Earlier this year, we asked you to tell us about your experiences of trying to access travel insurance after a cancer diagnosis. We wanted to understand the issues people with cancer face when it comes to getting covered.
Over 400 of you shared your story, and the results were pretty shocking. While a few people described positive experiences, most of you told us about quotes that were many times more expensive than the holiday itself; intrusive questions and complex application processes; and in many cases not being able to get cover at all.
Here are some of the problems you told us about…
“Mention the word cancer and it alters everything.”
One supporter who was diagnosed with lung cancer was quoted between £1,500 and £15,000 for a trip to Jamaica. Another, who has been in remission for 25 years, says the quotes for cover usually exceed the cost of the holiday even now.
Dozens of people told us that they simply don’t go on holiday anymore because the quotes they receive for travel insurance are just unaffordable.
“Am I going to be denied from seeing my 4 grandchildren, son and daughter in law for the rest of my life?”
Many people told us that they couldn’t get cover, even if they’d been given the all clear. This is sometimes because seeing a consultant for check-ups is classified by providers as still undergoing treatment. Others, who have incurable but treatable cancer, told us that they were simply unable to get cover. One supporter was refused travel insurance unless they could assure the provider that they ‘would not get cancer’ whilst on holiday!
Some people made the decision to travel without cover, but told us that they didn’t feel able to relax and enjoy the holiday. Many people said they’d given up going on holiday after an initial ‘uncovered’ break, because they’d found it so stressful.
“The experience of being classified as high risk is quite scary as well as hard to navigate.”
Others who were covered found it hard work to get through the application process. One described having to answer lots of complex questions – some of which they couldn’t answer, and had to ask their consultant. Many people describe the process as upsetting or intrusive. One person described filling in countless questions online, before they were eventually told they’d have to speak to someone on the phone anyway. They told us they couldn’t comment on the cost of insurance for people with cancer, as they’d never got that far.
“Good luck to everyone out there! Travel is really important to health and emotional well-being."
It wasn’t all bad news - one supporter told us that after being diagnosed with bowel cancer, they’d eventually found a provider who gave them a reasonable quote, and were able to get cover for a trip to Cuba to celebrate their 40th birthday. Another had just returned from a holiday with affordable cover and told us about the lovely family memories they’d made.
We want positive experiences like this to become the norm, so we’ll be continuing to campaign on travel insurance, using evidence like the stories you provided to make the case for change. Since we launched the campaign we’ve responded to the Financial Conduct Authority’s Call for Input on travel insurance, and we’re now awaiting their feedback statement, due to be published later this year.
Huge thanks to everyone who’s shared their story or supported the campaign. With your help, we can make sure people with cancer can take a break when they really need it.
