Travel insurance with cancer

[Gogodonu]

I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and had a lumpectomy and one lymp node removal on Friday. Tumour is grade 3, will be having radiotherapy and hormone tablets starting next month. Im due to go to Florida to celebrate my 40th birthday next Friday, which will be 14 days post surgery. I have just tried to get insurance with insurewith but they wouldnt cover me,does anyone have any other recommendations?

I couldn’t get anyone to cover me while I was still in active treatment, and I very much doubt anyone will touch you at 14 days post surgery I’m afraid. I went to Spain 5 weeks post op (massive op, abdominal hysterectomy) so I could get a break before chemo and I risked it unisnsured. I wouldn’t recommend that for the states 😞

AllClear, Insure With and the post office are the ones bandied around, I heard the post office can exclude certain conditions but they said no when I asked.

When my DP was suffering from Stage 4 cancer, we looked into a trip to New York for a week. The ''cheapest' medical insurance we could find (through a specialist broker) was over £10,000. That was 8 years ago, but I doubt if it's gone down.

Is that insurance with? They have
covered my Dad who is stage 4 and receiving chemotherapy.

Im assuming it’s the recent surgery that’s declining it, do you not have any insurance with a bank or anything to look at rearranging it for a few weeks time? Unfortunately many insurers will exclude anything cancer related which given the surgery you may not want to risk in the states.

there’s a page on a few of the cancer sites that list some of the insurers, I’ll try and find the link.

Macmillan gave us a list of providers to try after DH had his treatment & I think it was through Boots, but I'm not sure (was about £350 for a week in Europe). He now has a terminal diagnosis & we couldn't get insurance to go long distance (not US).

And I really wouldn't recommend going to the US without insurance.

I had treatment for stage 2 bc two years ago (gosh, that's gone quickly) and still can't get travel insurance that costs less than a holiday.

So ds is going skiing with the school this year, and on gcse field trips so he won't miss out, and then we'll summer holiday in the U.K.

You may get insurance that excludes cancer, you are unlikely to have a cancer episode that will require treatment. T he surgery may be a risk DVT.

Try Able To Travel

Also Aviva will cover some cancers.
The problem is possibly that you are so recently post-operative, and will be starting other treatments.

your diagnosis is since you booked, your existing insurer should pay out in full.

I know it's a blow to lose a holiday, especially during tough times, but rescheduling for after the anticipated end of active treatment might be the best plan. And use your booked holiday time from Friday to go somewhere else, ideally within UK or certainly short-haul.

and wishing you all the best for uneventful treatment and a good outcome

Try StaySure

Maggie’s and Macmillan can provide a list of specialist insurers to try. I was also advised that it’s better to phone rather than go through their websites.

On a slightly different note, what does your oncologist say? Two weeks post-op is not much, and you’d probably be in discomfort as well as at heightened risk of eg blood clots. Do you have travel (rather than health) insurance and would you get your money back if you have to cancel?

Bastard cancer. It takes over your live in all sorts of ways. I hope you have a fabulous birthday whatever you end up doing, and wish you well for your recovery.

The question is about tavel insurance, so I'm assuming the OP doesn't have any.

I am so sorry about your situation. DH has used StaySure following his cancer diagnosis. It isn’t cheap but it isn’t extortionate.

However I also wonder whether your surgeon has approved your plans? This sounds very quick to be flying after surgery. Are blood clots not a risk?

My mil is currently receiving treatment for leukaemia and is just back from a holiday abroad.
She got her insurance through the Maggie centre. She was £370 for a 2 week trip.

Make sure you have enough pain relief but also look for your nearest hospital or dr surgery when you're away should you run out or need something stronger.

Are you be on warfarin or warfarin equivalent after surgery for clots? Ask for a prescription to cover you for your flight.

I have used Staysure. They have covered me for everything but I haven't had recent surgery.

Saga are good for pre-existing conditions. good luck.

Mil uses saga, but that is very soon to be flying post surgery, i wow old assume that's the issue.

Not necessarily

Of the original insurance doesn’t cover cancer, then it will pay out.

But if OP really wants to go on holiday, then she needs an additional one that does

"I have just tried to get insurance"
Not:
"I have insurance but need to change it"

hopefully the OP did take out insurance at the time of booking, and even if that insurance won't cover her to travel now, it should hopefully pay out for not being able to travel

@Gogodonu I tried to get insurance with "insurance with" 2 weeks after a lumpectomy, but they wouldn't do it - they said they advised strongly against travel, but if I HAD to, then there were other insurance companies. I don't know who they were, but maybe go back to "insurance with" and ask if they can recommend anyone

We had a short haul holiday a week later than planned, so three weeks post op. That was with "insurance with", although I think they want a longer wait before long haul.

The insurance broker I spoke to told me I would be unlikely to be able to enjoy my holiday much, 2 weeks post op, and it would be better to wait another week anyway.

They were right.

So I would suggest you postpone at least one week, possibly two, and if you took out insurance when you booked, they should cover the cost of postponing, even if they won't cover you for travel now.

If you didn't take out insurance at the time, then you will have to cover the cost of postponing, but hopefully you will still be able to go on your holiday and have a nice time

Good luck