Cancer Travel Insurance

If travel companies insist upon travel insurance, they should be prepared to give it if the person cannot get it elsewhere. Why can we not just have cover up to the level of other people? I wlould think that we are more likely to act responsibly and take fewer risks than many "healthy" people. It is always blamed on the fact that we might be travelling to get better treatment elsewhere - but as you say, many of us who are terminal would simply very much like to enjoy a holiday abroad, and a cruise, where everything is taken care of, sounds a lovely relaxing choice with relatively few possible demands on the cover. I think this is Prejudice, pure and simple, and companies should be made to pay compensation to those affected, and the Law changed. xxx penny

Thanks Penny for your reply,as my post stated I am not giving up on this I will take my campaign to as many TV/Radio/ Press/Holiday Mags/and Insurance companies as I am able to do.I am doing this for those who have Cancer or family members and friends of those with Cancer.

Hello Shiarz

Sorry you've been having so many problems but have you considered taking out travel insurance which excludes the cancer or do you specifically have to have a policy which includes cancer? I'm only saying this because I have two terminal cancers (breast cancer and leiomysarcoma)and am off to Costa Rica in Central America at the end of August and have taken out travel insurance excluding the cancer just in case I lose my bags or something like that. If something cancer-related happens while I'm away (highly unlikely), I will just get on a plane and come back. My oncologists were quite happy for me to go and my GP offered to write a letter to the insurers saying I wasn't about to drop dead just yet(although I don't think the insurers would have set much store by that!

I am in no way defending the insurance companies but they are just making a risk assessment - if I go to a country where medical costs are high (like Costa Rica which has American style health charges), they don't want to get lumbered with paying huge hospital fees. I know it seems unfair but they are not thinking of us as individuals, they are just calculating how likely we are to cost them money.

Anyway, do check if you actually need insurance including cancer cover because excluding the cancer might be the way forward.

Best wishes

Mary

Yes it is iniquitous. My suggestion is to contact the Financial Ombudsman. They are having a go at misselling insurance, but that it mostly for loan cover. Actually, they work differently from the Small Claims Court, but they negotiate on your behalf. You could put in a claim to them, (they acknowledge fairly promptly) then go to the insurer of your choice and tell them that you have a claim registered with the Financial Ombudsman.

You could tell the same to the QEII and ask if you can exclude your cancer as recommended above, with a letter from your oncologist saying you should be well for the period of the voyage. The FSA are well meaning, but have no teeth.

Don't let them give you the phone runaround. Make sure you do it in writing, because they are apt to promise the earth on the phone and be pretty ambiguous in writing. Ask other European companies if you can do the same voyage on a French liner, say. (On the grounds that it is more likely not to break down in the English Channel)

You need also to get at the underwriters. They employ the senile unemployable idiots passed-by-the-skin-of-the-teeth doctors some of whom still practice privately in Harley Street. Not that all Harley Street doctors are like that of course. If a doctor's specialism is rheumatology say, and they still take a fee for advising underwriters on any aspect of medicine, you could easily get bum decisions.

I couldn't get a driving licence for a while because the licensing authority doctor thought I might fall asleep at the wheel. What kind of doctor can't tell the difference between treatment controlled Hypothyroidism and untreated Narcolepsy?

If everyone with cancer demands insurance for travelling from their existing insurer and makes a claim with the Financial Ombudsman when they get a negative or extortionate quote, the companies will have to climb down. Maybe a class act against the most frequently used insurer would do the trick. When that case is won, the principle goes into English Law. A longer term action it's true, but it works in the end.

When Panorama did a programme on people reclaiming their overcharged bank charges, so many people claimed, that the banks had to repay some of their charges. The principle isn't established yet, but it will be eventually.

Good luck with your efforts.

Ruth

Well done Shiarz, this is a very sore subject with most cancer patients, my husband cannot get travel insurance due to cancer, and we gave up looking in the end, the insurance was more than the holiday, we just stay in the UK now, not what we want , but it is the only thing we can afford, Have you thought about starting an online petition on the 10 Downing Street website? might help, we will sign , having just gone through the media hype to get funding for a cancer drug, I know what you are going through and it really does help to highlight the situation.
Good Luck in your quest, if you need help just post it on this site
Steffy

Hi everyone, I dont know if this is of any help but i am going to Greece in September, i finished my last lot of treatment 2 weeks ago, i am insured with HSBC, they will only insure me for anything exept cancer related problems. I recently spoke to someone and she said try Insure Pink they will insure you if you have finished treatment for at least 1 month and will cost around £50. Then a friend suggested getting intouch with the NHS (the card that is your E111) you get the form from the post office, I phoned them today (phone no 0207210 4850) and they said that if you are taken ill with either a new illness or existing one such as cancer, that as long as you go to a state hospital and not a private one you will be covered, they will either send the bill to your home address and you send it to Newcastle and they will pay the bill or they may want you to pay and you then send the receipts to Newcastle and they will refund all money paid out.I made a point of saying "does that mean if i still have cancer i will be covered" he said yes providing you go to a hospital. Hope this is of some help, the only problem is that it only covers you for europe. The other thing i am doing is getting antibiotics from my doctor before i go then if i do get stung on my arm or any infection i will already have the medicine and wont have to worry about lymphodemia (prob spelt that wrong). Hope anyone that is going away haves a great and trouble free holiday, we all certainly deserve a break. many hugs to everyone, love carol2

Hi - Know the feeling about getting travel insurance for cancer paients but on my last trip to USA April 2008 (having had cancer twice and last chemo 2007)and before my diagnosis of terminal cancer July 2008 i managed to get insurance with Insure Genie which was excluding the cancer cover but would insure me for any other reason baggage etc and including accidents. The cost was the cheapest i had ever had before and no excess was payable. It cost me more for my husband. I have not tried to get any insurance since my diagnosis this month but will shortly be trying again as i plan to do more travelling abroad later in year, so will inform you if any extra costs are quoted.
It is a rip off by insurance companies as cancer patients always travel with any medication and also with doctor permission. There are many more persons with 'diseases' (term used loosly)diabetes etc that can have more serious and urgent consequences who get cover easier.

As many of you will know from my blog 'Terminal Diagnosis- OK I'm off to Florida then!' I went abroad within 2 days of completing a short course of radiotherapy. I rang all the above mentioned insurance companies - out of whom only 2 were prepared to insure me at all! One company said they would insure me - then faxed my oncologist for some information - and upon receipt promptley withdrew the offer!! I went with All Clear who made the lowest quote for medical cover but it was over £2,000 pounds. I am not a millionaire but have a very lovey brother and Mum who saw the trip as a holiday of a lifetime for me and the girls. Ironically I was ill when I was out there but I was so frightened that if I went to the Doctors that they would say I couldn't fly home I didnt go to the Doctors! However in USA no insurance would have been complete madness. In future I will probably holiday in Europe and use my EHIC card! But I do beleive that we are given a rough deal as cancer patients. Advise to anyone seeking insurance - be prepared to answer some difficult questions - most insurance companies work through a standard list of questions including are you terminal? Have you been given a life expectancy? How far can you walk without getting breathless etc - after repeating this to 16 companies you NEED a holiday! Jools x

She works in a loss assessor's office. She tells me that her diabetic husband can't get any insurance, except to drive a car. No house insurance, no mortgage cover, no nothing.

If someone wanted to go to the US, could they get American company insurance?

I have annual travel insurance with my Bank account. I haven't asked them about it lately, because I am happy to stay in the UK. But they paid up on the insurance for my loan account, so I don't know. I tend not to be away for more than a few days, so if I ask them in advance of going to Western Europe whether they would cover me for a new illness, it would be interesting to hear their reply. Since the insurance started before I had cancer, and I have not had occasion to claim on it, who knows? I wouldn't want to go overseas if I thought there was the slightest chance of being ill and having to be repatriated, or treated there, and in that I would be in good company with the rest of the travelling population.

I have secondaries from breast cancer and obtaining travel insurance has always been a bug bear of mine because of the cost.

The High Street companies just aren't interested and some of those that claim they cover cancer insist you are not in active treatment.

One of the worst is InsurePink as I emailed the lady who set it up (having had breast cancer herself) and I asked her about secondaries - they will only cover if you're not in treatment and it's only spread to one other area!!! So much for her understanding of the disease......

However, a couple of years ago I found a really good insurance company called miaonline and although I've been on chemo constantly since Sept 2006 they don't penalise me for this. The drawback (for some people although it hasn't been a problem for me) is that you can only book it 2 months prior to going on holiday. You don't need a letter from your oncologist but you do need to clear it with them and for them to record it in your file in case a claim is needed.

I have just come back from the South of France for £44.50 for a fortnight - unfortunately they're not able to offer insurance to the USA yet but there are loads of other places they do cover.

Hope this helps. I've yet to find annual insurance though - Aberdeen Insurance used to but this has been withdrawn for some reason.

Sheena

We obtained travel insurance from SAGA (providing you are over 50)with full medical cover. The cost for ten days in austria or Italy was £83.00. They want a complete breakdown of your medical history, but provided full cover. I have has chemo, masectomy and radiotherapy this year and am now on herceptin. There overall cover is very good. trust this will of help to many looking for insurance.

MaryE

Unfortunately Saga wouldn't cover me because I'm still on chemo even though I'm well in myself!

I have been to Europe for the last 4 years (living with secondaries) with no problems at all yet the majority of insurance companies just won't touch me so thank goodness for Mia!