can you get travel insurance if you have terminal cancer ?
Hello
Thank you for your question – I hope the following information will help.
Put bluntly, yes it is possible to get cover but it will depend on the insurance company and the circumstances of the individual patient. It is always worth speaking to the insurer on the phone, rather than online, to explain the situation and even ask to speak to the underwriter as they may have more flexibility to offer terms. Please note, however, that the cost is likely to be higher than it would be for someone in good health.
Another option would be to travel with an exclusion for cancer. This is risky as you could be faced with a very big bill if anything happens while you are away in relation to cancer, but you’d still be covered for loss of baggage for example. If this is a risk you are prepared to take, see if the insurer would consider offering cover on this basis.
If you have a current European Health Insurance Card, or you get a Global Health Insurance card (more information here) and you have opted to take an exclusion, you would still be able to get treatment in public hospitals when abroad. However, this treatment may still be chargeable at the time although it may be possible to reclaim some or all of the cost back once you are back in the UK.
Another thing to consider is whether your doctors are happy to say that you are ‘Fit to Travel’ and if so, whether they’d be prepared to put this in writing if required. If doctors cannot confirm that you are fit to travel, almost certainly any insurer would decline to offer cover.
I hope this helps but if you’ve not done so already, have you visited our travel insurance blog here to see where others are managing to find suitable cover? Or you could also check the Money Helper website for their suggestions of where to look.
And of course, if you have any further questions, you can always respond here, speak to us on webchat, or phone us on 0808 808 0000.
Kind regards.
Julia
Financial Guide
Remember you can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or by email.
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