Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

How to get travel insurance with complex health history - frustration off the charts

17 replies

Juicecharger · 23/09/2024 17:50

Hi. Writing on behalf of my sister who is on the verge or a nervous breakdown on dealing with insurance companies and on the verge of canceling her trip to the US. She has history of significant heath problems including crohns, cancer, DVT and a mini-stroke last year. She's recovered from all of that and you'd never think she'd anything wrong at all. Calling the insurance companies is making her despair e.g. when they ask how long did her mini-stroke symptoms last and she asked them did they mean acute symptoms (which lasted only a minute) they didn't know so she had no way of answering. They want to know about every illness she's had since a child and are asking other questions that only her GP would know. She's asked for a list a questions that she could take to her GP and then come back with the answers but has been told that's not possible. She is literally at the end of her tether. If anyone on here has had a complex health history do you have any advice, or recommendations. How you've gone about it, any companies you can recommend etc? Many thanks.

OP posts:
unsync · 23/09/2024 18:08

Who has she tried so far? IME the premium is split in two, so you pay one premium for the travel part and then a second, usually more expensive premium, for the health side. Most insurers seem to prefer no hospitalisation within the last 6-12 months, and no open investigations, so if she's outside those parameters, she will struggle. I've used covered2go and staysure previously.

Juicecharger · 23/09/2024 18:25

Staysure have almost reduced her to tears. The girl she spoke to couldn't define any of the terms she was using making every question impossible to answer and then denied that they had a complaints department when my sister asked for this - she just couldn't believe that customer service could be this bad.

OP posts:
iwantsomesun · 23/09/2024 20:22

I found Staysure were awful once you wanted to inform them if any health issues.
I moved to All clear. Increase in annual costs but would cover everything.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

DazedAndKerfuddled · 23/09/2024 21:02

Juicecharger · 23/09/2024 18:25

Staysure have almost reduced her to tears. The girl she spoke to couldn't define any of the terms she was using making every question impossible to answer and then denied that they had a complaints department when my sister asked for this - she just couldn't believe that customer service could be this bad.

I have complex health issues and staysure were awful to deal with, i use coverwise now, cost me £90-ish for 10 days in the states last month, everything was covered including all existing issues

amicissimma · 23/09/2024 21:57

She could see if any of the support groups for her conditions have any suggestions.

I've heard positive reports of Avanti, insurancewith, Insure and Go, All Clear and the Post Office, but I don't know any of the details in any case. Might be worth contacting them to see what they say if she hasn't already.

IdrisElbow · 23/09/2024 22:01

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

PrinceYakimov · 23/09/2024 22:06

Hi OP. Regular online insurers aren't great for this kind of situation. She needs to go to a specialist travel insurance broker.

AnyFucker · 23/09/2024 22:11

I have Allianz insurance through my Lloyds bank account and found them very easy to deal with. I recently had to disclose some health changes and they were very helpful on the phone. No being on hold for hours either.

crockofshite · 23/09/2024 22:13

Following with interest

Chersfrozenface · 23/09/2024 22:21

Gov.uk says
"The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) has a Travel Medical Directory which has a list of specialist providers who cover serious medical conditions."

Maybe the Directory could be of help.

HerbalRefreshmentt · 23/09/2024 22:30

I have advanced cancer and not even insurewith (who I had used a few years earlier, still with cancer) would touch me with a barge pole this summer because Im on opiates (for pain well under control but not for at least 6 months) and had a hospital stay within the last 6 months (nothing to do with cancer), and about 100 other reasons. Whatever pool they are pulling from a few of the other specialty insurers were also and I think the best I got was 3,000 GBP premium from All Clear for a 14 day trip. I gave up and after some research and outside the box thinking found an in-US insurer who covered me for 'acute onset of pre-existing conditions' along with the usual suite of things you want from travel insurance (or at least I do, I make refundable reservations these days):

https://www.imglobal.com/travel-medical-insurance/patriot-travel-series

Think it came out to $160 for two weeks coverage for myself and my husband. Yes, its legit, and I believe they use Cigna's network of providers which is fairly extensive, so wherever you are going maybe have a bit of a clue as to in/out of network hospitals.

Give that a look and see if it helps!

Patriot Travel Series | Travel Medical Insurance - IMG

The Patriot Travel Series is IMG's full suite of travel medical insurance plans designed to protect both US and non-US citizens traveling internationally.

https://www.imglobal.com/travel-medical-insurance/patriot-travel-series

TravelMusings · 23/09/2024 23:02

@HerbalRefreshmentt that's quite clever!

HappiestSleeping · 23/09/2024 23:05

Unfortunately, the reality of some conditions is that travel insurance is no longer obtainable.

Aparecium · 23/09/2024 23:14

Try Avanti. They will cover pre-existing conditions. If they will only cover the non-medical aspects such as luggage and delay etc, then as a US insurer for medical cover, as HerbalRefreshmentt did.

Fizzadora · 23/09/2024 23:26

The problem with most insurance companies is that, even if you speak to someone face to face they all have the same boxes to tick on the computer so if they can't do that then you're stuffed as we found out with DH's complex issues.

Howden Insurance sorted us out for a very good price. You need to call their Farnham branch 01252 725725. We have a local branch but it's Farnham who deal with travel insurance.

Turmerictolly · 24/09/2024 07:49

.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 24/09/2024 08:17

Don't use sraysure. A friend used them and the hospital (Tenerife) woukd not accept their insurance when husband had a heart attack.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page