Is high cholesterol a pre-existing condition for travel insurance?
High cholesterol as diagnosed by a physician is considered to be a pre-existing medical condition by most - if not all - travel insurers. Ensure you tell your insurer about any pre-existing medical conditions before you take out the policy.
You can get tailored travel insurance for you next holiday, even if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Simply let us know about your condition when you take out cover. You'll get a personalised policy that gives you up to unlimited emergency medical expenses when you choose Comprehensive cover.
In the health insurance world, a pre-existing condition is any injury, sickness or condition that exists before the date an insurance policy takes effect. Examples include asthma, diabetes, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and so on.
In many cases, particularly if your cholesterol is well controlled by medication, adding this to the policy should not impact the price of your insurance.
Consider visiting your doctor for a health check-up before you travel. Your doctor will be able to tell you whether your plans are suitable. If your cholesterol levels are high, they may be able to recommend a better time for you to travel or for you to change your holiday slightly.
Cholesterol levels (mmol/L) | Category |
---|---|
Below 5.0 | Normal (or low) |
5.0 to 6.4 | High |
6.5 to 7.8 | Very high |
Above 7.9 | Extremely high |
What is considered high cholesterol when applying for life insurance? Typically, cholesterol over 200 is considered borderline high from a medical perspective. However, insurance companies may still offer preferred best rates for people with cholesterol of 275 or 300.
People taking statins for high cholesterol could be seen as a higher risk - even if you're fully managing your condition by taking the medication. But if you're taking statins as a precaution and your cholesterol levels have never been raised, then the cost of your policy shouldn't be affected.
Health insurers can no longer charge more or deny coverage to you or your child because of a pre-existing health condition like asthma, diabetes, or cancer, as well as pregnancy. They cannot limit benefits for that condition either.
Moratorium underwriting
They may also speak to your doctor. We don't normally cover pre-existing conditions, which is any disease, illness, or injury you've had symptoms, medication, tests, treatment or advice for in the five years before you take out cover.
Can you get travel insurance with pre existing conditions?
If you have any kind of chronic health problem, travel insurance can save your vacation — or even your life. The best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions is the OneTrip Prime Plan from Allianz Global Assistance, which includes abundant coverage for covered emergency medical expenses overseas (up to $50,000).
If your cholesterol is particularly high, not well controlled with medication or if you have other health issues, you might even be denied coverage.
Call the pharmacy and explain the situation. Call your home pharmacy and ask them to transfer your medication. If your home pharmacy won't transfer the prescription, call your primary care provider.
You have to fast for about 10 hours before the test because triglyceride levels can shoot up 20%–30% after a meal, which would throw off the equation. Alcohol also causes a triglyceride surge, so you shouldn't drink alcohol for 24 hours before a fasting cholesterol test.
LDL: The “bad” cholesterol
Generally, those individuals who also have high blood pressure or diabetes will need to be at less than 100. For all others, less than 130 is usually appropriate but please check with your doctor.
Common medical terms for high blood cholesterol are lipid disorder, hyperlipidemia, or hypercholesterolemia, with the last being the most precise.
An ideal total cholesterol level ranges from 140 to 200mg/dl. When it reaches 300, the risk of having a heart attack more than doubles.
If total cholesterol levels are 240 mg/dl or above, a doctor will consider this very high, while 200–239 mg/dl is borderline high. Very high levels of LDL are 190 mg/dl and above. HDL cholesterol levels of 40 mg/dl or less are very low and a major risk factor for heart disease.
Cholesterol plaque and calcium cause your arteries to become hard and narrow. So, your heart has to strain much harder to pump blood through them. As a result, your blood pressure becomes too high. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are two of the biggest causes of heart disease.
- There's good and bad cholesterol. ...
- Triglycerides are closely related. ...
- Your body naturally makes cholesterol. ...
- The focus isn't on specific levels. ...
- High cholesterol runs in the family. ...
- There are no warning signs. ...
- Have your cholesterol levels tested.
What do cardiologists say about cholesterol?
Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, for most people. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day.
If your levels of LDL cholesterol are too high, it can build up on the walls of your arteries. This buildup is also known as cholesterol plaque. This plaque can narrow your arteries, limit your blood flow, and raise your risk of blood clots.
Statins work by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver and helping the liver remove cholesterol that is already in the blood. Statins may also reduce inflammation in the artery walls. This can lead to blockages that damage organs such as the heart and brain.
Some insurers won't cover travellers who take blood thinning-medication due to the high risk of negative side effects.
While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people. Rarely, they may cause liver damage.
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