Travel insurance

For information about insurance companies able to offer coverage to those with pre-existing medical conditions - such as MDS. And new folder about Health or Life Insurance issues.

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chris
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by chris » 09 Jan 2012 12:24

Hi Janet Green

See my post quoted below:

Hope you find something reasonable.

Chris
Hi All

Just done my first travel insurance trawl post- MDS as have not been abroad since diagnosis! What a palaver.

I did look at a lot of those mentioned here including Colombus Direct and All Clear but found them quite expensive (£66/£90 - just for me but can't remember which was which now!) and Insure and Go would not even cover me even though I am on watch and wait and not having any treatment. In the end I went to Compare the market and got a very cheap quote £31 in total for both myself and my husband for a single trip to France. Asked all the same questions as Bronte mentions above and am insured with Travel Insurance Web.com with an endorsement for MDS. Here's the link to the pre-existing medical conditions page:

http://www.comparethemarket.com/travel- ... onditions/

Happy Holidays

Chris

_________________
Chris. (F) Age 61.MDS diagnosed in 2008. Closest sub-type is CMML-1 but with anomalies! Normal red cells, low white cells and platelets, slightly raised monocytes. Enlarged spleen & liver. No current treatment - active monitoring 3-monthly.SE Essex
Chris.Trustee,Patient Support Ambassador (Essex) (F) Age 73 (2023)).Diagnosed in 2008. CMML-1. Normal red cells, low white cells & platelets, slightly raised monocytes. Enlarged spleen. Not had any treatment - active monitoring 6-monthly.
janetgreen
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Joined: 01 Aug 2011 19:11
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by janetgreen » 25 Jan 2012 18:22

Just to let you know that we got travel insurance through World First Travel Insurance.

We could only get cover for a single trip to Qatar but it came in at a reasonable £89 which given that Ken had 19 blood transfusions in the last year and some quoted £800 we though was quite good.

We will definitely use World First again, they were very helpful.

Janet
Wife of Ken, 57, diagnosed with MDS (refrac cytopenia, multi-lineage dysplasia with 5q- and del of 12 and 13) in Jan 2011, was transfusion dependent. Stem cell transplant on 14th December 2012 but sadly passed away 20th July 2013. Live in Barnsley.
Sophie
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by Sophie » 02 Oct 2012 17:01

We have just received details from a new insurance company willing to offer insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions called:

"Insurance With"

Website: http://www.insurancewith.com/

Telephone: 0845 2307 159

They say they will cover patients with a variety of conditions, including diabetes and many different types of cancer.
I have briefly spoken to them and they confirmed they do cover MDS.
Do of course expect questions to establish what risk level you are and what sub-type - so they can calculate the premium they need to charge.
The only MDS they will not cover is if you have venesections (if you need to have blood taken out of you - to reduce your haemoglobin - but this only applies in the rarest of cases).

Please do try them and post comments including what price you have been quoted.

Thank you
Sophie - Patient Liaison
Queries:
Call 0207 733 7558
Email info@mdspatientsupport.org.uk

Please do not send me PM messages on this forum - I do not check it often.
This forum is purely for patient to patient communications. Thanks for your help.
chris
Posts: 754
Joined: 01 Dec 2009 21:52
Location: Essex
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by chris » 08 Oct 2012 14:12

Hi Sophie

I tried this company in respect of a 4-day break to Belgium we are having next month. Not a good result I am afraid.

I answered the 2 questions on the screening questionnaire and the website then said it was unable to cover me!! I rang the advice line as suggested on the site and they also confirmed that "Computer says No"! The problem seemed to be the Answer to the white cell count question " Is it below 4? Answer Yes. ( I had "passed" the haemoglobin question (Over 10? Yes). There weren't any questions at all about current treatment, MDS sub-type, transfusions, how often I saw a specailist etc

Prior to going on this site I had also gone onto Compare the Market on the section specifically about Existing medical conditions as I did successfully last year when I went to France. The responses here ranged from either could not insure me or a premium of £100 ( without medcial cover £12 for both of us!!). Which I think is taking the mickey to be honest. I haven't had so much as a cold for 2 years and yet other people who have had coronary by-passes etc etc and are rattling with medications seem to be able to get insurance!! Getting a bit cross.

I eventually went on the Columbus website and got a quote for £40 for the 2 of us and hope to reduce that further by going through Top Cashback site which offers 17% off!!

Cannot understand why it is so flippin' difficult WHEN I AM NOT EVEN HAVING ANY TREATMENT!!!!

CROSS CHRIS !!!
Chris.Trustee,Patient Support Ambassador (Essex) (F) Age 73 (2023)).Diagnosed in 2008. CMML-1. Normal red cells, low white cells & platelets, slightly raised monocytes. Enlarged spleen. Not had any treatment - active monitoring 6-monthly.
chris
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Joined: 01 Dec 2009 21:52
Location: Essex
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by chris » 09 Oct 2012 19:49

I received a follow-up call from Insurance With today as the adviser had said she would check with their medical adviser and another insurance company which will often offer cover when they don't. Sadly, the answer was the same. They cannot cover me.

So - just to bring this to your attention in case you have the same problems.

Chris
Chris.Trustee,Patient Support Ambassador (Essex) (F) Age 73 (2023)).Diagnosed in 2008. CMML-1. Normal red cells, low white cells & platelets, slightly raised monocytes. Enlarged spleen. Not had any treatment - active monitoring 6-monthly.
ClaudiaRichards
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Joined: 20 Sep 2012 19:11
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by ClaudiaRichards » 10 Oct 2012 21:50

Having been diagnosed with MDS nearly three years ago, I had to give up on my annual travel insurance policy and now realise I paid way over the odds (to SAGA) for cover for a week's holiday in Lanzarote - a whopping £339 pounds which was only some £100 less than I paid them for 3 weeks in Australia!

As I am about to go on a week's holiday to Majorca, I decided it was time to try some of the companies recommended on the forum. I have contacted a total of 4 companies - Freedom and All Clear by phone, and World First and Columbus Direct online. The interesting thing about the screening process was that the questions posed during the two telephone calls were identical, as were those used in the online screening processes, but the online questions were totally different to the telephone ones. The key difference was that the online processes did not ask that ridiculous question about my blood counts at the time of my last blood test, but instead looked at the treatment I am receiving - eg, number of transfusions over the last year, the frequency of check-ups and hospitalisation, and whether I have had any chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

As a result, I now have an annual policy through the online screening with World First, the only company prepared to offer this option (at £153). This premium compares with the following quotes for the one week in Majorca: £83 from Columbus Direct, £176 from Freedom and £326 from All Clear.

I think you can all do the maths ........ but it makes you wonder why on earth are there such discrepancies when I made sure I gave exactly the same responses for each of the phone quotes and again for each of the online ones?
chris
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Joined: 01 Dec 2009 21:52
Location: Essex
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by chris » 11 Oct 2012 18:52

Hi Claudia

It doesn't make any sense does it? Out of interest (and because trying to go through top cashback gave me some problems) I tried another company - again only answering the same 2 questions online about haemoglobin levels and white cell count and they quoted a whopping £353 for a 4-day break to Belgium!!!

They must use the same risk assessment tables so I cannot understand why they vary so much.

I bet you are glad to have an annual one to save the grief of having to do this every time!! It also makes massive sense financially!! Crazy! I don't travel enough to make it worthwhile but I think I'll consider another break in the UK!!!

Best wishes
Chris
Chris.Trustee,Patient Support Ambassador (Essex) (F) Age 73 (2023)).Diagnosed in 2008. CMML-1. Normal red cells, low white cells & platelets, slightly raised monocytes. Enlarged spleen. Not had any treatment - active monitoring 6-monthly.
meerkat
Posts: 15
Joined: 09 May 2009 13:41

Re: Travel insurance

Post by meerkat » 24 Oct 2012 19:54

Hello

At Sophie's request I have copied the original post (below) from the 5q- section of the forum.


I have just booked some travel insurance to Europe for next month. I tried Columbus as recommended elsewhere in this forum. I was pleased to see that 5q- Syndrome was recognised by the insurance company as a separate sub-group. As the condition is relatively benign and currently (for me) quiescent, this was great news. So I've managed insurance for only a little more than the standard quote, and without having to speak with an agent. How refreshing!!

Good wishes to all
Meerkat
chris
Posts: 754
Joined: 01 Dec 2009 21:52
Location: Essex
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by chris » 25 Oct 2012 12:44

Dear Meerkat

Glad this saved you having to "Compare the Meerkat!!" Ha Ha! Couldn't resist that one!!!

Yes, I was also very pleased with Colombus this time - though it does seem to change each time I go for different quotes. Good that they recognise 5q- as a milder sub-type and also so glad that you are in some kind of a remission at the moment. great news!!

Best wishes

Chris
Chris.Trustee,Patient Support Ambassador (Essex) (F) Age 73 (2023)).Diagnosed in 2008. CMML-1. Normal red cells, low white cells & platelets, slightly raised monocytes. Enlarged spleen. Not had any treatment - active monitoring 6-monthly.
lucy
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Joined: 17 Feb 2009 19:52
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Re: Travel insurance

Post by lucy » 25 Oct 2012 22:55

Hi Chris,
I couldn't get insurance when my white cell count was under 4 either. I think in the insurers eyes it means you are more likely to get an infection and are therefore a much higher risk. The other thing is to leave it as late as possible to get insurance as the nearer it is to departure date the risk of cancellation decreases. A friend with a different type of cancer was told this by several insurance companies.
Lucy
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