Correct. That’s the lookback period. Squaremouth says “The
pre-existing look back period for a travel insurance policy is the number of days that the insurance company will “look back” to determine if a claim is related to a pre-existing condition. The look back period is generally between 60 and 180 days, depending on the policy selected.“
The lookback period means that if you get travel insurance (which will almost certainly at this point be without the PEC waiver) and then cancel because of your grandmother, the forms you’ll fill out will include taking that form to her physician, and s/he will answer questions like was her health stable at a certain time. Since you’re only thinking of insurance now, that lookback period will certainly come into play, and even without a diagnosis the doctor might well put that she wasn’t stable (her condition has changed, her medications have changed, etc), and you’ll be denied.
(Plus, you have to have the doctor fill out that form, and they do like to be paid for such things.)
Definitely look at the cc you used and do check out insurances!
But it also might be time for the hard conversations with her and family. Does she want you to go on this trip? If so and if something happens, is she ok if you don’t get back in time? Are YOU ok? If she’s ok with you going, but then the worst happens, will your family hold off on the funeral until you’re back? And a huge thing to think about is extended family. Will THEY understand? Or will they hold it against you forevermore? If they do, can you handle that?
These are conversations had in my family over the years because of my then MIL. Her health tanked starting in 2012, and there’s only so long that lives can be put on hold. Ultimately my then husband was her POA, but he made sure his sibs knew her wishes, and knew that arrangements could be held off until we got back if the worst happened. (And she’s still around, and has been on hospice for *a year* as of this month, so you just never know what will happen)