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Travel Insurance Cost Cutting Tips For Older Travellers/Pre-existing Conditions
Comments
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Personally, I would be sceptical.
Usually "free" travel insurance excludes existing medical conditions.
If it was me, before I booked a holiday I would be ringing them to check, and if they say "yes, you will be covered" then I would ask for it to be put in writing and specifying that "X condition is covered under this policy" or words to that effect.
Also a copy of the policy schedule would be useful so that you can see exactly what you would and would not be covered for and compare it with other policies.0 -
I got a great deal on travel insurance through Fortis I paid £56 for a year worldwide cover and that includes a pre existing medical condition (I did get a discount because of staff rate but Im sure they would not add that much more without discount) I even had the medical condition listed on the docs just to be safe.Will not spend more money
, but will spend more time looking for that great bargain!:dance:0 -
I have spent many hours getting quotes for a 2-week holiday in Majorca with my wife, daughter and grandson. We all have pre-existing medical conditions (one with a bypass and two with diabetes). The first quote I got was for £710 for all of us. This drove me to investigating other online sites and got another quote for £460. Now I have found another site (via MSE) and got a quote for £260! I answered all the near-identical medical questions as best I could on all three sites. The provisions and cover offered all look comparable - but I worry. That is an enormous range of prices. What have I missed? Is this a typical response range or is there something fishy going on?0
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Is this a typical response range or is there something fishy going on?
I would say nothing fishy going on. Just make sure that the cheaper policy offers exactly what you want and compare with the more expensive ones.
As an example what happened to us was - we had single trip European covered already arranged, cost about £96 (included us both) with Halifax. Hubby has 5 medical conditions to declare but four of them from years past and posing no problems now, one current but stable with no medication. All were covered with that policy. We asked if we could extend the policy to annual multi-trip worldwide (excluding US). No problem said Halifax, that will be an extra £800 odd oh and by the way none of your medical conditions will be included now!!!
After suggestions from folk on here we contacted Columbus, gave them the same information and asked for an annual multi-trip worldwide (excluding US) same as Halifax. They quoted about £76 (included us both) and covered ALL his medical conditions. When he asked how they could be so much cheaper they told him that they make a note of all past conditions but only take into account anything active in the last twelve months. Cover was like for like.
No brainer!0 -
I have spent many hours getting quotes for a 2-week holiday in Majorca with my wife, daughter and grandson. We all have pre-existing medical conditions (one with a bypass and two with diabetes). The first quote I got was for £710 for all of us. This drove me to investigating other online sites and got another quote for £460. Now I have found another site (via MSE) and got a quote for £260! I answered all the near-identical medical questions as best I could on all three sites. The provisions and cover offered all look comparable - but I worry. That is an enormous range of prices. What have I missed? Is this a typical response range or is there something fishy going on?
Lobro. Which insurance sites did you use? I'd be interested. Thanks.0 -
We are 71 & 72 and needed annual travel cover for Europe for up to 60 days. I read the posts here and obtained a number of quotes including Columbus & Floyds Direct. Columbus only give cover for 31 days but would insure us with our existing medical conditions. I found a number of other companies either would not cover because of the medical conditions or only give a single policy.
By chance, I noticed Sainsbury have travel insurance and obtained a quote from them. Interestingly, they will quote for annual European cover but excluding Spain & Cyprus which suited us. This brought the cost down to £188.89 for up to 60 days, which is considerably less than we paid in previous years before I developed a cardiac problem.
If you do not need cover for Spain or Cyprus, well worth checking out.0 -
I have used www.netcoverdirect.com for a couple of years and they still seem very competitive.
I checked the confused.com website and their basic product was sooo basic. Only covers medical expenses. Netcoverdirect include all the frills and are cheaper.0 -
Can anyone give me some advice on a problem I'm having. I took out insurance for my family on 5th March for a holiday to Florida in July 08.
I'm diabetic and advised them of this. For myself, husband and two boys who will be aged 16 and 12 years when we go, I was charged £97.09.
My son, now aged 11 years, has just been diagnosed as having IBS, irritable bowel syndrome. I rang them today to advise them of this, as I'd been told to inform them of anything that came up medically. They said, almost immediately, that I'd have to pay an additional £25 to have my son covered for this!
I'm amazed at how much they want to charge. He's not very ill with it, just has pains and feels sick sometimes, so why such an enormous increase?
Can anyone give me any tips on what I can do about this please?
Thanks.0 -
happyinflorida wrote: »Can anyone give me some advice on a problem I'm having. I took out insurance for my family on 5th March for a holiday to Florida in July 08.
I'm diabetic and advised them of this. For myself, husband and two boys who will be aged 16 and 12 years when we go, I was charged £97.09.
My son, now aged 11 years, has just been diagnosed as having IBS, irritable bowel syndrome. I rang them today to advise them of this, as I'd been told to inform them of anything that came up medically. They said, almost immediately, that I'd have to pay an additional £25 to have my son covered for this!
I'm amazed at how much they want to charge. He's not very ill with it, just has pains and feels sick sometimes, so why such an enormous increase?
Can anyone give me any tips on what I can do about this please?
Thanks.
I assume you're the only person that previously had a medical condition when you took out the policy?
If that is the case, and you're covered for your diabetes, it could have been a risk rated premium. As your child as been newly diagnoised with a medical condition, that increases the risk that you may have to claim.
Think in tems of car insurance - you and your husband are insured on your car, then say, your husband (hypathetically!) gets a DUI, so that increases the risk, so your premium increases.
It's just that he's a higher risk now than he was when the policy was taken out. They're not making a statement that your son is of ill health and therefore won't cover.
Also you mention that he gets pains and feels sick at times, so if he got really bad stomach pains while in Florida he may need hospital treatment which, as is common knowledge, a high cost for medical treatment in the US.
Is the £25 to cover for him for the IBS whilst on the trip, or for cancellation as well? If you didn't pay the premium of £25 then would his condition be excluded altogether including cancellation?0 -
Early this year I had a tiny (breast cancer) lump removed, plus radiotherapy, and now I'm fine with no further treatment or medication needed, and looking for a holiday somewhere warm to relax.
Will the fact that my treatment was so recent rule me out from any travel cover? Is the '1 year from surgery' rule universal?0
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