Travel Insurance

[Arianalilly]

Hi

I had an ICD fitted in November.. you might see quite a few questions from me. May I thank people in advance that have taken time out to answer.

We have an annual travel insurance policy that isn’t due to expire before our next holiday. Obviously I will need to notify them I’ve had the device fitted. Should I expect this policy to increase in price?? Would this also be covered by the disability act???

TIA

[sturon]

Having an ICD implant doesn't necessarily mean a big increase in your insurance. It will depend on why you had this implant.

My husband has had an S-ICD implant for 5 years. He has a number of pre-existing conditions we find insurance is now both difficult to find and expensive. We tried the comparison sites but in the end always go back to Staysure. We find they are more reasonably priced. SAGA wanted to charge us £800 for a two week Europe holiday and would not give cover for a year.

Good luck and happy travels.

[Hidden]

Dear Arianalilly

Glad to hear that your pacemaker is settling so well that you are strong enough for taking a well deserved holiday.

It depends on the reason for having the pacemaker fitted, but rule of thumb is expect to pay more and certainly don't just travel on your old insurance regardless of the time left on it, you are a different person to the one that took it out.

Fitting the pacemaker should be keeping you from being disabled, so I would think that it doesn't come under the disability act, the effects of the heart problem maybe, but then would you be deemed fit enough to go on holiday ?

If its for a work situation your HR dept will have the answers for you.

Take care and enjoy that holiday

[Chappychap]

The discussions about the Disability Act are a bit of red herring.

If an individual is at higher risk then they can expect to pay a higher insurance premium, it's that simple. All the Disability Act protects is a disabled individual who is NOT at a higher risk being charged more purely because of their disability.

When it comes to things like travel insurance or life insurance then it's crystal clear, we ARE at higher risk therefore we WILL be asked to pay more, and the Disability Act will do nothing to prevent that.

So yes, your travel insurance will increase, but maybe not by as much as you fear. Many people on this forum report premiums of around £200-£300 per year for annual European travel policies.

There are however a few things you may not be aware of. You will almost certainly be denied insurance if you are waiting for treatment or awaiting a diagnosis. In addition some insurance will want a certain period of time to elapse following treatment before offering insurance. These periods vary but can be months rather than weeks. And if you're planning a cruise you'll probably need a higher repatriation limit than for land based holidays.

Good luck and enjoy your travels!