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Original poster

Booked a holiday - now can't get travel insurance!

28 replies

saintshar · 01/03/2005 22:47

HELP

I booked a holday, but didn't take the travel insurance out at the time as it is a total rip-off, and decided to shop around at a later date.

Trouble is, i have what they call 'a pre-existing medical condition.' I was treated for early cervical cancer in October, and though the treatment was successful, I have to be checked up ever six Months at the hospital.

So after looking online, and phoning quite a few insurance companies, most wont touch me with a 'barge pole' as one not very nice insurance man told me on the phone earlier....charming!

He did also say that there are some that specialise in this - but i can't seem to find any information anywhere.

Does any one have any ideas please?

OP posts:
hatsoff · 01/03/2005 22:52

saintshar - are you sure you have understood them correctly - I too have a pre-existing medical condition - what this usually means is that I can get cover for anything else but not the condition. ie If I ended up needing treatment for my condition I would have to pay for it myself, but everything else is covered. (faced with the choice of taking this risk or never again leaving the country, I take the risk)Check out the Cancer charities' websites - they might be able to help.

hoxtonchick · 01/03/2005 22:52

have you tried lloyds bank? i have diabetes & high blood pressure which shoots the premiums through the roof for most people. i happen to bank with lloyds so rang them on the off chance & 2 pre-existing medical conditions didn't make any difference at all to the premium. and even being pregnant didn't make a difference. if you look at their website here it gives you the number to call.

hoxtonchick · 01/03/2005 22:52

oh, & following on from hatsoff's answer, i was covered for both of them too.

Surfermum · 01/03/2005 23:02

What about going into an insurance brokers? They might know the insurance companies that would cover you.

How sympathetic of the "not very nice insurance man"! I wonder though if he doesn't understand about early cervical cancer and its treatment, hence his comment.

Original poster
saintshar · 01/03/2005 23:04

No hatsoff, he did say that they wouldn't cover me at all, they said they don't cover anyone with any conditions, their policy. (this was Endsliegh (sp)) as did another.

I have found one online that would cover me, but was very expensive. I wondered if anyone had any ideas on here to save me spending another 4 hrs looking!

Thanks hoxtonchick, i will take a look at that.

OP posts:
80sMum · 01/03/2005 23:07

I would also recommned you go through a broker. Let them do all the leg work and phoning around for you.

Original poster
saintshar · 01/03/2005 23:12

Do you know if you pay to use an insurance broker, and how to find one?

Sorry for all the questions!

OP posts:
tiredemma · 02/03/2005 10:40

there is a company called MEDISURE, they will insure you but it may be expensive.
sorry cant do links but they will be on internet

Sponge · 02/03/2005 11:04

My husband is a tour operator and they use Fogg Travel who will cover people with pre-existing conditions although as hatsoff has said the cover may not include the condition itself and it may change the premium. We've always found them to be very good and although the premiums are not the cheapest the cover is very comprehensive.

littlemissbossy · 02/03/2005 11:12

saintshar, here is a list of specialist insurance companies that deal with insuring cancer-related patients HTH

Prettybird · 02/03/2005 11:19

Atals Direct say "are able to cover the vast majority of pre-existing medical conditions under our various policies without an additional premium loading, however, some conditions may excluded or require payment of an additional premium. If you have a medical condition for which you require cover we will need to discuss this with you so please telephone us on 0870 787 6683 between 09:30 and 17:30 hours, Monday to Saturday"

Why not give them a call?

spacedonkey · 02/03/2005 11:21

where are you going ss? if it's within the EU an E111 will cover you

JanH · 02/03/2005 11:21

saintshar, I have to get one of these policies, I'll see if I can find the documents and tell you who mine was with.

JanH · 02/03/2005 11:23

donk, you can't get any travel insurance with a pre-existing condition - not just for health - unless you declare it and pay a huge premium. (If you risk it and then need to claim for eg lost luggage the policy is void if they find out. Seems mad to me but it's how they work.)

Ours for 4 of us for 12 days in Spain was £95 where a bog-standard Post Office one would have been about £15.

spacedonkey · 02/03/2005 11:26

but within the EU the E111 will at least cover you for medical treatment won't it

JanH · 02/03/2005 11:28

Mine was with Freedom, which is mentioned in lmb's list. 0870 774 3760. We didn't go away until late October but I took the policy out in Apr (when I was booking flights etc) so that we were covered for cancellations etc from that point.

JanH · 02/03/2005 11:29

Oh, yes, the E111 is OK for that, but it's all the other holiday cover, which has nothing to do with health, that you can't get.

spacedonkey · 02/03/2005 11:30

How ridiculous - as if you're more likely to lose your luggage if you have a pre-existing medical condition!

mrsflowerpot · 02/03/2005 11:33

The E111 will give you the same right to health care as citizens of that EU country, IIRC. Ie, you may have to shell out up front and then claim back costs in some cases. What it won't cover is repatriation if necessary, which is what can be astronomical, eg if you needed medical assistance on the journey, extra seats on the plane and so on. It's really worth having a good look around for an insurer.

JanH · 02/03/2005 11:34

Sponge's Fogg one looks good, saintshar - you can have normal travel insurance apparently, it just excludes pre-existing conditions. (But it does mean that eg if you had to cancel because you suddenly needed treatment for something connected with the pre-existing condition you wouldn't get anything back).

Original poster
saintshar · 02/03/2005 11:45

Thanks for all the info everyone.

JanH is right, and I have to have travel insurance - it's a condition with the holiday company I booked with (Thomson.)

I has thought about just relying on the E111 for myself and getting holiday insurance for the rest of the family, but I can't.

I seriously didn't think it would be so difficult and expensive to get insurance. The likely-hood if anything happening to do with my condition when I am away is almost 0 - but that doesn't seem to matter!

The only reason I found out about this is because I am a stickler for reading the small-print on everything. I have spoken to a few people over the last few days - one is my Dad who is diabetic, and another who has DD who hsa astma. Both didn't tell their insurance companies up-front about their conditions - because they didn't realise that they had to.

They could have been in serious trouble if anything had happened whilst abroad!

OP posts:
crunchie · 02/03/2005 11:58

When we got travel insurance, just like you we didn't disclose that Dh was on medication for depression. We were never asked and didn't realise we had to (Until we called Norwich Union who actually asked a direct question before quoting us). We were lucky in that when we went away we did need to make a claim, but at no point were we ever asked about medicaltion (and this was a medical claim!) and we got back everything.

Personally I think Travel insurance companies should ask this question as I know we are risking it a bit!!

Hulababy · 02/03/2005 12:15

After a rcmmendation on MN we use Direct Travel .

PILs have also used it this year and both have pre exisiting medical conditions. FIL had cancer several years ago, he has no spleen, and he also has had a new hip. MIL has angina (sp?) and back problems. They had to phone up, rather than book on line and it was a little more expensive than our quote - but they did accept them.

nappybaglady · 02/03/2005 12:23

haven't read all replies so sorry if this is a repeat. Have you tried post office. They cover my MIL who has quite bad lung disease

enjoy your hol

Original poster
saintshar · 02/03/2005 19:02

Just wanted to thank you all for your advice, I have finaly sorted it out!

I used the one Hulababy gave a link to - Direct Travel. They have covered my condition, I phoned and checked. Also it had the best cover out of any I have checked so far - and I couldn't believe the price.......£29 for a family of 4 for an 11 night holiday!!

So as well as having the best cover, it was also the cheapest by far.

(I am pleased, can you tell?!)

Thanks again everyone, i new mumsnet would sort me out!

OP posts: