GoSafe Travel Insurance has been selected as the preferred supplier of International Travel Insurance for Queensland Schools.

Overview

Most travel insurance policies exclude cover for Pre-existing Medical Conditions.GoSafe travel insurance covers some Pre-existing Medical Conditions automatically, and some may require you to obtain a fitness to travel certificate before cover can be provided. There are some conditions that we, unfortunately, cannot cover.

What is a Pre-existing Medical Condition?

A Pre-existing Medical Condition means:

• An ongoing medical or dental condition of which you are aware, or related complication you have, or the symptoms of which you are aware in the twelve (12) months prior to the issue of the policy.
• A medical or dental condition that is currently being, or has been investigated or treated by a health professional (including dentist or chiropractor) at any time in the past, prior to policy purchase;
• Any condition for which you take prescribed medicine;
• Any condition for which you have had surgery at any time in the past, prior to policy purchase or;
• Any condition for which you see a medical specialist at any time in the past, prior to policy purchase or;
• Pregnancy. (Please refer to tier one (below) for more information on pregnancy).

The above definition applies to you, your travelling companion, a relative, or any other person.

Do I have to seek cover for any Pre-existing Medical Conditions I might have?

It is not compulsory to seek cover for a Pre-existing Medical Condition. As you complete the following steps, you will find that some conditions are covered free of charge and some may require a medical certificate before you can travel (refer to tier three below). It is important to note that if you decide not to follow the Pre-existing Medical Conditions process (as outlined below), all claims arising directly or indirectly from that condition will be declined.

How do I obtain Cover for my Pre-existing Medical Condition(s)?

Follow the 3 tier screening process for Pre-existing Medical Conditions in order to determine whether or not you have a Pre-existing Medical Condition:

• Tier 1: Medical conditions automatically covered (some restrictions apply to this tier)
• Tier 2: Excluded medical conditions
• Tier 3: All other medical conditions not listed in tiers 1 to 2

Tier 1: Medical Conditions automatically covered

You automatically have cover if your Pre-existing Medical Condition is described below, provided that you have not been hospitalised (including Day Surgery or Emergency Department attendance) for that condition in the past 24 months.

• Acne
• Allergies, limited to Rhinitis, Chronic Sinusitis, Eczema, Food Intolerance, Hay Fever
• Asthma – providing that you:
  1. have no other lung disease, and
  2. are under 50 years of age at the date of policy purchase
• Benign Positional Vertigo
• Bunions
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Cataracts
• Coeliac Disease
• Congenital Blindness
• Congenital Deafness
• *Diabetes Mellitus (Type I) – providing you:
  1. were diagnosed over 12 months ago, and
  2. have no eye, kidney, nerve or vascular complications, and
  3. do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia or hypercholesterolaemia, and
  4. are under 50 years of age at the date of policy purchase
• *Diabetes Mellitus (Type II) – providing you:
  1. were diagnosed over 12 months ago, and
  2. have no eye, kidney, nerve or vascular complications, and
  3. do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia or hypercholesterolaemia
• Dry Eye Syndrome
• Epilepsy – providing there has been no change to your medication regime in the past 12 months and you have not had a seizure in the last 12 months.
• Folate Deficiency
• Gastric Reflux
• Goitre
• Glaucoma
• Graves’ Disease
• Hiatus Hernia
• *Hypercholesterolaemia (High Cholesterol) – provided you do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease and/or Diabetes
• *Hyperlipidaemia (High Blood Lipids) – provided you do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease and/or Diabetes
• *Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) – provided you do not also suffer from a known cardiovascular disease and/or Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism, including Hashimoto’s Disease
• Impaired Glucose Tolerance
• Incontinence
• Insulin Resistance
• Iron Deficiency Anaemia
• Macular Degeneration
• Meniere’s Disease
• Migraine
• Nocturnal Cramps
• Osteopaenia
• Osteoporosis
• Pernicious Anaemia
• Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy up to 22 weeks gestation from the date the policy ends, where no complications exist relating to this pregnancy, it is not a multiple pregnancy, and the pregnancy is not the result of assisted reproductive programmes.
  • Cover is only provided for serious complications of pregnancy that could not reasonably have been predicted to occur by a healthcare practitioner in possession of the insured person’s current and prior medical history. A serious complication is one likely to pose a threat to the life of the mother or unborn child, or likely to lead to a permanent disablement of the unborn child if left untreated.
  • In no event is there any cover for:
    • Childbirth at any gestation
    • Regular antenatal care
    • Care of the new born child
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Raynaud’s Disease
• Sleep Apnoea
• Solar Keratosis
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Trigger Finger
• Vitamin B12 Deficiency

* Diabetes (Type I and Type II) , Hypertension, Hypercholesterolaemia and Hyperlipidaemia are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. If you have a history of cardiovascular disease, and it is a Pre-existing Medical Condition, cover for these conditions is also excluded.

Tier 2: Excluded Conditions

This tier is in 2 parts.

Part A is a list of Pre-existing Medical Conditions for which there is no cover for medical expenses, cancellation costs or additional expenses arising from or related to these particular conditions.

Part B is a list of circumstances for which cover for medical expenses, cancellation costs or additional expenses is automatically excluded.

If any of these apply to you, we will not cover you under the following Policy Sections:

• Cancellation Fees and Lost Deposits
• Overseas Emergency Medical Assistance
• Overseas Emergency and Hospital Expenses (including Dental Expenses)
• Additional Expenses
• Hospital Cash Allowance

This means that we will not pay:

• Your medical expenses whatsoever
• Your evacuation or repatriation to Australia
• Your trip cancellation or rearrangement costs
• Any additional or out of pocket expenses (including additional travel and accommodation expenses)

Part A: Pre-existing Medical Conditions

• Any type of cancer that you have previously been diagnosed with, or secondaries from that cancer
• Any condition for which surgery/treatment procedure is planned, including any fertility treatment
• Any condition which Arises from signs or symptoms that you are currently aware of, but:
  1. You have not yet sought a medical opinion regarding the cause; or
  2. You are currently under investigation to define a diagnosis; or
  3. You are awaiting specialist opinion
• Any condition for which you have been hospitalised (including Day Surgery) or attended the Emergency Department in the last 24 months unless specified in tier 3
• Any condition for which you have ever required spinal or brain surgery
• Any condition which has caused a seizure in the past 12 months
• Any Chronic or recurring pain (including back pain) requiring regular medication or other ongoing treatment such as physiotherapy or chiropractic treatment
• Any condition that requires ongoing treatment with immunosuppressant therapy* (e.g. Arthritis, Colitis, Chronic Respiratory Disease)
• HIV infection
• Any mental illness as defined by DSM-IV including:
  1. Dementia, depression, anxiety, stress or other nervous condition; or
  2. Behavioural diagnoses such as but not limited to autism; or
  3. A therapeutic or illicit drug or alcohol addiction
• Any new Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or Pulmonary Embolism (PE), if you have been diagnosed with one of these clots in the past, and do not take preventative measures (as prescribed by a medical practitioner) for this Trip
• Any Heart or Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) if you have ever needed to see a specialist cardiologist, or been diagnosed with a form of CVD such as (but not limited to):
  • Aneurysms
  • Angina (chest pain)
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Cerebrovascular Accident (stroke)
  • Disturbances in heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmias)
  • Previous heart surgery (including valve replacements, bypass surgery, stents)
  • Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
  • Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)
  Medical conditions involving the heart and blood vessels are collectively called cardiovascular disease (CVD). All such conditions are interrelated. You will not have cover for any claims relating to the heart/cardiovascular system (including heart attacks and strokes) if there is any history of any form of CVD. All CVD is excluded from the policy.
• Any Chronic Lung Disease, its exacerbation, or new airways infections, if you have ever been diagnosed with a Chronic Lung Disease (including, but not limited to):
  • Emphysema,
  • Chronic Bronchitis,
  • Bronchiectasis,
  • Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (COAD),
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD),
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis, or
  • Asthma (in persons over 60 years of age)
  * "Immunosuppressive Therapy" means drugs prescribed to inhibit or prevent activity of the immune system. Clinically, they are used to:
  • prevent the rejection of transplanted organs and tissues (e.g. bone marrow, heart, kidney, liver)
  • treat autoimmune diseases or diseases that are most likely of autoimmune origin (e.g. Rheumatoid Arthritis, Myasthenia Gravis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)
  • treat some other non-autoimmune inflammatory diseases (e.g. long term Allergic Asthma control and other Respiratory Diseases)

Part B: Circumstances where there is no cover whatsoever:

• You have been given a terminal prognosis for any condition with a life expectancy of under 24 months
• You require home oxygen therapy or you will require oxygen for the Trip
• You have Chronic Renal Failure treated by haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
• You have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure
• Any AIDS-defining illness or any condition associated with immunocompromise
• You have had, or are on a waiting list for, an organ transplant

Warfarin Use:

Please note that taking the medication Warfarin (also known under the brand names of Coumadin, Jantoven, Marevan, and Waran) has a complex range of serious complications and side effects and is excluded under General Exclusion 27. This means that we will not pay for any conditions that are otherwise covered.

Tier 3: All Other Conditions

If you have a pre-existing medical condition that is not included in either our autocovered (Tier 1) or excluded list of conditions (Tier 2), you are required to obtain a certificate of fitness to travel from your doctor in order to cover events arising from this condition. You don't need to tell us about the condition unless you have a claim involving the condition.

The certificate should state:
This is to confirm that (name of insured person) is fit to undertake the planned trip and I do not foresee why he/ she should require any medical treatment for his / her condition whilst overseas.

You should retain this certificate as it may be requested in the event of a claim.

If you choose not to obtain a doctor’s certificate, your policy will exclude any event arising directly or indirectly from the Pre-Existing Medical Condition(s). It is important to understand the terms and conditions detailed above, as they form a part of our agreement with you, should you continue and purchase this insurance. If you do not obtain a doctor’s certificate, this medical approval is void.