Holiday insurance.

[Suzanne333]

Hi lovely warriors.

I'm planning a super holiday to Jamaica or Cuba this year in July.

I guess insurance will be tricky. I'm in complete remission as from last chemo which was 24th January. I'm

Still having avastin till about October time.

Does anyone know anything about insurance.

Does it make a difference that I'm still on avastin.

Many thanks ladies (and gents) xxx

[GoldenGourd]

Suzanne I have spent a few hours on this recently. Yes any IV treatment makes a difference, if you are over a year since diagnosis it helps, they ask lots of questions and lots turn you down flat. I was told to wait till 2 months before departure date ( fill in your own blanks as to why) by many, including MIA and a few weeks before by Insure Cancer. Insurance with refused as on IV Avastin and some were really expensive. Ask your local cancer support centre for a list of insurance companies - mine were very helpful. I'm waiting till I am 2 months away before I arrange or try arrange my insurance. They make you agree to tell them any changes so it's probably worth waiting until you don't think there will be changes to your treatment before you go.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Netti x

[Suzanne333 in reply to GoldenGourd]

Thank you Netti.

I did think still receiving avastin would make a difference. I'm determined to go though. We were booked to go last year to Cuba but had to cancel just a week before I was diagnosed with cancer. I had bad ascites.

I'm really hoping to find someone to insure me.

I will let you know how I get on. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻Xxx

[GoldenGourd in reply to Suzanne333]

You will find someone I'm sure. I'm determined to go to the US this summer for a family trip we have been promising the boys for years. The diagnosis makes me all the more detrermined to go and make good memories. We will do it!

Netti x

[Suzanne333 in reply to GoldenGourd]

You will get there. 👍🏻👍🏻

Crikey I think we all need a holiday. We should get a free one. 😂😂😂xxx

[GoldenGourd in reply to Suzanne333]

Absobloominglutely

[Yoshbosh]

We went to Lanzarote around a month after I finished chemo and got insured by Insurance With for £40, but when I initially called two weeks post-chemo they said I would get a better price if I waited to be three weeks post chemo.

Another lady on here speaks highly of Eurotunnel insurance. I haven't used them yet, but will be getting a quote for my next holiday!

[Suzanne333 in reply to Yoshbosh]

Hi. Thank you. I will look into the euro tunnel one. Is it just for Europe though? I will be going early July but I'm going to start investigating now. Xx

[Yoshbosh in reply to Suzanne333]

I actually don't know, Suzanne, and I can't remember who recommended it! Maybe you can use the search function and it will come up? We chat about travel insurance on here quite frequently and I don't think it was that long ago.

[Hidden]

Hi Suzanne, I wish you well with your holiday and hopefully it will all work out for your insurance wise. I take out extra insurance on my health insurance for travel and its 90 per year but it gives me peace of mind. I do see a lot of mention of insurewith so perhaps it is worth looking up. all the best

[Suzanne333 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Suzuki. I will try them. Xx

[Lyndy]

I've just insured with MIA for my second trip to Spain on Avastin £60 for a week..which isn't cheap but they are good. xx

[Jessica-DianeB]

Hi,

I know from experience with my son. It does make a difference if you are still on treatment. He's in 'clinical remission ' but still takes his chemo maintenance drugs.

We found the best avenue being our existing ins, we took out an extra policy for him for a weeks ski ing. They wouldn't

Cover anything to do with his illness. But was covered for everything else. It was £80 for the week.

So it also really does depend on the amount of cover you require, if it's for your illness, then it becomes very expensive.,

Hope this helps a little x

[Suzanne333 in reply to Jessica-DianeB]

Hi Jessica.

Yes that does help. I think I will probably have to have insurance that doesn't include any treatment cancer related should I need it.

I guess if I wasn't having avastin then it would be different as I could just say I'm in complete remission.

Xxx

[Purple-iris]

Hi Suzanne

Just a warning who NOT to use . We had world wide travel insurance with Trial Finders who sub out to a company called Helix for the medical support ( or lack of it ) when I was on holiday in Mauritius and taken ill and diagnosed with OC . So please check whoever you use doesn't use Helix they were a total nightmare and made a difficult time a whole lot worse. We still have a complaint outstanding with the financial services ombudsman from our holiday in June 2016 . ( not about money , they eventually covered all our costs but acknowledgment that their processes are totally incompetent and caused more distress)

Hopefully you will not need to use the insurance and have a fantastic healthy holiday but I would hate anyone to have to go through what we went through just to get home and be treated with some compassion and understanding. Good luck with the search . Kim x

[Suzanne333 in reply to Purple-iris]

Hi Kim.

Thank you for your reply. Im sorry you had such a bad time of it when you were on holiday and in beautiful Mauritius.

I will make sure we avoid that one. Thank you for the tip.

Hoping you are ok. Xxx

[Ann87]

I used world first travel insurance twice last year for European holidays. I had been off chemo for nine months but taking Avastin and they were very reasonable. They also covered 4 of us against the cancer. I did do a quote last year for a Caribbean cruise this year and again reasonable but the excess was 400.00 if you needed to claim. Good job I didn't book the cruise as I am back on Chemo now. I think Boots insurance also came out well. It is best ringing up as some sites will decline you but accept you over the phone. Good luck with the search

Ann x

[Suzanne333 in reply to Ann87]

Hi Ann.

Thank you for the tips. Yes I'm going to call for a quote rather than fill out forms etc. I will try a few that have been recommended.

Many thanks for your reply.

I hope you are ok. Xxx

[Bev155]

Hi Suzanne

InsuranceWith - have excellent online questionnaire which you have time to think about answers. They advised me that they do insure for World with USA and Caribbean but is better 2 years post op.

x

[Suzanne333 in reply to Bev155]

Hi Bev.

Thank you for that. I will try them. Xxx

[Janet235]

Will be interested to hear what you choose and how much you have to pay... we had to cancel a VERY expensive summer holiday to Iceland AND flights to Vancouver when I suddenly got diagnosed last June. It was Insure and Go, and although they were tardy with payments eventually did cough up the whole lot plus extra for delay.

Obviously you can only claim once like this when there is not a pre existing illness. Thereafter you are lumped into a generic cancer group and seen as a liability risk however fit and healthy you are in between. You to go through endless questioning over the phone only to be declined or to hike the prices enormously. ( MIA quoted us £176 for a week in Italy ) Even then the small print will disallow you cancellation, repatriation, medical support should you need it - so what's the point?

As far as I reason, on the whole, we are not going to go on holiday with needing this in mind. it is not like travelling with a heart condition or illness where things are likely to flip quickly or unpredictably.

I Feel quite cross about this

Looks like leaving it til a few weeks before you go may get a better deal. Oh and two years down the line... excuse me I need to start on my bucket list...

NOW!

All the best Suzanne. Where are you being treated? 🌅