mum has cancer can i cancel my holiday

sparky1110_0 · 29 April 2011 at 8:21PM

my mum had cancer 2 years ago which was removed but we think it has now returned i have a holiday booked for 5 weeks time will my travel insurance allow me to cancel as i think we dont have much time with my mum what proof will ineed for them etc

victor2 · 29 April 2011 at 8:30PM

Will probably depend on the insurance company. Doubt if there's hard and fast rules for dealing with that. Best to call them and see what sort of response you get. I'm sure they'll need some sort of medical evidence to back up what you are saying, but no reason why her doctor can't provide that. With immediate blood relatives, a decent insurance company might be quite understanding. Might depend on something like it being diagnosed as terminal and could get pretty harrowing to deal with though.

HXDave · 29 April 2011 at 9:36PM

was the cancer advised to your insurance company at the time of taking the insurance out?

sorry to sound glum, but things are a lot more stringent these days, and insurance companies very very strict.

xxx Dave

Nobjocki · 29 April 2011 at 10:00PM

First of all I'm very sorry to hear about your predicament.

But I'm trying to get my head around the time frame of this.

Your mum was diagnosed with cancer and two years ago it was " removed " and now five weeks away from a holiday you " think " it has suddenly re-appeared and you don't have " much time with her. "

This all seems very sudden and whilst you might think these questions are insensitive they're exactly the questions your insurance company will ask.

And to be honest, your insurance company are the first people you should be talking to in order to get an answer to your question rather than anonymous posters on an internet forum especially as it's your first post on here.

Cancer is a bo11ocks alright but it's rare to find one so aggressive that you go ahead and book a holiday and take out travel insurance without mentioning it at the time.

budgetflyer · 29 April 2011 at 10:07PM

That tends to happen Nobjocki.
It can clear up for years, then return and spread rapido.

Nobjocki · 29 April 2011 at 10:17PM

budgetflyer wrote: »

That tends to happen Nobjocki.
It can clear up for years, then return and spread rapido.

I don't disagree but I'm still trying to understand how the OP " thinks " it has returned and she doesn't have much time with her mum.

She asked a question about what the insurance company's reaction would be and I'm trying to imagine what their response might be.

It's an unusual first post to a money saving forum you've got to admit.

dmg24 · 29 April 2011 at 11:22PM

Nobjocki wrote: »

I don't disagree but I'm still trying to understand how the OP " thinks " it has returned and she doesn't have much time with her mum.

She asked a question about what the insurance company's reaction would be and I'm trying to imagine what their response might be.

It's an unusual first post to a money saving forum you've got to admit.

Maybe mum is awaiting test results but her symptoms already give an indication of the prognosis? Does it really matter, I doubt the OP fancies discussing the finer details with strangers.

sparky, if you need any further advice feel free to ask. I hope you get more positive news soon.

Incapuppy · 30 April 2011 at 9:02AM

Very sorry to hear of your situation Sparky.

As has already been said you need to speak directly to your insurers as soon as possible. I declare PEMCs for my (non-travelling) parents (to cover the risk of having to cancel or curtail my own holiday should they fall ill) and have found that insurance companies (or their medical screening agencies) can and do vary wildly in how they judge the risk of such situations and therefore the cover offered and any loading of premiums.

With luck, you may be covered but please be aware that there is every chance that you will not be. In this case you should also speak to your travel agent (or direct with airlines/accomodation providers if you are DIY) in order to cancel or try and re-book for another date as soon as possible in order to try and minimise the amount of money you will lose as a result.

sparky1110_0 · 30 April 2011 at 1:03PM

Nobjocki wrote: »

First of all I'm very sorry to hear about your predicament.

But I'm trying to get my head around the time frame of this.

Your mum was diagnosed with cancer and two years ago it was " removed " and now five weeks away from a holiday you " think " it has suddenly re-appeared and you don't have " much time with her. "

This all seems very sudden and whilst you might think these questions are insensitive they're exactly the questions your insurance company will ask.

And to be honest, your insurance company are the first people you should be talking to in order to get an answer to your question rather than anonymous posters on an internet forum especially as it's your first post on here.

Cancer is a bo11ocks alright but it's rare to find one so aggressive that you go ahead and book a holiday and take out travel insurance without mentioning it at the time.

i am awaiting the results of the ct scan for mum she was advised 2 years ago after a lubectomy of the lung that the cancer was clear and no chemo radio needed she has had follow ups since and nothing spotted so they then see her once a year to monitior situation she has lost her voice now for 6 weeks and had steriods antibiotics and then she contacted her cancer doc as we all thought this was clear only to be told that it may be back and that it may have paralsyed the vocal cord we were at ent doc who has confirmed this yesterday the reason that i may not have mich time is i have read that this happens in late stages of cancer i am hoppoing not as i want as much time as possible with her the reason for first post was i was seeking advice is that not what these forums are for to get advice the raeson i have not contacted the insurance is that i hope i do not need to cancell and i hae it all wrong but the signs of mum are not looking good and if it short term diagnosed then 11 days away from her is a long time as it will be me who is caring for her

Incapuppy · 30 April 2011 at 1:40PM

Sparky, you really have no need to justify your personal situation to any member of this forum, in fact I would be inclined to delete your post as the information is the business of no-one on here.

I really do think that you need to speak to your insurers as soon as possible to clarify the situation with them rather than, for example, calling them the week before you are due to travel when you have already been aware of the situation regarding your Mum's health for a month.

Pollycat · 30 April 2011 at 1:45PM

Sorry to hear your sad news, Sparky.

I think the only people who can tell you if you can cancel your holiday and get your money back are the insurance company.

There are lots of different policies with different clauses so I doubt that anyone here can give you a definitive answer.

It may be that as your Mum was told her cancer was clear, the insurance company will pay up - but then again, they may say you should still have declared your Mum's illness.

Best wishes

mum has cancer can i cancel my holiday

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