Waiting for initial appt ...can i go on hols?

[Catloveruk]

I was referred 6 weeks ago for a murmur and waiting for an ecjocardiogram. My question is...is it safe for me to go on holiday abroad or should i wait for the echo? What about travel insurance, what do you declare? Any advice appreciated.

[MissisF]

Always declare everything to the insurers. They definitely won’t pay if you don’t. But I certainly wouldn’t go anywhere without it. Try All Clear & Staysure? I think if you search on BHF website it’ll come up. There seems to be a long wait for Echocardiograms unfortunately so you may have a wait. Good Luck.

[Paperlover]

Most murmurs go undetected for years and people don’t even know they have them. Many people who do have them can go about their lives normally but might eventually need a repair or replacement. I would speak to your GP about what you can and can’t do. As far as insurance is concerned, you have to declare everything. If you are waiting for a referral you are unlikely to be covered for any pre-existing conditions, regardless of whether they are related to your heart or outstanding referral. I only know this because I’m waiting for a neurology appointment, but Staysure won’t cover me for anything, even hay fever, until I have a diagnosis on the neurological issue. It seems very unfair to me but I gather all insurers are the same. They will cover you for things like cancellations due to a new condition or if you break your leg whilst on holiday.

[Bingo88]

Good morning Catloveruk. I think you will find for a holiday insurance quote. One of the 1st questions is are you awaiting any investigation into a problem and if you answer yes to this they won't give you a quote. No harm in trying but I had this problem in the past

[Hidden]

Dear Catloveruk

Sorry to add to the doom and gloom answers, but you must declare everything, including any new meds.

Its almost impossible to get insurance for the reason of that, they don’t know yet what is really wrong with you, so how can they insure that?

A heart murmur is not to be taken lightly until they know what is causing it.

You are already in the system for ongoing tests and maybe treatment.

Take care you are in my thoughts.

[Wenlock]

You can get Basic travel insurance for accidents etc and declare your Heart problem. You won't be covered for Heart problems. Best getting insurance with holiday firm and booking holiday with free cancellation.Then you can wait for procedure and cancel holiday without cost . Also ask your Cardiologist's Secretary for possible date of your procedure. Don't forget your Euro med card is still valid(check details on Gov.uk), Benidorm has best medical facilities and used to all British heart problems. Good luck. Wenlock.

[firstlight40]

If you already had a policy in place before you knew of the problem, you may be covered for cancellation costs but I suspect you won't be covered for any heart problems while away. Check your policy and if necessary contact the insurer

[Hearthrob]

Try not going, it seems that many are not using common sense in this regard... to leave the country at this time, is not sensible.

[Catloveruk in reply to Hearthrob]

Sorry, what o do you mean exactly?

[Chriscwmpen]

I found myself in a similar position a few years ago. What you decide to do will come down to personal choice, but I'll share my experience in case it helps:- I'd had an initial echocardiogram following the discovery of a murmur. It showed there was a problem with my mitral valve.

- My holiday was booked to take place after the initial echo results but before my appointment with a cardiologist to get a more precise diagnosis.

- I asked my GP's view. He said I should be fine to go away, but to make sure I had insurance.

- I alerted my insurer (I had travel insurance as a benefit with my bank account). They made a note and said I didn't have to pay anything extra for this one trip as I didn't have a full diagnosis, but would need to declare the diagnosis for any future trips.

- I have since had surgery to repair my mitral valve and advised my insurer. Their quote was very high, so I switched to Staysure who gave a very reasonable quote.

Good luck with everything,

Chris

[CDPO16]

Insurance aside, can you be sure that a holiday and an appointment for the echo won't coincide?

[Bdhoagie]

I was 16 years old when a Doctor told me I had a heart murmur, it was my joining up medical! It didn't stop me enlisting, and had a very active life for over 40 years before my heart surgery! However, a heart murmur at your age is different. If it were me, I would certainly wait until after the EEG before going abroad, or at the very least, phone the doctor and check. Whatever you do though, from now on, you must always declare this when taking out travel insurance. The premiums may not necessarily be that much more, but peace of mind will be!