Super visa insurance covers a parent who has had a stroke or TIA when the condition has been stable for the insurer’s stability period: 90 days at Secure Travel to 69, 120 days at TuGo and Destination from 60 to 69, and 180 days at Manulife, GMS, Allianz (from 60) and 21st Century Enhanced in October 2026. Two insurers add a time-since-event rule. GMS makes a stroke or TIA diagnosed, newly treated or with a medication change in the last 12 months an ineligibility at 55 and over. Travelance excludes brain conditions existing in the prior 180 days for applicants 70 to 79.
What do insurers ask about a stroke or TIA?
Insurers ask whether the parent has ever had a stroke, TIA or mini-stroke, when it happened, what medication followed, and whether anything has changed since. GMS asks at 55 and over whether a stroke or TIA was diagnosed or newly treated in the last 12 months. Travelance asks whether a stroke or TIA is one of two or more listed conditions treated in the last 12 months.
| Typical question | Why it is asked |
|---|---|
| Ever diagnosed with a stroke, TIA or mini-stroke? | Establishes the condition is pre-existing |
| When was the most recent event? | Time-since-event screens at GMS (12 months) and Travelance |
| Taking a blood thinner or antiplatelet? | Dose changes are tested against the stability clause |
| Any change to medication in the stability period? | Tests the stability clause |
| Any new weakness, speech or vision symptom, or a new scan? | A new symptom or test breaks stability |
| Need help with daily living (70 and over)? | GMS ineligibility at 70+ |
A yes to a stroke in the last 12 months ends the GMS application at 55 and over. Elsewhere the clock runs from the last medication change after the event.
What does stable mean after a stroke?
Stable means no new or recurring neurological symptom, the same blood thinner, antiplatelet, blood pressure and cholesterol medication at the same doses, no new scan or referral, and no hospital visit. A fixed deficit from the original stroke, unchanged, is stable. Rehabilitation that is still changing the treatment plan is not.
| Event in the stability period | Stable? |
|---|---|
| Same antiplatelet, statin and blood pressure drugs renewed | Yes |
| Routine warfarin dose adjustment on blood tests | Yes at Manulife, GMS and TuGo; check others |
| Switched from warfarin to a DOAC, or antiplatelet changed | No |
| New episode of weakness, numbness or slurred speech | No, and usually a new event |
| Follow-up CT or MRI ordered, result pending | No |
| Neurology follow-up with no change | Yes |
| Carotid surgery recommended or scheduled | No |
| Admission for any reason linked to the stroke | No |
The clock runs from the last change, not from the stroke. A stroke 10 months ago with the final medication adjustment 5 months ago is stable at Secure Travel (90 days to 69) and TuGo (120 days to 69), and not yet at the 180-day insurers.
Which insurers cover a stable stroke or TIA?
All 8 insurers we compare cover a stable past stroke within their stability periods, subject to the eligibility screens at GMS and Travelance. An older parent with a recent event has the fewest options.
| Insurer (underwriter) | Stability at 65 | Stability at 72 | Stroke-specific rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secure Travel/RIMI (iA Financial Group; claims by MSH) | 90 days | 180 days | Pre-existing cover to 84 |
| TuGo (iA Financial Group) | 120 days | 180 days | 7-day rider to 79 for one unstable condition |
| Destination (Zurich, Canadian Branch) | 120 days | 180 days | Pre-existing excluded 80+ |
| Allianz (CUMIS General Insurance) | 180 days | 180 days | Not awaiting referral, surgery or test results |
| Manulife CoverMe Plan B (Manufacturers Life) | 180 days | 180 days | Hospitalized more than once in 12 months excluded |
| GMS (Group Medical Services) | 180 days | 180 days | Stroke or TIA in last 12 months ineligible at 55+ |
| 21st Century Enhanced (Manulife) | 180 days | 180 days | Questionnaire 55 to 85 |
| Travelance Premier (Old Republic) | 180 days | 180 days | Brain conditions in prior 180 days excluded at 70 to 79 per PolicyAdvisor |
Stability periods seen October 2026 — verify in the policy wording. The full age matrix is on the stability periods by insurer page.
What should you document?
Get the discharge summary from the stroke admission, the most recent neurology letter, the prescription list with the date each drug started or last changed, the last INR results if on warfarin, and the doctor’s written confirmation that no scan or referral is pending. Add the date and reason for any hospital visit since.
Keep the completed questionnaire; the THIA Bill of Rights entitles the buyer to a copy before the policy starts.
What typically voids a stroke claim?
The common denials are a TIA the family did not think counted, a medication change after the stroke that fell inside the stability period, and an admission the chart links to the original stroke. GMS General Condition 8 denies related claims for any material misrepresentation or non-disclosure. Manulife exclusion 7 denies benefits where the application was not truthful.
A wrong answer can void the whole policy. TuGo adds a $15,000 deductible to any claim where a questionnaire answer at 60 or over was inaccurate. The claims page covers the records request.
Is a no-pre-existing plan safer after a stroke?
No. A second stroke is the most expensive admission a visitor plan sees, and a no-pre-existing plan excludes it. If the parent cannot pass a stability test yet, delay the start date until the period has run, or use TuGo’s 7-day rider to 79 for that one condition.
The parent’s doctor and the insurer’s policy wording decide whether the condition is stable; this page describes insurer rules, not medical advice. SuperVisaDirect’s advisor can run the questionnaire with the parent on the line by callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm ET. See also blood thinners and atrial fibrillation.
Questions people ask
Is a past stroke covered by super visa insurance?
Yes, if it has been stable for the insurer's stability period and the parent passes the eligibility screen. A stroke two years ago, with the same medication since and no new symptom, is stable at every insurer we compare. A stroke or TIA in the last 12 months fails the GMS eligibility screen at 55 and over, and Travelance counts it toward its two-condition limit.
Is a TIA treated the same as a stroke?
Yes, by every insurer whose wording we checked. GMS and Travelance list stroke and TIA together. A TIA is a neurological event with its own stability clock, and the medication changes that usually follow it, such as a new antiplatelet or statin, restart the clock from the last change.
My father's warfarin dose changed last month. Is his stroke unstable?
At Manulife, GMS and TuGo, a routine warfarin dose adjustment based on blood tests, with the condition otherwise unchanged, is not a change in medication. At other insurers the wording may differ. A switch from warfarin to a DOAC is a change everywhere. See the blood thinners page.
What if the stroke left a lasting weakness?
A fixed deficit that has not changed is stable. What matters is whether anything changed in the stability period: new symptoms, new therapy, a new scan or a new referral. If the parent is 70 or over and needs help with daily living because of the stroke, GMS makes that an ineligibility.
Is a no-pre-existing plan safer after a stroke?
No. A second stroke is the parent's largest risk and the most expensive admission a visitor plan sees. A no-pre-existing plan excludes it. A plan covering stable pre-existing conditions, bought after the stability period has run, is the only version that pays for that admission.
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