Travel Insurance - Awaiting Tests

daparojo

I am wondering if anyone could give me some guidance? I have had an annual worldwide travel policy (Staysure) that has been in place over the past five years,  renewing around the 15th May. Whenever there has been a diagnosis, I have duly done the responsible thing and informed, and updated the policy to reflect. I feel that I am in a no win situation for doing the sensible thing and having and updating insurance. This is probably by naivety in that I thought defined diagnosis would be the only exclusions or covered (depending on definition). I automatically thought that any future tests, as they are not a diagnosis, would be covered until an outcome is determined. 

I booked a cruise back in September 2024 for departure around the 20th May 2025 to Europe, and in April this year my wife went for an ECG and told to go to A&E as it showed some small deviations. Further ECGs since show ok, but on the odd time throws out a small deviation that needs further testing. Because of this deviation, she is having an echo at the beginning of May, and on the waiting list for a Angiogram. This may not occur until we return in June.
She is deemed fit to travel by the doctor, as they feel it could be stress related.
I contacted the insurance company to discuss my renewal, and I mentioned she was waiting tests to which they said they would not cover anything related to the tests - so basically her heart. She would have to wait for the results. 

I have a number of scenarios running around in my head, so my apologies.
1) If she gets a scan before we go and everything checks ok. Happy days.
2) If she gets the scan appointment after the cruise, she isn't covered for her heart. So if she was to have a heart issue whilst away  (may not even be related to what she has been experiencing), I am screwed.
3) If she had the scan before we went, and got the results after the renewal date, 15th May, we cannot claim the costs of cancellation due to it being a new policy if she needed further treatment.
4) I could potentially cancel the holiday now, but with her being fit to travel, I am likely not to be successful in claiming.

To be fair, the insurance company has said they would write to the underwriters to ask, but the general. feeling is that they would exclude this.

We do want to go on this holiday, as it will be the last holiday we will ever have with my elderly parents. And they cannot do the trip without us.

Has anyone else experience this ? And has anyone got any ideas what I could do ?

Sorry for the long posts, but appreciate any help or guidance you good people can give me.

Brie

Yeah I hate this sort of thing with insurance as there seems to be so many loopholes.  I must admit I don't know what I need to tell them half the time and think that they'll wiggle out of all sorts if something happens.  fyi - we're with Staysure too as the previous annual policy wouldn't cover my OH at all.  (not even for losing his luggage!!)

I think they thing is to just bite the bullet and go ahead.  That's what we're doing next month (long visit across the pond, so not a cruise).  See if she can get a scan quicker by saying she's available for a last minute cancellation maybe?  Just to set your minds at ease.

And be reassured that the medical facilities on any cruise I've been on has been outstanding.  

Hope everything is ok in the end.  

NanookOfTheNorth

If the insurance company are saying its excluded while waiting results of the tests and then @Brie suggests "I think they thing is to just bite the bullet and go ahead." even though things may all go to plan and it'll be a great holiday, you hope to never use the medical facilities on a cruise because if you do and it's heart related I dread to think the costs of medical attention and potential repatriation from a cruise ship. Its going to be way more expense you have to pay yourselves than if the same thing happened on land.

isnt that the point of travel insurance, to cancel before travel due to something unforseen - which the tests are ongoing so nothing diagnosed.  Surely Staysure would have to treat it as a cancellation if they wont cover due to a new medical condition (potentially while waiting results)?

elsien

It’s because she doesn’t have a formal diagnosis that insurers is are more reluctant to cover. They just don’t like uncertainty.

To give an example they want to know whether someone has got a minor arrhythmia that can be managed with medication or a major heart condition that could require surgery while away. Because your wife is still having tests, they don’t know which end of  that spectrum she sits on. So they play safe by declining cover.
If she can get a formal diagnosis she is more likely to find an insurer who will agree the cover. I had that with Staysure when I was having tests on my knee - pending the x-ray, they declined to cover it and any associated conditions. Following the x-ray, cover was reinstated. 

And unfortunately, if you go away without the cover and something happens which could be indirectly linked to the heart, then no it won’t be covered.
And it’s one thing for Brie to say go anyway, but do you want to risk the costs of treatment if something does happen?  I don’t know your destination, but if it was the States, absolutely not unless you want to be pretty much bankrupted by their medical system. 

Is it too late to ask the cruise company if your cruise can be moved to another date?

TELLIT01

As @elsien says, insurers don't like the unknown or uncertainty.  They are far more likely to provide cover for a known heart condition than for an 'unknown something' which may or may not be serious.  As the GP has said she is fit to travel, and the insurers will cover all other risks, there is at least a level of protection.

Some insurers will simply decline to provide any cover at all when tests or test results are outstanding.

daparojo

Thanks for the input so far everyone. What really annoys me is that it's not pre existing condition as it is a potentially new condition, dependant on the results. The renewal date of the policy is the kicker here, as once it renews, I cannot claim if I have to cancel. It would be so much easier if we knew the diagnosis.
Surely she cannot be the only person who travels who is waiting tests?

I can get insurance with most companies, but anything related to the tests they will not cover. That being her heart, could relate to so many health problems. And being insurers, will wriggle out of anything where they can.

NanookOfTheNorth

Nobody wants to cancel a holiday (I had to cancel mine to the other side of the world at the last minute at the end of December due to family illness), but its one of those things nobody ever wants to use so being safe is better than potentially ending with a very large bill if things dont go to plan.  

Even though your insurance renews for the time you're actaully away, as it's booked during the time you have your current insurance with Staysure that would have to cover the holiday for cancellation due to a new medical condition (even though it may not be condition once tests are done).   They cant just say we dont cover it and not offer the ability to cancel.

sheramber

Surely she cannot be the only person who travels who is waiting tests?

No, she isn’t. 

There have been other post regarding this.
 

The long waiting lists on the NHS at present are the root of the problem. 

Can you consider a private scan

TELLIT01

NanookOfTheNorth said:

Nobody wants to cancel a holiday (I had to cancel mine to the other side of the world at the last minute at the end of December due to family illness), but its one of those things nobody ever wants to use so being safe is better than potentially ending with a very large bill if things dont go to plan.  

Even though your insurance renews for the time you're actaully away, as it's booked during the time you have your current insurance with Staysure that would have to cover the holiday for cancellation due to a new medical condition (even though it may not be condition once tests are done).   They cant just say we dont cover it and not offer the ability to cancel.

The problem the OP has is that their GP has said that in their opinion she is fit to travel, so they can't cancel on those grounds.  It is a crazy situation where an insurer can happily take your money up to the point where you update their info and then say "Sorry we won't cover you, but won't pay out either".

daparojo

TELLIT01 exactly the issue. It's a crazy situation. More so as SheRambler pointed out, this issue will grow worse as the NHS waiting times for scans grows. I am sure many are unaware of the pitfalls and travel not knowing this. 
I fully understand that insurance is based on risk. But the crazy aspect of this is that is she more likely to need treatment on something currently unknown, than someone who has a diagnosis recovering from major heart surgery? 

sheramber

TELLIT01 said:

NanookOfTheNorth said:

Nobody wants to cancel a holiday (I had to cancel mine to the other side of the world at the last minute at the end of December due to family illness), but its one of those things nobody ever wants to use so being safe is better than potentially ending with a very large bill if things dont go to plan.  

Even though your insurance renews for the time you're actaully away, as it's booked during the time you have your current insurance with Staysure that would have to cover the holiday for cancellation due to a new medical condition (even though it may not be condition once tests are done).   They cant just say we dont cover it and not offer the ability to cancel.

The problem the OP has is that their GP has said that in their opinion she is fit to travel, so they can't cancel on those grounds.  It is a crazy situation where an insurer can happily take your money up to the point where you update their info and then say "Sorry we won't cover you, but won't pay out either".

Has the OP asked if they will cover cancellation since they won’t cover her?

There was a case  ages ago where the customer developed  cancer  after  he had booked a holiday and his insurance company refused to cover him.

They would not pay for cancelling the holiday.

The person went on holiday despite no cover and complained to the ombudsman.

The ombudsman ruled that since the insurance company would not cover him they should have allowed a claim for cancelling and the insurance company were to pay compensation for the stress  the customer had for not  having cover.

BUT, I don’t think the OP wants to cancel.