WOW -cost of insurance

[Lesley_D]

I cannot believe it - I have just been quoted over £500 for travel insurance for my first holiday since being sick to Cyprus for 2 weeks - I am gutted :(((

[MJLS]

Ouch!

[Lesley_D]

So much so I may do it with out insurance :(((

[Renae]

Why do you need travel insurance? We don't buy that here in the states.

[GinaD in reply to Renae]

Here in States my insurance will cover me when I am abroad. In Britain the NHS covers all citizens ( including visiting Yanks) but when a Brit travels to a non- universal coverage country, such as, apparently Cyprus, it is a good idea to purchase insurance. My daughter studied for a year in Scotland and she spoke with many Scots who were amazed at how expensive insurance was for themselves, friends and family who spent time in the US. NHS may have its problems, but my daughter found no one in Britain who would trade their system for ours.

[Renae in reply to GinaD]

So travel insurance is health insurance for when you are away from your home? That is so weird lol. Sorry for the questions, just interesting to me. I would love to visit the uk some day.

[GinaD in reply to Renae]

According to my incomplete understanding, travel insurance will help you get some $ back if you are stricken with last minute bugs, and sometimes pay for that unexpected hotel at Heathrow if your flight is cancelled.

I have been to Scotland twice and had a wonderful experience both times. Just enough culture change to be informative with none of that " shock" part. Wonderful food, nice brisk temps, charming intelligent people, and marvelous things to see.

Glasgow is the city of the Enlightenment with broad streets and great shopping. Edinborough (sp?) is the Middle Ages city with charming but narrow confusing streets. The contrast is neat.

I hiked the West Highland Way on my 2nd visit, and this is the kind of hiking I wish we had more of in the States. A baggage carrier transports your stuff ahead of you leaving you to manage only water, a picnic lunch and camera as you walk along old drovers' roads from village to village. Beds to sleep in instead of tents! Restaurants instead of smoky camp fires with dirty dishes! My kind of hiking!

Yes it is more expensive then camping, but I do have Hughes after all and this kind of luxury hiking is what I am able to do. ( carrying too much weight in a pack causes clots in my brachial arteries.)

Gina

[Lesley_D in reply to Renae]

I am going on holiday, we need travel insurance, so that if we get sick while away we can can get medical care - I have been refused by all but one company

[jennyscpr]

What illness did you have in Cyprus? £500 is ludicrous. I hadn't thought about the cost of insurance rising after illness. Well that's me not going anywhere then :o(

[GinaD in reply to jennyscpr]

Insurance rising after illness is called here in the States a pre- existing condition. And yeah, it will cause your insurance to rise. A lot. I untill the recently passed, but might be struck down Affordable Care Act, there were some companies who would not allow people with select pre-existing conditions to buy insurance at all! In my case we dodged quite a few bullets as with each employer change since my diagnosis it is conceivable that the new insurer might have denied me coverage. I'm still covered and am currently very pleased with our insurance company ( they understand Hughes better then my doctors!). I am greatfull I have been lucky. I pity those not as lucky as I.

[Lesley_D in reply to jennyscpr]

Jenny, I have APS, Angina, AF, Emphasema, pulmonary vascular disease, asthma, had DVT and PE's - I am travelling to Cyprus for my first holiday since become ill, and need the insurance to cover me in case I get sick while on holiday - which would cover all medical bills in case - Northern Cyprus is not in the EU therefore My NHS and English Status does not cover me :((

[Kentish_Man]

Have you got a EHIC ? This gives you free medical treatment within the European Union. BUT, it is only medical treatment. It will NOT cover you for emergency repatriation.

It also begs the question, as to who you have tried for medical insurance ?

Have you looked at comparison sites to see what is available ??

Hope that helps you decide what to do and good luck.

[Lesley_D in reply to Kentish_Man]

Hi, I posed a question on here, to see who others had used, and have tried them all, then went onto compare the market - all but the £500 one has said plain NO - they will not cover me, pre-existing condition or not

[Suejane]

Hi, I have APS and have had multiple clots in the past

I don't have a spleen, so am on penicillin as well

as warfarin. I had to shop around for travel insurance

, but if you do a search and put in "health insurance pre

Existing condition" lots of options will come

Up. Depends on the severity of condition as to

What it will cost. I realised in the end that I

already had travel insurance with my bank, had

to pay an extra £60 for the year due to my conditions, but am covered worldwide including winter sports. Good luck.

[Lesley_D in reply to Suejane]

Thanks tried that, and failed there too

[Hidden]

Hi try FREEDOM travel insurance it is for people with illnesses and has offered me a reasonable quote in past. Google them for the number. good luck

[Lesley_D in reply to Hidden]

They refused me too

[Carole-J]

Hi Lesley I have many auto-immune problems including APS. I contacted Insure and Go online and I was given a most reasonable quote. I will be using them again this year.

Regards Carole-J

[Frank004]

Hi Lesley

I used Medici Travel, medicitravel.co.uk I went to Tenerife for a holiday and they seem the best quote I hope this will help so you can enjoy your time in Cyprus.

Regards

Sam

[Lesley_D in reply to Frank004]

Thanks, again refused by them

[Frank004]

Hi Lesley

Sorry about above message only found out......

Well I did use Medici Travel in Feb this year, but have tried them again for other trip to Tenerife and for some reason they will not cover APS how weird is that.

Regards

Sam

[Kentish_Man in reply to Frank004]

They probably wont cover APS as it raises the possibility of DVT on or after the flight. Any flight, over 2 hours, raises the possibility of DVT anyway, but APS takes it to a new level.

[Lesley_D]

Can you believe it - now I have a cold which has gone to my chest :((( so out come the antibiotics and steroids, all the weight I lost for my hols will come running back to me - and I will be sick on holiday ................. oh well, at least I get to go on holiday - or hope I get there :))

[jennyscpr]

So if you went somewhere in the EU you would be covered by the NHS? All this had never occurred to me. Prior to the stroke I just picked up travel insurance to cover the trip/holiday whatever very cheaply - £10 or so. £500 is probably more than the cost of the holiday.

So sorry to hear you're sick though - I hope the abx and steroids make it bearable for you. It's not fair :o(

Jenny xxx

[Kentish_Man]

Personally, I have an AMEX Platinum card (annual fee £300) and this gives me free travel insurance as well as a whole host of other benefits (airport lounges for one). They DO NOT ask any medical questions, I tried to tell them about my conditions but they where not interested. They will cover you with the exception of pre existing medical conditions. If you do get sick abroad, as I did, you just have that it was not your illness that was at fault. Again, I did this and they paid up.

So, another possible avenue for you to follow.

Good luck

[kaysie]

Hi i got cover with Freedom i have APS and systemic lupus, i've had a dvt, pulmonary embolism and TIA's i dont know why they cover some and not others?

[travelnut]

From my experience it is the number of years since your last hospitalisation in the UK anyway. If you have been hospitalised because of a particular illness in the last 24 months then they either won't cover you or will charge an excessive amount or will not cover you at all. I am sure it depends on individual circumstances and conditions as well. This is just my experience.

[travelnut]

PS personally I do not travel abroad now unless it is for business as my company will cover the insurance and it is way too expensive to pay for a holiday. So for holidays I stick to the UK.

[Andrewl in reply to travelnut]

I agree with you, travelnut, and find that with aps we are in what they call the grey area...i.e. should you slip and break a leg on hol, was it due to tia, thus they wont cover. They have an excuse at every corner to not pay out. I therefore will not entertain them with a free handout, as mainly greed driven business now anyway. I am very fortunate to live in a country with stunning scenery, and have decided when time to get break to make it in UK. Western highlands is gorgeous in late summer. Deserted in november, with crisp autumnal mornings, no midges, and off season prices. I believe cornwall is beautiful, and I would love to return to explore the yorkshire dales. Beautiful. No insurance needed, and no planes.

[DorothyItaly]

I just got a annual cover with Freedom for £125 for European travel. I declared everything but note I have not had a blood clot or hospitalisation.

[caroline71]

Lesley. Come to Cyprus with Ehic card. If you do need medical assistance whilst here you could then just get someone to drive you to the Greek side for treatment. The borders are open and it's not far at all. You will be covered for emergency treatment in the state hospitals here.

[daisy11]

I tried Travel Guard and the girl on the phone said they would not insure me, I have APS, LUPUS, PBC, mini TIA a year ago. I have yet to try others. Hard work!!! and then the girl could not pronounce and she was getting so confused.

[thegaul]

I was quoted £190 by Llyods for travel insurance for 2 weeks to Corfu There is no way I could afford this

But I took into consideration the EHIC cover - which gave me entitledment to treatment via scheme so I went without insurance

I do have friends in corfu that I could stay with FOC if god forbid something went wrong so in my mind all I was missing out on was cover for my luggage and return airfare which would have been less that the £190

and I'm sure we all have alternate clothes if they were to get lost in our wardrobes