Travel Insurance Cost Cutting Tips For Older Travellers/Pre-existing Conditions

BigV_2

While looking for travel insurance for my mother, I came across Right Cover where some conditions are covered as long as they are in isolation. These are:

Asthma - If no attack requiring treatment by a medical practitioner in the last 12 months.

Cataracts - If you have no ongoing complications, are not on a waiting list for an operation and have not been operated on in the last 30 days.

Diabetes - Non Insulin Dependent If you were diagnosed over 12 months ago and have not had any complications in the last 12 months. You must also have a Blood Sugar Level reading between 4 and 10.

Ear Grommets - With no current infection.

Epilepsy - If there are no underlying medical conditions and you have not required treatment by a medical practitioner for a seizure in the last 2 years.

Gastric Reflux - If the condition does not relate to another underlying diagnosis (i.e. Hernia/Gastric Ulcer).

Gout - If the gout has remained stable for more than 6 months.

Hiatus Hernia - If no surgery is planned.

Hip Replacement - If performed more than 6 months ago and less than 10 years ago.

Hypercholesterolaemia - (High Cholesterol) If you have no known heart conditions.

Hypertension - (High Blood Pressure) Only on one medication, which has not been changed (including dosage) in the last six months and you have not been hospitalised in the last 12 months.

Menopause - Provided you do not suffer from Osteoporosis.

Peptic Ulcer - If condition has remained stable for more than 6 months.

Underactive Thyroid - If not as a result of a tumour.

http://www.rightcovertravelinsurance.co.uk/existing_medical_conditions.htm

It was much better than the other ones I checked with £11 for single trip.

steve_f_5

I contacted at least 6 ins companys for travel insurance for my wife and my self my wife had a cancerious tumor removed last year and i have high blood pressure and high colestrol All companys where £1000 plus that was a yearly world wide policy some companys would not insure us but we got tesco ins at £400 i was wll pleased with that
steve.....................

portygirl

Big V,
whilst this policy will cover your mother, if anyone she is travelling with becomes ill & she has to cancel it will not cover her for subsequent cancellation if they have a pre-existing condition not on the list. I thought it would be great for my DH as he has high cholesterol but if anything happens to me ( I'm insured by another company ) relating to my pre-existing condition he would not be covered. I think we would be better with same company- more research required.

angiev_2

[My Husband had a heart attack last year and although he did not have to have a bypass or a stent I found it was nearly impossible to get an annual worldwide travel insurance for us, however I checked with Medicover after reading your advise and they covered us with no fuss at all for £200.00 this was to include his pre exsisting condition and also for ANYWHERE in the world, the staff were friendly and the paperwork came straight away, I would strongly reccomend this company.

angiev_2

Try Medici....very helpfull and no problems with pre ex conditions

BigV wrote: »

I am trying to get travel insurance for my mother. She is going to Canada for <2 weeks. She has high blood pressure controlled on 1 tablet and a cholesterol-lowering tablet (although she doesn't have high cholesterol). Does that count as a pre-existing condition?

root_of_all_evil

read the article, searched various sitea but because of pre-existing health conditions, I had to phone everyone to be screened medically, through this company--p.s.uk. I was given various quotes, some declined to insure my husband, some declined to insure both of us. Travelinsuregenie asked the most comprehensive list of questions , which I recieved a copy of in a letter. They would insure for £283 for a single trip of 21 days to europe. I declined.
I ended up choosing Columbus Direct at a cost of £68 for europe annual insurance, declaring hypertension(1 tablet) for me, hypertension (2 tablets) for my husband and a cholesterol-well-controlled. I was happy.
I wanted to be honest but I always pay for insurance and never need to claim . I feel that I am being penalised because the questions asked are too all-encompassing and are worded in a tricky way.

Engadine

My parents have been shopping around to change their travel insurance this year, a number of their pre existing conditions were not covered by direct line as they had in previous years.

Gave my dad a few numbers that had been posted on this thread and also suggested the diabetic association (he has type 2). Saga wanted £798 to cover them for a year! Diabetic association's policy covers all their pre-existing conditions for £179 for both of them, that was the best quote by far.

pennygripper

My Mum (aged 76, 4 pre existing medical conditions) was on the verge of paying £691 to Saga for cover for a trip to Canada:A . I remembered this topic on MSE and trawled round as advised. MIA online will cover her for £151.50 and was the cheapest , although both Travelbility and Medicover beat Saga by more than half. Serious savings!! Thanks so much to all who post here, and of course to :money: :j


Pennygripper

mikki-b

My mum and aunt went to Australia last year for 3 weeks. Mum is 61, with congential heart disease, pace maker and various drugs. Aunt is 81 with angina I think, but certainly some form of heart problem.
The British heart foundation has a list of insurers and they found Saga insured them both, my aunts was about £300 and mums was less than that.

Hope that helps someone.

beekay1943

I recently changed over to the above Credit Card as it was giving Cashback PLUS FREE Travel Insurance. I have checked the comprehensive booklet covering the policy details and cannot find any reference to a maximim age for the Cardholder and spouse and since I have had a kidney removed through cancer a couple of years ago, I was particularly interested in any exclusions for pre-existing medical conditions. Under "Significant and Unusual Exclusions and Limitations", it lists "trips undertaken against medical advice of a medical practitioner" and also "circumstances known to Covered Person". Notes on the former refer to "trips against the advice of a medical practitioner" ; "claims arising from HIV, AIDS or AIDS releated conditions" ; "claims arising directly or indirectly from Medical Treatment Abroad, planned or known about in advance." Notes under the latter refer to "claims arising from circumstances, which were known to the Covered Person before the start of the trip eg: travel to a country or specific area of event which the Foreign & Commonwealth Office or the World Health Organisation have advised the public not to travel to." This last exclusion would be where I would have expected the mention of any pre-existing medical conditions but there is no mention either here or in the rest of the booklet. The insurance is provided through AXA Assistance Deutschland (full adress give) and I suppose that if I were to write to them just prior to my holiday advising them of my pre-existing medical conditions, then I would probably be covered. Any comments from other readers?