Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Travel insurance conundrum - seizure

47 replies

SunSparkle · 16/07/2023 17:14

Hi

I recently had a seizure while in hospital awaiting another procedure. I have now been referred to neurology but the wait is up to 10 weeks to go too the 'first fit/seizure' clinic for investigation.

The neurologist who consulted with my main consultant at hospital (and was happy to discharge me with no investigation) can't say it isn't epilepsy (or other neuro condition) but the circumstances in which it happened indicate it could be something benign like vasovagal syncope (e.g. my blood pressure got very low, I fainted and had a seizure).

I just went to get travel insurance for a holiday I'm about to book for September and if I try and declare I'm under investigation for a condition, I can't get cover.

The likelihood of another seizure is exceptionally low.

What are my options? What would you do? Are there any insurers that allow for being on a long referral time?

OP posts:
SabrinaThwaite · 16/07/2023 17:16

Try different insurance companies? Staysure are usually good, you’ll probably get cover but with exclusions for conditions under investigation.

Qilin · 16/07/2023 17:18

There are some travel insurance companies who do insure you in these situations. You will pay more for full cover but you do need to look for a more specialised insurance company.

Qilin · 16/07/2023 17:19

My insurance is with Insure and Go. I got it first whilst under investigation and was able to get full cover, albeit with a premium fee.

MMorales · 16/07/2023 17:21

If anything at all happens to you when abroad.

The first thing the insurance company does is get your health records to see if there is anything you didnt declare that means they can avoid your cover.

MMorales · 16/07/2023 17:21

*void

Original poster
SunSparkle · 16/07/2023 20:09

Thank you all! I always take out insurance, always disclose any medical conditions but under the questions it was really hard to know what to answer as nothing seems to quite describe the situation.

Like the screening questions ask if you've received treatment for a neurological disorder (including investigation) but I haven't yet...but I might do before I go.

Thanks for the specific insurer recommendations. I normally use Cover For You so default went back to them.

Shall I just wait to get insurance until closer to my holiday in case I see the neurologist sooner and get cleared?

OP posts:
Xrays · 16/07/2023 20:15

Staysure are brilliant - I have lupus, Addisons, asthma and all sorts (and lots of hospital tests etc with results pending). If you ring them they will help you through the questions, just be as honest as you can. It cost us £85 for a week in Spain for the four of us (me, dh, and two dc).

YallaYallaaa · 16/07/2023 20:15

Don’t wait till nearer the time, that’s always a bad idea. You need to be covered from the day you book in case something stops you going (related to this condition or totally different).

Xrays · 16/07/2023 20:16

Don’t book the holiday without insurance at the same time as you won’t be able to claim if you need to cancel / they cancel etc etc.

SabrinaThwaite · 16/07/2023 20:21

We’ve used Staysure as DH has several conditions, then had to add investigations for DS and then declare that he was given the all clear. They update your policy certificate each time things change. Also had to ring their claims line to ask for advice when other DC broke a bone on a solo holiday and they were very helpful (no claim required in the end).

NeverDropYourMooncup · 16/07/2023 20:25

You can't risk not declaring it. The consequences were you to have a further seizure on holiday would be disastrous.

nether · 16/07/2023 20:30

Don't wait - you need the cover now in case of strikes (once a ballot is announced, you can't get cover against strike action)

You might have to shop around and pay considerably more for cover, but that's way better than not being covered.

Good luck, both with finding a company that will cover you and with getting to the bottom of whatever caused it!

Qilin · 16/07/2023 20:35

I would do it now based on what you currently know.
Then if anything changes you can contact them and have it amended.

Original poster
SunSparkle · 16/07/2023 20:52

@Xrays thank you for sharing your experience. I will give them a ring tomorrow and get a quote so I can get booking. £85 seems quite reasonable to be honest. I always go for a high quality insurance as otherwise it's not worth buying is it! And if the worst case scenario is that I have another seizure, that would be a huge medical bill so I need to get this right.

OP posts:
SabrinaThwaite · 16/07/2023 21:04

Don’t forget that you’ll need a GHIC card for destinations covered under that agreement.

DogInATent · 16/07/2023 22:53

+1 for Staysure. They're very good with pre-existing conditions, but are likely to put an exclusion on anything under investigation. And as per PP, don't forget your EHIC/GHIC (depending which one you qualify for).

FANCHEA · 17/07/2023 08:58

Don't use Insure and Escape.
(They are another one of these ones that do health conditions)

Original poster
SunSparkle · 17/07/2023 09:24

So StaySure will insure me but the seizure (as it's under investigation) is excluded from cover. I've had a decent quote from them (similar to my usual travel insurance supplier) but I'd like to get a quote from somewhere that might cover a seizure if it does happen.

I know that my GHIC/EHIC could cover it in Europe but that still worries me a bit. If I need an MRI or something abroad, that's going to be £££.

Will try Insure and go @Qilin .

@FANCHEA why not Insure and Escape? What happened?

OP posts:
DogInATent · 17/07/2023 09:55

@SunSparkle - you're extremely unlikely to get the seizures covered until they have been investigated and diagnosed. Undiagnosed conditions are a very bad bet for travel underwriters.

If I need an MRI or something abroad, that's going to be £££.
That's trivial. The cost you need to worry about is repatriation. That's the main reason for having travel insurance - getting home in the event you have a medical emergency.

HappyJunkie · 17/07/2023 10:13

Avoid Avanti, part of Staysure.

I always get insurance and declare everything and pay a high premium but when I had to cancel due to illness, Avanti would not pay out on a technicality, said I had not seen my GP at the beginning, I tried and tried but you cannot get a GP appointment anymore. Lost over £2000

Anyway not worth the paper its written on so I wont be trying to get insurance in the future just gonna book last minute and go.

User1864876 · 17/07/2023 10:23

I would try one the ones people have recommended on this thread and it would probably be best if you do it over the phone as you can go through everything properly with them, I would probably have a list before you ring so you don't miss anything. Sometimes doing it online some of the questions might not be that clear

Fuckstix · 17/07/2023 10:25

Look on the epilepsy society website for advice on cover. I know you're not diagnosed and hopefully it's a one off but they have a lot of info.

Sorry to say but you can't say it's likely to happen again or not for you so need to be covered in case it happens again on holiday or at the airport. I had one seizure as an adult, nothing found on investigation, a few months' gap then regular fits since.

It's cancellation, a long stay in hospital or repatriation that are the possible pricey bits.

User1864876 · 17/07/2023 10:30

I would worry about a seizure not being covered as it could have serious consequences if you say banged yourself as a result of the seizure.

MoserRothOrangeandAlmond · 17/07/2023 12:06

Stay sure travel insurance.
My husband has waited 5 months and 4 tonic clonic seizures and some partial seizures to see a neurologist in 2 weeks time. He also has a benign brain tumour.
This was for the 1st clinic so it may be a longer wait.
We got a quote covered my husband as he's as under investigation. We didn't end up going as he became poorly.

His original travel insurance is paying up as we booked it before he became poorly.

Growlybear83 · 17/07/2023 12:35

We've used InsuranceWith several times and they covered my husband who had suffered a number of sleep seizures over two or three years before he had an epilepsy diagnosis. He had a major seizure in padua in Italy but we were just asked for our EHIC cards (this was about five years ago) and all the treatment was provided free of charge, including CT scan and other investigations, but the insurance policy would have covered him if we had been somewhere else. We were very close to a major hospital and the treatment was excellent.