Travel insurance

Hello

Thank you for your message.  I’m sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis.  Hopefully the following information will help you find suitable cover.

You’ve probably already realised when applying for cover, that a lot of companies will ask you very similar or even the same questions. The medical screening systems they use are often the same, which leads to a bit of repetition with the questions. If you’re struggling to properly explain your situation with the questions asked, you can ask if it’s possible for the company to manually underwrite the policy. This is where a person would look at your health situation and decide whether to offer cover and at what price, rather than a computer making the decision. Some companies may do this as their standard procedure.

I’d also suggest you take a look at the Travel Insurance directory on the MoneyHelper website which you can access here. The MoneyHelper website states specifically which medical screening company is used by the insurer. You may get a variation of price’s if different medical screeners are looking at your application.

We also have a travel insurance blog on this Online Community here so you can see where other cancer patients are finding their cover.

You may encounter some companies that offer a policy with a cancer-related exclusion. This means you wouldn’t be covered for any claims relating to the cancer. This could affect the premium considerably, but it’s good to consider the risk of not being covered for anything relating to the cancer.

Do you have any travel insurance cover in place through your bank account or a credit card? They won’t usually automatically cover for pre-existing health conditions, but if you’ve got this cover already through a product it’s worth checking on. They may be able to offer full cover if a top-up fee is paid.

One last thing I’d like to mention is about the insurance those you’re travelling with have. Some policies may cover cancellation if something happens to a ‘close family relative’. The exact cover would be explained in your policy documents, it’s a good idea to check exactly what may be covered. Some companies may only cover cancellation due to a close relative’s illness if it was disclosed and they were told about the person’s health conditions beforehand.

If you’re travelling within the European Economic Area, it’s important to have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).This card is free and currently allows access to emergency state healthcare at reduced cost or sometimes for free.

It wouldn’t pay for repatriation for a health problem but would cover treatment that is needed to allow the person to continue a stay until their planned return. It even covers treatment of pre-existing medical conditions.

A guide on how to access health care in participating countries can be found here:

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/countryguide/Pages/EEAcountries.aspx

To apply for the GHIC card, visit https://www.gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card. 

Alternatively, phone the automated service on 0300 330 1350. Existing holders of these cards should double-check the expiry date so that it is valid before travel.

Please note: The EHIC or GHIC is NOT valid on cruises.

The Financial Guides are here to support with questions about personal finances such as insurance, pensions, mortgages, estate planning etc. Please let us know if you’d appreciate a chat about any other personal finance matters, either by phoning, using webchat or by replying here.

I hope this helps you.

Best wishes,