Medical travel insurance coverage for MBC Canadians

[Feelfine]

Hello,

I am new to this forum. I live in British Columbia. I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in Sep 2015. I then had chemo, surgery and then radiation treatments which finished in July 2016. I have since remained in remission, stable and feeling fine. However, because my 2016 surgical report indicated I had 2 positive lymph nodes, I guess I am considered as having metastatic cancer from the travel insurance companies' standpoint. Does anyone know of any insurance company that would accept MBC patients to buy international travel insurance?

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Audrey

[Tantalon7211]

glad you have asked this question as I too am in BC and had stage two in 2019- but mine progressed to Mets in pelvis this year. However after stereotactic radiation, and taking medications, my pet scan was showing no activity and no evidence of it right now. I too, am wondering about getting medical insurance for travelling to The US or Europe- and what will be needed. I think there would be a time frame as to how long ago you were treated, and it shouldn’t affect you at all now. I would be interested in knowing this as well, and will try to get some info-

[8576]

There are travel insurance companies that do not ask questions they just cover you. It costs more but it is worth it. Sorry, I don't know the names because I have all but given up on travelling. They do exist so ask around.

Cheers, June S.

[Palm-Springs]

I am 64 yrs old with stage 4 breast cancer and and was able to obtain travel insurance for a 1 month trip from Canada to the US . The brokers name is Medi-Quote Insurance Brokers 1-800-661-3098 , website is mediquote.ca The last time I obtained insurance was in 2019 and I purchased it for $280.00 for the month. I hope this helps.

[Feelfine in reply to Palm-Springs]

Thank you for your info. I shall contact Medi-quote to inquire.

Regards, Audrey

[viennagirl in reply to Palm-Springs]

Thank you. Cheers Marlene

[viennagirl in reply to Palm-Springs]

Wow. That sounds like a good deal. Thank you. I will look into it. Cheers Marlene

[viennagirl]

Hi, Yes........I am also in BC and have mbc. I recently discovered a travel insurance company that covers existing conditions. It is called Medipac. Not sure how it is spelled. My husband and I are considering travelling this winter for the first time since I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer about 5 years ago. My cancer has been stable for quite a long time so I want to travel again.

I think Medipac will cover you if your doctor gives you the approval to go travelling. And maybe you have to show that you are stable. I just had two scans and if both of them show no evidence of disease I am going to look into all the details of this company in the coming weeks when I learn how my scans turned out. I already know that my bone scan was clear. I am just waiting to hear about my CAT scan.

Please, if you learn anything more about this company please let me know. They come recommended by The Canadian Legion and the Snow Birds Assoc. And from the little bit of research I have done they seem to be quite affordable. Good luck in your search and hopefully this company turns out to be good for us poor souls who suffer from this condition. The good thing is that most of us have a good chance of living a long life and so having a good travel insurance is going to be important. We all want to travel safely without breaking the bank. Hugs Marlene

[Feelfine in reply to viennagirl]

Hi Marlene,

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide me with the leads. I will try getting quotes from Medipac. I just found out that AIG International also covers clients with MBC. I got a quote from them today and their cost seems to be reasonable. You may want to explore that as well.

Best of luck on your CAT scan🙏👌

Regards,

Audrey

[viennagirl in reply to Feelfine]

Thank you. I am making a note of all these possible options. I just don't want to pay horrendous amounts of money to travel. Hugs Marlene

[Best521]

Travel Guard issues Travel Insurance in Canada. I bought their Deluxe Plan for an upcoming trip to the Middle East. The plan covers preexisting conditions, including MBC, cancel for any reason and emergency evacuation. I’m in the USA. The charges are calculated based on the total cost of the trip. The total cost for my policy was $728.15. Very expensive, however I had a voucher left from the Pandemic when travel was not possible. The voucher was applied to the cost of the policy. My oncologist recommended I wear the best mask, pack test kits, bring a prescription of Paxlovid, the pills not the script, and buy the best travel insurance money can buy. He also said you have to live your life and have a wonderful trip 👍😊

[Feelfine in reply to Best521]

Thanks for your lead. Are you a US resident? I know down in the States there may be more insurance companies to choose from, but I shall check out Travel Guard for sure.

Wise advice from your oncologist!

Best,

Audrey

[Best521]

Yes I am a US Citizen. However I checked the Travel Guard site and they write policies in Canada. The first time I was diagnosed with cancer I was on my way to Japan. Travel Guard refunded the entire cost of my trip to Japan without any questions. They are a wonderful company. Yes I really lucked out with a great oncologist. He is recognized internationally. One other thing he is has having me do is to temporarily stop my Ibrance, beginning 4 to 6 days before I leave and resuming when I return. I will be off Ibrance for two weeks. I am on Ibrance and Letrozole. This will help keep my WBC up while I am traveling . We have also scheduled a scan before I put down the final deposit just in case 😊. I don’t get scanxiety. To me scans are just a monitoring tool same as bloodwork. I accept I have MBC and while the disease will change and do it’s thing I will also keep going and do my thing. Naturally check with your oncologist on preparing for travel.

[Bettybuckets]

I’m just back from a month in nz, I think it is a good idea to travel with test kits and paxlovid. I tested 3x when I felt sick but was always negative and then I was ready to treat just in case.

[rubyc1234]

I see there are companies listed below and this is fantastic news! I looked into numerous companies and none of them would insure me. I do have insurance with the teachers plan but there are so many conditions attached to it I wonder if I would be covered if anything happened. I went to Scotland for 2 weeks in August and had a great time with no health issues. Half the bus tour caught covid but I never did. We need to live our lives!