Health insurance with a pre-existing condition

Expatriates in France waiting until they are qualified for the state health insurance system have to use private cover in the meantime.

But what if you have a pre-existing condition? Steve Nelson of APRIL Medibroker says all is not lost.

There are two main factors to consider when looking at medical insurance in France for expatriates who do not yet qualify for the state-run system; premiums and pre-existing conditions.

There are a large number of plans that can cover you, from specialist plans specifically designed for residents of France to plans that will cover you worldwide. Most plans will also have various levels of cover from hospitalisation only up to plans including dental and maternity cover as well – finding the level of cover should not be a problem. However, the premiums will vary greatly and a first requirement when purchasing a plan will be affordability. This does not just mean the premium you have to pay but how pre-existing conditions are handled.

Until recently a pre-existing condition and the consequences of that condition would routinely be excluded from cover. You would therefore need to consider the potential costs of any future medical costs that would not be covered. British expats in France probably expect to be able to return to the UK for treatment if necessary but could find that this is not necessarily possible (they may have lost their entitlement to free NHS care).

However, one or two plan providers have begun to realise that people do have pre-existing conditions and that these conditions do not necessarily lead to further major treatment down the line. After all where is the greater risk; a person diagnosed with high blood pressure who takes medication and has the condition controlled and regularly monitored, or the person who has high blood pressure and is blissfully unaware of it? Most plans will exclude the first case but, incredibly, cover the second!

We now have plan providers who offer full medical underwriting and they actively try to include pre-existing conditions where ever possible albeit with a premium loading. However, if they do include the condition then you will have full cover for that condition.

Remember, the cheapest plan could turn out to very expensive if it has exclusions. It could really pay to contact a professional advisor.

Steve Nelson

April Medibroker Sales Manager

April Medibroker is a fully independent international medical, health and expat insurance broker offering a free quote and advice service across the Internet.

Our service is available to people of any nationality, anywhere, living or working in another country (expatriates). International health insurance cover is offered for Europe, Worldwide excluding the USA and Worldwide including the USA.