Got health issues? Here’s what you need to know before travelling

When Mdm Goh Li Yi* was planning a trip to Tokyo to see the cherry blossoms in 2024, she encountered an unexpected hurdle. The 62-year-old had suffered a minor heart attack the previous year and discovered her usual travel insurance no longer provided sufficient coverage as her condition was now considered pre-existing.

This is a common challenge for travellers with health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma. Most standard travel insurance plans exclude coverage for these, leaving individuals vulnerable to hefty medical costs while overseas.

Singlife’s new travel add-on for pre-existing medical conditions addresses this gap, providing financial protection for travellers with such ailments. With this added coverage, they can explore the world with greater confidence, knowing they are protected against unexpected medical expenses.

“At Singlife, we believe that pre-existing medical conditions should not be a barrier to travel,” said Mr Alvino Kor, senior vice president of general insurance at Singlife. “That’s why we introduced this add-on – to give travellers peace of mind and assurance that they’re covered for unexpected medical expenses related to their condition.”

EXPLORE WITH PEACE OF MIND

Chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure are common in Singapore. More than 400,000 people live with diabetes and over one in three have high blood pressure. However, most travel insurance plans exclude coverage for these pre-existing conditions.

This means that if you have a condition like heart disease and suffer a heart attack while travelling, you would not be able to claim for medical or related expenses. Since most countries don’t offer subsidised healthcare for tourists, a medical emergency can lead to unexpected high costs.

In the United States, for example, a three-day hospital stay can cost up to US$30,000 (S$40,100). In Japan, a visit to a doctor may range from ¥20,000 to ¥50,000 (S$185 to S$460).

With Singlife’s new travel add-on, a range of pre-existing medical conditions is covered, including allergies, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, eczema, lung disease, stroke and heart disease. This ensures that if you need medical attention or hospitalisation during your trip, you’ll be protected from costly bills.

STAY PROTECTED WHEREVER YOU GO

Travelling to a remote destination? Singlife’s travel add-on includes emergency medical evacuation, so you can explore rural villages, visit ancient sites or even take a campervan trip through the countryside, confident that you’ll have access to appropriate medical care if an emergency occurs due to a pre-existing condition.

If hospitalisation is required, the add-on also provides hospital income. This helps ease the stress of potential lost income if your trip needs to be extended.

BOOK YOUR TRIP WITH CONFIDENCE

If you’ve ever had to cancel or postpone travel plans due to health concerns, you can now book your trip with greater peace of mind. Singlife’s travel add-on covers disruptions such as trip cancellation, postponement or interruption caused by pre-existing medical conditions, so you can minimise your losses should a flare-up or emergency occur just before your departure, requiring you to cancel or reschedule your plans.

Mr Kor said: “Whether it’s an unexpected medical issue or the need to cancel or shorten a trip due to health concerns, our goal is to ensure our customers can travel the world without unnecessary stress.”

*Name has been changed to protect her privacy.

The Singlife Travel Insurance add-on for pre-existing medical conditions is applicable to single-trip plans with a maximum duration of 30 days. An additional 15 per cent discount is applicable for all MINDEF, MHA and POGIS insured members. Terms and conditions apply. For more information, visit the Singlife website.

This policy is underwritten by Singapore Life Ltd (Singlife).

This advertorial is published for general information only and does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs of any specific person. Singlife accepts no liability whatsoever with respect to the use of this advertorial or its contents.

The information contained in this advertorial is accurate as at Apr 17, 2025.