Travel insurance has what is known as a “look back” period to define pre-existing conditions. The “look back” period is usually somewhere between 60 and 180 days. This means that any injury or illness occurring prior to the effective date of the insurance, for which treatment by a licensed physician has been sought or advised or for which symptoms exist which would cause a prudent person to seek diagnosis, care or treatment will not be covered. Some policies will offer a pre-existing exclusion waiver if you purchase the travel insurance policy within 10 - 21 days of the first payment for your trip and are medically fit to travel at the time of purchase. Always read the fine print for other conditions which may apply.