Travel insurance

[Bronte]

We insured via Columbus Direct and selected an Annual Worldwide Multi Trip Gold Policy.
I rang rather than apply apply on line. The medical condition was listed under Myelodsplasia and they asked the following questions :
Are you awaiting further treatment(including surgery) for this condition ?
Are you awaiting investigations or specialist referral ?
Are you currently undergoing chemotherapy or have completed chemotherapy within the last 3 months?
Are you undergoing or have completed radiotherapy within the last month?
Do you regularly take a Morphine based pain killer or other strong pain relief?
How frequently do you undergo a medical review for this condition ?
How many transfusions have you required within the last year ?
When were you last admitted overnight to hospital or a hospice for this medical condition ?
It is now listed as a medical endorsement and Myelodsplasia is covered, so long as we keep them updated of any changes.

I hope this link is of help :
COLUMBUS DIRECT - website - listed under pre existing medical conditions.
Hotline 0870 033 9988

[murrayfs]

I have just completed travel insurance. We often go to Cyprus on holiday but this year are also going to Belgium and the States. I tried All Clear, Freedominsure and Columbus, and found Columbus to be the best. All Clear and Freedominsure would only quote me for single trip insurance, not annual and the quotes were very expensive. I got a much more reasonable quote from Columbus which I completed on line which was very straight forward (exactly the same medical questions as Bronte listed above). The big plus for me was that I was able to book annual insurance, and the quote was much cheaper. Would definately recommend Columbus.

[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

[janetstanford]

Hi All

the last couple of years i have gone with All clear and it is costly ...this year by accident ended up on a compare site ...last year for a single trip with All clear i paid £170 this year i have gone with a company called goodtogoinsurance.com and the cost was a little over £100 single trip to the states same cover as All clear.....

Take care all Janet

[janetgreen]

My partner was diagnosed with MDS (5-q) early last year. He has to have regular blood transfusions.

We are wanting to visit some friends in Qatar for about 10 days but I cannot find any reasonable insurance quotes - even all the ones that have been discussed here.

His hemoglobin count is usually between 8 and 10, if it is below 10 then he has a blood transfusion. The consultant keeps telling us that his White Blood Count is fine but it is just below 4. This seems to result in a very high quote.

Does anyone have any other insurance companies who may be able to help or do people feel that it is better to talk to the insurance companies instead of online quotes.

Janet

[janetstanford]

Hi Janet
How odd i did mine with good to go on line in august and there was no question about white cells as MDS is an umbrella term so to speak i asked my doctor as the drop down box gives a huge choice and he said to do the following so i followed the steps of anemia then aplastic anemia maybe this will help you
my holiday was 2 weeks in florida and i paid £100 which was 70 pounds cheaper than the year before with all clear which in 2010 was for 3 weeks which i was so pleased about
in 2009 i did mine by phone and i was asked would i be transfused before and i was (always do ) maybe this is the issue
i hope this helps as your husband seems similar to myself and this may help

Janet

[janetgreen]

Hi Janet,

Thanks for the reply. I might try it from that point of view.

I have found what looks to be a reasonable one with World First Travel Insurance.

I find it frustrating though, as he is fine as long as he has the regular blood transfusions. He has his blood tested every 2 weeks now - it did start off at every month but they were unable to keep his hemoglobin levels up nearer to 10.

Janet.

[janetstanford]

Hi again
hope you have some luck and yes it is so frustrating i at first had them weekly then i improved to every 2 weeks and then 3 weeks and since then i have graduated between 4 weeks for a year and a number of times i have gone 5 weeks then my levels in a week can plummet so now i go about every 25 days sometimes i get 2 units odd time 3 ...having your bloods checked every 2 weeks must rule every thing it for me when i did

but if you do not mind why every 2 weeks how many units is he given and iron over load is that an issue ...sorry but curious as he is transfusion dependent and not spoke to many
any way hope i have helped take care Janet

[janetgreen]

Hi Janet,

We were finding that if he went 4 weeks the level could drop to between 6-8, which is lower than they want it to be. It does seem to be random but, to be honest, at the moment it is not very often that his level is above 10 when we go back 2 weeks later.

When he goes every 2 weeks it is generally between 9 and 10 and he generally only has 2 units. He has to go on a Monday to get his blood checked and then back on a Wednesday for the transfusion if required as he has got antibodies and they need to do the cross-matching.

He has to take Exjade to reduce the iron now.

Janet.

[janetstanford]

Hi
oh another on exjade thats music to my ears as thats the only other i know of i know strange thing to be please about but good to know i am not alone

take care Janet