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

Incapuppy

Would this be covered if you renewed your existing policy with your current insurers?

Failing that, I think you may struggle to find anyone that is prepared to cover your gran - not because she has cancer as such but because the diagnosis is so recent.

Try looking on cancer related websites/forums to see if any companies are recommended.

If no-one else has any better advice then it may just be a case of phoning numerous companies that will cover pre-existing conditions until you find someone that may be prepared to offer cover (although you may find the premium ridiculously high).

I hope you manage to find cover but I think you may find it either extremely difficult or extortionately expensive (and please don't think I am being unsympathetic, I have been there and done that with 'difficult to insure conditions' myself, including cancer).

Good luck and I hope your gran makes a good recovery.

madredhead

Hi there, i am looking for advice as I have a pre-existing cond. aged 38 and will be travelling to Hong Kong for 15 days with my 12 year old daughter. Can anyone suggest where i might get a cheap quote? Thanx in advance.

transit

richardsonjones wrote: »

anyone??

Hi, try FREE SPIRIT 0845 230 5000.Recently had surgery for cancer plus chemo,they insured me, but expensive.Best of luck.

Incapuppy

madredhead wrote: »

Can anyone suggest where i might get a cheap quote? Thanx in advance.

Try reading this thread.

jonnyjackov

Just in case it helps anyone, I am a type 1 diabetic with no hospital admissions in the last year. Also on Cholesetral tablets.

Last year, got annual european multi-trip for £65 from Diabetes uk insurance. Made no claims at all.

Today tried to renew but was refused because I spent several months in the last year on medication for depression, though ok now.

Called insure and go, and got accepted even with depression history for £67, and this included no excess so probably a better deal.

So anyone with pre-existing medical conditions, it might be worth your while trying insure and go. I'm well pleased,

Best wishes, John

ianthefabricman

Had a look at asda. Only covers up to 59 years old.

icmeler2000

icmeler2000 wrote: »

Errmm .. has anyone been in a situation similar to mine and know of an insurer who will cover me?

I have 4 pre-existing CHRONIC (i.e. long-term) medical conditions :-

1) X since 1994
2) Y since 2004
3) ibs-type symptoms since 1992
4) long-time to recover from colds, infections etc since 1997

As you can see, all conditions are long-term. They are all stable.

I take regular medication which is improving condition X and take regular supplements which is helping condition Y. I have no problem getting travel insurance cover for either.

Last Monday - with no degradation in conditions for either 3) or 4), but fed up with the symptoms, I went to see my GP to schedule appointments to see two relevant specialists.

I repeat there has been no worsening of either condition, in fact one has slightly improved, but now my usual insurer (and others) will not cover me for these two last 'conditions' because there are appointments pending.

I can understand insurers being nervous about someone who has a NEW condition and prior to any closure via examination or testing, it's obviously uncertain what that NEW condition might suddenly do to the sufferer. But that is a million miles away to my situation when in both cases I've had and lived with the symptoms for years and am merely now trying to see if new modern-day 2008 technology might get to the bottom of things where previous tests for both conditions over the years have all been negative and revealed nothing sinister.

I've got two foreign holidays to Turkey coming up, first one starts on Sep 1st
and I need to find someone who will cover me for ALL FOUR CHRONIC STABLE CONDITIONS. The second holiday ends in mid-October.

It goes without saying that if I'd known I'd have this hassle, I would have delayed requesting these appointments until after both holidays.

I repeat it was I that decided to ask for these appointments, NOT because I'm suddenly feeling worse.

And by asking for these appointments, I'm no worse a risk, but insurers are treating me like someone with a new condition that has unknown risk until investigated.

Has anyone out there been in this situation before and found a sensible insurer that can 'see out of their box' and insure me for these last two conditions.

Thing is I'm getting lots of 'yes, I see where you're coming from, but unfortunately our rules say I'm not allowed to cover you' type responses from phone advisors.

Never ever claimed on any insurance of any type in over 30 years.

(If Turkey had been in the EU, then having reciprocal medical arrangements would have been a help, but they ain't!!)

Update: (20/1/2009) - Managed to get fixed up finally with Free Spirit (through PJ Hayman & Company) who were very happy to insure me for all four chronic conditions. All they wanted was a brief screening to ask about the four conditions. They didn't mind about pending appointments, but simply asked me for relevant info updates on my situation if things changed before I went on holiday. Got an annual quote for about £108.
Will now take early holidays this year (2009) so they fall in the 12-month period which started on Sep 1st.

Free Spirit go out of their way to provide 'TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS' as the front of their Insurance Policy states. They have obviously spotted the niche in the market that people like me have been searching for. Well done them!!! (Mind you haven't had to try claiming from them! Always the acid test for any insurer!!!)

FH_Brit

All these Credit Card Insurances - read Martins thread here

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/cheap-travel-insurance

And my thread has usefull stuff

See my other thread that has some useful Travel Insurance info:

Click Here for must-read information: Medical & Travel Insurance

Incapuppy

Atomised wrote: »

I have a quick question.
If you have a pre existing health condition and have recently had hospital treatment , is it best to wait 6 months or more before booking a holiday?

I assume you mean in respect of your insurance premiums being loaded?

A few months ago I booked a holiday three weeks after spending a week in hospital. The response from insurers and the medical screening agencies varied. As did the premiums. For a single trip worldwide policy (excluding USA and Caribbean) the premiums varied by £800 :eek:

I eventually got insurance ata very good price from Norwich Union via an agent (note: being referred to the same medical screening company can bring different results if referred by different agents).

The best thing you can do is phone around. There is no 'one size fits all' for travel insurance. One agent did advise me that their criteria for hospital stays meant that premiums would drop quite a lot once a period of three months from being in hospital had elapsed (this of course may only have been relevant to my situation).

Good luck!

barney0600

Hi

I think you will find https://www.staysure.co.uk have lots of medical conditions covered free of charge and are well priced if you have serious conditions