Ask Away: The Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman answers your questions

A specialist travel insurance broker may be able to get cover for those with health issues. Photo / 123RF

Eli Orzessek finds the answers to your travel questions

I get loads of queries about travel insurance. This week we're lucky to have Karen Stevens, the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman, helping out.

My husband and I would dearly love to do a return trip to visit friends in the US. I have atrial fibrillation, which caused a mild stroke three years ago. Surgery fixed the problem and I have had no issues for three years but I have no luck getting insurance. I end up in tears trying. We are prepared to pay a large premium if that helps.

Karen says: "I can understand this is very difficult for you. Insurance underwriters assess the risk of prospective customers and determine whether they will offer cover and on what terms. It looks like your medical history, and perhaps other factors, have been assessed and deemed by underwriters to be too high a risk. However, there are some insurers who will offer cover to people with complex medical histories.

"You could talk to a specialist travel insurance broker who might be able to find suitable cover for your trip. It is important to get travel insurance for any trip to the US, as medical costs there can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars."

I've never been overseas. My mum and I are flying to Brisbane next month for a week. My mother suffered a brain injury from a fall, but has been cleared to fly. I'm wanting to make sure we are covered if anything should happen."

Karen says: "It is a good idea to get travel insurance if you can, even if travelling to Australia. However, although there is a reciprocal agreement between New Zealand and Australia for emergency medical treatment in public hospitals, this often does not cover other costs such as ambulances, extra accommodation and changes to flights; it also does not cover the potentially biggest cost, which is the cost of being flown back to New Zealand (sometimes in a dedicated air ambulance).

"Given your mother's medical history, it is important that you always provide full answers to the application questions to get cover for any pre-existing medical conditions. The insurer may, or may not, agree to provide cover. If you find it difficult to get travel insurance to cover your mother, you may want to consider talking to a specialist travel insurance broker who may be able to find suitable cover for your trip."

* We'll have more from Karen next week.

Email your questions to askaway@nzherald.co.nz

Eli cannot answer all questions and cannot correspond with readers.