Travel insurance with type 1 diabetes can be difficult to obtain because diabetes is a pre-existing condition. Whenever you travel out of the country, it is important to have some sort of insurance, however. No one plans to get sick or break a limb. It happens however and it is important to be prepared just in case. Thankfully, even if you have diabetes, you do have some coverage options available to you.
Why you need travel insurance with type 1 diabetes?
As we have stated, insurance will pay for that unexpected trip to the doctor or the cast that they put on in the emergency room. Travel insurance, in some cases, can also cover things like missing your flight because of a low blood sugar or an insulin pump malfunction.
What is stable when it comes to type 1 diabetes?
In some cases, you may be required to provide the value of your glycated hemoglobin (A1C) in order to verify how well your diabetes is being controlled. Premiums can vary based on this value.
Some insurance companies will require your condition to be considered “stable”. The definition of stable can vary between companies. In some cases, they consider stable to mean that there has been no change in the number of units of insulin, type of insulin, or daily injection in the past 3-6 months. In other cases, if you have not had or been recommended for any test, examinations or medical treatments for the disease, AND your prescription medications have not changed in the past 3 months, your diabetes is not classified as a pre-existing condition. Therefore, travel insurance coverage may be available.
Check your medical insurance at work first
Before you begin scouring the internet for plans, check with your employer. If you already have some form of health coverage through work, they might also cover international travel.
If you don’t have insurance through them, be diligent in your search for insurance and make sure that you read the fine print.
Some companies that offer travel insurance for people with diabetes
Here are a few companies that we have found that offer travel insurance for people living with diabetes:
- Ingle International. https://www.inglegroups.com/diabetesinsuranceservice/
- Compare the Market analyzes and compares options in the UK https://www.comparethemarket.com/travel-insurance/content/diabetic/
- Arch Insurance Company https://www.roamright.com/travel-insurance-blog/travel-insurance-and-diabetes/
- Tugo.com
- Canadian Automobile Association
Before you travel, get our travel ebook. It gives you tips on packing, things to ask for at your destination, as well as how to manage your insulin pump on an airplane.
Thank you for sharing and providing valuable resources. I especially appreciated the details on the definition of stable and checking with your insurance company. Your blog is such a valuable resource. Thank you!
I get it every time. It is jusrt too easy to get really screwed up.
Any advice on insurance companies for non American/canadian?
Love, Norway.
My first thought would be to see what your employer offers. Second, I was able to find this link through a Google search. https://www.globelink.co.uk/travel-insurance-for-diabetics.html
It was definitely a challenge to find that though. My final suggestion would be to contact any national diabetes organization that is native to Norway. I am not sure what your equivalent of Diabetes UK or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation would be. These types of organizations usually have some avenues that you can explore.