Hello, my wife comes to the end of her ovarian cancer treatment in February and I would love to take her away to Spain. We hope and pray all of the cancer will have gone , but at her last scan they said that there was just a small dot left . Please could someone tell me will would we be able to go abroad, what do I put on the insurance form and can anyone recommend a insurance company to contact, any advice would be appreciated kevin
I am so sorry to hear that your wife has ovarian cancer, but, I would imagine, coming to the end of her treatment, with the hope the cancer has gone, is a blessing for you both. A trip to Spain sounds a lovely option for you to explore.
Here at Macmillan, we can't recommend an insurance company, but I can certainly give you lots of information to look into. I appreciate there is a lot of detail, but I hope it will help to "navigate" the way.
Just in case, when you say "would we be able to go abroad" you have a medical query as well, you are welcome to pop over the the Nurse page of Ask an Expert, or call the Cancer Information Nurses, to explore travelling after treatment, or traveling with medication etc. Our phone lines are 0808 808 0000 choose option 1, followed by option 3 for a Nurse: the nurses are available from 8am to 8pm every day.
With regard to insurance, one of the best ways of finding affordable travel insurance is to use other people’s experiences. Visit our online community to find out which companies other people affected by cancer have found helpful: In particular, visit our travel insurance blogs:
Travel insurance forum for cancer patients - Macmillan Online Community
and;
Recommended travel insurance 2023 - Macmillan Online Community
On our blogs, people are encouraged to post comments about their experiences of finding suitable travel insurance providers.
The Money Helper Travel Insurance Directory is another option for finding travel insurance (a separate organisation to Macmillan).
The directory can be used to search for Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approved travel insurers who may offer cover to people with pre-existing medical conditions. Please visit their directory by using the link below:
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/insurance/use-our-travel-insurance-directory
If you don’t have access to the internet, please call MoneyHelper on: 0800 138 7777 and press option 1 then option 4. This may be helpful for support regarding what to put on the insurance form.
MoneyHelper can guide you through the directory and send a list of the results out through the post.
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:
* please note Macmillan does not endorse any particular company or product that may be advertised on BIBA or MoneyHelper website.
Other options to consider
It’s also worth knowing that sometimes Trades Unions are able to offer travel insurance to members and their families.
Some people have travel insurance cover through their bank account or credit card, but it’s important to remember that it will not usually automatically include cover for problems related to a health condition such as cancer. Check with the bank to find out exactly what it includes and whether the cover can be expanded. The bank may offer full cover if a top-up fee is paid but may also decline to offer cover for the medical condition.
Applying for Travel Insurance
Different insurers have different underwriting criteria, this means that some insurers may be more willing than others to offer cover to someone with a pre-existing condition (like cancer). The price insurers are willing to charge to offer cover can vary a lot too, so it’s always worth getting quotes from a range of different insurance providers.
Travel insurance providers will try to predict how likely it is that the person will make a claim by asking some questions. This might be on the phone, or by an online form.
Travel insurance providers will generally ask:
Insurance companies use medical screening systems to assess the risk of offering insurance, but many companies use the same system, so the medical questions will often be the same. However, the premiums offered by companies using different systems can vary considerably so you should bear this in mind when shopping around. If the questions asked don’t seem to fit, or don’t allow you to explain the cancer diagnosis fully, it’s worth asking the insurer if it’s possible for someone to manually underwrite the policy. This is where a person, rather than a computer looks at the health situation of the person looking for cover and decides about whether or not to offer cover and at what price. Some other insurers may do this as standard.
All insurance companies look at ‘risk’ when assessing an application and will consider the likelihood of a claim being made. If the insurance company believes that this risk is higher than average, they might accept the application with increased premiums. If the company sees the risk as being too high, they might decline to offer cover.
Pre-existing Conditions
When buying travel insurance, it’s important to check whether the policy will cover claims relating to any pre-existing medical conditions. Some insurance companies will simply choose to exclude all cover for any pre-existing medical conditions, while some may exclude any medical claims arising from certain pre-existing conditions.
There are lots of travel insurance policies available that cover claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions and there are some companies that specialise in providing travel insurance to people in this situation. An insurer may offer a policy that covers this kind of claim as long as the conditions have been declared to them and have been accepted by the company in writing. It’s usually more expensive to cover claims relating to cancer. This is because the chance of claiming for medical expenses or cancellation is increased.
If an insurer offers a travel insurance policy with a cancer-related exclusion, this means the person insured wouldn’t be covered for any claims relating to the cancer. If this is the case, it’s important to consider the risk of not being covered if the person experiences any problems related to the cancer while they are away.
If someone does have a pre-existing medical condition, like cancer, it’s important to answer any medical questions as fully and as accurately as possible. If they don’t, the insurer could refuse to pay a claim and could cancel the policy.
Even if the person had cancer a long time ago, it’s best to let the insurance provider know, although this may not necessarily affect the price paid.
It’s also important to tell the insurer if the insured person’s health situation or medication changes between the time the policy is taken out and the date of travel.
Fit to travel
When looking for travel insurance, some companies may ask for a letter from the person’s medical professional confirming they are fit to travel. This may be requested at the time the insurance is taken out or later, if a claim needs to be made. It’s important for the person travelling to check with the doctor ahead of travel that they are fit enough to go on holiday. If not, the insurer could either refuse cover or cancel existing cover.
If a letter is needed, there might be a charge from the doctor to prepare and send it, particularly if the request comes directly from an insurance company. Because of this, it may
be best for the person travelling to ask the doctor themselves.
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
Cancellation linked to close family relatives
Some policies may cover cancellation due to the death, serious illness or hospitalisation of a ‘close family relative’. The exact cover will be explained in the policy documents and it’s very important to check exactly what the policy covers, especially if there is a family member that has cancer that may or may not be travelling too.
Some insurance companies do not cover cancellation due to a close relative’s illness unless it was disclosed to them and they accepted cover for the condition. It’s very important to tell the insurer about the medical conditions of anyone at the time the policy is taken out if it could affect the trip. If it isn’t declared, the likelihood is that the insurer will not pay out on any claims relating to this.
If you are unsure, it’s always best to phone the insurer and check.
How travel insurance works
Travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected events that may happen whilst on a holiday or other type of trip. The main areas covered by a travel insurance policy are:
It’s not compulsory to take out travel insurance. But if someone goes abroad without it they could end up paying very large amounts of money if the person insured needs medical treatment, or if they injure someone else.
Travelers can take out a new policy for each time they travel, called ‘single trip’ insurance, or there’s the option to take out an annual policy to cover multiple trips made during a year.
Some people believe that medical cover isn’t important because treatment could wait until they return home, but insurance is about covering the unexpected. It covers treatment in an emergency, getting someone fit enough to travel back to the UK or the extra costs of flying them home if they have to travel by air ambulance, on a stretcher, or with medical equipment.
European Health Insurance Card / UK Global Health Insurance Card
For those 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 a person 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.
European Health Insurance Card & Brexit
The UK has now reached an agreement for healthcare arrangements when travelling to the EU.
From 1 January 2021, people visiting an EU country can continue to use their EHIC until it expires, an application should then be made for a GHIC which will replace the EHIC.
From 1 January 2021 most UK-issued EHICs and GHICS won’t be valid in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
The Government has advised that people follow latest guidance to ensure they’re fully prepared for any unexpected healthcare requirements overseas. This information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card
Travelling outside of the European Economic Area
Some countries have reciprocal healthcare agreements with the UK including Jersey and The Isle of Man. These agreements vary between countries. For more details about reciprocal healthcare agreements visit: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/healthcare-when-travelling-abroad/travelling-outside-the-european-economic-area-eea/
All information given in this leaflet is based on legislation which applies as at 13th October 2022 and is subject to change.
I really hope you are able to book your trip, please come back to us if we can help further.
Best wishes
Liz
Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Advisor
