack, designed to give expectant mothers more of the medical cover they need whilst travelling overseas. Included in the list of pregnancy-related conditions we cover here, is gestational diabetes. If you’re currently diagnosed with gestational diabetes or at risk, and looking to travel soon, our Pregnancy Pack is a good way to extend your medical cover. Just to be clear, this cover is designed for overseas trips only, as back home in Australia, Medicare or private health insurance takes care you.
Which conditions are not covered, unless you have the Pregnancy Pack?
- toxaemia
- gestational diabetes
- gestational hypertension
- pre-eclampsia
- ectopic pregnancy
- molar pregnancy or hydatidiform mole
- post-partum haemorrhage
- retained placenta membrane
- placental abruption
- hyperemesis gravidarum
- placenta praevia
- stillbirth & miscarriage
- emergency caesarean section
- a termination needed for medical reasons
- premature birth more than 8 weeks
Is gestational diabetes covered?
Gestational diabetes is the third main form of diabetes, and occurs when pregnant women without a previous history of diabetes develop high blood sugar levels. This form of diabetes is not automatically covered on our standard policies, however there is an option for pregnant travellers.
Our standard policy levels won’t cover claims due to gestational diabetes complications overseas. However, with the addition of our Pregnancy Add-on, expectant mums are eligible to claim.
Is gestational hypertension covered?
Gestational hypertension can be described as high blood pressure arising as a result of pregnancy. According to The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZOG), women who develop high blood pressure in the second half of pregnancy without any effects on their kidneys or other organs have ‘pregnancy induced hypertension’ or ‘gestational hypertension’. This condition still requires monitoring in case there is a worsening of blood pressure, or progression to pre-eclampsia. During pregnancy, very high blood pressure (severe hypertension) can cause complications for both you and your baby, including:
- Poor growth of your baby – due to low nutrition and oxygen supply from the placenta
- Prematurity – if early delivery (before 37 weeks) is required to protect the health of you or your baby
- Placental abruption – the placenta may prematurely separate from the wall of the uterus (womb), leading to bleeding and the need for an emergency birth in some cases
- Pre-eclampsia – a condition involving high blood pressure and abnormal function in one or more organs during pregnancy.
None of our policy levels will cover expectant mums for gestational hypertension claims overseas, however with the addition of a Pregnancy Pack, you’re eligible to claim.
Is pre-eclampsia covered?
RANZOG describes Pre-eclampsia as a serious condition that only occurs in pregnant women. It begins after 20 weeks gestation and usually takes the form of high blood pressure and abnormal kidney function, but can also involve other organs, such as the liver, blood and brain. Your doctor or midwife can detect pre-eclampsia by measuring your blood pressure and testing your urine for protein (proteinuria).
Once pre-eclampsia develops, it does not go away until after the baby is born. Women with pre-eclampsia may require an earlier delivery, either by labour induction or caesarean section, in order to protect the health of themselves and their baby. In some cases, pre-eclampsia can develop after childbirth and you should alert your doctor or midwife of any concerns you may have after your baby is born.
Unless a Pregnancy Pack is added to you policy, overseas medical care due to pre-eclampsia is not covered by any of our standard policies.
Is an ectopic pregnancy covered?
The Australian Department of Health tells us that an ectopic pregnancy is one in which implantation of the fertilised egg takes place outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancies usually result in miscarriage but can cause rupture of the fallopian tube and severe internal bleeding.
An ectopic pregnancy is a rare, but serious condition. None of our policy levels will cover expectant mums for ectopic pregnancy claims overseas, however with the addition of a Pregnancy Pack, you’re eligible to claim.
What about a Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD) or Molar Pregnancy?
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists describes a molar pregnancy or gestational trophoblastic disease is a a pregnancy in which a tumour develops from the placental tissue. GTD is a rare complication of pregnancy that occurs in about 1 out of every 200–1000 pregnancies. The most common type of GTD is a Hydatidiform Mole. It is just a term used to describe the abnormal growth of the placenta . The overgrowing placenta produces high levels of pregnancy hormones so the woman ‘feels’ pregnant and has symptoms of pregnancy. Sadly, a molar pregnancy is a type of pregnancy loss as the baby
either does not develop at all or develops abnormally and cannot
survive.
If you need medical care overseas due to a molar pregnancy or gestational trophoblastic disease overseas, you are not covered under our standard policies. However with the addition of a Pregnancy Pack, you’re eligible to claim.
Got a question about travelling while pregnant? Our customer care team can be reached during business hours on live chat, by email, or by phone. Get in touch.
