Travel Insurance for metastatic cancer

[ArabianNights]

Hi everyone,

My dad is doing well at the beginning of his treatment (on a Zytiga and a double-blind trail of olaparib). His PSA numbers dropped quick and he is feeling great.

He wants to go on vacation but won't go without travel insurance. I am having a hard time finding a company that will insure him with his metastatic cancer. We don't need coverage for the cancer, but he would like it in general - however get turned down right away because of this. Anyone know of any companies that will cover? We are located in Canada but willing to look into US companies too.

[Zetabow]

I just took the standard insurance, if they wont cover for the Cancer I understand and wont be claiming for that if I became ill. Just the normal stuff like flight cancellation, lost luggage etc.

I live in Europe and as long as I stay within EU I shouldn't need to worry.

[AlanMeyer]

What kind and how much insurance your father needs may vary from country to country. I was traveling in Santa Rosalía Mexico in January and was sent to the local Mexican hospital for an emergency. A doctor and a number of nurses and technicians worked on me for an hour. At the end I asked how much I owed them and was told "Nada - Nothing". All medical care for all people over 65 years old is apparently free in Mexico, whether or not you are a Mexican citizen.

The hospital was shabbier than hospitals in the U.S., but the people were caring and delightful to deal with and the doctor seemed quite competent. I trusted them and believe I received good care.

Alan

[ArabianNights in reply to AlanMeyer]

Alan, this is very helpful and interesting. He was thinking of going to Mexico or Dominican Republic. I’m going to look into this.

I’m glad you were able to get the health care you needed!

[Raymonda100 in reply to ArabianNights]

You need to have coverage that will reimburse you for trip cancellation and trip interruption, so whether or not the medical care you get in a foreign country is good or not is not the only issue to consider.

[monte1111 in reply to AlanMeyer]

I need to brush up on my espanol. If you lived near the border, San Diego etc., company I worked for required you get treatment in Mexico.

[Pleroma]

I did some research on this about 6 months ago. There are insurance businesses that will insure you with a pre-existent condition like cancer. You can find them on a google search.

I cannot recommend the one I had contact with as I ended up not traveling (or using them, so cannot vouch for them either way).

Avoid the insurance that airlines offer when you buy a ticket. Fine for baggage loss, etc, but hopeless for decent medical coverage.

[RyderLake2]

Hello,

I too am suffering from metastatic cancer but I am writing to you from Ixtapa, México. My wife and I travel a lot. The answer to your question depends on where in Canada you live. You might want to try Johnson Prestige or Johnson Medoc headquartered in Alberta but with branch offices in B.C. (Langley) and possibly elsewhere. Hope that helps!

[rocket09]

I use Tour Med , they are out of Quebec and I tell them about the prostate cancer and they just exclude it. If he has any difficulty that is related to the cancer I am sure it would not be covered. I have found them reasonable in price and good to deal with. The # is1-877-344-8398 . In Mexico there is a public system and a private system. Maybe the public system is free ? , but the private one are not. If you have the insurance you can go to the private hospitals which do have the better facilities.

[ArabianNights in reply to rocket09]

Thank you! I am going to try the number you suggested today.

[Hidden]

Just get the type of insurance you need for the country where you are traveling. Simply exclude prostate cancer. It is what I did when traveling in Russia. Got my son air ambulance insurance while attending school in China. Later his employer included it as a benefit. Good luck.

GD

[2_old_and_grey]

I can't help you on the travel insurance. On the Zytiga I was buying it through my doctor at quite a high copay. I found that Walgreens drug store in the States could fill a generic brand called Abiraterone Acetate 250 mg for quite a reduced price. I needed to take 4 pills per day in order to equal the strength of Zytiga but they worked. My PSA started at 400 and now is down to 0.7.

[marnieg46]

Hi ArabianNights. We used All Clear in September last year and they covered my husband’s advanced prostrate cancer diagnosis and also his AF. It wasn’t cheap but they were good with a small claim we lodged. We’re in Australia but I don’t think it was an Australian company. I think it would be worth checking out.

[Sunfire]

Travel Insurance purchased within 14 days of deposit for trip cancellation will indeed cover him. Pre existing coverage is available ONLY covered if purchased within 14 days of deposit.

Allianz insurance.

[Raymonda100]

Call insure my trip.com. You will need to get a policy with a pre-existing condition waiver, but that will not be effective unless he also has a letter from his physician stating that he is medically able to travel on a day he purchases the insurance. We had such insurance and the letter and when my husband’s condition worsened and he needed chemotherapy we had to cancel the trip and the insurance paid.

[ArabianNights in reply to Raymonda100]

Take you for the helpful advice. My mother's name is also Raymonda

I am sorry to hear about your husband. I hope he is doing better and that chemo has been working for him.