Travel Insurance

[Happygarden]

I have just been refused travel insurance to cover future holidays in Europe by my existing provider in the UK because of my CLL (watch and wait). Does anyone have a recommendation of any companies that they have travel insurance with please. Thank you.

[CguLLer]

I have used Insurancewith (i.e. with an existing medical condition) for a few years.Medical screening questions for CLL are quite straightforward. Premiums are higher than for a “standard” policy as you would expect. I guess it will depend on what stage you are in with your CLL.

I have no experience of what they are like for settling claims as luckily not had to make a claim.

David

[Happygarden in reply to CguLLer]

Thank you

[Poodle2]

I used Avanti. Haven't made any claims either yet, w&w but it was very straightforward and not that expensive (I only needed cover for Europe due to family living abroad).

[Happygarden in reply to Poodle2]

Thank you

[Happygarden in reply to Poodle2]

Thank you

[devonrr]

You need a medical travel insurance provider. Yes, standard travel insurance companies do not cover CLL; even on watch and wait.Make a coffee and sit down on the computer and trawl the web. There are medical travel insurance comparison sites.

Time consuming as for each you have to fill in a medical questionnaire.

I’ve had insurance for long haul as well as Europe in the past but sea cruise insurances are bit difficult or expensive.

I’m off the Holland in April and Borneo in September and each one has a different medical insurance provider!

[Happygarden in reply to devonrr]

Thank you

[Newdawn Administrator]

This link contains many of the insurance companies known to insure cancer and other pre-existing health conditions. It’s a bit dated now but many of these companies are still around.I had no difficulty at all getting travel insurance with standard companies when I was on W&W. No company likes to insure people waiting for health results however so if there’s tests outstanding or issues being investigated, they’re unlikely to insure. World First wouldn’t insure me when I was awaiting a second opinion to start treatment even though nothing had really changed! 🙄

They simply do an additional health screening for W&W CLL I found and it wasn’t much more expensive. Safe travels! 😊

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Newdawn

[Happygarden in reply to Newdawn]

Thank you

[Happygarden]

Thank you

[Elizabetha]

I have just trawled through a huge list of companies for an annual policy. I have had policies in the past with World First and with Boots however they are no longer offering travel insurance for new customers. I have managed to get a quote from Avanti, Staysure,and All clear but have been very shocked at the cost. My previous policies were around £110 for my husband and myself however this time all of my quotes are in the £500's. Both my husband and I have a medical condition however not sure if the high increase is due to our increasing age, 63 and 67 respectively or due to Covid.

Good luck. You will have to devote some time to this search. If you are on W&W I am sure that your quotes will be lower than the ones that I have managed to find!

[Happygarden in reply to Elizabetha]

Thank you

[RZ8983DV]

I have used World First in the past and as they were changing their underwriters when I wanted to buy a policy I went with Avanti and an annual policy was cheaper than a single trip. I am in W and W with no treatment and stable blood counts

[Happygarden in reply to RZ8983DV]

Thank you

[kitchengardener2 in reply to Happygarden]

Are you in UK? I was given a booklet from Macmillan when I was first diagnosed with CLL. This lists various insurance companies who are happy to cover people with or who have had cancer. I think we went with StaySure and they were excellent. Haven't used them since I started treatment last year but since we hope to be able to travel again later this year, we shall be looking for cover again. It is vital that we have cover for every eventuality .... Covid as well as CLL. Yes it will bump up cost of travel but unfortunately we don't have any option. Please do post when you get sorted out. Stay safe 🙏

[Happygarden in reply to RZ8983DV]

Thank you

[P444ete]

World First Travel Insurance

[Happygarden in reply to P444ete]

Thank you

[Happygarden in reply to P444ete]

Thank you

[JEEA]

Dear Happygarden. My insurance through my bank does not cover my CLL but will insure me for everything else. Like you, I am Watch and Wait. No coverage for my CLL does not concern me right now, because it is difficult to think of a situation concerning my CLL that could become a problem while I am on holiday.

So if one is "Watch and Wait" and we are not close to needing treatment, does not being covered for CLL need to be a concern I wonder, or am I missing something?

[Happygarden in reply to JEEA]

Thank you

[dandodex in reply to JEEA]

With CLL, could the insurance provider just refuse to pay for any medical treatment that relates to your immune system? COVID, flu, pneumonia or any other virical or bacterial infection? They could claim that the defective immune system is the cause you got ill and not pay, which while holidaying in a country like the USA could become rather expensive. Even if on W&W.

[Happygarden in reply to dandodex]

Thank you

[Harvist in reply to JEEA]

Would be very worried here. If you catch COVID and need the insurance for emergency treatment or repatriation because of CLL you could be in trouble.

[Happygarden in reply to Harvist]

Thank you

[kitchengardener2 in reply to JEEA]

I think (and this is just my personal opinion) that to risk going anywhere without CLL cover makes having a policy useless. I worry that unless it was something like a broken leg! many insurers would find a way to wriggle out of paying. Also if the worst happened and there was a need to repatriate a body, they would want full medical history before paying.

[Happygarden in reply to kitchengardener2]

Thank you

[devonrr in reply to JEEA]

Danger signals here. Insurance companies will try and avoid payment. If you make a claim and then they find out you didn’t tell them you had CLL they will stop payment. Even if the claim is unrelated.

Silly examples below;

Broken arm- you fell because CLL causes fatigue.

Bad tum and dehydration - because your immune system is weaker when you have CLL.

We have a label now and the travel insurance industry “milk” that. And since they do not understand our disease we are labelled as Cancer and not Chronic!

Please declare CLL when buying travel insurance.

[Wifey21]

We both have worldwide travel insurance free through our bank (Cooperative) as well as breakdown cover & mobile phone insurance as part of Everyday Extra benefits at £15 a month subscription. When my husband was diagnosed with CLL on 2020 at 70 years of age we notified the insurance medical section who stated there would be an annual charge of £126 for his medical condition. This has not increased with annual renewal so far.

At the time we scouted round & couldn't better the deal as the general insurance we had remained free.

A note of caution. Even if your insurance company doesn't insure a for particular medical condition they should be informed of any new medical condition. Failure to do so can invalidate the whole policy if you have to make a claim anytime, even if unrelated to the condition omitted (eg. cancellation of a holiday).

[Dawson21]

I was insured through my Nationwide Flexplus account until recently - they insured me but excluded anything related remotely to CLL or blood conditions. I transferred to the Forces Pension Association that has a travel policy benefit for members - costs around £300pa for worldwide travel BUT it covers any condition with no exclusions PROVIDED that you are fit to travel. I just get a letter from my consultant that I am fit to go and voila. You need to be in the forces or formerly or have a parent, grandparent who was.

[Happygarden in reply to Dawson21]

Thank you...same bank as me..think I will complain Uist or the Heck of it.

[Happygarden in reply to Dawson21]

Thank you

[Miggins60]

I have travel insurance through my bank and I told them about CLL on W&W. They asked lots of questions but agreed to cover me while not receiving treatment.

[Happygarden in reply to Miggins60]

Thank you

[richardp]

I used Insurancewith for two years before they temporarily stopped underwriting ( last September) although they are back now. Never had to make a claim but they were very unhelpful when I asked for an extension of cover because every one of my holidays on which the premium was based were postponed . My complaint was upheld, however, and I did receive the majority of my premium back but it did sound warning bells.

After an extensive search ( much easier now as they all ask the same questions) the best quotes were from Avanti and Staysure with the latter winning as they offered 15 months cover. All Clear quoted without cancellation cover and World First and others could not quote. But this is for full worldwide cover ( just me with medical conditions- CLL w & w) and it might be easier and a lot cheaper if you can just restrict to Europe only, especially as you will be expected to have the UK GHIC which replaced the old EHIC.

[Happygarden in reply to richardp]

Thank you…very helpful

[Country_est]

Have just gone through the same thing and found I could get a reasonable deal from both allclear and from Saga.

Trevor

[Happygarden in reply to Country_est]

Thank you

[jabee]

I’ve recently had to make a medical cancellation claim through Avanti. I had disclosed my husband’s CLL (W&W) and other medical conditions in full and they did pay out. I was very unimpressed with their communication and customer service throughout (or lack of) but the bottom line was the claim was paid.

[Mamouchi]

As far as I know , my orivate insurance still covers me for covid and any non pre existing condition while away from home. Needless to say cancer related issues are not covered..I am in Canada

[Happygarden in reply to Mamouchi]

Thank you