Travel Insurance to the USA with stage 4 prostate cancer

Hello BarSteve,

Thanks for contacting us. Although we can’t recommend companies directly I’ve included some information below that might help when shopping around for cover.

Rather than trying to do quotes online it maybe more beneficial to gather a shortlist of companies that you can contact directly to discuss your situation in more detail. The two resources listed below are external sources to Macmillan:

• MoneyHelper Travel Insurance Directory which has been created by MoneyHelper (a separate organisation to Macmillan).  The directory can be used to search for FCA approved travel insurers who may offer cover to people with pre-existing medical conditions. Please visit their directory  https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/insurance/use-our-travel-insurance-directory
• British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA). They have a travel medical directory which can be used to search for travel insurance for anyone who has a serious medical condition. Their directory also meets the FCA criteria for a medical cover firm directory. Find Insurance - BIBA

You’ve probably already realised when applying for cover so far, 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. Please don’t let this put you off, despite being asked similar questions each company will have their own quote at the end if they can offer cover – so it is worth persisting and shopping around. 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.

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.

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.

There are other things you might want to think about when travelling following a cancer diagnosis. Our Travel & Cancer booklet has lots of information that you may find helpful: https://cdn.macmillan.org.uk/dfsmedia/1a6f23537f7f4519bb0cf14c45b2a629/805-10061/mac11667-travel-and-cancer-e07?_ga=2.72855251.134237754.1665561642-1060364595.1650899811

I hope this information helps and that you’re able to get cover in place.

Kind Regards,

Will Quinn