Cancer and travel insurance

[24hoursfromtulsa]

Hello, just wondered if anyone could help with this?

I want to book travel insurance (EU only) and my husband has secondary cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. His consultant has told him verbally that it's fine to travel.

I know that there are some travel insurance companies who do provide travel insurance for people with cancer, albeit at a more expensive price, but just wondered if anyone here had any recent experiences. It would be good to hear about a company which is reasonably priced, and not too stressful to deal with.

insurance with

they were the only ones I found reasonably priced. Hope you have a good trip

We here in the UK are still eligible for free medical care in most parts of Europe you just need to apply for a GMIC card.

I wouldn't trust insurers to pay out to be honest - they'll do anything to wiggle out of it.

GHIC only covers primary care on same basis as locals. Many countries will charge above this, hence some insurance is better than none, ideally covering preexisting conditions.

staysure covers persisting conditions and have always been great when I've had to contact them

Second Insure With - they are a cancer-specific travel insurance provider. I have secondary breast cancer and they insured me for a year, globally (except I think for some random places, but including the US), and my partner for about 450 gbp. They also do single trip insurance. Very easy to deal with direct online, although the questionnaire will be long!

However, if you are just going to the EU then check into that other option listed above as well.

Insure With covered my MIL when she had terminal cancer, and though of course they needed a lot of details it was surprisingly reasonable and would have covered medivac back to the Uk if she needed it plus fils costs if he had to stay with her

I've used Fish Insurance. They cover all kinds of medical issues but I don't know specifically about cancer. best to call.

Great, thanks everyone, lots of useful info.

I have applied for our new GHIC cards and appreciate that they cover a lot of things, but would really like to get insurance as well if possible, in case of medical evacuation etc.

DH has a PICC line as part of his treatment, so that makes complications more likely unfortunately.

Also had to inject blood thinners daily, so I've been told to allow an extra half an hour to get through security with the syringes in our hand luggage!

insurance With covered me for picc lines and central lines and it didn’t make a difference to my cover. I still use them now 7 years into remission with post transplant complications, every year I have to put aside an hour or so to run through every medical procedure, medication etc but I never worry about the level of cover given how thorough they are.

airports are generally more relaxed re: needles than you’d imagine as millions of people carry the, for various ailments. I’ve mentioned it at check in previously when I was doing regular GCSF injections particularly as I was carrying a sharps bin but neither check in nor security were concerned

as I said in my previous post, I hope you have a great holiday, sounds like you and your husband really deserve it. Travelling when you’re poorly is hard work but the reward is so worth it, stepping out of “ill” life even for a few days makes the world of difference

@Cinnamon35

Thanks, that's very useful to know.

And thanks for the good wishes. My DH is originally from an EU country so we are hoping to travel there to see family and friends. He hasn't seen his Mum in nearly 2 years - we were going to go last summer but this time last year his original cancer was found and then operated on so we couldn't travel.

Thankfully our recent consultant meeting showed that the chemo is working well against the secondary cancers in his liver. Trying to stay positive but also realistic so it's important for us to make this trip while he's still feeling reasonably well.

This isn’t actually true. I work in travel insurance and if someone has declared their pre-existing conditions correctly then of course we will cover them because it’s been rated correctly. Declined cases make up about 4% of all cases - the vast, vast majority are covered.

OP I would try and do it over the phone if you can so someone can guide you through all the necessary questions rather than doing it online.

Sending best wishes for a trouble-free trip.

@24hoursfromtulsa Actually, its better you are travelling this year - Insure With was closed to new customers last year as they were recalibrating (or something) and I think Stay Sure was the only option who would cover cancer as a pre-existing condition and writing new policies. The rates were INSANE - like I think they wanted 2K for our 10-day trip to the US alone, never mind an annual policy. I finally found a US-based insurer who would cover my pre-existing conditions within the US for $110, but really that was more in case I got in a car accident rather than my cancer going off the rails.

Ive noticed everything is much more in line with reality this year, and was so happy to see InsureWith were taking new customers again.

I found MediSafe excellent when I had breast cancer

@herbalrefreshment

Thanks, again that's good to know.

I haven't called anyone yet as we're still waiting for DH's work to confirm his leave.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

Thanks for all the recommendations.

Just to say, I've had a rudbbish experience with Insurance With today.

Firstly, after taking lots of details the first advisor said she got an error on the screen and said she would call back in a few minutes. After an hour she hadn't called back so I called again. Went through a million health questions with the next person, only to be told that they could not offer my husband any insurance cover.

I'll try Staysure tomorrow. Medi safe are no good as their website says you have to be under 54.

All Clear are another insurance company that cover pre existing medical conditions. i dont know if they specifically cover cancer but they are worth a look. I use them a si have a complicated lot of medical conditions and although ive made no claims, i cant fault the level of cover i had when ive been abroad

My husband uses all clear and been happy with them though thankfully never had to claim

I had a terrible experience with insurance with. They required really detailed information about the cancer and then said they couldn't insure me. I used All clear in the end and they were quite reasonable.

Hello OP

I’m sorry you had no luck today
here are a few more to try- keep in mind that the list may be out of date, as I haven’t checked them for a while…

insure cancer
able 2 travel
pulse insurance
all clear
good 2 go
manor insurance
freedom Travel insurance
enable travel insurance
endsleigh

I haven’t personally used any of the above so can’t vouch for them, but it may narrow your search down a bit ❤️
I hope you have a lovely holiday

Thanks everyone

I'm feeling a bit battered by it all today, they asked so many questions really stupid ones at times (I know theyre reading from a script, but still…)

I know I shouldn't take it personally, but I was so depressed after the call, it felt like they were telling me my husband is too sick to travel, when he's not really he's just on ongoing chemotherapy and has to inject himself daily with blood thinners because of his PICC line and blood clots.

I wonder if it was the blood thinners/blood clot thing that made them say no?

We just want to go and see his family for a few days, without being scared of being a bankrupted if something goes wrong.

But thanks again, I'll have another look at the list in the morning and brace myself to make another call or two.

Cancer Research UK have some alternative suggestions such as using an insurance broker or the Money Advice Service to find an insurer who will cover you: www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/practically/travelling-with-cancer/travel-insurance/getting-travel-insurance

Good luck

Thanks again.

Will give it another look in the morning.

Also wondering if it's because (why we were turned down I mean) he has secondary cancer now....

I guess it's one of those big ironies, when you need travel insurance the most is when you find it most difficult to get.

I can’t believe they turned you down! I know you probably won’t want to, but I’d be tempted to ring again tomorrow, just to double check why.

We have always used them. DH has a port, secondaries, and was on a clinical trial at one stage, and still covered. The only difference is blood thinners, as he only injects once 3 days after chemo. He renewed our policy in March.

Im so sorry you are finding it difficult.

Unfortunately all the specialty insurers go off the same set of questions to assess risk. I did mine online and they do tend to make you feel like you are on your last legs when that may not be the case at all. I have bone mets and had just finished radiation and surgery, including radiation to my mets and I was able to get coverage. Last year I went through this process and no one would insure me, even though the cancer was in a more stable place, the exception being Stay Sure. I wondered then if it had to do with risk pools and business management more than my actual health state - as in, they already had too many people with my risk profile and couldnt take on more.

Have you tried Staysure? My mum doesn't have cancer but does have various conditions (that don't affect travel at all!) which make it more complicated for her to get insurance and she also said they asked a load of stupid questions. But they covered her.

We went to Denmark for a few days. Insurance for me: £5. Insurance for my mum £150. My mum is no more likely to lose her suitcase, get run over or have her flight cancelled than I am. It is ludicrous that you can't decouple the health insurance excluding accidents from the rest, and just pay for the rest.