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

Ferris

i apologise in advance as i haven't had a chance to read the whole thread, and also for my ignorance but i'm very new to the whole travel insurance thing

does anyone have any experience with the free european travel insurance included with alliance and leicester premier accounts? i have had a look at the policy document, and it includes a medical declaration that features a very few specific conditions that require you to call to ensure you are covered. does this mean that other conditions not listed ARE covered?

the document states (page 3):

As far as I know, the following applies to me and anyone named
on the insurance schedule
a. Nobody is waiting for an operation, hospital consultation
(other than for regular check ups), or other hospital
treatment or investigations.
b. Nobody has ever received treatment for any of the following;
• a stroke;
• any heart problem;
• any form of cancer, leukaemia, or tumour;
• dialysis treatment; or
• a transplant
c. Nobody has received treatment, other than regular
medication, in the last 12 months for any blood disorder,
breathing problem, diabetes, psychiatric illness or dementia.
(NB supplementary oxygen is not considered as regular
medication).
d. Nobody has, within the last three months
• been seen by a specialist (other than for regular check
ups at intervals of six months or greater) or
• been admitted to a hospital overnight.
e. Nobody has been diagnosed by a registered doctor as
having a terminal condition.

am i being really stupid in thinking that this means that someone with, say, asthma or epilepsy or something else not mentioned and that can agree with the declaration WOULD be covered? i ask because i've looked at a few other companies' policies and they are a lot more restrictive (e.g. stipulating that even if you're on medication you're a risk) and this seems very generous (unless you're on the list, of course!), especially as it's free...

thanks in advance

TomsMom

Ferris wrote: »

am i being really stupid in thinking that this means that someone with, say, asthma or epilepsy or something else not mentioned and that can agree with the declaration WOULD be covered? i ask because i've looked at a few other companies' policies and they are a lot more restrictive (e.g. stipulating that even if you're on medication you're a risk) and this seems very generous (unless you're on the list, of course!), especially as it's free...

thanks in advance

I think you have to be cynical about these things. If they can get out of anything they will. To be absolutely sure, ring them up and ask them. Better safe than sorry.

titch040

Hi, am wondering if someone could offer me some advice on where i would get the medical cover for my three year old daughter and also 2 adults and 1 other child ( but only our daughter has medical problems) as its giving me a head ache trying to find one.

Our daughter has Hypermobility Syndrome, Hypotonia, Hypoglucemia ( but is not diabetic quite the opposite), an innocent heart murmer and has Global Developmental Delay. She uses a special wheelchair buggy which we also have to have insured for travel abroad. She also carries special milks and medicines with her aswell.

We are going to disneyland Paris / france for 9days in about 3 weeks time and am really really stuggeling on where i can get good non-expensive and reliable travel insurance just for a single trip.

Any help or advice would really be very much accepted.
Many Thanks in advance.

Savvy_Sue

The obvious question is whether there are any support groups for any of her conditions, and whether any of them have any insurance suggestions ...

PearlyPotter

Hello - I am due to go on holiday to Spain on 12th October and have booked the flights but not the accommodation as yet. Since booking the flights, I am now due to see a Gastroenterologist on 24th September for a non urgent problem for which I have not had any symptoms since June.

Can anyone recommend an insurance company who will cover me at a reasonable cost? I failed the online pre-screening with one company who has covered my thyroid condition previously. I do not want my cover to exclude this potential problem as knowing my luck if I do, something untoward will happen on holiday.

Thanks in advance.

cath3157

Hopefull this will help Pearly Potter trying to get cover for Spain and anyone else trying the same.
Like most people, I too have been trying to get travel ins for cover with pre existing medical condition. I have had 3 major spinal ops in the last 6 years - latest one was in Nov 07 and still see both surgeons and pain consultants. After spending days on the net and phone, the following companies WILL cover me and my husband for a single trip - 2 weeks in Europe (I also take Morphine based pain relief)

Post Office £50 plus £22.80 for Medical screening cover from Fortis.

All Clear - £141.83 or £43.80 to exclude anything to do with my spine.

Travelability £150

FlexiCover £26.35 plus £61.20 for my back

My recomendation on personal experience is to avoid GetMy.com - I got a quote for £61.74 - when I rang to purchase they then put it up to £91.43! The next day they gave me yet another price.....

I would also be wary of Columbus Direct - I rang and got a quote of £52.22 - which was valid for 28 days - unfortunately I left it too long and when I rang back to see if I could purchase they then decided that they wouldn't cover me - even though nothing had changed and I answered the same questions in exactly the same way - their response was that it depends on who you speak to as to what they assume you mean - so please be very careful in case you purchase this and then they change their minds!!!!!

My best quote so far is the Post Office @£50 plus £22.20 additional to cover my back = £77.20

The ones that claim they will cover pre existing medical conditions but that would not cover me are:

Travel Insurance Genie
Cover My Travels
Insure and Go (or not a the case may be!)
Medici
Karma

I hope this helps and good luck to all of those in the same position.

My local radio station has taken this up as an issue after hearing me ask Martin Lewis a question on Radio 2.

lefty

Last year Annual Travel Insurance for my wife and I with Columbus £287, we both have medical conditions. This year Have taken EHIC Plus, Cost £99. Still same medical conditions.
Thanks Martin will raise a Glass to you when in Tenerife!

parahandy

Need to buy travel insurance that covers independent travel (M & S do it, but the price has gone up).

My OH phoned Tesco who say they cover it (although I'm not convinced). However they asked about pre-existing medical conditions. I'm not sure if we needed to declare these, but my wife is taking water tablets for high blood pressure, and my daughter occasionally has to take an inhaler for a bad cough.

Do you think these are strictly pre-existing medical conditions? Should we not worry about them?

Savvy_Sue

If you don't declare them and have to claim for anything, you could end up very sorry you didn't.

Almost any problem on holiday could easily be 'blamed' on those pre-existing conditions, or made more complicated, and you could argue until you were blue in the face that they were unrelated, I don't think it would make any difference.

Trevor_Wassell

My wife had surgery for breast cancer in July 2008 and finished Radiotherapy on 4th Sept 2008, she also has medication for High Blood pressure and anxiety.

After trying every company in the post and Martins reccommendations as well as dozens of other companies, the only company who would cover everything was www.flexicover.com and their medical screening company www.healthscreen.com, this can all be done online, the total cost to cover everything for annual policy to Europe was £181, this is excellent as my wife had only finished radiotherapy the day before.