I have been ringing around all morning trying to get some cover for my asthma and failing miserably. Every will cover me for all med conditions except ye olde asthma. Kate...I know you managed with the post office and I swear someone else managed with Atlas. I have tried them both and they say the main reason is because I've had an admission in the past 3 months! Mia...who are yo using for St Lucia.
Can any1 shed any light as my holiday is only 2 weeks away (yes I know I left it late) and I'm beginning to wonder whether I can cover the lungs. If not risk time I believe! I've got an E111 at least.
when i was looking (just after an admission) i found this site very helpful - i think it was the all clear company that were best for me (their link is on that site). their annual was no more expensive than the single trip.
hope you find something hon.
j
Hi Em
Sorry but i can't get travel insurance anywhere either as have been admitted within last 3 months and have tried everyone suggested on here. There was a company who needed only needed 2 months clear of admission that was mentioned on here as doing special insurance for asthmatics but can't remember who they were.
The only other thing to watch is that if a company will cover you but exclude the asthma from claims then they (esp post office having spoken to them today!) will not pay out on any claims from you or other people in your party which may be a result of your asthma eg extra hotel costs of people travelling with you if you get admitted etc.
Also the E111 no longer exists it has changed to EHIC (European Health Insurance card i think) which you can order on their internet site but you need to take the card with you. On their website you can check what the reciprical agreement of each country is or find further contact details to see what the cost is likely to be if you ended up ill and didn't have insurance.
I am with Freedom Insure. They are a specialist company for people with pre existing medical problems. Their underwriters in my case are City Bond Sure Travel
My policy was £250 ish for annual worldwide incl USA, top of range cover!
Qs were things like...how many meds are you on....do you use a neb....do you need to travel with O2....have you been in hospital in last 6 months-I had and I answered yes too!....so, the usual!
They insured me with my track record, that was back in Oct 05 and I had had multiple admissions, plus I was asking for insurance for Severe Asthma, COPD and mild Bronch. My friend with sub/cut got the same quote for her insurance, so I think once you are over a certain number of meds, etc it is pretty much a flat rate.
Also have a look at the companies for CF insurance, try the CF Trust for info, as CFers have real problems getting insurance because of multiple admissions, IVs, O2 etc.
Good Luck. I am dreading October when mine comes up for renewal, in case any of their criteria have changed-mine are pretty much the same though!
Well you may know from the last post that i struggled with travell insurence for my recent hol, the three main companies that the charities suggest wanted over a thousand pounds for two weeks!! after lots of phoning and tears i eventually found PJ Hayman 0845 230 3529, they were fab and only charged me £220 for two weeks cover, ive had admissions evey 6 weeks, vented in itu in the last year, use o2 at home and needed in flight, loads meds, and have diabetes!! and they covered all this!! Dont rely on e111 or new card thing as it is now ( u can apply on line for this and it comes within a few days) it doesnt cover you 100%,
Hope you get on ok and have a great hoilday
Andrea
Thank you so much!
Thanks every1 I will investigate all that you've suggested and get back to you. Made me feel a lot better. £250 is so much to a poor broke student but I suppose its a lot less than if I had to pay out there uninsured. God damn our lungs!!!
Thanks once again so appreciated.
Em xx
exactly hunny, it was a lot for me on benefits but better than paying the costs, an average asthma attack with a weeks stay ib hosp in cyprus costs £1000 basic!!! so you have to weigh up the pros and cons but i think you cant afford not to.
Good luck xxx
Hi Em,
Just read your message. I'm insured for holiday travel with a company called Zurich. At first I thought they were expensive, -£490. But that's for two of us and for one year, - 100 plus days of holiday travel, - don't think even I could manage that amount of holiday!- anywhere in the world except Foreign Office areas of high risk! But don't think I will be holidaying in Iraq!
I'm the only one that has a medical prob.-DOH ( darling other half) is as fit as a flea although quite a bit older than me.
I also had to make a claim with them via work re business travel as you already know, and they were a bit slow in coming up with a cheque for my lost omron microair. But no quibble for medical costs when in China.
The big difference in costs comes from whether or not you have to use and/or transport oxygen. Hospital admissions, meds and diagnosis of various lung conditions all seem to come out less than the amount quoted if you need oxygen.
Just to clarify the Post Office insurance, their basic policy will not cover the asthma but if you go through their medical screening which is by Fortis they will quote the extra bit that will cover ( hopefully) your asthma.
My initial insurance in Jan was around £58 but the medical premium I paid to Fortis was around £80. It was worth it and they covered a claim too.
They do have the 3 month rule however.
Regards the EIHC european health card thingy - you do need separate travel insurance too as the card will only cover certain free bits.
BTW I ensured that I could get travel insurance that would cover my asthma before even booking the holiday.
Kate
i tried freedom, were very good.
Also medicover will cover you if out for a month, i actually found po wouldnt cover me kate, strange eh?
I also had to go through the medical screening with atlas ao the basic premium for fmaily was £22 for the week and then Sean's medical extra cover was £40. The three month rule is interesting as Sean had only been home for one week when i arranged insurance but they didnt ask for dates of admissions. I was asked how many meds, how many admissions in last year etc. He is on 10 meds morning and night and had over 10 admissions in last year and they were still happy to cover him.
On another note i would definatly not rely on the new e111, I had a fall on holiday and needed a trip to hospital, no one was interested in my waving about of the e111 and charged me 450 euro which I had to claim back when I came home.
Hope u get insurance sorted soon
Your E111 or new thingie will cover you for emergency treatment but you must go to the local ""state"" hospital not the private one. Many tour guides and reps get a kick back for all the people they refer to the private clinic. Always find out where the local ""state"" costa is before leaving the UK. I my experience they are clean friendly and very efficient.
Bex
i have actually just opened a royalties account with RBS, it costs £15 a month and you get loadsa benefits, inc family travel insuance - i phoned the hotline and asked what the excess would be for me to cover michael too and they asked me a bunch o questions, as if we had already booked a holiday - guess what, he would be covered with the policy - no extra costs or anything. i was really shocked considering the number of admissions hes had over the past few months but they said that all id need was a letter from the cons saying that hes happy for him to travel, and it would be sorted!!! im so happy with the £15 a month that im spending for this - well worth it id say!!!!!
Emily
Try Direct Line - I have been covered by them with numerous hospital admissions and being on nebs constantly.
Maxine
Can't get cover anywhere!
Hi
Im doing what everyone else is doing try to get holiday insurance.....
unsucessfully I might add.
I've tried post office, direct line, norwich union (who didn't 'quote me happy'), insure and go, atlasdirect, gotravel, flexicover, heath lambert
so will try the ones your suggesting....
they won't cover the asthma not even for an extra premimum.
Looks like another summer in rainy britain!!!!!!
Trulyx
Truly...your list does not include Freedom Insure. Please try them....scroll back for my post. No, I am not an agent or claiming commission, I am just sure they will insure you. Please don't give up until you have tried them!
Success!!!
Many thanks every1 for all your help. I have just obtained insurance...holiday here I come.
I went thru City Bond who with medical screening charged me only £77.32 premium on top of the £21.42 basic insurance to cover ye olde lungs!
Woohoo.
Truley ...as Sus said don't give up. I nearly did but decided that sensibly I really needed insurance to cover the lungs *just in case*.
Good luck
Em xx
Em, my Health Screening was done through CityBond too. They are the broker that Freedom Insure set me up with.......
No Truly don't give up at all!
I tried all those companies too, have a neb but no o2 at home, they wouldn't touch me.
But freedom are very good, and medicover too. I got quotes for them both for a trip recently (admittedly on the day i was flying!), they'd both cover me freedom was slightly cheaper, but proved more expensive another time.
Glad you got insurance emily
This is not an endorsement in any way but you could try reading this story we did about the problem last year...
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