Hi. Do I need to declare heart failure for travel insurance. Diagnosis was heart failure due to Af. No longer in heart failure though.

[Wildcat02]

Heart failure due to Afib. No longer in heart failure.

[IanMK]

I’m in a similar situation. It depends on the question they ask. If they ask what your condition is now and the professional advice you have been given is that you no longer have heart failure, then I would say ‘No’. However, if they ask whether you have been diagnosed with heart failure in the last five years then it may be a different answer.

[Wildcat02 in reply to IanMK]

Thanks. It's a tricky one isn't it....

[IanMK]

When I enquired a week or so ago the companies seemed more interested in the medication I am still on rather than my CRT pacemaker. There seemed to be no problem getting travel insurance as long as I was prepared to pay £200 or so.

[dragonflyjan in reply to IanMK]

Can I ask which company that was with?

[IanMK in reply to dragonflyjan]

It was an extension to the cover I get with my bank account.

I phoned 3 or 4 places and I think the most expensive was under £500.

[Wildcat02 in reply to IanMK]

Most of ours are coming back at around £450 too..

[Lezzers in reply to Wildcat02]

I think that's a really good price, I know of someone who was quoted over £2000 for a trip to the USA.

[Wildcat02 in reply to Lezzers]

Oh right. I'm.going to try my bank acc tomorrow and see what they say first then we'll just have to bite the bullet!

[IanMK in reply to Lezzers]

My quotations were for Europe! USA WILL be expensive

[Lezzers in reply to IanMK]

Insurance is such a tricky business!! My husband had insurance through his bank. They had no problem covering him even though he'd had a massive heart attack, cardiac arrest, passed out on a plane, ICD fitted. But when he told them he had heart failure they refused to cover him anymore, even though his condition was stable!!

[dragonflyjan in reply to IanMK]

Thanks

[Wildcat02 in reply to IanMK]

Really? Who was that with?

[Lezzers]

Being in HF & having HF are not the same. Have you been told you no longer have heart failure?

[Wildcat02]

Hi. It's my husband and yes he is no longer in heart failure.

[Lezzers in reply to Wildcat02]

Was his heart failure an acute event that needed hospitalisation

[Wildcat02 in reply to Lezzers]

Yes. No previous heart problems then suffered heart failure on way back from the US last year. Told it was HF due to AF also leaking mitral valve which was severe and is now moderate.

[Lezzers in reply to Wildcat02]

That must have been very scary for you, glad to hear he’s doing much better. I personally would tell insurers all medical issues that way they can never say they didn’t know. My husband forgot to tell the insurers that he’d passed out in hospital due to the hospital giving him too much tramadol. When he rang the insurers back they charged him another £2.50, not a great deal of money but if he hadn’t told them would they have refused any claim! Neither the hospital stay or the tramadol had anything to do with his heart condition!

[Wildcat02 in reply to Lezzers]

Wow! Seems harsh. Yes it was very scary. He was w8uth with my 6 year old and social services had to take him until I could get there (Frankfurt).

[Lezzers in reply to Wildcat02]

Oh my, not sure I'd let him go anywhere on his own after that! I do hope your son was OK, what a traumatic thing for him to witness. I used to work in personal lines insurance which included travel so I'm very wary, always err on the side of caution!!

[Wildcat02 in reply to Lezzers]

I will. Thanks for the advice 😀

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

In my opinion it is best to do things by phone and mention everything. On line you can get to an impasse and end up calling anyway!

[Wildcat02 in reply to MichaelJH]

Thanks I think that's what we'll probably do

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Wildcat02]

If you are fifty or over it is worth trying StaySure.

[IanMK in reply to MichaelJH]

Even calling on the phone it’s just a box ticking exercise. The call handlers have no medical training although they will have completed the box ticking exercise many times before and should know where to put any information you offer.

I suspect that the risk analysis is very ‘broad brush’, similar to car insurance where if someone drives into you while parked it is considered there is a greater probability of you making a future claim. In this case, they don’t seem as interested in the treatment to correct a problem as much as the original diagnosis and stabilising medications prior to identifying the root cause. As I think most of us here know, there are many people in the general population who have health problems that have yet to be diagnosed. I wonder how insurance companies factor this in.

[Wildcat02 in reply to IanMK]

Yes very true. Good point

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to IanMK]

Reminds me I have to look around before next renewal. I was still not driving when it auto-renewed last year. They upped the premium because I had put myself in a position to have an accident! I was just driving along in traffic at 20mph when I was T-boned. Other side admitted responsibility and their company handled it all. I only had to advise my company and yet they loaded my premium! Sucks!

[Wildcat02 in reply to MichaelJH]

Wow!!

[Wildcat02]

Not quite there yet, another couple of years. Quotes are shocking to be honest! Any other suggestions anyone?

[Lezzers in reply to Wildcat02]

Have you tried All Clear? Other than that the BHF have a list of insurers who cover heart conditions, you'll find them posted on here somewhere. Also, it's not gonna be cheap unfortunatly, where are you going?

[Wildcat02]

Will try them and look for others, thanks. He is going to US via Canada

[Lezzers in reply to Wildcat02]

Ouch, that is definitely not gonna be cheap at all.

[Lezzers]

I've been saved, got a visitor coming round. I'll have to go tomorrow now!!

[Abergele]

Tell them full details in case you need the. I use insurewith.com found them reasonable

[Wildcat02]

UPDATE: I have called my bank who have quoted £240. So that's Birmingham to Brussels to Canada to USA for just over 2 weeks. Happy with that. Thanks everyone 👍

[Lezzers in reply to Wildcat02]

Wow, that an amazing price. Well done.

[Wildcat02 in reply to Lezzers]

Yes, considering other quotes i was pleased with that.

[Ianc2]

goodtogo also wort trying