This is my first time on a forum. I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer with metastasis in 6th vertebrae and collar bone in July last year. I am doing really well with pain under control and leading life as normal as I can! I am so inspired by the stories I have read on these sites.
I am planning 2 holidays this early summer, one a cruise to Norway with my hubby and another a week in France with my family. I am trying to find travel insurance just for peace of mind but am finding that peace of mind comes at a price, and some companies won’t cover me.
Does anyone have any suggested insurance companies/brokers they have used that have been helpful?
I have bone secondaries too and for travel in Europe I have found MIA Online generally good and as reasonably priced as it gets for those of us with secondaries. They may not cover a cruise though but it’s worth asking. The other company I’ve used are Insurance With, but I haven’t used them for a couple of years.
Good luck with getting your insurance sorted and hope you have a great time on your trips.
Try MIAonline for France. (ring them but get details online). Unfortunately they wont cover cruises. Try insurancewith for the cruise. They covered me in Nov and I have bone mets and am on capecitabine at a price!(>£500) but may be less if you are not on chemo. Pam
I’m not advising anyone to travel without insurance but…I went to France last year with just my European Health Card. I’d rung around and the prices I was quoted were dreadful, especially as I was on Trial drugs at the time. Infact one man, who should have known better as it was a specialised Cancer Insurance, couldn’t believe I was so active and well! Anyway we were staying with my sister -in-law, I ended up having to visit her doctor and diagnosed with blood clots in both legs so wasn’t alllowed to travel home for 10 days, had to inject blood thinners and visit a specialist etc. I had to pay upfront and it came to just under £500, £200 less than my cheapest quote for 7 days! I sent all the paper work to DWP on my return and within 6 weeks I had the full amount back. Obviously I didn’t have to pay for accomodation, and came home in the car/ferry as arranged altho did have to pay £25 cancellation etc. I’d really like to travel further afield etc. Why should we have to pay so much? I wouldn’t mind even having an actual medical. When I was searching I just got fed up of repeating myself and then getting a silence and then ‘oh I’ll just ask my supervisor’ I knew what the reply would be! Or asked questions like ‘How far can you walk by yourself’?
My answer 'Well I’m just back from walking the dog for 2 miles, and then after lunch I’m walking to the village 3/4mile away and back and I may go for a bike ride later. Silence! Good God these people/firms need to be re-educated! Rant over!! I do think it also depends on what treatment you are on and whether it’s chemo etc. My Onc was willing to write a letter etc. if needed.
I know of a few people with cancer that have gone on cruises they must have got insurance, maybe worth asking the shipping company?
I recently tried to get travel insurance and i was given a quote (eurotunnel) when the policy arrived I read it from cover to cover. There was a section which said
"We will not cover you for insurance if you:-
A) -are not resident in the UK or have lived abroad for more than 6 months in the last 2 years.
B) -are going abroad for medical treatment
Or (C) HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A TERMINAL ILLNESS…
I had my quarterly appointment with the ONC a couple of days later (last Thursday) so I asked him for advice.
He said that since I have had good scan results and have been stable for almost a year he didn’t think I would have any problems. He also said that he thought that in his opinion ‘terminal’ meant being within the last few months of life…which ne certainly doesn’t think I am. He asked me if I had informed them of my mets and I had so he said that should be enough because they know what they are covering…
However he then went on to say that because Metastatic/secondary cancer had often been referred to as ‘terminal breast cancer’ this may be something that insurance companies could use to -“squirm their way out of paying”- (his words)
I have a week left to cancel the policy under the 14 day cooling off period and don’t know what to do. I know that if I ring the insurers to ask them it will be someone who doesn’t really know…they will ask their manager and that I will be given a “one answer fits all” reply.
I am tempted to just cancel the policy and go without insurance but we want to go to the USA so am a bit more cautious.
I also received a quote from another company where they covered me apart from my pre-existing conditions. I then mentioned the other policy and the clause about terminal illness. She then said -"oh if you had a terminal illness we wouldn’t cover you at all…for anything! I said that I would get back to her. I just seem to be going round and round in circles.
Hi…I know it is difficult to talk to anyone sensible in these non specialist companies…but if you can get to speak to medical underwriter how about putting ball back in their court and asking them to define terminal…perhaps also telling them your oncs comments.xx
I have breast cancer and secondary widespread bone mets. We went to New Zealand last November & had real problems finding anyone to insure me. After trying about 10 ‘specialist’ companies, I rang All Clear who were willing to cover me. We have also just booked to go to Italy and again got insurance through them.
It isn’t cheap, but at least I feel safe, should anything go wrong while I’m away.
Hi. Just wanted to say thanks to all who recommended Eurotunnel. Called today and got an annual policy for all family for £129 to cover worldwide travel. This even covers me for secondary mets as long as Dr or Onc confirms that at time of taking out policy or booking hol I was not terminal, was not travelling to get medical treatment abroad, had stable condition and was fit enough to travel. Compared to the loads of other sites I have trawled this is fantastic both in terms of price and policy working re pre existing conditions. Well chuffed. Has anyone ever had to make a claim from them and if so were they ok? Olives
Hi ladies, i have booked a trip to New York today and have taken out insurance with Eurotunnel, i was asked the question about being “terminal” and i said therer is no cure for my cancer but i have not been told that it is terminal and the adviser said that was fine…the problem is my hubby, he is now stressing that there could be a get out clause as this disease is a terminal one, but i have told him “terminal” is classed as having less than 6 months to live but i can see he is still not happy with this!! Oh how to put a dampner on what was an exciting day having booked this trip
hugs J x x
Hi Ruth, if it was me i would def get insurance, i know some ladies don’t always get it but i wouldnt go away without it, chances are you will never need to use it but its always there if you need to!!
Hugs J x x
Hi, we cancelled our holiday to florida this summer due to my mothers illness as I didn’t think we could get insurance for America and back in December a holiday didn’t even look possible but since my mother has been receiving treatment and her bloods are coming down and the next step is hormone therapy then hopefully our holiday could be back on but we won’t go without insurance, does anyone have any advise ? Xx
Hi Sainie, sorry to hear about your mum, i am going to New York in May and have booked with Eurotunnel, it cost me £75 for an annual policy, hope this helps.
Hugs Janette x x
Sainie, i have mets to my ribs, hips and spine, diagnosed Feb last yr, primary was 2007.
Eurotunnel cover my illness, must warn you that they will ask if it is terminal, i explained it is incurable but i not been told as yet that i am terminal, they just need to know that your oncologist has said you are fit to travel.
hugs Janette x x
Hi Lynnq, thanks for you reply
I hope you enjoyed Disney Paris and Disney florida. Where do you have secondary’s too ? Did you find Florida tiring ? As we went in 2013 and found it exhausting and we were all fit at the time xx
Thanks both for getting back to me I really do appreciate the support from everyone. Helen, how long have you been dx with liver and lung mets ? What is your current treatment ? Xx
Who did you take out insurance with to travel to Florida ? Sorry to hear the triple negative dx. My mum is on weekly taxol for 18 weeks at the moment this is her first treat and will follow with hormone therapy next, she was on letrozole after her first dx then the liver mets were found 3.5 years later but now they think the liver secondary could of been there since the original dx xxxx
