I have breast cancer which has spread to bones and liver and had an operation on my cervical spine last year. I now have a metal plate holding my neck spine in place. The cancer is now stable and my consultant has said she is happy for me to travel. I am thinking of travelling to see the tulips outside Amsterdam in April. I will travel on Eurostar, so no flights.
My question is, is it safe to travel with GHIC card only. I cannot find travel insurance for under £550.
I would be grateful for any advice on travelling with cancer with or without travel insurance.
Many thanks.
Hi Princess Flo and welcome to the community. We were in Amsterdam a few years back and it was amazing.
From what I have read the Global Health Insurance Card (more information here) may still allow you to 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.
My understanding is that this would not cover cancellation of your travel, accommodation, loss of personal good etc and repatriation costs if you become ill or have an accident.
Getting affordable Travel Insurance can be a challenge and at times the price could be higher than the cost of the holiday.
Comparison sites tend to use the same algorithms so getting a clear price can be difficult and it’s not that unusual to be turned down or told to call the insurers.
It’s actually more effective to call a few insurers directly as this means that you have answered all the questions correctly and in doing this a suitable policy can be offered and price given.
Full disclosure is always advisable as in the event of you developing any issues this can reduce the risk of an insurance companies wriggling out from paying out.
It’s important that your clinical team say you are fit to travel and get them to record this on your medical records…… and some insurance companies may ask for a letter from your Consultant confirming this.
Have a look through the 'recommended travel insurance' thread in our Travel insurance group as it's where the majority of recommendations from other forum members are. Clicking on the link I've created will take you straight there. You might also want to look at this thread as it includes a link to a Travel Insurance Directory.
We also have our Ask an Expert section where you can ask one of our Macmillan Experts but do allow a few working days for a reply.
