Holiday Chosen, Travel insurance not! - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Holiday Chosen, Travel insurance not!

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29 Replies

Some of you may have seen the nightmare I have had trying to get travel insurance to Spain.

I called Saga and they firstly refused to even look at me because I cancelled a house insurance renewal? Talk about throwing your dummy out of the pram! I got a far cheaper quote from Tesco. However after a rant from me. I went though all the ailments, I forgot I had so many? We got to are you having any further treatment or appointments with specialists, I said yes to then be told sorry we will not insure you then until they are done/finished!

I called another that was recommended by the PH Association as a company that will insure people with PH. A lovely lady answered and we started the process Started with the PH You guessed it "What is that?" She did find it on the list in the end and we went on to each ailments one by one with very in depth sub questions for each. All was going well when I got though three quarters and she said " Sorry It has flagged up that we have passed the insurable limit so we cannot quote?" , "We have a sister company that will possible give you a quote as they work in a different way to us" She took all my ailments down and said that she will pass it on and they will call back with an answer one way or the other?

So in the mean time I called a few more to be refused or offered it with conditions at an average of £1600.00 for the 2 weeks!

Well to their word they called me back and offered the cheapest quote of the day. The cheapest had a very high excess so was not such a bargain the second price was £800.00 slight cheaper excess the third £1000.00 better excess and higher total limits.

Well when my wife came in from work and I went though the day and the quotes she said why don't we just stay in the UK and have a nice hotel. So we found a 4* hotel/spa in Torquay booked it for a week and will stay in a 4* in Bristol to break the journey at the start and end.

UK 1 - Insurance companies 0

Be Well

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29 Replies
BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

Remember "I'm backing Britain"?

Good call.

Bob

PS my travel insurance is done through my bank account

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Offcut in reply toBobD

Does not cover pre existing I asked and was then refused cover on all of them?

shirlygirly profile image
shirlygirly

The travel companies Ive picked up on this site are Good to Go, All clear Travel, Holidaysafe.co.uk. I have personal experience of them.

shirlygirly profile image
shirlygirly in reply toshirlygirly

Sorry meant to say no personal experience of them.

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Offcut in reply toshirlygirly

I called most on the AF list and those recommended on the PH list it was a nightmare.

So much for Europe. I thought it was supposed to be almost like there were no borders? Why should we need any additional insurance at all?

Torquay is nice, used to live down by Start Point in Devon. Some wonderful walking and coastline there. Have a great break.

Koll

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Offcut in reply to

I hope to will not be doing to much walking. might try a fishing boat trip.

in reply toOffcut

Offset, I used to regularly take a little boat out of the River Dart, out to sea a mile or less and put a spinner/feather out 100yds behind on the surface whilst slowly motoring along. Caught loads of garfish, which everyone throws back, but they are absolutely DELICIOUS. Loads of deep-sea/wreck fishing round there as well.

Koll

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Offcut in reply to

Kool looking forward to it we went in Spain a few times and only Caught the sun

Someonesmother profile image
Someonesmother

G'day I live in Australia and I have used Covermore on a few occasions for travel insurance and they do the UK too. covermore.co.uk/

I had to pay a bit extra but not the exorbitant rates you were being asked for. I have multiple aliments too and they were the best I could find for travelling with disabilities/illnesses

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply toSomeonesmother

I am getting the impression the PH is the killer one. A few times as soon as I get to that it all goes downhill to the point a lot have refused to cover. With it having a ambiguous link to heart and lungs they could state it was that as an instigator? Plus the fact so little research is done as it does not warrant the investment to returns! If they base their information on Prognosis going back not that many years it does not look good on paper.

We have to be realistic insurance companies are there for profit! If they have to pay out they have failed.

Be Well

Someonesmother profile image
Someonesmother in reply toOffcut

Could be. I have afib, Wolffe Parkinson White (genetic form of SVT), Inflammatory arthritis (Rheumatoid arthritis/Lupus combo), Liver problem, sleep apnea, hiatus hernia, reflux and so it goes on. Lucky I don't have PH and hope I don't get it. I travelled to the US earlier this year about 4 weeks after an ablation and I made it there and back on a pretty strenuous trip without incident.

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Offcut in reply toSomeonesmother

I have all of the above except the wolffe along with Restrictive lung disease!

Someonesmother profile image
Someonesmother in reply toOffcut

even so we are still entitled to go on holidays just like everyone else without the huge penalties. It is a form of discrimintation

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Offcut in reply toSomeonesmother

If they covered me for a medivac to at least get me home I would of been happy.

I don't blame you for staying in the UK, the insurance companies are sharks, aren't they? I used Staysure but I only had the AF to declare which probably makes things easier. In Europe if you have an EHIC it should help enormously. See this link for what is covered - e111.org.uk/about.html

in reply to

Note of caution it also says medical insurance is needed. UK it is then!

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Offcut in reply to

When I only needed to declare AF and Asthma was not a major issue, But now I seem to pick up a condition a year it has given me the impression I need to carry a bell with me? I would think if my 2008 ICU stay was abroad I would of max'd my limit in no time.

in reply toOffcut

I can see it's a problem, these people are cautious to the nth degree... Good job there are some lovely parts of the UK to visit!

Offcut, I do sympathise! Remember my £3,500 quote from ' Goodtogo ' for USA earlier in year ?! There are some lovely hotels in UK. I can recommend the Saunton Sands in North Devon for amazing situation & the Devonshire Arms in Long Sutton Somerset for a night or two 'stop off' -- lovely rooms & fantastic restaurant.

Sandra

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Offcut in reply to

We do like Somerset we will have a look.

Lindabob profile image
Lindabob

Staysure were very helpful and I have full European coverage until next year to cover cruising and flying. Worth a phone call :)

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Offcut in reply toLindabob

They refused to insure.

Barb1 profile image
Barb1

I have insurance with All Clear with a pending ablation procedure, blood clot in the heart, AF, Diastolic heart disease, osteoarthritis and glaucoma! Years cover, world (except for America) £480.00 Proof of the pudding is if I have to claim.

SagaPLC profile image
SagaPLC

Offcut - Saga does not refuse travel insurance if a customer has cancelled their home insurance.

If you email david.knockton@saga.co.uk with more details I will help you.

Kind regards, David Knockton.

Offcut profile image
Offcut in reply toSagaPLC

I will do. but I have booked to stay in England now!

Becksagogo profile image
Becksagogo

I'm off to Lanzarote in October for a total duration of 9 days. I had major heart surgery last year and a valve replacement this year and have had 2 unexpected stays in hospital in the last 8 months.

The first obstacle for making it more expensive is that Lanzarote is outside of Europe.

The second is 2 unplanned visits to A&E.

I have spent days being refused by all those that advertise as covering pre existing illnesses.... In the end I went with a company called Free Spirit who have taken me on for around £300 (half the cost of my holiday)

I have an E11card but it doesn't cover repatriation or other expenses apart from medical. My bank account covers me but again not for repatriation etc!

Still its better than the quotes from Saga and others that started at £580 upwards.

I think I may have to put the Graceland Tour on hold for next year unless I win the lottery!

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Offcut in reply toBecksagogo

£750 plus £750 per treatment excess if I went to Spain (Barcelona) Just not worth it I had to cut my holiday to Weymouth short because of being ill!

Becksagogo profile image
Becksagogo in reply toOffcut

Oh what a shame. As if having heart problems wasn't enough, it seems it's now affecting our holidays.

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