Greetings!
Which travel insurance would you recommend for ailments such as ours?
I am having a problem with Barclay's insurance due to PMR/GCA & pre - Type 2 which has now totally gone :/
Recommendations please 
We are going to the Canaries a couple of times and, doubtless, a couple of cruises from So'ton
Thank you
David
That’s a lovely lot of holiday. I would shop around on-line. Barclays doesn’t sound very accommodating. My husband gets ours through his American Express Card. I don’t count the borderline Type 2 diabetes, even though I am roped into a Nurse’s clinic. My levels have normalised. Do take Covid type hygiene precautions - type A flu and Covid are rife. I have brought back an awful bug,due to something acquired on one of my flights - been sick for 3 weeks.
Thank you Jane I don't like the sound of Covid and Flu being rife though! We have been dwelling about using our travel ££ $$ to have glorious times in England too......
Maybe best to live it up here and enjoy our sunny days? I can't stand crowds either.
David
I could have been unlucky. I sat on a 13 hour flight listening to a poor man cough incessantly, just knowing that I was doomed.
Scotland can be wonderful in May and you can get away from the hoards.
I get that! No fun..
Scotland can also be wet and cold in May!!!!! Even snows ...
And in June!
Quite - you never expect a sunbathing holiday if you go to Scotland - but you may be pleasantly surprised! Did you know some years ago there was a summer period of 16 weeks where not a drop of rain fell in the Western Isles?
We go up to the Highlands every year for the last 14 years and last year was the best weather we have had with one rain shower in 2 weeks!
But no doubt a howling gale? Well, by my standards at least ...
No, not really as Wendy as it can be up there. Where we stay is on the seafront so can be windy but it wasn’t particularly this time
Where do you go?
It is a village on the Moray Firth called Ardersier. Not far from Inverness airport. It means although we are on the east coast we can get over to the west coast quite easily. We tend to check the weather forecast to see where is best to visit. It is not far from Culloden battlefield and Fort George is close by
Ah, I remember now that you said before that you often go to Ardersier. The Moray Firth microclimate is famous as you will know. Often dry and sunny even when nowhere else in the UK is. And last weekend the Highlands had the highest January temperature anywhere in the UK - ever. The weather throughout Scotland is very varied although you’d never guess it by watching the UK television forecasts!
I saw that it had a day of high January temperature. I know Paul from where we stay said they had missed quite a few if the storms
Ach yes - that little pocket of the mediterranean that got lost!!!
What is that hill that you cant see today for cloud..........you could see Mull if it wasnt raining....how come you only see Calmac ferry every 3rd wave.....how to get from boat to pub without being bitten to death......love it though...how to get from Tobermory pier to boat without drowning the shopping.......
I have been so lucky on a number of occasions. It makes me think I am on to something. Heat waves ( I am talking the beach in Dumfries). I lived half my life in Edinburgh, trust me, it was our secret. August - forget it. 😂
Oh I don't know - had the odd scorchio day in August! I, too, have lived in Scotland for nearly a third of my life, possibly the proportion will increase but that's another story and not just yet ...
Currently debating spending August in the UK - it gets too hot for comfort here nowadays. And all those darn tourists make it terribly crowded here!
I have heard that Dorset - the prettiest place - is lovely in August, ask DL. 😊
Yeah - but also has far too many tourists so I don't wish to join them!
PMRpro knows Dorset - and if she has any sense she’ll give August miss…full of tourists as well 🙄
So is Edinburgh TBH. I loved getting it back - hence May being a vivid memory.
But Edinburgh has the Festival then.
I remember the tattoo being utterly freezing.
Never been! My mother and brother were/are addicted
Never had an issue with my GCA....I go with LV - but I have other insurances with them so get a discount... some say Staysure - or Avanti but might be worth looking an ones that deal with health issues - so perhaps a quick search online re diabetes . Just asked and a few companies come us - S and A being there.
Hi DL, I officially don't have pre diabetes now. Yahoo! I am back to sugar free David
I had a bad experience with Staysure last year when I was diagnosed - won't use them again.
I did look at them recently -but decided to stay with my tried and trusted LV…
Never claimed under health -but have on motor and house contents policies and they’ve always been very good.
We have used Avanti for several years, reasonable price and you can get discounts through several organisations such as WI - you don't have to prove membership. I have declared PMR and DVT and my husband's Alzheimer's
I used All Clear
I’d recommend going through an insurance broker. They tend to be good at finding companies which are sensible about covering medical conditions.
We used staysure for our last holiday, no issues with my PMR or husband's various ailments
try nationwide flex plus account - I found them very helpful
we use a company called Holidayrisk … very comprehensive, my husband organises it , I have a lot going on including PMR, we used to use Insure & go but they got pricey.
Hope you get sorted and enjoy those lovely holidays xx
Avanti are very good. Has cruise cover too.
Admittedly I'm only staying in the UK (Lake District - I follow Max Out in the Lake District on Facebook and want to visit and walk the places they do) but I've used CoverWise, (through Compare the Meerkat) mostly for cancellation insurance.
All Clear! Been using them since 2015 when my husband had cancer, DVT and a heart attack all at the same time.
Yes I use them and actually had a very good chat on the phone with one of their staff before taking it up. They were very helpful
I used all clear as I’m waiting for test results a lot of insurers would not cover me but they were very helpful and reasonable
we used Staysure. They added about £17 to the premium when I added PMR to my conditions. Won’t be having any insurance this year though as we don’t intend travelling abroad.
i am sure with the Barclaycard travel in surance you can pay a supplement to cover known conditions.
We use Avanti. No problems covering my PMR/GCA & also husband's health issues. Good cruise cover too.
Hi. That seems ideal as PMR has always come back as not a problem on my travel insurance. I visit my daughter in the USA annually so switch and change to get the cheapest and all have been the same. I think Staysure was one. Maybe GCA or diabetes cause a problem?
@Smithie49 I don't have diabetes now which is brilliant
No but unfortunately it may be in remission (like mine) but we still have it
I use Staysure. No problems claiming for Covid when we caught it on a cruise.
hi David I am with STAYSURE and I notified them of PMR - no excess to premium just a £10 admin fee to add it. They seem quite good - have a look. Enjoy your lovely holidays - I would love some sunshine - it’s a very grey week ahead in not so sunny Devon!
happy holidays. Which? Did a review recently and Saga and Staysure both came out well for people with pre-existing conditions.
I had to shop around as I have PMR and secondary adrenal insufficiency plus coronary heart disease and take 3 meds for asthma - ALL CLEAR covers me (although cruises are much more difficult). A friend with cancer is covered by INSURANCE WITH. Good luck
We use Saga - husband had heart attack abroad 12 years ago - I once asked how much for PMR and it was about £1.50 extra - expensive policies but they will use private hospital if appropriate I think
Hi David, my partner has pmr and hypertension. I’ve had breast cancer (all clear now so no ongoing treatment) We declared everything and Staysure accepted us with no problem. Now looking forward to holidays in Madeira, the Algarve and Norway this year! Happy holidays to you too 😊
Norway is wonderful. I lived there for three years when I was a professional agency DJ/MC
Tromso is my favourite town and, oh my, did I ever party down!
Lillehammer is also lovely
Hi David I use Good To Go . This year my insurance for the year increased by quite a bit . Because my husband reached 70 and I developed other illnesses so used a comparison site. Good to go came second cheapest . So I just stuck with them
We have just renewed ours and RAC insurance gave me cover for PMR at a good price and level of cover.
If you go to the Money Saving Expert website look for the travel section they have some suggestions for travel insurance for various ages and health conditions.
We’re covered by Barclays with Travel Pack Plus. The holiday insurance is with Aviva through the bank. I informed them that I had GCA and they said I didn’t have to pay anything extra. On holiday last year in Majorca, I had the unfortunate experience of having to go to hospital. Aviva paid out the full cost of the claim minus our £50 excess. I was impressed.
Try Paying Too Much or Staysure
I developed PMR while living in Australia and we had annual travel insurance with CoverMore (via Flight Centre although I think you can buy it independently). I simply added my new health condition to the policy and I don’t think it cost any more. More importantly, we had to claim a couple of times for Covid related cancellations, and when we were quarantined in a hotel for 7 nights with Covid during a holiday trip, and the process of claiming and reimbursement was reasonably straightforward.
My polymyalgia wasnt of any interest but ny husband’s waiting list for an inigual hernia was - to the tune of £800 when we had a cruise to Iceland last year and after shopping around that was Staysure !! So don't cruise if you are on a waiting list however minor!
PS Dorset is special!
I suppose the possibility of a strangulated hernia is there until the op is done - and that means getting you off the ship and transferring to a hospital asap.
PS Dorset is special!
I know -and I don’t need travel insurance🤣😂
👍🤣
True, I like Dorset.
So do lots of others -as we locals know come holiday season…
Of course some are more welcome than others ..😊
We could well do a Dorset week this year. I lived in Blandford Forum and Sixpenny Handley for a short while decades ago when I needed a rest from the world of the professional DJ..
Know BF and SH very well... we lived outside Tollard Royal for 4 years mid to late 80s [Larmer Tree before it re-opened to public]- before moving further west.. and I worked at BF 1996-2006...
I cannot remember much about it to be honest! I gave up the bottle in 1997 when I was living in San Francisco... of all places to go coffee total.
Past in a haze then..... know a few like that.. 😏
Used staysure travel insurance, told them I had pmr and it didn't cost me any more money.
Insurewith - they cover people with chronic ailments at v reasonable costs . I have afib and a melanoma diagnosis so have trouble getting affirdable travel insurance.. Do it by phone rather than online for best price though.
I have recently been able to get through Gallagher Insurance (UK company) a
David Oliver t/a SunWorld annual travel insurance policy that covers me for traveling to the USA despite 4.5 of PMR (diagnosed), pre-diabetes, GERD nd Osteoporosis. The 9 day trip for one person was going to cost about £290, can't remember exactly but my concern was that it only covered for the 9 days; if I got Covid and couldn't get back on time I wasn't assured the cover would remain, so in the end I opted for the annual cover which is alot more, in my case over £1000. Ad I've not been traveling out of the country at all for five years I hope I can now do so and get the most out of that policy. I am 77.
I have many medical issues & can no longer afford the insurance to go farther than Europe (cheapest quote for just 3 weeks in USA was £4,000). But we are going to manage a couple of European holidays through Free Spirit. I also got a fairly good quote from Medical Travel Compared. Have been refused by Staysure, Insurancewith & about 20 others. But Staysure & Insurancewith were good when I only had fibromyalgia & PMR. Avanti are offering 20% off atm, & nearly always, tbh. For a quick quote try one of the comparison sites (they just told me they couldn’t find anybody to insure me, so don’t let that put you off!) Sadly, it means we can’t go on our long awaited Ruby Wedding Anniversary trip. It’s made me very depressed as travel is our main hobby. I can help further if you run into trouble, I’ve spent over a week investigating this issue in January! We were due to be on holiday now, but can’t go simply due to insurance costs. Cruising…always the first question they ask, so that may make it dearer! Oh, last bit…health care is dearest in YSA, in the world, but Spain has the 3rd dearest healthcare, apparently, & I found it more expensive than other European countries. I tried to get cover for the Canaries, but much dearer than cover, eg for France, Switzerland or Italy. It may be that your choices are dear…wait & see! I have Polymyalgia , Fibromyalgia, Trochanteric bursitis, Hypermobility, Raynauds Syndrome! Osteo Arthritis, Sciatica, Essential Tremor,
Haemangioma (spinal), Orthostatic hypotension, Dry Macular Degeneration, Plantar Fasciitis
and my husband has atrial fibrillation, gout, & asthma. Good luck!
There are times when I think it's not worth the hassle of "going abroad" my Mom in Law in the USA just passed away and as much as I love California it just makes me annoyed that we left! .
I really dislike crowds and noise. Unusual for a 30 year professional DJ?
I am thinking we should join a local (to us) upmarket health club with heated pools and sunbeds + wifey can do her Pilates while I work on myself.
Coffee and stuff after
Then luxury holidays in England .... oh and I like Cardiff too.
73 this year ... Relax eh?
I guess I just want warm weather & sun as it would help me a lot! Was actually recommended by my GP & a lung Professor! We used to go every Year & it made a difference! Sorry re your mum in law. We were going to Yosemite & Sequoia & Lake Tahoe this summer…not now. California has a lot of space without crowds & noise! Perhaps it’s because you’re a DJ…when you’re not making noise for work, you like a bit of peace!?! Flew from Southampton airport last year & it was so different from London…hope to fly from there or Bournemouth to Europe a bit, so much easier. Enjoy! S x
I use Staysure, they are good with medical.conditions. I already declare Type 1 diabetes and for adding on PMR to the remainder of my annual insurance they only wanted to charge 14 pence more!
Hi David, bit late replying to you but l highly recommend Staysure and Goodtogo. Both extremely reasonable. I’ve just paid £37 for one week in Italy in June with Staysure. It had a 10% off offer going and took advantage of that ! I have GCA and PMR and have never had any probs with either company. Hope this helps . Happy hols.
Staysure for over 50's. I'm 65 with PMR. Partner 70 with Type 2 diabetes, High BP and Cholesterol meds. Not a problems at all and very affordable pricing which even includes Skiing cover!!
I have used Staysure, for years, no problems, I also have three herniated discs and atrial fibrillation
Hello there. One thing I think is very important to be certain of in any Travel Insurance is Repatriation. Many bank insurances etc do not actually include this. It can make the premium a bit dearer but is much more reassuring. Good Luck and enjoy your Hols.
You can shop around by entering your details into one or more online comparison sites (I have used Confused.com and Go.Compare for many years). Once done, the site remembers many of your details so you do not have to re-enter them next time you want a new policy. I help my (even more elderly) neighbour get cover (she's not online) and have saved her a fortune over the years.
BTW: those of us with complex health issues often find several single-trip policies work out cheaper than annual cover. The only way to find out is to run the comparisons.
Hi David. I used this firm last year for an annual policy which was £140.00 for the year. I have five autoimmune diseases and it covered all of them. click.mail.payingtoomuch.co...
I really liked this firm as you can speak to a human being and discuss all the cover and your conditions over the phone.
Good luck.
I have had Saga Travel Insurance for 2 years, and they don't bat an eyelid when you put PMR in as a condition!
Thank you all for your advice. Her indoors will be wading through your lovely advice. Xxxx
Looks like wifey aka her indoors will be doing the hard graft. You don’t make her carry the luggage, do you 🤔?
(Couldn’t resist 😏.)
I use AllClear, declaring PMR, COPD, and Osteoporosis. I go to Trinidad most years to see family, and would never risk travel there without cover. I use an annual policy, and have actually claimed a couple of times for problem on other holidays here, never abroad, they were v helpful
I use AllClear, declaring PMR, COPD, and Osteoporosis. I go to Trinidad most years to see family, and would never risk travel there without cover. I use an annual policy, and have actually claimed a couple of times for problem on other holidays here, never abroad, they were v helpful
Definitely have a look at Staysure and maybe Saga? We find Staysure are good.
I do our travel insurance with RBS platinum which costs £18 per month but also includes car breakdown and Mobil phone insurance - my late husband was a wheel chair bound amputee with dementia but we only paid an age extension o
pressed too soon - extension approx £100 - I now only pay age extension of £75 plus £60 for pmr and hypertension and statins
I don’t know how how this compares but I was always satisfied with the cover and must add the airlines were fantastic with my husband I always encourage people who complain that they cannot go anywhere because there OH is in a wheelchair!! But you will gather my glass is always half full!!
should add I have just been to Australia and back on my own (81) but with assistance- highly recommended!!!
Well done, springeramber!
I opted for annual cover as it was only £30 more than for 2 weeks ! Aviva. Don't know if they're any good at claims though as hoping not to need to.
Hi, I’ve got metastatic breast cancer which is well maintained,but as soon as the Ca word is mentioned the bells go Kerching! I wanted to go to New Zealand and finally came across Paying Too Much which was less than half what most of the others were quoting. It was still quite a lot, though.
I just saw this....and read quite a few replies though not all 92~! I highly recommend FAYE insurance, they are international. They promptly paid over $3000 US for costs incurred from breaking my arm in Canada. They were responsive and prompt.💞
My brother in law who has diabetes uses All Clear insurance. When I was being treated for PMR I also used them and although they noted it, it didn’t add anything to the premium. We took an annual insurance for my husband and I to cover everywhere except America and it cost £257 for 2 of us for 12 months and included the UK. We have just received the renewal it has gone up (but hasn’t everything) it’s now £301 for 2 of us for the year.
Age is a big factor,so would have been helpfull if replies would have added this 👍
Most with PMR and GCA are of a certain age..😊
hi discoballs (love the name btw). Holiday insurance is a pain in the bum, isn’t it. We find it really is best to go on a comparable search engine. They all vary so much.
We’ve used Staysure quite a bit, the Post Office, and so many others.
We’re about to embark on the same job for our trip to Oz later in the year. This time we’ve got to add on my husband’s Chronic Degenerative Spinal Disease to the list, so it’ll be interesting to see how much it will be this time. The thing is, you can’t afford to leave a single thing off, otherwise they’ll hang you out to dry. Good luck - and happy travels.
travel insurance 
Travel/health insurance post PMR diagnosis going UK to Canada
