Hi
dont know if i can bring this subject up here, I took a policy out for this 8 years ago, after my sisters both contracted seperate female cancers but they were not linked,
After my diagnosis i applied for a claim form which they sent out quite quickly, I gave this to my surgeon in July, but despite the insurance company writing to him & myself, and me continuosly phoning his secretary he still hasn’t sent the form back, the secrectary tells me it is a detailed form asking about family history, but i wasn’t asked for any of this info when i applied for cover despite asking them if they needed to know.
Has anybody else had one of these policies and have any ideas how i can get the surgeon to speed things up, Im getting annoyed when i see adverts in the press stating how having one of these insurances made coping with the financial side of cancer easier, my sick pay will only run for another 3 month I know i am more fortunate than some, and sorry to moan on and on im just getting angry that im being held up and dont even know yet if they will pay out.
Shirl
Hi Shirl,
i too have a sister who has had cancer and who led me to take out a wellwoman insurance policy 4 years ago (if its with AIG is probs the same as yours!) I too had a NIGHTMARE getting the surgeon to fill in the forms. The way to do it was throuh the BCN nurses. I made it very clear that i was desperate for the money and would bring it up every time i saw her. I knw it was her bugging the surgeon that did it! Piece of advice though, ask for a copy before they send it out. Eventually my surgeon sent it off but…AIG said they never got it. I had a copy though so faxed it through whilst on the phone to the company!
I would phone the insurance company and ask them the details of your policy etc, they should put your mind at rest about whether your covered. Family history had no bearing on my payout which did finally arrive last week. I know everyones suspicious of insurance companies but i have to say they’ve done exactly what they said they would. Once the company had the docs forms they paid out within 5 days. My payments come partly as a lump sum and partly as monthly payments for a year. When the cheque arrived they had backdated everything to the date of my diagnosis. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
Stick with it, bug the secretary, bug the BCN nurses, bring it up whenever you see him, My BCN also recommended trying for a McMillan grant. They give grants to cancer sufferers facing finacial difficulty. You have to be recommended by a doc or BCN. Give them a call and they might be able to give you a back up plan.
Good luck and let me know how you get on.
Lou xxxx
Hi Louise
thanks for your info, mine does sound the same plan as yours, and i feel awful ringing the secretary all the time, but today i got another from the company saying he still has not replied,
Im not in need of a grant as i am on full pay for 6 month then go down to half, i know im lucky to have this sick benefit but i am a cival servant, Its just that if im entitled to this money i want it, and i would like to be earning the interest in my bank.
Im going to phone again tomorrow, then i will start moqaning at my BCN but that seems a bit unfair, i did wonder if i should offer to pay the surgeon to fill in the form because i had to pay my doctor £15 to fill his bit in.
ta
Shirl
I didn’t have insurance but had a real problem when asking my surgeon and oncologist to write in support of my ill health retirement. I went through the same phone calls etc but was always told they would do it by the end of the week. Eventually I made private appointments through my local Nuffield Hospital had a private consultation with each of them (around £100 each), result 2 very detailed letters which with other evidence secured my ill health retirement.
Unfortunately our medics are so busy, I believe they intend to do letters, forms etc but get overcome by other priorities.
I really sympathise as I was desperate for their reports and got fed up with chasing them and feeling I was a nuisance.
Best wishes
Linda x
Hi ladies,
go and see PALS at your hospital (Patient And Liaison Service)…we had some problems with my elderly husband’s appointments and they sorted it out within 24 hours. Your surgeons.Oncologists etc. are duty bound to provide the information you require…just be proactive and bring all the guns available to bear on them! Interesting that they have time to see private patients, but when it comes to the NHS, anything seems to go.
Go gals!
Liz.
Trojan,
Don’t worry about being unfair to BCN’s or anyone else over this. You have a right to this money and believe me it makes you feel more secure and gives you peace of mind when you get it which is hugely helpful in the healing process. Most of mine went to paying off debts etc but i now have some in the bank for luxuries i would never have paid for beore.
Most patients feel vulnerabe anc lack confidence which makes it much harder to stand up for your rights. The BCN’s are not just there for medical support, they will have come across this problem many times and i really think are your best bet at either getting it done or giving tips on how to get your particualr consultant to crack!
Good luck
ps i really wouldnt offer to pay for him to fill it out. Firstly you shouldnt have to and secondly if the consultant fills it in cos of a money incentive then he is being mercenary and very unfair.
Hi Ladies
well i have just phoned again, the secretary assured me he was going to do it on Tuesday and that she would phone me up, but (cilla black) Surprise Surprise she didn’t,
she now tells me he will be in on Monday of next week and she will speak to him then, I took all your advice and told her that he has a duty of care to me and as this is causing me more stress he is not helping my recovery, i asked if there was a PAL service at their unit and told her i was going to go along this line, i also told her i did not want or need a Macmillan grant, i just wanted my policy sorting out so that i could relax when my wages drop by 50% in Jan, She said sorry again and again and i told her i will constantly be phoning her because i need to get my teeth into something and if its bugging her then thats what im gonna do, just call me Buster a dog with a bone,
Shirl
Go Shirl!
Hi
Im so happy so happy, my surgeons secretary has just phoned me to say that the form has been completed, and she has faxed a copy to the insurance company and also put one in the post.
Now i will just have to wait and see if the company are going to pay me out, they did say if the cancer was invasive i would be payed out and i was told mine was invasive, so lets begin another waiting game,
for anybody else waiting for forms to be filled in, just keep nagging them,
Shirl
Brilliant news Shirl…let us know when you get the payout? Then go celebrate!
love,
Liz.
hi
got told today that they are paying me out, but have to wait and see how much
whoopee woooooooooooooooo
got a nice cheque today £12,000 and still £500 to come each month till next july, i would advise all your female relatives to take out one of these policies,
Shirl
Hi,
I took out well woman insurance with aig 6 years ago. I lost my mum from breast cancer, so the policy sounded really worth it.
When I got diagnoised with dcis, I thought I would phone them.
I phoned, but they said dcis is not included in my policy. When I checked the web site, it is included.
On my policy it just says womans cancers. It does not say it is not included.
I had a mastectomy, with reconstruction, nearly a week in hospital, but accoring to them it does not count.
I was wondering if anyone else had the same problem?
Mandy
Hi Mandy
when i spoke to them they just told me that the cancer has to be invasive, speak to your oncologist and ask for a claim form, dont just let them fob you off, If i were you i would certaintly push on this, i did and it payed off.
dont give up hope and stay positive
Shirl