Trying to do the right thing, I telephoned Lloyds TSB today to notify the Travel Insurance section about my recently diagnosed Ataxia. What a mistake. Apart from anything else, I foolishly expected the fact that I am a Platinum account customer to mean something in the way I would be treated. wrong.
(The reason for doing this in advance of any travel plans, is that I have two quite elderly parents...)
A few hours after the telephone call I am still seething with anger and frustration, and will seriously consider moving my account to another bank.
The short story is as follows:
Initially, they wouldn't even go through the evaluation - which would determine whether and at what cost, they might consider covering me for travel insurance - as my Ataxia is not yet fully diagnosed. In their terminology as far as I understand it, the diagnosis must be completed so they know what the treatment is... or it might be something else, etc.
Because they don't appear to understand Ataxia, they seem to treat it as something which might suddenly develop complications and require emergency treatment (for example). No surprise here.
After finally getting through to a manager, the conversation worsened. He was very nice, but continued to insist on Ataxia being treated like all other medical conditions, even though he claimed to have had other customers with Ataxia. Level playing field was the term he used.
He did concede that the further tests, I had foolishly mentioned, would not bring about any change in the basic diagnosis and nor would it result in a treatment to cure the condition...
This led him to start the evaluation. It was at this stage that the conversation plummeted, with the questions becoming too personal for uncomfortable and a little intrusive.
I finally gave up when he insisted I describe exactly what each of my medication was for. The final straw was when he insisted I had to telephone my doctor and get that detailed information before they could continue to consider my application for travel insurance.
I will either not be travelling in the future, or will travel without travel insurance - at least not with Lloyds TSB.
If you were to consider avoiding these sorts of problems by skirting the facts or by being economical with the detail, then I think you run the risk of the insurance not being paid when you need it.
Uncomfortable. Unfortunate.
Driving and car insurance
When testing doesn’t give an answer..what next
Anyone had problems getting insurance before going abroad?
The Ataxia.UK Specialist Centre At The John Radcliffe Hospital - my experience
