Could someone please advise me who sells a good,reliable travel insurance for a holiday to USA for a few weeks. The whole family is covered by Lloyds (me too for non BC related problems) but they wont provide cover for any problem which might arise relating to BC. So - I will have to take out an extra insurance to be on the safe side because we will be away for a few weeks.
Also, if you are taking medication on board a plane (in my case Femara and Alendronic Acid) do you need a doctor’s letter to explain why you have the tablets with you in your hand luggage.
We haven’t been to USA for a few years and their heightened state of security seems a bit daunting so I don’t want to be breaking any rules. If anyone has any tips on long haul air travel I would appreciate them. This will be an extra special holiday and because I seem to go into mega stress over the slightest thing these days I would like to be as well organised/prepared as possible.
Just came back from New york a couple of weeks ago,
Can tell you for definite you dont need a doctors note for tablets, and they seemed remarkably relaxed about liquids compared to Heathrow. I did have a doctors note for some injections to stop blood clotting that my doctor recommended to me.
On insurance someone will jump in - dont bother with InsurePink , they wont be any use,
Not sure about America as it seems to be a difficult one - I know Mia aren’t offering cover for there at the moment. Don’t know whether Aberdeen Insurance might? I think that no matter who you go with the premium will be quite high because it’s America.
I’ve always taken medication with me without any problem - it’s normally only if you have an oxygen cylinder or taking needles that you need to declare it (I think!)
Hi Jibby
glad you started this thread. we are hoping to go to Florida next year, and didnt feel I could book till after BC all over as thought there may be a problem with insurance to. Travel agents advised there are companies out there, specifically for this, so I will be shopping around soon, as would like to book asap. As I suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, I take lots of medication, and have been to USA 4 times in the past. Each time (the last being 2004) I have had to have a doctors letter with me to confirm the medication I am on, although, I didnt have to show it to anyone. I did get taken to one side alone, and searched as I have joint replacements, and the machines all started bleeping, in both airports, but USA strictest. I will have to look into this to, as others reporting dont need letters now.
will let you know if i find anything.
deb x
In 2004, a couple of months after I had finished treatent for primary breast cancer I got insurance for 8 days to USA from Freedom Travel…it cost £300. At that time I could find no other insurance company who would do it for under about a grand.
Now that I have a regional recurrence I doubt I would be able to get reaosnably priced insurance from anyone for the USA (Aberdeen used to have a good scheme but chnaged underwriters recerntly.)
I got insured 3 yrs ago to go to Florida for 2 weeks with the Post Office, of all organisations! It cost £64.
I was 2 yrs from dx and had finished chemo and rads. They wouldn’t cover me for bc, but did for my Crohn’s which I normally can’t get cover for. I don’t have mets and figured I was not going to be seriously ill with bc in 2 weeks so went ahead regardless.
My insurance to the USA covered bc. There isn’t a problem getting cover which excludes bc from most insurance companies.
I think we all have to wiegh up our own risks but think I would would never travel to US without cover for breast cancer related incidents. Personally I think this applies to anyone who is high risk of recurrence. My nightmare scenarios were breaking a bone caused by unknown bone mets or collapsing with a brain tumour, again unbeknown. Costs of emergency tretament in the US are extortionate as are transportaion costs home on stretcher.
If I were some time from a good prognosis diagnosis I might risk it but otherwise not. As I said we all weigh up what risk means to us.
I got insurance from Aberdeen Insurance for my trip to America last year
I got a yearly policy from them which covers all my family so will also cover this years trip as well!
Cost was £64 for a yearly policy for me/hubby and son. excess on everything £75 except anything cancer related (I have secondaries) which carries a £500 excess. Was so relieved to get cover
Good luck
Jools
Interesting posts, the reason i worry about not declaring BC is the risk of DVT with taking tamoxifen.
Really want to go to America in Sept or early next year so if anyone finds anything let me know.
Recently i was going to take out a 'gold card from Nat West and the guy told me i was covered for travel insurance. I did say i had had BC and he said his mother had and it made no difference to the insurance i didnt have to pay more. I dont know whether it was just a quick sell thing on his part. Never got it anyway OH didnt think it was worth it.
I know BCC had a leaflet on insurance cover but obviously it goes out of date as agents change their policies.
Maybe they could look into this and put an update on site for us.
I have travelled to USA twice since being diagnosed with BC, the first was new york for a weekend while still receiving herceptin + tamoxifen as primary adjuvant and have recently got back from florida, still taking tamoxifen.
Both times I have used Marrs / Towergate insurance brokers (although booklet advises Fortis) and I have been fully covered any BC incidents. New York weekend cost £62.50 for 2 adults and Florida for a family of 4 £83.77.
They do have a health questionnaire, which is quite a simple yes / no and once they have your signed form you wont need to repeat it unless there are any changes.
I think they are listed on this site if not tel number is 020 8920 1234.
With reference to Liverbird’s comments regarding our leaflet which covers travel insurance, etc, just wanted to say that all our publications are reviewed and updated periodically and I any changes to information contained within them is checked and amended as appropriate.
I will pass on your comments to the publications team as I am not sure when this leaflet is due for review.
Insurance companies seems to be tightening up a lot these days. When I first had BC in 1990 there was no problem with BC on a world wide annual insurance. Now I am covered but BC is excluded. This is not a problem for me as I doubt if a problem will arise in a couple of weeks or more and if it did I would just fly home to the medical team who know me. I really hate those companies who load the policy if you have BC and also if you are over 65.
I travelled to Canada in April for two weeks. I took out insurance with Its so easy. (I found them online) and then phoned them. A friend has used them as well and found them quite good. I took out an annual policy with them. I was covered for anything to do with breast cancer and also put my husband on the policy; he takes medication to control high blood pressure. I opted to pay extra to have breast cancer covered because I really felt it was too great a distance to take a chance, even though I now just go for checkups and am on Tamoxifen. I agree with Jane that we have to weigh up our own risks. I felt that I could travel with more peace of mind if I was fully covered.
I did not have a letter from my doctor for the tamoxifen, just kept the box with me when travelling, but did not have any problems.
I got insurance for a 3 week trip to the USA earlier this year from Freedom Insurance with no exclusions. It was expensive but not unreasonably so and I’d go back to them.
Just been on ‘It’s so easy’ website and they won’t give cover if anyone has secondaries or has had Chemo in last 3months!
Does anyone know of an insurance company who will insure if you have secondaries?
I would like to go away in September but have liver secondaries.
Alli x
I only know of Miaonline but they’re not covering USA at the moment. Like you, I have liver (and bone) secondaries and am in active treatment but well enough to go away on holiday but other companies just don’t want to know!
A big “thank you” to everyone who answered my post. After much phoning around and waiting for quotes we decided to go with Insure Pink. We are paying £117.71 for a 4 week holiday in USA. Everything was very straight forward. Fingers crossed I wont need to use it but I feel it’s better to be safe than sorry particularly in America. We have a relative who fell ill whilst on holiday over there and required alot of hospital treatment and there were problems with the insurance company nit-picking with a very fine-toothed comb over issues.