Travel insurance

Hello @dannelchen,

Thanks for getting in touch.

I’m sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis. I hope you are well enough to travel soon.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to recommend any specific companies for travel insurance because we’re not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), but I hope the following information helps you with your search.

Travel Insurance:

We often find a good starting place when looking for affordable cover is to use other people’s experiences. If you have not already done so, you can visit the travel insurance section of our online community here. On this page you will find posts from people affected by cancer sharing their experiences of which companies they have approached and who they have managed to get cover from.

I’d also encourage you to take a look at the Travel Insurance directory on the Money Helper website which you can access here. The directory can be used to search for FCA approved travel insurers who may offer cover to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Another website which may be useful is 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.

You can search their directory for travel insurers in the link below:

Find Insurance - BIBA

* Please note Macmillan does not endorse any particular company or product that may be advertised on BIBA or Money Helper website. 

Insurance companies use medical screening systems to assess the risk of offering insurance, but many companies use the same system. When you come to apply for cover you might find the medical questions will often be the same. However, the premiums offered by companies using different systems can vary considerably so it is worth persisting and shopping around.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’re also happy to speak with you on our freephone telephone number which is 0808 808 0000 followed by option 1 then 2 and 1 again. The Financial Guidance Team are available Monday-Friday 8am to 6pm.

Best wishes,

Thanks that's really helpful.

However at £1000 +++ I think I'll have to risk going without health insurance.

Thanks, good info but art over £1000 a shot I'll go without health insurance

Hi @Dannelchen,

I’m sorry to hear the quotes have been so expensive.

It’s not compulsory to take out travel insurance, but if something goes wrong and you require medical attention, or if you injure someone else, it could end up being very expensive so it’s important to understand the risks.

If it’s helpful, you can see if a travel insurance provider would be willing to offer you cover that excludes pre-existing medical conditions (such as your cancer). That way, if you had to make a claim for anything unrelated to your exclusion, you should still be covered. However, this type of cover will not pay out if you had to make a claim that was related to your chosen medical exclusions and again, this could be costly if you were to become unwell as a result of your excluded medical condition.

If you’re traveling within the EU, 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 a person access to emergency state healthcare at reduced cost, or sometimes for free. For details of what you would be covered for in each country click here.

It wouldn’t pay for repatriation for a health problem but would cover treatment that is needed to allow you to continue a stay until your 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.

To apply for the GHIC card, click here or phone the automated service on 0300 330 1350. If you already have one, it’s important to double-check the expiry date before you travel. Finally, it’s worth noting that EHIC & GHIC cards are not valid for cruises.

I hope that gives you a little more useful information, but if you have any further questions feel free to get in touch.

Kind Regards,

Joe 
Financial Guide