Travel insurance - at wits end

vix2000

I have tried every existing conditions specialist insurer I can find everywhere on the internet, and they either wont quote or it is multi thousands. 

I have secondary breast cancer which has been treated for 8 years now with 1 hormone tablet a day, my health is exactly the same as it was pre diagnosis. I have minor lymphoedema,  take tablets for blood pressure, thinning, and statins.  I take iron tablets and have b12 injections. I am assuming I am now uninsurable.

I have no option but to not declare unless anyone knows of an insurer who will exclude individual conditions.

Surely people living with serious conditions should be expected to explore the world more than anyone????? As I said I am at my wits end.  I have previously upgraded my nationwide account policy and they excluded the cancer, but they do not exclude now.

DullGreyGuy

With Barclay's (Premier) Travel bolt on they wouldnt insurer one of our conditions but still the rest of the policy is in effect. Similarly with AmEx Platinum's travel insurance its a blanket exclusion on all pre-existing conditions. 

Avoiding bank accounts, LV= travel insurance gives you the option not to cover pre-existing conditions

J_B

Staysure??

NoodleDoodleMan

"I have no option but to not declare unless anyone knows of an insurer who will exclude individual conditions"

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong - but if you don't declare a medical condition when taking travel insurance does that not render the whole policy null and void if you take ill abroad regardless of the cause ?

Maybe I've misunderstood the scenario ?

DullGreyGuy

NoodleDoodleMan said:

"I have no option but to not declare unless anyone knows of an insurer who will exclude individual conditions"

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong - but if you don't declare a medical condition when taking travel insurance does that not render the whole policy null and void if you take ill abroad regardless of the cause ?

Maybe I've misunderstood the senario ?

If they have asked for conditions and you have declared you have none then yes, under the rules of CIDRA they would be entitled to void the policy and keep the premiums. 

There are however insurers, eg the AmEx one or LV=, which either dont ask about them or give you a choice not to declare them at which point there is no wider risk. 

vix2000

Thanks all. Yes I do know that if I don’t declare then none of my conditions would be covered but if I can’t get insurance what’s the option? I can’t afford £11000 for a single trip. I will try the above insurers who could exclude certain conditions. I am fairly fit and well and want to live what life I have left to the full.

sheramber

vix2000 said:

Thanks all. Yes I do know that if I don’t declare then none of my conditions would be covered but if I can’t get insurance what’s the option? I can’t afford £11000 for a single trip. I will try the above insurers who could exclude certain conditions. I am fairly fit and well and want to live what life I have left to the full.

Not just medical conditions.  All cover could be excluded if the policy was voided.

So no cover for lost/damaged luggage, cancellation due to accident, treatment abroad if you had an accident, extra cost of travel home if delayed due to too ill to travel 

zagfles

Have you tried asking one of the cancer/breast cancer charities or asked on their forums? They may be aware of specialist insurers, ISTR Eurotunnel insurance was one of the more obscure ones which were good for cancer but that was years ago so may have changed.

Where are you travelling to? GHIC covers a lot of Europe and some other countries, it's not travel insurance but it generally gets you state healthcare on the same basis as locals of the country. Repatriation isn't covered but if you're somewhere with a decent state system you could recover locally.

Personally in your position I'd be travelling insurance or no insurance. I wouldn't go somewhere like the US, but wouldn't hesitate to travel to GHIC countries uninsured if insurance wasn't possible or ridiculously expensive. But I know that's an unpopular view on this board.

eDicky

vix2000 said:

if I can’t get insurance what’s the option?

Apart from a few destination such as Indonesia who required tourists to be insured when pandemic bans on travel were being lifted, travel insurance is in general not obligatory. Personally during a lifetime of pretty constant travel I've never purchased any kind of travel insurance.