Bit off topic I know, but this would seem like a good audience to ask. Partly out of curiosity at this stage, I've just tried getting a quote for annual travel insurance (for maximum duration 45 day trips rather than a year of travelling).
I had an HA in late Jan, 1xcoronary stent. My HF is back to normal. BP is good. I have currently got paroxysmal AF but didn't get to declare that: as I say, I was at this stage dipping my toe in the water.
I'm aged 60.
Anyway, the provider I first tried (online) - because it was staring me in the face and because I thought it would be a bit more amenable to conditions - said that it could not cover me. I also declared asthma, which is fully under control so don't imagine that was an issue. I was asking for cover for 'activities' not just sitting on a tourist bus.
What is people's experience of getting cover ? I was frankly somewhat shocked (and concerned) that annual cover was dismissed.
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bikerider00
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first of all, read the website of Moneyhelper UK and/or Moneysavingexpert.
Some travel insurers want high volume low cost. That could mean that they are not interested in anyone over sixty, or anyone with an existing medical condition, That’s their privilege, but there are lots of travel nurses around so you have choices.
Insurance companies work on statistics. If they find (just as an example) that they have a lot of claims from women aged between fifty and sixty who have had a very recent hysterectomy then they will decline cover or charge extra.
Prices for people with a clear medical history but are aged 60 or over go up sharply. That’s because there are more claims for people in the higher age groups.
So when we get to age 60 or we have a medical condition, it is sometimes wise to find the best price for travel insurance and budget that amount in to the total cost of the holiday.
Indeed. Though I did my 'dip test' with Saga, partly because they were near the top of a search list and partly because I thought they might be one of the more accepting providers due to their target age demographic.
When it comes for me getting it for real, I will obviously be doing much deeper search.
We are all unique as are our travel arrangements. And so just because someone on here found, for example, that Staysure , or Avanti or Allclear provided cover at a modest premium does not mean everyone will qualify for the same.
So the solution is to try a website for travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions, answer all the questions honestly and then take it from there. If you are deemed high risk you may find that you are declined cover or the premium is very high. That's just how it is.
Or go talk to your local insurance broker who should know the market better than any of us and will be incentivised to get a deal if one is available
I had this issue. It all depends on what " activities"you are intending to do. I went on a site called..Payingtoomuch. It is a UK site and they find you various Policies for travel insurance. It is the HA that complicates everything, not if BP is normal etc. I am unable to go skiing after Years after 2 HA and 5 stents in tge past 2 years. I am upset but I managed 11 nights in the Sun so it is more of an acceptance thing. Good luck. I hope you manage to get sorted
Unfortunately my 'thing' is cycling and it would be pretty devastating if I can't get travel insurance for cycling holidays. However, I'm hopeful based on peoples responses on here that I should be able to get cover when the time comes for me to look deeper. Unfortunately, if I have to have treatment for Afib, which is a very real possibility now, that may complicate things further.
I got annual cover last year 8 months after HA , 1 stent fitted , 2 cardiac arrests and on extra research drugs too. I went with ALL CLEAR . They were fab! Ps I am 53. The cost for a year was roughly the same as a 2 week cover! But only for Europe...it goes up if yiu want usa cruise or americas
Happy New Year - hoping you have a better 2025 than 2024!
I am a similar age (63 now) and similar situation (HA out of the blue in Feb this year, 1 stent, HF is now fine and on usual meds, I also have mild allergic asthma which is also under control)
We love to travel and had a trip booked last April which was only 2 months after my heart attack, obviously I was concerned so asked the doctors in the hospital during my treatment and recovery. Their advice to me was that my problem had been fixed, they had taken a good “look round” my other arteries and could find nothing wrong so I should continue to live life to the full. Travel insurance was therefore imperative.
Luckily I have a bank account that provides standard travel insurance cover as part of its benefits so I rang them to discuss it (based on the fact that they have provided cover for some time - it’s underwritten by Axa) they took all my details including medication and didn’t seem too fazed by any of it, for a reasonable fee - less than £300pa they have continued to provide cover for me for multiple trips per annum. I have been on 3 overseas trips since with no problem and importantly for them no claims which I think must have helped the renewal which I did in August without any issue at all.
There are insurance companies out there who will provide good cover - maybe shop around and be open to hearing from some specialist companies who may want to ring you back rather than doing a standard “non human” assessment based on an internet enquiry - AI and all that is fine but finds it difficult to manage with a non standard enquiry
Anyway good hunting and enjoy your travels when you get there!
Thanks. I also had a holiday booked for not long after my HA. It was longer away than yours - 3 months - but it was also a fairly demanding cycling holiday. So I cancelled that one,
It is reassuring to hear that people are finding cover. I was just doing a curious 'dip test' was a little bit alarmed. It is going to be really important I find somewhere that will cover me at the least for cycling and hiking.
I tried several quotes, my house insurer was cheapest. With AVR, CABG and 2 stents declared the quotes ranged from £500 to over £5000 for annual multi-trip cover. I’m 72 now, tried the quotes about a year ago.
Direct Line turned me down for travel insurance when I declared my PAF. Seems they only want the less risky business. Staysure were OK but they, like others, will load your premium depending on their perceived risk. I think it's important to declare everything in order to avoid any excuse for any possible refusal of a claim.
hi I have a pacemaker and I travel abroad at least twice a year. I use Saga travel insurance. It is a bit dearer but you can be flexible on number of days away. They cover for 180 days a year.
I do a lot of travel, recent trips have included remote areas of Borneo and Laos. Complete cover and confidence in it, is essential for peace of mind.
I had a HA (no stents) 5 years ago and was diagnosed with PAF; the latter being the cause of the former. Fully recovered now - no limitations - regularly run, climb, cycle. Stable on meds.
I have always found Saga to be very good and competitively priced. A plus for me is they are always prepared to discuss the nuances of my situation too; arrhythmia is far from simple.
I always declare everything that's happened to me post HA. If they wish to dismiss it then fine but at least I've mentioned it.
A bug bear for me is I haven't yet been able to secure annual coverage again since my HA/AF. I will keep trying and hope i might pass the threshold at some point.
Admittedly my cardiologist is very good too, he knows I like to travel. After consultations his letters are very detailed about the course / status of my condition/treatment. This makes it easy to explain and of course, it is clearly documented on my medical record.
Thank you for that detailed and reassuring reply. As I mentioned, I was originally doing a 'dip test' just to see and it was SAGA I tried first but only online. And it was annual cover that they rejected but with a 'call us' note for single trip. So your story is promising.
I'd be interested though to understand more about your PAF situation. I "now" have PAF since the HA. I say "now" because I am not entirely ruling out that I may have had it in the run up to HA but unknown (there are 'reasons' for thinking something was up).
You say yours is under control with meds. Once I actually got to see a cardiologist post HA, I was referred straight on to an EP. Currently mine is not "under control" (and I'm writing this while in an episode). I've been told that they can't/won't put me on flecainide - it's contra indicated if you've previously had an HA. And I'm currently mucking around with coming off beta blocker on the theory that perhaps that is actually inducing AF due to low HR overnight. This is also at the moment not currently working (if anything, gone backwards).
It currently feels like a bit of a mess. my normal gig is cycling, and indeed my work is cycling related. So this is currently very disruptive.
So interested to know what meds you are on as another post HA patient. Also are you seeing cardiologist in the NHS or privately?
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