Travel insurance for UK residents with CLL

[Benny12]

I’m interested in anyone else’s experience with travel insurance either not being able to get it or extremely high quotes.

I’m 75 & on Ibrutinib. I’m told that this is classed as on treatment from an insurance point of view. I currently have an annual Europe travel policy as I decided not to do long haul this year & cannot get an annual insurance anyway as I have osteoporosis as well. Only one company would insure me for Annual cover.

I was thinking of going to Malaysia & Singapore for 12 days next year & did an on line quote which came out at £7117 for the only company that quoted! With no treatment this was £1555 with the same company.

Their risk assessment seems way off to me as the medication keeps the CLL under control.

I’d be interested to hear from anyone on the subject

Thanks

Benny

[devonrr]

I’m off to Malaysia in September. In remission no other medical problems. Usual insurance company wouldn’t cover me. So online found MakeSure £246; high value, fully comprehensive plus COVID19 cover.

Much higher than expected but healthy friends also report travel insurance hikes; covid, airport delays, lost luggage etc have all contributed.

MakeSure is a broker, as many are. So back to the search online for you.

[Benny12 in reply to devonrr]

Thanks for that. I maybe able to get a phone quote from my current insurers but I thought 7K was rather excessive! Probably won’t be worth going. Luckily I’ve been to lots of off places so will probably stick to Europe now

[FeistyGirl]

If you worked in the public sector you are eligible to join the Civil Service Sporting Club (CSSC). There is a small monthly fee (less than £5 if you’re retired) which comes with lots of perks. Once a member you are eligible for their 50+ Worldwide Annual Travel Insurance Policy. You’re not required to declare any medical conditions and must be for to travel. If you’re in treatment your condition must be stable. There’s an annual fee of £375 (that includes my husband too, so would be less for one person). I believe that ex Military personnel and their families (past or present) have access to a similar scheme. The only conditions that rules out eligibility are respiratory ones that affect breathing.

[Benny12 in reply to FeistyGirl]

Thank you for the information. Unfortunately I worked in the private sector for an Insurance Company so I wouldn’t be able to use this system. My employers stopped insuring me years ago!

[Annie1920 in reply to FeistyGirl]

Ex service one is Service Pensions soc

[FairweatherSailor in reply to FeistyGirl]

I think this is changing. We were with CSIS (my wife worked in the NHS all her working life) last year we had a “fit to travel “ policy as you have described. This year it is not on that basis and when we asked for a quote they couldn’t offer anything. We are now searching and StaY Sure looks like a reasonable if expensive option.

[FeistyGirl in reply to FairweatherSailor]

That’s interesting as my policy hasn’t changed this year and is still “Fit to Travel”. Frustrating for you when you’d had previous policy with them.

[FairweatherSailor in reply to FeistyGirl]

Our policy renews on 1st September. I wonder if it is changing from that time ? I also wonder if the Civil Service Sporting Club is different to the CS Insurance Society ? We could join that if it would enable a fit to travel policy. I think it has some good perks.

[FeistyGirl in reply to FairweatherSailor]

I think CIS may be different or if not your policy is certainly different to the one we have. Ours has the same premium for everyone regardless and is automatically renewed for everyone on 1st April each year. No matter what time in the year you join you pay the annual premium. It might be worth you having a look at the Civil Service Sporting Club website where there is a link to insurances you can purchase. Ours is the 50+ Worldwide Annual Travel Insurance.

[FairweatherSailor in reply to FeistyGirl]

Thank you - will give it a try ! Might also try the forces pension society as they give good rates and my Dad was in the navy so I qualify for that !

[Annie1920]

If you your partner or any of your parents were ever in the UK services join the Forces Pensions Society (roughtly£50)then you can get travel insurance with the only question that you don't travel against medical advice I have done it and mine covered husband too but we cannot travel at the min as. he has a spinal tumour op 1st Sept you can discuss your eligibility before you join.!

[CraftyMeg]

Try Insurancewith - they do a very detailed online screening.

[Fowey2009]

JIDD wrote a similar post about 26 days ago (may be worth looking at the replies on there?)

My response at that time was

We have tried all the ‘cancer related’ travel insurers. Our experience seems to suggest that it depends where you are on the treatment journey.

In 2019 Insurancewith cancelled our annual policy when we told them my husband was going to be starting venetoclax on our return from a trip to Florence. We then had to pay over £300 to Allclear for one week in Florence (just for him as I took out a separate policy as Insurancewith had cancelled for me too!).

This year we took out an annual policy with Allclear for approx £200. That was after my husband finished venetoclax and was waiting to hear if he was in remission. When it became obvious that he wasn’t and had started Acalabrutinib he rang them and they put the price up to £500.

At the moment we can afford to pay this and the trips we have made to Florence, Israel and Croatia have been very special. And at the moment we want to make memories. However if it carries on at this price it will eventually become unaffordable.

(And before anyone asks, yes we did shop around all the companies mentioned above and these were the best prices we could get).

Enjoy your trip and make memories…..

Beryl

[devonrr in reply to Fowey2009]

Yes, the day will come when Europe is the best place for holidays because of insurance. 74 years of age seems to be the last year of worldwide freedom at a reasonable travel insurance cost. These travel medical insurers are so fickle about quotes and accepting people. One I used one month with no changes or claims wouldn’t cover me the next.

If 1 in 2 people are going to experience cancer in the future, theses companies need some regulation or even guidance.

Always said the blood cancer charities could do more to help by linking with travel insurance companies and giving them some guidance.

[Benny12 in reply to devonrr]

Thanks for your reply devonrr. Yes I agree. That’s a good point about cancer charities doing more as insurers probably have no idea about Leukaemia. I’ll write to one. I paid £1219 for Europe annual cover so it’s still expensive but cheaper than buying single trip for all my trips

[Benny12 in reply to Fowey2009]

Thanks Beryl. I will have a look at the JIDD post. Yes that seems right about where you are on the journey. When I had chemo ie on treatment, the price was higher & then between bouts of 3 yearly chemo it was cheaper as ie no treatment. Since going on Ibrutinib in 2019 it’s been continuous treatment. In 2019 Avanti refused to insure any more & the only annual cover I could get for Worldwide excl USA etc was with Allclear at £1907. Since I’ve returned to travelling abroad in Nov 19 now I have Europe only at £1219. I’ve had 4 holidays & 2 more to come so it’s cheaper than single trips.

Glad to hear you have had some memorable trips. I hope you have many more

Benny