Hi, I’m new here. I have a standard travel insurance through the bank for over two years now. Last year in July I booked a 7 night Mexican cruise flying from Heathrow to Los Angeles for this month, September 2024, departing in 3 weeks time.
In March this year I have been diagnosed with Thyroid cancer ( a pea size lump found by accident). It was caught early they said but the treatment is surgery. With pre-op assessment that includes chest X-ray they found something suspicious. More tests and investigation followed and by early May I was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer. Both cancers are primary. I had lobectomy operation in early June ( 3 months ago). They got rid of my lung cancer and said no further treatment. Two weeks after they told me I was told they found a gene EGFR that can mutate. I was gutted!!! I am on Osimertinib for a month now and will be for the next 3 years. I’m feeling fine and looking forward to this cruise. All the time I was telling doctors/ surgeon/oncologist since the diagnosis that I have this cruise booked in September, should I cancel it but they all said that it will be fine to travel (12 hrs flight) and that it will be good for me after such a bad start of 2024.
I called my travel insurance to upgrade my policy for a pre-existing medical condition and been honest and disclosed everything only to be told at the end of the phone call that they cannot upgrade my policy. I have tried several companies that includes InsureWith, All Clear etc but I got the same “ I’m sorry we can’t cover you” response. I felt like I’m being punished for having this illnesses.
Does anyone have luck in getting travel insurance? Do you think I just go with my standard policy? Please help, thank you!
Your holiday sounds amazing but as you are experiencing getting affordable Travel Insurance can be a challenge and at times the price quoted could be higher than the cost of the holiday and some people do find that no Insurance is being offered.
I personally had to be 2 years in remission and not on any cancer related treatments for my type of incurable blood cancer before I could get any price (and that was with my consultant saying I was clear to fly a good 18 months before) but these decisions are often all down to cancer types, treatment, prognosis and the resulting risk factor put on by the insurers risk assessment - I am very open to serious infections due to a reduced immune system so this was seen as a high risk factor for insurers.
As a Macmillan Volunteer I can’t be perceived to recommend any companies but do have a look through the link below…….
……… that is an ongoing discussion thread (do go to the bottom of the thread and hit the >> to take you to the newest posts) in our Travel insurance group as it's where the majority of recommendations from other forum members are.
You can also look through all the individual members of posts in the group as well.
I do hope you can get cover.
