Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that can flare up suddenly and painfully. With the right international cover, you'll have access to the diagnosis, treatment and specialist care you need — wherever you are in the world.
From consultations to medication and ongoing management, international health insurance can help make sure gout doesn't get in the way of life abroad.
This page is aimed at those looking for a personal international health insurance plan.
Gout is a chronic condition as once you have it, it doesn’t go away. But with suitable healthcare cover in place, you don't have to face it alone. Any new chronic condition you develop will be covered from the start of your plan. This includes treatment, medication and monitoring.
If you choose our Foundation or Standard cover, we can still cover you for the diagnosis, consultation and treatment of gout that arises after the start of your plan. You can access this by adding outpatient cover at an extra cost.
Whether you're treating a flare-up or managing it as a long-term condition, we'll make sure you've got the right support in place.
We offer three levels of cover that include cover for chronic conditions:
Feel reassured knowing that if a sudden gout episode occurs abroad, you've got access to quality treatment without the worry of unexpected costs.
Gout needs expert attention.1 With international health cover, you can see the right specialists quickly, wherever you're based, so you get the right diagnosis and treatment.
Medical costs vary hugely around the world.2 International health cover for gout helps protect you from high, out-of-pocket expenses. So, you can focus on getting better, not on the bill.
Managing gout is hard enough at home. Abroad, it can feel even harder — from tracking down the right specialist to making sure you never run out of the medication you need.
At AXA Global Healthcare, we're here to help you stay on top of your condition, with access to expert care and the ongoing support to keep flare-ups from getting in the way of everyday life.
Specialist consultations and diagnosis: If you're experiencing the sudden, intense joint pain from gout, you'll want answers fast. The right cover gives you access to medical specialists in your country of residence or wherever you're travelling. You won't have to navigate an unfamiliar healthcare system alone. We'll help you find the right care.
Prescription medication and treatment: Managing gout often means ongoing medication to reduce uric levels and prevent future flare-ups.1 Our Comprehensive, Prestige and Prestige Plus cover include prescribed medicines as part of your treatment plan, so you're not left paying the bill for the drugs that keep your condition under control.
Tailor your plan: Your health needs are unique to you and your insurance plan should reflect that. Whatever level you start with, you can build on it. For example, if you opt for our Foundation or Standard cover, add outpatient cover to get access to consultations and diagnosis without being admitted into hospital.
Emergency and hospital care: A severe gout attack can happen quickly and cause intense pain. And when it does, the last thing you want is to worry about whether you're covered. All our plans include inpatient and day patient hospital care, so if a flare-up becomes serious enough to need hospital treatment, you're in safe hands. From admission through to discharge, we'll make sure you get the care you need — wherever you are in the world.
We know that everyone’s needs and budgets are different. So, the best thing to do is to get a quote online before speaking to our team.
It’s important to understand what exactly is and isn’t included in our cover for gout. This way, you can plan ahead with confidence and know exactly where we can help you. Our outpatient and chronic cover are included in our Comprehensive, Prestige and Prestige Plus levels of cover.
For our Foundation and Standard cover, you can add outpatient cover at an extra cost.
What's included in our outpatient cover:
What's included in our chronic cover:
What's isn't included:
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Yes – in most cases, gout is treated as a pre-existing medical condition by international health insurers.3
If you've ever been diagnosed with gout, experienced a flare-up, or taken medication for it, insurers will typically classify it as pre-existing. That's true even if your symptoms have been well-managed or you haven't had a flare-up in a while.3
This is important as how your insurer handles pre-existing conditions will directly affect what you’re covered for.
At AXA Global Healthcare, we classify gout as a chronic condition, which is an ongoing disease that can’t be healed. If you’ve had gout before the start of your plan, this will be classed as a pre-existing condition.
They might sound similar, but they serve very different purposes, especially if you're living with gout.
Travel insurance is designed for short trips. It covers emergencies and unexpected events, but it's not designed for ongoing conditions. If you have a gout flare-up abroad, a standard travel policy may not cover it.
Whereas an international health plan from AXA Global Healthcare that includes chronic cover includes ongoing treatment for gout globally.
International health insurance is designed for people living, working or spending extended time overseas. It's far more comprehensive. Depending on the plan you choose, it can cover:
If you have gout and you're moving or living abroad, travel insurance alone may not give you the cover you need.
This depends on how your plan is underwritten.
At AXA Global Healthcare, you’re covered for any new chronic illness under our chronic cover, which is included in our Comprehensive, Prestige and Prestige Plus cover. This includes:
Yes — expats can get treatment for gout overseas, depending on the underwriting on their plan. A plan with AXA Global Healthcare could give you access to:
This depends on if you opt for full medical underwriting or a moratorium.
If you opt for full medical underwriting
Yes, it’s best to declare any pre-existing condition even if you haven’t had a flare-up in a long time.
Most international health insurers ask you to declare any condition you've been diagnosed with or treated for — regardless of how long ago it was, or how well it's managed. This is particularly important if you opt for full medical underwriting, which takes into account any medical condition you’ve suffered from before the start date of your policy.
Gout, even in remission, typically needs to be disclosed. Failing to declare it isn't worth the risk. If you make a claim and your insurer finds out you didn't disclose a relevant condition, they could:
The best thing is to be upfront. It might affect your premium, but it protects you when it matters most.
If you opt for a moratorium
A moratorium automatically excludes any medical condition you’ve had, or any symptoms you’ve suffered from, five years prior to your cover starting.
If you claim for a medical condition after two years of your cover starting, you must be able to prove a two-year trouble-free period. This means that for the medical condition you need treatment for, you haven’t in the last two years:
If you can prove a two-year-trouble-free period with gout, we can cover the condition.
It can, but it depends on whether your plan includes outpatient cover, and whether gout is excluded as a pre-existing condition. If your plan covers outpatient medication and gout isn't excluded, medication may be covered.
For example, with AXA Global Healthcare you’ll be covered for medication abroad if:
You'll likely need to pay for these out-of-pocket if:
Cover for gout isn’t all we offer. Find out what else your cover will include.
All our plans include emergency ambulance transport.
Included as standard and available 24/7, 365.**
Book a doctor’s appointment 24/7.4
Access six sessions of support from a qualified psychologist.5
Get reassurance from another medical expert.6
We aim to settle your claim within 48 hours.7
*Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm (GMT).
Calls may be recorded and/or monitored for quality assurance, training and as a record of the conversation.
*Outpatient cover is available on our Comprehensive, Prestige and Prestige Plus levels of cover. You can add outpatient care on Foundation and Standard cover.
**Terms and conditions apply for using AXA Global Healthcare’s evacuation and repatriation service. Please speak to our sales team for these by phoning +44 (0)1892 708119.
1 According to the NHS, gout needs expert attention.
2 According to the OECD, medical costs vary hugely around the world:
3 According to the UK Financial Ombudsman, in most cases, gout is treated as a pre-existing medical condition by international health insurers.
3 According to the UK Financial Ombudsman, if you've ever been diagnosed with gout, experienced a flare-up, or taken medication for it, insurers will typically classify it as pre-existing. That's true even if your symptoms have been well-managed or you haven't had an attack in a while.
4 The Virtual Doctor service is provided by our third-party provider Teladoc Health and is part of the Virtual Care from AXA offering. Telephone appointments can be booked 24/7, 365 days per year. Callbacks are typically within 24 hours. Operating hours and availability may vary according to region. Find out more on our Virtual Care FAQ page on our website.
5 The Mind Health service is provided by our third-party provider Teladoc Health and is part of the Virtual Care from AXA offering. The service provides up to six sessions with a psychologist per non-emergency mind health concern, per year. Find out more about the Mind Health service and consultation availability on our website.
6 The Second Medical Opinion service is provided by our third-party provider Teladoc Health and is part of the Virtual Care from AXA offering.
7 We aim to settle your claim within 48 hours. 83.2% of eligible claims submitted online between Jan 25- Dec 25, were paid within two days.