Travelling at 26 weeks expecting twins- holiday Insurance

[hutchy200]

Hi guys apologies for my first post being a plea for help. Basically I'm hoping to travel to the USA for a week with my OH in 10 days time. I'll be 25w + 6 expecting twins when I go.
I feel fine currently and expect to when I go. The big problem is I cannot find anywhere that will cover premature delivery as part of travel insurance within 14 weeks of expected due date. I don't really want to be out there panicking about being bankrupted in one fell swoop at American health care costs should I go in to labour.
Has anybody found a company who will cover a little later?
The holiday is paid for and non refundable at pretty damn big cost so far :(
Any help appreciated

I wouldn't risk it OP.

www.holidaysafe.co.uk/holiday-insurance/pregnancy-holiday-insurance.html

Why did you not book travel insurance at the time of booking the holiday? You are right, it is very difficult to find an insurer to cover your circumstances, particularly for the US, where premature delivery and care costs can be huge. Do you absolutely have to go on his holiday? If not refundable, is there any chance of postponing it to a later date (tbh, given that you will have twins soon I'm not sure when it would be better to go but possibly better than cancelling altogether!). If it was me, I wouldn't go, sorry.

The holiday was booked 8 months ago when there was no sign of me being pregnant or heading away anywhere else until now. thanks for the holiday safe link, they are the closest to covering me and are going to get back to me, on their site they cover until 26 weeks, I'll be 26+ 6 when we come home

Getting fully appropriate cover could cost almost as much as paying for an equivalent holiday when not pregnant.

You also need to make sure that all health care of your two babies get covered too if they are born while you are out there. Many basic premiums only cover the health care of the mother leaving a premature baby hninsured. Given that X2 premature baby care would be likely to be hundreds of thousands of dollars and the risks are significant the premium is going to be massive if you do find a company willing to insure you.

I wouldn't go. You'll enjoy the holiday much more in a few years time when not pregnant.

I wouldn't go either I'm afraid.

i had twins last year and one ended up transverse from about 28 weeks and what ever way she was lying ontop she was right under my to cage and used to squash my aorta do if just randomly pass out with low blood pressure... Would not want to be dealing with that on a long haul flight let alone any of the possible financial implications of preterm labour in the states!

Also be aware that the airlines have the right to refuse to let you fly if they are worried you are heavily pregnant. Not sure how much you're showing but you may need to get a letter from your midwife stating that they have deemed it safe for you to fly, if you do decide to go.

I think you guys need a good read at typical T&Cs from these sharks. I'm yet to read one (of the dozens I have had the pleasure of reading this week) that would have allowed me to cancel due to "normal pregnancy" as they so smugly inform me that pregnancy is not an illness.
Wouldn't have matter when I'd booked, they wouldn't have been fitting the bill for premature delivery or cancellation.

Hutchy - we are all giving advice following recent major news stories when babies have been born early overseas without the parent taking on travel insurance, many of these were single babies born really early however with twins it is expected you will deliver early.

I would have thought you would have looked into travel insurance way before the 10 days before you fly.

Have a look at 'world first' travel. They cover up to 28 weeks including multiple

I know that, but what I'm saying is that at no point would I have been refunded for cancelling my holiday due to pregnancy. Nor at any point would any of the standard companies covered early delivery so it really wouldn't have mattered when I'd booked insurance.
Thanks for the above tip I'll check it out.
In case anybody searches for this in a similar spot "good to go" have a pregnancy policy and the wording of the policy appears to be ok for my situation.

Just to follow up on the advice to get a note from the GP. I'm flying at 29 weeks the Canaries and the airline were very specific that I wouldn't be allowed to fly without a Drs note written within 10 days of the date of the outward flight. They also gave the husband a bit of a grilling when he phoned up to inform them I'd be flying pregnant (wanted to know about any potential complications etc).
It's hard to predict how you're going to feel in 10 days time. I felt great 10 days ago but since then have developed pelvic and back pain which can at times take my breath away and makes sitting down for long spells very uncomfortable. I guess I'm just saying to keep an open mind and hopefully it'll all fall into place :-)

Insure & Go cover premature birth up to 32 weeks. I flew to the US at 22 weeks and home at 24 weeks.

Your problem could be whether or not the airline accept you with twins. When I flew with Virgin I had to confirm that I had a single uncomplicated pregnancy - but I think the final cut off for twins is 32 weeks and 36 wks for a single baby.

Talk to insure & go and talk to your airline

So let's say the worst happens: you have a premature twin birth in the United States, and receive a gigantic bill you have no way to pay off.

What's stopping you from simply ... not paying it off? Happens all the time in U.S. hospitals (I am an American). Typically the hospital will eventually impact your credit score, but I doubt they can do that if you live abroad. If you're not an American, I doubt it'd affect your life at all to simply never pay this bill--eventually the hospital will write it off, as they write off MANY bills from people who disappear rather than pay.

womb but if she left the States owing a massive debt wouldn't it mean she could never enter the country again? My US friend lived in the UK for years then went back home owing thousands, she has never been chased down but said she knows she can never try to re-enter the UK!

clarification in case it wasn't clear - I meant OP might never be able visit the US again if she owed a huge debt, obviously she would be allowed back home :)

No one does any "chasing down" ... the most they'd do is send you a bill, and that's if you LIVE in the states. We won't send you to debtor's prison; there won't be warrants out for your arrest! You would have a very bad credit rating if you ever decided to get a mortgage or car loan in the US, but if that is unlikely to be a concern for you in the future, I think you could rest easy.

I don't understand why you're insurance won't cover you for cancellation? With any other illness, all you do is declare everything when taking out the policy, and then just call and tell them if anything happens between insurance starting and holiday starting. Why is pregnancy different?

To be honest, I think you've left it a little late to be telling them - you must've known about this for at least 3 months?

I know you haven't specifically asked but why even risk going? Twins are more likely to be born early. The medical bill wouldn't bother me so much as having to stay in the US for at least 2 months (but as 26 weeks most likely up to 3 months and sometimes longer) until babies are fit enough for discharge. Even then if either of the babies required home oxygen, I doubt any airline would fly them back and if they would who would foot the bill?
I know I am a pessimist but I work in the industry and have seen this happen!

Ahh, so I've totally misread this (and used the wrong 'your'!).

You booked 8 months ago and didn't get insurance, then did nothing about it until now? Not a lot more can be said about mistakes already made, but I definitely wouldn't travel without insurance. A simple 'single child, full term, leave hospital on the same day' birth left my friend (married to an American with no inclination to start a family hence no childbirth insurance) with a huge billThey had a party when her daughter turned 5 as they'd finally paid for her

To be honest, I wouldn't travel at all at your stage of pregnancy, situations change quickly and I'm assuming it's your first?

You will get some of the money back, even if it's just the taxes from the flights, and most accommodation in the states is able to be cancelled until the day before in my experience. It seems a big risk and a lot of hassle for a week - I don't think it's worth it.

HI

I work for a US company and a colleague had a premature baby, within 24 hours of the birth the medical bill was at 1 MILLION dollars. that was not for twins. When people are telling you its expensive if insurance doesn't cover you - listen to them!
I had premature twins (34 weeks) I would say you need to be sure the insurance will cover you for:
-birth (c section?)
-NICU care for them both till able to fly home (likely to be in NICU until reach the age of full term i.e 37 - 40 weeks so for you at 26 weeks it would be at least 11 weeks)
-accommodation, medical care and expenses for you
-medical repatriation for the twins
-would your partner fly home and leave you and twins there (if he has to work, not many companies will give someone 3 months leave) - if so how will you manage on your own with new born premature twins in NICU in a foreign country for weeks

to be honest - you are unlikely to have an early birth at 26 weeks but if you did it would be a complete nightmare.

make sure your insurance covers everything above and more.

I personally wouldn't do it. we love holidays just took the twinnies to new York but when I was pg I didn't leave the country. I did an internal flight, my nose bled my legs swelled up it was not good - that was just for one hour!

I had DD prematurely (29 weeks) whilst living in the US - 3 month hospital stay for her - $850,000 (University hospital).

I stayed at a charity house for $25 a night next to the hospital for three months as it was so far from where we lived (not Ronald MacDonald but that sort of place).

Our costs were huge despite the charity house, food and simply existing and we lived there so had a car and knew the area. DH had to rent an apartment near where he worked as he extended his time there for five months. We were in the middle of a 1000 mile house move and all our belongings had been moved to our new home before this six month spell at the hospital.

My bill was on top of DD's - 12 weeks in hospital and a C section - wasn't cheap either!

I would not go without insurance. Of course the odds of medical repatriation are tiny generally, but not for premature babies with immature lung development. I was advised against flying in RSI season for the first two winters.

Just think about how long just getting a passport for the twins could take and the add on costs of that stay.

Poor you, having booked it before you became pregnant and now having twins what are the odds of that happening??

I bet you are really looking forward to it and would hate to waste the money spent already but I really wouldn't go in your shoes. .

Have you tried speaking to an insurance broker? They have access to multiple products and can give you advice on what would be suitable. Insurance companies generally can't give advice but brokers can.

I would recommend : www.jelfgroup.com/page/individual-services/personal-insurance

They can discuss your requirements and see if there is something suitable. It may be that you have to pay a higher premium but better to make sure you have cover. I would imagine you'll need to get a letter from your gp, and if there is a policy it may be the company need information from your doctor, but hopefully you can get some cover.

Really hope you manage to find something, such a difficult situation to be in and it would be such a shame to miss out on the holiday and money.

Good luck :)

lavendersun that's a terrifying a amount of money! How did you pay it back?! I'm assuming insurance covered it?