Hi everyone! I am currently on Ribociclib and letrozole. I have a tumour in an awkward place and so i’ve been told its incurable. However, other than that i’m fit and well!! I’m still working, doing the day to day stuff that comes with having 4 kids and hoping to travel with them. I know the issue will be health insurance. I know there’s a few threads on here already on the subject. I’ve done an online questionnaire already for one company I was advised might be good in this circumstance and i’ve been refused. I believe its often better to speak to someone on the phone so thats my next mission. Before I ring i’m preparing first! Is “incurable” “terminal”? I’m constantly having treatment technically because I get my chemo tablets every month (and always will. My Doctor is happy for me to travel but I look bad on paper!! Anyone got any advice on this? Thanks!
Hi
Incurable is not terminal as terminal tends to be where they have stopped treatment whereas incurable is usually when active treatment is still being given. I always tell travel insurance I am incurable as I haven’t been told terminal by my consultant. One of the questions I always find they ask is what are the results of your latest scans as this will help them believe you are stable or that the treatment is working.
Check a few companies as we had some very differing prices when getting insurance this year, we even had a £400 difference between a broker and going direct for the same provider!
You may need a fit to fly letter from your consultant for the airline to allow you on board depending if you need to take any meds (syringes etc)
Good luck
Spikey
Hello,
I’ve just booked a trip to Greece and got insurance through ‘insurance with’ they specialise in this kind of insurance. Mine was £135 for a week, not as bad as I expected. I don’t have chemo tablets but have ongoing targeted injections and I’m stage 4 ‘incurable’.
Hope that helps!
Ooh thats not bad at all! Thanks, I think they were the ones who refused it online. Hoping I can have similar results if i speak to them on the phone. Thanks!
Thanks, I’ll put a day aside and ring around. I get fairly regular scans and my tumour is stable. I’m not daft, i wouldn’t travel if i felt bad. I’d hate to think I never could again! Thanks for the advice
Hello, I have the same cancer type as you and have been on palbociclib, similar to ribo, since December 2020. I travel a couple of times a year and have not had a problem with insurance. I’ve been around Europe, Australia, Singapore and the Maldives. Never a problem. I’ve got annual insurance for me, husband and 2 children and cost with InsuranceWith was £195. That’s Europe and Maldives. The discount code is here: Travel Insurance - Make 2nds Count
Other companies you can try are Insure and Go, Paying too Much, World First or All Clear.
May have been mentioned already but if not perhaps reach out to your local Maggie’s (charity). My local one has a regularly updated list of insurer’s and have done the hard work of maintaining the list of what’s available and from whom. I went with StaySure Travel Insurance (others of course available) and took out an annual insurance. Good luck and happy travels 
Hi Like you I am incurable but that is definitely not terminal as described so well by Spikey. I was refused by Insurancewith online but not on the phone. I have used Insurancewith for 2 trips abroad & their prices are very reasonable.
Good luck & all the best 
Try all clear insurance. Phone them rather than filling out an online form. They were really helpful when i was going through treatment. I was told, “we can insure yoyu even if you’re dying”. I felt it insensitive at the time but good to know i suppose.
My treatment wasnt clear cut & seem to remember that one of the questions wasnt a yes or no for me so having a conversation on the phone was much better.
Good luck & enjoy your holiday when it comes
Fabulous! Thanks, i’ll try them too. My daughter is going to live in Japan for a year with University in a years time, I was hoping to get to see her out there all being well. Good to hear they insure longer haul holidays too.
This is really useful, thanks. I haven’t heard of Maggies. I’ll check them out
Hiya! Update! I got insurance with insurancewith for £149 (using the discount code-thankyou…) for a dream trip to South Korea, thanks for all the good advice- I used it all! Made me hopeful that I can get to Japan when my daughter heads out there. Time to get this bucket list moving!!! X
Insurewith are a great company. I’ve got secondary BC and been on various treatments (currently Enhertu) and I’ve travelled all over the world with no problem. And incurable is not necessarily terminal.
Hi there @kdramamama and all
My husband was in the armed forces, and we get our annual travel insurance through a company recommended by the Armed Forces Pension Society. They don’t ask any medical questions apparently. (My husband does it all, hence the “apparently”.) So they don’t even have to know about my breast cancer. It feels like a real privilege, but I guess it’s ‘payback’ for all the danger he’s been in over the years. If you have the forces in your history, it’s worth exploring - my husband found out about it almost by accident, so it’s not highly publicised…
Wow! Thats amazing! Yes it would be lovely to avoid all the very awkward questions. It doesn’t apply to me but it’s fantastic (and sounds so much easier) if anyone is in this position. Thanks for sharing x
I needed a letter from my consultant to confirm I was fit to fly and list any meds or equipment I was carrying. Security was smooth once I had that.
Sounds really reassuring to hear everyone’s experiences — amazing how much smoother travel becomes once you’ve got the right paperwork and the right insurer. It’s encouraging to see how many of you are still getting out there and enjoying the world despite everything. Safe travels to all of you.
I had to fly long haul during chemo and found upgrading my seat helped a lot with comfort and rest. I used travelbusinessclass.com to find a good deal on business class tickets—it was easier than I expected and saved me quite a bit. Being able to lie flat and have extra space made a real difference, especially with how tired I was feeling.
Ok
Hi Spikey, thank you so much—this is exactly the clarity I needed!
Love the tip about saying “incurable” (not terminal) and mentioning latest scan results to show stability. I’ll definitely shop around companies and compare broker vs direct too—£400 difference is huge!
Good point about the fit-to-fly letter; I’ll check with my consultant.
Which insurance company ended up giving you the best deal this year? Xx