Can anyone suggest a reputable but reasonable insurer for holiday insurance, covering AF? I've just had an online quote and it would cost almost as much as the holiday itself and so that would be it totally unaffordable for me, so, any suggestions would be really welcome. I'm hoping to visit Kefalonia in October. Thanks.
Holiday insurance: Can anyone suggest a... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Holiday insurance
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Tricia239
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I use insure and go
All Clear Travel Insurance. They cover most medical conditions and are very reasonable.
yes we have used them with no problems at all.
I found all clear very expensive a anti was a third of the price for annual world wide insurance
should have read avanti
Just as well you didn't make a claim. I took ill in Majorca last summer (connected to my AF) and spent four days in hospital. For a while it was touch and go that I might have not be released in time for my flight home and would have to book another flight (and perhaps some extra nights' hotel accommodation). Avanti insisted on me (or rather my wife) getting a quote for the extra costs before even considering meeting any claim - how is someone expected to do this in such a stressful situation in a foreign country? As things turned out I did manage to make the flight home so did not have to shell out any extra - but that was no thanks to Avanti.
I went through Bupa in Australia uses the underwriter Allianz cost me $200-$300 Aussie dollar. We went to Bali. All they wanted to know if I was on anticoagulants which at the time I was
I travelled to Greece with AF last year. I had an annual policy with Staysure and when I contacted them to declare AF, they wanted an exextra 400 pounds which I had no option but to pay. I've been looking for insurance for a safari next year and Avanti are coming up with the best quote.
It was Staysure who quoted me almost £500, so I'll try Avanti. Thanks. Tricia
Staysure declined to insure me as I was waiting for a pacemaker altho I had used them before but All Clear agreed.Ive just used MSE to get a quote for 2 weeks 180 eventho I have been in A&E twice recently and had cardioversion.However i dont recognise the companys name.I am reminded that GHICcard covers you for medical treatment but you need cover for repatriation etc
I have had the same issue with holiday insurance and AF. It does I’m afraid cost a lot. Last time I went abroad to Caribbean it was £700 for the insurance which was more than the air fare!
Crikey that is high!I've given up for the moment as am awaiting an op & no one wants to know. I was with Eurotunnel.... They were fab & very reasonable but they've stopped doing holiday travel insurance now. Lol... 😢
I've found unless you are doing a lot of hols abroad that insuring for each hol is miles cheaper than annual. Just a thought....
Depressing isn't it!
Phew! I had read somewhere that the States and the Caribbean were almost 'no go' areas for travel insurance for over 21's! (80 really!)
I went to both places you've mentioned in my 40's Trish, but that was before AF struck. When I went to Croatia a few years ago the Post Office were very reasonable.
Hi, I didn't know they did insurance, I'll check them out. With weather like we're having now I'm happy to stay home! Hope you're enjoying the sunshine. Tricia
Admiral have been really good for me. Just over £200 for annual worldwide policy and when I declared a recent visit to hospital for a cardioversion it didn't increase the policy. Annual is often cheaper than a one off for some reason.
Hi, my experience with holiday insurance increases isn’t so bad, so far
I’m with Nationwide in the UK and have a debit card which gives annual travel, breakdown and phone insurance cover ‘free’- approx £12 per month card fee to pay. I pay extra premium on travel insurance for high blood pressure and AF of about £170 per annum. As I remember questions mention number of medications and whether new conditions are being investigated, so maybe one of your answers has swung you up to a higher price somehow. Good luck and hope you get a better quote.
I think you are right in that having had two emergency admissions in the last 12 months isn't helping. I had forgotten about my Bank, they used to include it so I'll investigate that. Thanks.
I use Saga x
I use Staysure.
We used Holiday Extras, and had a better deal on an annual than just a week. I declared my AF and Mrs Omniscient's MS.But...my tip is to phone them and go through it there not online.
Best of luck, Gary
Thanks for the tip, I will certainly try them after the Bank Holiday. Tricia
I had travel insurance with my bank but that stopped when I reached 70. After 2 days on the computer and phone, I went with Saga at just under £1000 for annual worldwide excluding Americas, up to 90 days away and cruise cover. Steep, I know but I was at my wits end.
I opened a Nationwide Flex Plus account which costs £13.0 per months. This includes world wide travel insurance for me and my husband. You obviously have to declare pre existing conditions and so for my Afib I pay an extra £100 per annum.
More to the point, when I had tohave emergency surgery in France last year they paid up what the GHIC card wouldn’t cover (which works out at about 20% of the cost) but they paid the actual cost of the surgery and the Outpatient’s costs directly to the hospital.
That sounds a really good plan. Sorry to be so dumb but what is a GHIC card? I will certainly give them a try. Thanks, Tricia
a GHIC card is issued by the UK government to all British nationals tobe used when they are abroad.
It used to be the EHIC card gradually being replaced by GHIC card means you get medical treatment at same rate as locals in Europe but Im not sure it covers everything.You have to apply online.Its free.
I’ve found Coverwise good value and very straightforward to apply and declare AF. (I found Saga relatively expensive. Also worth noting that you can use some of the comparison sites with a pre declared illness). I also recently went on a cycling holiday and SportsCover were very good. Interestingly, their premium didn’t change when declaring AF, they just increased the excess from something like £100 to £250. Both trips were Europe and I’d assume somewhere like the Caribbean could be a lot more. However, I’m now waiting for an ablation and last month when I declared this for some travel insurance I was either refused or very expensive. The moment you declare any outstanding diagnosis or treatment the insurers seem to get nervous.
Interesting. The thing is I'm on the waiting list for an AV node ablation, but I think I can genuinely say that I'm not certain whether I will have that procedure or not - I truly am in a dilemma about it and might just stick with medication for a while, so that wouldn't be an untruth. But, I have had 2 emergency admissions during the last 12 months and I am sure that isn't helping things, but I have to be honest about that. Thanks, Tricia
Indeed Billy. I've had to declare I'm waiting for a heart op. No one is interested in insuring me. I've decided to leave it because I won't get much notice from the hospital re op date.... & am pretty sure they won't cover holiday cancellation either due to my waiting for an op. Liitle breaks in the UK.... & hope not too long a wait for my op. 🤞🤞
It's a bit of a pain isn't it, having had to put life on hold during the pandemic and now we still can't get back to living! Anyway, good luck with the op, let's hope you don't have to wait too long.
Thanks Tricia. My surgeons been given permission by the hospital to start clearing some of his long waiting list.... I'm new to his list so have grave doubts I'll be on his backlog list but hopefully should end up higher on list after his clear out! 🤣🤞🤞!!
Hello, I’ve had a lot of trouble getting insurance and have used AllClear since I’ve had AF. It was extremely expensive this year so used Just Travel. Would recommend phoning though rather than online as you sometimes get a more sympathetic quote,
Hi
When I shopped around, the ?s were about a stay in hospital within a year.
What cost more was hypo thyroidism. A Thyroidectomy they said means you take meds. (And guess to stay alive). AF was not concerning it was the stroke.
Although Air NZ cancelled the plane direct to Hobart, I was not going to cover that diagnosis.
You can insure without declaring. What would happen is that you wouldn't be covered for that diagnosis. They would find out from your Dr.
To insure or not?
cheri JOY. 74 (NZ)
Thanks.
Defo insure!! It's often hard to seperately off conditions ure not insured for and you might find that not making a full disclosure invalidates the whole insurance. I've never had a problem with getting good cheap insurance with hypothyroidism on my list..... But waiting for a heart op really spooks them! Lol...
From my experience it doesn't take much to spook them. The name of their game is risk, but they don't like any risks!
Hi
Depending what you seek medical for overseas they cant not cover you for other diagnosis.
I was with my Mum exploring Alaska when I had a flu but I got a full blood clearance before I left. Whilst in flight I discovered a lump on side of neck.
The Air Hostess asked me to check with hospital at Jurneau on arrival.
A blood test showed something so they said to have another in 3 days time. I said I would check at Fairbanks Hospital.
I did and it was worse. ? glandular fever? I got mouth ulcers.
Bills were 500 US for each blood test.
Then Mum was in trouble although she was on antibiotics and cough suppression. Finishing the antibiotics she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Something about the suppression medication causing pneumonia.
Jet flight over mountains to Anchorage she was put in intensive care. I was on top storey for accommodation.
I experienced a good earthquake in Anchorage. The hospital is on wheels! The rafters were clattering.
Mum was flown back NZ with a nurse and went back to nZ a few days earlier.
Southern Cross paid $140,000 for Mum but would not cover the blood tests for me.
I didn't know that I should have alerted them in going to dr before the trip.
I've always had medical covered before and hospitals send bills to them.
All before my latest medical conditions. I haven't ventured out since 2019.
cheri JOY 74. (NZ)
Sorry to hear what happened Joy2theworld49. Hope your Mum has recovered now?
Yes you have to contact your insurance company to notify them and they have to approve any medical treatment. They will find any loophole they can to avoid paying out. Interesting they paid out for your Mum but not you. Was it cos the knew about your Mum but not you?
I developed a severe ruptured disc in my back whilst holidaying in Turkey & was rushed into hospital due to pain & loss of feeling in legs. The hospital wanted to operate. My insurance said no, get her well enough to fly her back home to uk hospital. It was pretty scary as I was on my own. So hospital did what they said, week later was flown home on a stretcher with a nurse and ambulanced to my local hospital....where I was kept in hospital for three days more. Took me months to recover but I did not require an operation. Insurance paid out. That was 25yrs ago. I have very little disc left so no high impact activities can be tolerated. Backs good apart from that.
This Is why I would never travel with out insurance and would always make a full medical disclosure when applying for insurance. If you miss anything off it can invalidate any insurance.... Often this bit is written in the small print.
depends on your age but I use travel insurance that comes with first direct directory bank account. Never had any problems. Been in normal sinus rhythm now for a year so I should let them know I suppose, I don’t think it’ll make any difference right enough as will still be classed as AF I’d think
Mmmmm, age and thereby hangs the problem me thinks, not to mention 2 emergency admissions in the last few months. Not to mention being on the list for an AV node ablation but as I still haven't finally decided on that I may well not declare that 'cos it wouldn't be a lie. Such a pain! Thanks and glad to hear you're doing so well. Tricia
Sounds like me I had 2 emergency admissions and cardioversion beenoffered AV node ablation but Im not onthe list yet.So MSE Money supermarket compares all insurers and came up with one quote.I have a CT angiogram planned too so had say Im awaiting further tests / treatment.You can opt for certain conditions not to be covered but with AF may need treatment do dont advise this.I paid 300 with All Clear a year ago.Ive also used Travel4 medical but there was something in the policy I was unsure about.With All Clear it was over the phone and question was Do you have any tests or treatments that would cause you to cancel your holiday ? Let me know if you have the AV node ablation how you get on ....
Yes you will be fine MumnyLuv. They weren't bothered by my Afib at all....or the rest of my medical history but waiting for a heart op defo had them in melt down. Anyways its lovely weather here so not feeling too hard done by. And I've treated myself to a hanging egg chair!! Xx
Fantastic, I've always fancied one of those but reckon that even if I got into it I'd never get out - and who wants a rotten egg!!!!
what did you tell them re your mini maze as to procedure and where they ok about no anticoagulants. I’ve left our annual insurance running that comes with our nationwide account but let the extra cover lapse on their advice as it was due just before my surgery.
I think you've confused me with someone else. I've not had a mini maze and I do take anticoagulants. I think my problem is that I was 80 earlier this year and they see that as too big a risk!
Hi. I've used virgin money travel insurance and for Europe yearly cover with declared AF was just over £100 and that included my husband on the policy too.
other option is Avanti
I'm waiting for Ablation for Atrial Flutter, we tried them all £1000.50 for two weeks Salou, without waiting for Ablation £350.00
CF Travel Insured
I use Staysure and I have Afib and don’t find them expensive. If you go for annual cover it’s easy to find a discount code giving you 20% off their quoted price and if your over 70 yrs old it should cost no more than £200 for all trips within Europe mine has been around £180 last 2 years .
I think the problem is that I was 80 this year. I think you're supposed to give up living after 80! I'm not!!!!
Back to Saga again, I was 86 when on cruise to Norway last month, no probs booking at all, I did tell them of my Af cannot fault them in any way.
Well, hubs said we have a joint annual insurance with Saga, listing both our issues and cost £1000! We went to Grenada in February.
Hi Tricia - I used these last year to Rhodes- was about £80 and all declared (previous heart attack and current AFib).
All Clear, very good, used them in Sept last £90 for a week in France. A/F and Ileostomy +
Staysure, I had a quote covering AF and polymyalgia for £134 for 2 weeks
They are quoting me £500 approx - for 1 week!
Nooooooo, have you got other underlying health conditions?
Not really, high blood pressure but I never thought that counted very much - but, and this is where I think the problem lies, I was 80 earlier this year and I think they expect you to be dead by now!!!! I'm not prepared to go down that route, not for a long while, fingers crossed, anyway. x
That's so wrong Tricia, my mum is 95 now and successfully got insurance to go on a cruise when she was 85! and she had had her bladder removed from cancer.I am 66 but didn't think it would make much difference x
I suppose the truth is I can get insurance but it’s just so expensive and things are a bit tight at the moment. x
I use Staysure and they have been pretty good ..
I use M&S
I thought I’d already replied to you Tricia but seems not.
Your problems for cost loading are a) age - anything over 80 tends to get expensive b) you are waiting for a procedure 3) you have had 2 hospital admissions - that automatically will bump up your premium and I regret to say but almost impossible to get insurance for at reasonable cost, but you dare not go without. And do check that your insurance would cover you for private cover, many do not or comes with another loading.
I was in a similar position some years ago managed to get insured at reasonable cost through TravelInsurance4Medical - BUT only by ringing them, not on line. That was before COVID and trying to get anyone to answer the phone now is ridiculous. If you’ve not managed to get insurance yet - I would suggest you try them as they specialise in people with medical issues.
Everything is calculated via algorithms and anything out of the ordinary will need to be referred to the underwriter. Good luck.
stay clear of staysure very bad experience
Firstly try your bank. Lots do travel insurance . My 84yrs old neighbour with medical problems got hers through her bank which was Nat West. Worth a try.
Thanks but unfortunately my bank don't want to know because I'm over 80! I have now found a very reasonable quote with travelinsurance4medical.co.uk Thanks again for taking the trouble to help me. Best wishes, Tricia
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