Hi
I’ve had bone mets for 3 1/2 years and would love to go on holiday to Mauritius with hubby for approx. 10 days… Has anyone managed to get travel insurance for any long haul destination, if so where from. I have either been declined or quoted totally unreasonable prices from a few firms which specialise in pre-existing medical conditions.
Grateful for any replies.
Rikki
Hi Rikki
I just got back from Florida on 13 April and was insured with Aberdeen Insurance 01472 826672 and paid £69 for family of 4, with £65 excess for normal probs and then excess for me with my cancer was £750. I have liver mets.
Unfortunately a couple of people on here are now saying that Aberdeen have changed their underwriters and not quoting these prices anymore. But I don’t know about that.
Sure you will get heaps of replies tho so good luck and hope you have a fab holiday.
Dawn
xxx
Hi Rikki
I tried Aberdeen Insurance after seeing it on this website but as of the 1st April this year they did change their underwriters and qouted me £800 just for me for 2 weeks in Spain! I tried quite a few including Insure Pink who wouldn’t insure as mets in more than one place. In the end I got a qoute for £44.50 from mia online they were also reccommended on this site, but they have certain conditions.
Good Luck
Liz x
Hi there
I know most places will insure for everything except cancer related stuff, but if you look into it things like DVT can be a side affect of tamoxifen so wouldnt be covered, I was very naughty and have been to USA twice without insurance, silly I know but still, I was ok.
Good luck finding some, keep us informed!
Sue x
Hi
Thanks for your replies. I will try the companies suggested and if I find the bargain of the year I will certainly let you all know!!
Like you Sue I have travelled before without cover but going somewhere further afield makes me rather hesitant - also my onc. does not approve.
Again the topic of travel crops up - insurance companies need to move with the times and realise that many people are living more active lives with cancer than ever before. My elederly mother-in-law who has numerous aged related health problems gets cheaper travel insurance.
Thanks again
Rikki
x
Like you i had previously used AIS. The underwriters they use now is Europe Assos and they wanted £800 for a trip to France. Previously I paid £37 with £300 excess. Oher companies are worse. I contacted FSA/Financial Ombudsman and am awating a reply. I also wtote to Watchdog, not heard back yet. Underwriters are not regulated and can charge what they like. Why not contact the agencies that I have and perhaps they will listen. Its unfair that we are being marginalised. My ONC was contacted by medisure who want to promote their business and will, I am told, with a letter from ONC saying cancer is stable, offer insurance. Have not tried it as I go away on Friday and its too late for me. We are going to France so am using Eu travel card. We need holidays as much as anyone else, it not more. Statistically I am sure most travel calms relate to baggage, accidents, heart attacks and strokes. If anyone finds a decent company please post it on the forum.
Good luch
Colette
I’m not sure whether Mia cover worldwide yet. I know it is something they want to offer but certainly last year it wasn’t being offered. I get insured to go to the South of France with them and have done for the past couple of years and they’ve been great.
I had an email from the woman who set up InsurePink (who has had primary b.c.) and I challenged her about us secondaries ladies and she said they do offer insurance to mets but only if it’s spread to one place and you have to be out of chemo/rads for 3 months. Told her that for a lot of us that’s not reality and haven’t heard anything since!
I knew of a young girl who was part of our support group 4 years ago and she decided to go to America without insurance (she had bone and lung) and on the morning of coming back home she woke up with an horrendous headache and was incoherent. Her husband phoned the local hospital and she was admitted and was kept in for a while (evidently it had spread to her brain) and they were faced with a £10,000 bill. My oncologist has always told me that I need to have insurance because if I did fall the consequences on my spine could be extensive.
Insurance companies need to wake up and seek oncologists opinions on whether a patient is fit to travel or not for that two or three week period - outside of that area shouldn’t be of any concern to them.
Hi All
I have had the same problems with insurance as many others have said. I now travel with Direct Travel they cover me for normal problems but not the cancer. I went to Canada last year and just took out this insurance as the other insurance companies quoted more than the holiday itself. I know its a risk but hubbie and I decided that if I had a problem we would just get a flight home straight away. The other thing with us we do not book holidays to far in advance a month at the most.
When first dx onc wouldn’t let me go on holiday and had to cancel we would have lost our money but we made arrangements for my daughters to go with friends and just paid admin cost as that was the cheaper option.
We all definitely need holidays to keep our spirits up and to look forward to something other than hospital visits. The more the holidays the merrier.
Beli x
Hi
Just had a quote from All Clear Travel via Mia for a weeks holiday in Greece total cost £1050!!!
Freespirit 0845 1300242 were a bit more realistic at £390 but even that is high.
Have contacted the insurance ombudsman to complain about the discrimination so I wait with bated breath for a sensible reply.
I have since found out that if I was a patient on dialysis I could get insurance for the same holiday for just under £200
Will keep you informed if I get any response
Rikki
I have my travel insurance through Mia as well and admittedly I’ve only ever gone to France and been quoted £44+. I wonder why it’s far more expensive going to Greece? Doesn’t seem right…
I also feel that there’s discrimination against us as a lot of us are well enough to go on holiday. Hope you get a reply from the ombudsman!
I have primary not secondary BC but have also had probs getting travel ins. I got a good quote with Insure Pink, but since then and as I feel well (ish) I have risked just getting normal insurance, declared my illness and agreed not to be covered for anything BC related. Am covered for other illness and lost luggage etc.
Does Arimidex carry a risk of DVT?
Irene
Hi Everyone,
I had WLE last June then chemo and rads. Even though I am NED I have had trouble getting travel insurance also.
Most will not cover me at all, some have offered travel insurance for whole family of 4 and BC for about £480.
1 insurer said that they would not cover anyone on Tamoxifen.
As I am really well I have opted for normal Travel insurance without BC cover. I found a really good deal on Travel Supermarket.com with Columbus Insurance. 2 adults, 2 kids, 10 days in Bermuda £24.90 for all of us. I couldnt believe it so called them to check. There is a clause that says you are not covered for any pre-existing medical probs but otherwise the usual medical cover, delays, baggage etc.
Anyway best of luck and hope you have nice holidays.
Love Andrea x
Hi Irene
I used to be the same as you (I was in remission for 10 years before mets) in that I never used to have my breast cancer covered and it worked fine for me because there was no risk to my health from my primary diagnosis.
The issue to me is for those of us with advanced cancer because of where it might be in our body and not being able to take the risk of going without travel insurance (which is different from primary). I feel relatively well at the present time but that’s not sufficient security for me to go without insurance because of the state of my spine and the consequences if I fell over.
Hi, I was about to go to Menorca two years back when I ended up in hospital here with serious infection. Before, I would have just gone away and poo-pooed any insurance issues, but now I have changed my tune. You never know what is around the corner.
Jenny
x
Hi everyone,
Got Travel insurance sorted but checked passports and the childrens 5 yr passports expired in Mar 08. Oh Sh*t !.
we fly on the 30th of May. Luckily I have a main passport office near but its going to cost me £81 for a fast track each instead of £42 . Gutted !!!
I shouldnt really be posting on this thread but thought you might like a laugh at my expense.
I work in the Travel industry so should have known better.
Lots of love
Andrea xx
P.s Dont want to condone travelling without proper insurance cover. Its a bit silly but up to the individual.
Dont want to be sued. xx
Hi Andrea
Actually I’m glad you’ve posted because you’ve made me check our passports!
Enjoy your holiday - at least you found out before getting to the airport that your passports had expired. A friend of mine wasn’t so lucky last year. She’s a choreographer and had 40 girls with her travelling to Italy and I think it was a bit of an understatement to say that she panicked!
I think it’s always wise to have travel insurance even if people decide not to have their breast cancer covered.
Bear in mind that in the EC at least you have cover for emergency treatment. I agree it’s no fun being stuck in a foreign country when you are ill, especially if you don’t speak the languege, but in terms of the quality of treatment there really are no worries in most countries (in Western Europe anyway).
manon
I agree with manon. These days I risk going to EU countries with travel insurance which excludes breast cancer because in an emergency and with my European Helath Insurance card I reckon I would get treatment. There is still the risk of having to be air lifted home (is that the right term?)…but I take that risk.
I would never travel to US or further afield without travel insurance covering breast cancer…the costs of tretament in US are astronomical. After primary tretament I got cover from Freedom Travel for £300 fo r8 days in San Francisco and about £180 for 3 weeks to Australia and New Zealand.
Jane
Hi everyone
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.
Have had a reply from insurance ombudsman. Although sympathetic couldn’t offer any help and suggested I try Association of British Insurers who would be able to put me touch with an insurer or broker who could help - back to where we started really.
I fully understand that we need to pay more for our travel insurance but the premiums quoted are unrealistic. There seems to be no uniformity between companies and the fact that the person who is dealing with your enquiry does not usually have medical knowledge therefore it is difficult to explain your own circumstances when we don’t fall into the “tick boxes”
Rikki
Hi all
I have just booked to go to Florida next month and had an awful time today ringing around loads of insurers and they wouldnt touch me. I Then rang Insurewith and they did!! Yippee!! I am taking chemo, Xeloda as I have active nodes in supraclavicular so told them all that. Told them original dx was Oct 08 had WLE, chemo, radio and all that jazz and then nodes appeared again in Jan so will be on Xeloda for forseeable future and couldnt beleive it when they said they would fully cover me, most of them were saying no as its in lymph nodes. Anyway just thought I’d share that and advise giving them a try.
Debs