So I've reluctantly elected to have a fourth ablation. Just informed the insurance company (Staysure) and even though my Atrial Flutter is completely stable and controlled by amiodarone they now say they won't cover Aflutter OR ANY OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS now. But there will be no reduction in price despite me paying through the nose for them to cover all these conditions in the first place. Blooming swindlers. Or I can have a pro-rata refund. Anyway, rant over. My question is "Does anyone cover you if you are on a waiting list?"
I'm thinking that if they don't cover the important medical stuff why am I paying £200? I may as well just get a cheap supermarket type policy which will also exclude my pre-existing conditions just the same, but be a fraction of the price
I'm not impressed with Staysure especially since I'm forever recommending them on this very forum.
Anyway if you know anyone who does cover you while waiting please let me know. Thanks in advance xx
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Jajarunner
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I have been told that Insurewith are good. I haven't used them yet. Unfortunately I used to get really good insurance with my Bank but since Covid they have stopped the insurance perk and now I have to look around. My age alone makes insurance eye wateringly expensive. I don't know how they work it out My Af has never resulted in me having to go to a hospital since first diagnosed back in 2017 - yes maybe as I age it is more likely to or then again may be not. It is well controlled and I keep a good watch on it I am still more likely to get knocked down by a bus! I have had altitude sickness which made me ill but I didn't claim on insurance as the cost of the treatment was less than the insurance and was involved in a bump which wrote off my daughter-in-law's car in America - the other driver's fault not looking where he was going driving down hill into a queue at traffic lights - again no injuries no claims - that's all in my 60 + years of traveling. I shall have to do some long haul travel to visit my brother in South Africa and my family in the US again am not looking forward to looking at the insurance cost.
I have yearly all world travel cover plus AA cover with the Nationwide for both myself and my wife. The cost used to be £13 PCM. This price increased by £60 on my 70th birthday, it also increased by £250 per year following my diagnosis for afib. I gather that they are happy to continue with this cover for the next 5 years. Some older friends have stopped going abroad due to the constant increases in premiums.
We also have the Nationwide ‘bank account’ cover. We increased the premium last year when I was just diagnosed with AFib, and also my husband had just had a prostate op. That was a bigger increase and we ended up not going abroad.
So we let the extra cover lapse, and phoned back recently as we are off abroad for a holiday. Extra premium was less than last year - no extra as my husband’s condition is settled, and less extra for my now persistent AFib. Total of around £150 for the year. (On top of the monthly £13 bank account fee.)
I’m not on a waiting list though, so it sounds like that’s the problem. So annoying when the condition is under control with medication. Especially from a company like Staysure which is frequently recommended for those with heart conditions. I’m sure I saw another post about being let down with this.
hello Jajarunner , I am on a waiting list for my 3rd ablation and got insured with Travel Insurance 4 Medical.co.uk for my recent week away in Corsica . Stay sure and All clear wouldn’t insure me at all ! Hope this helps .
I used travelinsurance4medical as well - excellent company and got insurance whilst waiting for a procedure - just got a quote from them to cover a cruise which the inclusive insurance would not cover me. I had to sit down after hearing the cost as it was £350. I shopped around - nothing much less than £300 and up to £800 for the same cover. I am over 70. Do I want to risk going without insurance? No - so I paid up.
I would like to visit family in the US A but think I will need to wait until ablation no 3 done and dusted as I doubt I would get insurance for America . Do you agree ? X
Last time I checked it was just too expensive for us - about £1500 for a 3 week trip, it’s doable - if you can afford it! Hubble has had to withdraw from US entirely- we had business interests there & would travel 3/4 times a year - just too expensive & too much beaurocracy now.
I had the same problem with Staysure earlier this year. They eventually gave me a very partial refund, apparently it's at their discretion. I got waiting list insurance with Total Travel Protection, as an add on to their single trip insurance. I'm waiting for an ablation, and it covers me for cancellation if I get called for my holiday dates, or if I'm not well enough to go afterwards.
The add on waiting list cover was £95 on top of the normal premium for 8 days cover including my medical conditions, for a river cruise in Europe. I'm 80, so insurance is not cheap! I think the waiting list cover is a set fee.
I can’t add anything directly related to your experience, but I have an annual policy for Europe with Staysure, which was circa £330 and covers my AF as well as CHD…. BUT they recently charged me an extra £60 to add on diagnosed mild gastritis which has needed no further treatment or medication! Not impressed ☹️
Just had renewal reminder for Staysure Annual World Cover and it’s a sizeable increase. Seems to be par for the course with insurance, but annoying as no claims, we are both 67, husband has no health probs and I ‘only’ have AF.
I had already decided not to renew with Staysure due to them being very unreasonable to someone on this forum recently.
In my search for another provider found that lots of these insurers appear to have great reviews but if you delve into them it’s only the buying process that’s good. I could not find one company that didn’t have awful reviews for claims. Staysure was bad! Trouble is the insurance company is only the shop - the companies actually handling the claims are unknown names, most with bad reputations.
Renewing our Annual Travel Ins is my job for this week. I’ve decided that as they are all equally bad I am going for the cheapest that offers the cover we want. What’s the point doing otherwise?
So far I have always been able to get a reasonable quote via the company I have the house and car insurance with. Before medical conditions we always had family cover built in to home insurance. Had to get separate travel insurance a few years ago when my wife started blood pressure meds which was quite reasonable, (Direct Line at the time and Admiral later on). Currently on a joint policy for the two of us for about £120/year (Europe) with LV. My experience is it’s more about your answers to the questions asked about your condition than the actual condition itself. If you are asymptomatic and never had and A&E visit with it then will be cheaper than someone that has. I wouldn’t have expected to have to inform them if you have elected to have a procedure as it’s a choice not a change in condition. As with everything AF we are all different and there maybe changes in condition also.
After my reply earlier, I started to think maybe I should be informing my insurance as I have elected to go on the waiting list for my first ablation following a review last week and with the option to take myself off the list if I change my mind. Again it comes down to individual circumstances and individual insurance company terms. After reading my policy document I’m happy now to carry on until my renewal without telling them as they only ask to be told of changes to already declared conditions they have agreed to cover at renewal. As long as my answers at renewal were correct and honest which they were.
If you haven't gone on your trip, I asked for a full refund. Not sure if you need a Dr to fill in form to say "recommended not to travel" which helped but your policy doesnot cover you now. Not until the dates of your holiday start.
Southern Cross are hard-nosed but they did pay $144,000 out on my Mum who developed a cold then pneumonia because the Fairbanks Hospital put Mum on antibiotics and cough SUPPRESSION medication. But as soon as she completed the anti-biotics the cold moved to pneumonia.
They wouldn't pay out on me 500 euros x twice for 2 blood tests. ? Grandula Fever.
I had an illness before trip but I had an all-clear from DR before I left. On the journey lumps appeared on my neck.
Insurance Policies ask if you have been in hospital within the year or if you have hospital appointment and what meds and diagnosis one is on.
Try cover for you.I have not the same issues as you but I went to Rhodes whilst waiting for an ablation with a lowish increase on normal. But that was 6 years ago.
I have used them many times since , but post ablation. I understand that as i have had no issues or hospital visits for 5 years, I dont have AFib insurance wisenow
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