It s our 30th wedding anniversary next May. So OC permitting

[Marianna]

We want to go somewhere special and i want to walk in warm water. (One of my wish list things) So where can i get reasonable insurance. Think that most UK companies are taking the mick!! I mean i know i cant book it til really near the time,but some of the prices are ridiculous.

[MargaretJ]

I shopped around on the internet last year and got an annual insurance within a year of diagnosis for around £400 but that was Europe only.

[Hidden]

Hi Marianna

I got my insurance last year and this from miaonline.co.uk. They insured me last year for £100 for a week in the South of France before I had the results of my end of chemo scan! This also covered my husband who has no illnesses. I thought this was quite reasonable because like you I had had ridiculous quotes from other insurers and most would not insure me. (stage 4 OC). It was our 30 year anniversary also this year and we did a river cruise down the Danube - very beautiful. Cost about the same this year for 2 weeks. I believe it is more difficult if you want to travel outside of Europe. Good luck, hope you find a fab holiday and have a great time.

Chrisr x

[Meryl]

Hi Marianna

Since being diagnosed in May 09 during my two periods of remission (6 months each) I've not let it stop me travelling and have always insured myself 'excluding' pre-existing conditions. It means I'm not covered for OC, but as I've been in remission and have no symptons it's not been a problem. I've made sure I can afford to fly home at short notice if there were to be a problem but it's not been necessary. As I've just gone back into remission after 3rd line chemo I'm off to NZ for the second time for six weeks after Christmas and have a long cruise to the eastern med and Egypt in April. The cost for an annual insurance for both husband and self is £150 (Churchill) and I'm covered for everything but OC. I know from posts on this site over the past months that a number of other ladies do the same with regards to travel insurance and just 'go for it' despite the OC. Have a great trip you deserve it. Meryl XXXXXXX

[FlorenceW]

Hi...I went to Antigua in February...Jolly Beach Resort...an alll inclusive..it was wonderful, cost me about 1000 pounds. I had insurance but prob didn't cover the cancer.......I would just go for the holiday.....enjoy yourself.....

[Eleni]

Hi Marianna

We went to Corfu recently for 2 weeks and shopped around for insurance from the list given me my Macmillan. The best quotes we had were from Insurancewith and Orbis; one had a higher premium and low excess, the other had a low premium and high excess. In the end we went with Insurance with as we were only going to Europe but it does pay to shop around. Also check whether you have any travel insurance through your bank and then check how much they would charge for the excess to cover you. Most of the insurance companies seemed not to cover travel to the USA out of interest....It is manageable, although will always have a 'loading' to cover the cancer.

Good luck and enjoy the holiday!

Eleni x

[Hidden]

I must admit we travel purely on our bank travel insurance, which has my cancer as an exclusion. In Europe we have our BHIC cards, and if we go elsewhere we make sure we can get back early if necessary (like from LA 2 years ago). It's not as if you suddenly get an attack (like with a heart problem), but it comes on gradually and you normally feel it and know what it means. If we are in europe in the van and anything happened I'd probably get better treatment than I would here!! For something special we now like cruising, and are off to the Canaries and Casablanca for christmas as I have just had a good result. Hopefully it will be warm. My oncologist told me to go and enjoy it!

Take every chance to enjoy yourself, and have a wonderful anniversary

[Marianna]

Thanks to all you wonderful Ladies for the advice. Yep think that i will put the OC as an exclusion. like Greybadger said, its not like its a sudden type of illness. and Hey, we are usually more healthy than most who travel. So thanks to all. Have got all the brochures out and just have to decide where!! Mmmmm!

[Hidden]

I have a policy with my bank account that is fully comprehensive - smile. Also, some insurers, Saga for over 55s, Axappp, provide unconditional coverage with no medical questions or exclusions so long as you have a doctor certify you fit to travel. I'd shop around. I discovered a policy from MIA to cover my last trip to Indonesia would cost thousands of pounds, then I checked the details of the bank policy which covers me anyway.

[spanishanna]

Hi Everyone,

There was an interesting article on travel insurance for cancer patients and partners in the travel section of the Telegraph about a year ago, I have found it and I thought you might be interested to read it.

Another article also said that if you had a joint insurance before your partner had cancer, most insurance companies will not cover the fit person because the are travelling with a person with pre existing condition.

One suggestion was to speak to the Macmillan Nurses as they have a list of providers, and another company that was mentioned was WORLD FIRST 0845 908 161 world-first.co.uk

Below is the article from the Telegraph :-

Unfortunately, matters can be complicated when it comes to what the insurance industry calls "pre-existing medical conditions". Even if you're prepared to pay extra for proper cover, you may end up with a massive bill and tiresome stipulations, or find your insurer refuses to provide anything at all.

Cover that excludes a pre-existing medical condition is also available, as you say, but the small print on the policy will usually exclude anything that's connected with the condition.

So if, for example, you'd just finished chemotherapy and you picked up an infection while travelling, because your natural immune system was weakened, your insurer may reject a claim on the basis that it's related to the cancer. Obviously this could result in you having to meet the cost of large medical bills.

It's essential, then, to find an insurer who takes a reasonable stance. A spokesman for JD Travel Insurance, which specialises in medical cover for travellers, says she believes that if a doctor is happy that a patient is well enough to take the trip, and their travel plans are realistic, cover should be available at reasonable cost. But reasonable cost also depends on where you're travelling.

Within the EU and in other destinations where there are reciprocal care arrangements, bills for medical treatment aren't excessive, but in North America and parts of the Caribbean costs are far higher so premiums will be too.

Also bear in mind that complications can arise when it comes to a terminal or incurable prognosis. Many people have conditions that may be life limiting, but not in the short term, and so can continue to travel. In this case, it's important not to give your insurers the wrong impression of your illness and, in doing so, undermine your chances of finding cover.

Spend time phoning around insurers to gather quotes, as prices and the extent of cover can vary considerably. Every case is assessed individually by insurers, but as a general rule, if your consultant has given you a time limit on life expectancy, the further in advance of travelling you buy a policy, the greater the cost and difficulty.

That said, if you've booked a holiday, you'll need to get your insurance in place as soon as possible. It may feel a bit like chicken and egg, but the good news is that when it comes to medical cover, there are some insurers who are prepared to go the extra mile.

The following specialise in pre-existing medical conditions: Avanti Travel Insurance (0800 066 5604; avantitravel insurance.co.uk); All Clear Insurance (0845 250 5250; allcleartravel.co.uk); Insurancewith (0845 230 7159; insurancewith.com); Freedom Insurance (01223 454290; freedominsure.co.uk);

JD Travel Insurance (01689 859102; jdtravelinsurance.co.uk); PJ Hayman (0845 230 5000; free-spirit.com) and World First (0845 908 0161; world-first.co.uk)

Hope someone finds this useful.

Anna xx

Love Anna xx