what insurance for europe post heart failure (last July, now resolved) please?

[pinkingshears]

My son went into post covid heart failure last July. He was offically out of it after 5 days but the Myocarditis which led to it, and then POTS have taken longer to make progress. He is on a beta blocker still.

I am desperate to take him away for a break. We were 5 days away from our first foreign holiday when he became ill (aged 19). I am desperate to go now.
Can anyone advise re insurance please?

All clear were expensive but covered my parents with a variety of ailments.

thank you @HollidaySunshine
do the others (me, Dd aged 18) also need insurance too?
hoping to arrange a trip myself rather than travel agents but not sure how to go about it?

I used a local company (Howdens) who put me in touch with their office down south somewhere. It was all done over the phone so I was very confident that everything was covered and very reasonable too.

Yes you’ll all need insurance, it’s not worth the risk of travelling without it. You could get a policy for you and your DD and a separate one for your DS, or ask a company if they’ll do a family policy for all of you. If you look on somewhere like compare the market it’ll let you put in existing conditions then give you quotes

I don’t have a heart condition but do have various others and always use staysure.

Sorry I failed completely to mention my DS (29). He has Brugada syndrome and has an ICD. He can get cover from staysure. (Can’t believe I forgot about that)!

Dd has a lot of health problems and we use stay sure. They were helpful when she was admitted to hospital on holiday a bit ago.

Yes, you all need insurance. Declare everything. I have major health issues and Admiral have been best for me.

Thanks everyone ! One complication is that it's not 100% if he has POTS or not (1 Dr says yes, one says No) & heart issues are 'not ongoing buyt stay on betablockers so a bit difficult re forms. I guess I over rather than under state it?

Your problem will be if it’s still counted as “undergoing investigations “. It will be better to have a diagnosis of POTS than to be having investigations. One of DD’s health issues is POTS btw. Have you looked on the nhs app to see what it says in the diagnosis/medical conditions bit there? POTS adds minimal extra to the cost, they tend to ask if you’ve been admitted to hospital due to it in the last year….dd never has been so we’ve always said no so I don’t think they’re too bothered. It’s the other issues which bang her prices up!

If your main issue is medical treatment should things flare up while you're away then your son's GHIC will cover him for that within Europe. Of course, it won't cover expenses such as having to cancel if it flares up before you travel, but it might be better than nothing if you can't get insurance at all.

Staysure is a good bet, they cover my parents. It may be cheaper to go else where for the rest of you if you don’t have any health conditions, should be pretty cheap

Can I just point out that if you just have a ghic card you may still be liable for some costs in Europe if you don’t have insurance. It just puts you in the same position as a native of that country, some EU countries their citizens will still pay a contribution towards hospital or medical treatment.

Plus if you need repatriation then the ghic won’t pay for that! I got medically repatriated from France once, would have been expensive without insurance!

I had POTs from Covid although not the heart failure and am now on a concoction of meds including b blockers. I’m a lot older and got mine with Admiral. I did overstate my medical issues tbh. For DP and myself it was about £250 for the year…hope he’s feeling better, it really is an awful illness 💐

@Rivypike - thanks this is helpful. I am sorry to hear that you have been ill too.
Our experience is almost the opposite - 'too young to have had a heart attack' (he didn't but they didn't know that and treated him for one anyway as Troponin was 5.5K and rising) 'too young to treat your high cholesterol' etc.So, apart from telling him 'not to drink too much like students do' (he doesn't drink, smoke, do drugs, eat sugar, eat processed foods etc) they simply say 'health anxiety' and ignore. It's been pretty awful. I am desperate to get him away so that he can begin to experience himself as other than 'poorly person stuck at home'.

@CamillaMacauley thanks. I think Ds needs separate insurance but Dd and I need some too. Do we then ALSO need a GHIC card do you know please?

Do we then ALSO need a GHIC card do you know please?

Most if not all insurance companies I've tried insist that you have a GHIC so that it covers at least some things, reducing the insurer's exposure to costs.

Edit, spelling

GHIC cards now received (very quick service).
Talking Ds into travelling (therefore insurance being necessary) a longer effort.