Hi help please
My PSA very slight over the limit for my age (58) but due to family history i have just stated investigations - in a few weeks time i am due to have a biopsy - what condition do i declare on my pending purchase of travel insurance?
i more or less have never had a days illness and very much hope to get the all clear !
Thanks for any advise
Hi Pauloboss and welcome to the online community
I'm sorry to hear that you're currently undergoing investigations. It's best to be open and honest and declare that you are having investigations and are currently waiting to have a biopsy otherwise any insurance bought without declaring this might not be valid.
You might find it helpful to look through this information from Macmillan about travel insurance.
I don't know whether you've looked through the Recommended Travel Insurance thread yet, as it's where the majority of recommendations from other community members are, and this might be a good starting point to find insurers who have provided reasonably priced insurance in the past. Clicking on the link I've created will take you directly to it if you haven't seen it.
It is best to phone the travel companies rather than try and do online quotes. Make sure you have all the information to hand about your treatment before contacting the insurers. This is a list of common questions that insurers might ask when you're applying for insurance.
I do hope that you can get some reasonably priced travel insurance so that you can book your holiday. Do come back and let us know hoe you get on.
x
Thank you latchbrook for your reply but i cannot get around what i am suppose to be disclosing - i do not have a condition its down to family history
So hopefully it might be nothing - i like your confidence in the insurance industry doing right by you - i wish this was true
Hi Pauloboss
I don't think I said anything about the "insurance industry doing right by you" so I'm sorry if you got that impression. What I did say was that you need to disclose everything if you want to make sure you're covered.
As for what you are supposed to disclose, you need to tell them, when asked, what the tests and biopsies are for. For example, before I knew that my lesion was melanoma I told the insurance company that I was having a biopsy to find out what it was. Then, when I'd been diagnosed I told them what it was and what follow up treatment I was waiting for. Then, finally, I was able to tell them that I'd finished treatment and was now just on check-ups.
I hope that helps.
No offence on my part - i am just trying to find out what would not be covered if i has an heart attack that might be covered but if found i could not pass water then that might not be covered - most quotes ask for a condition i cannot give them one if i phone up they will still group it to a condition i should be able to pick a condition from a drop down list and get a premium
But again a big thank you for working with me
If you haven't been diagnosed with anything yet then you can't tell them what is wrong with you as there might be nothing wrong. However, if asked are you waiting for or have you had any tests then the answer is yes if you have had tests or are waiting for them.
Using the previous example of my experience I couldn't say "I have melanoma" because at that point I didn't know that I had it but I did say "I'm waiting for a biopsy to see what the lesion on my arm is".
The best thing to do is to phone as it can be very difficult to try and do online quotes if you're answers don't fit "in the box".
Let us know how you get on
Big thanks for your help
I spoke to an Insurance agent and he told me one option
Buy your insurance policy and do not disclose given you do not have a condition but for example in my case - if found on the first day l could not pass water and went to a private hospital then i would expect the insurance would not pay a claim because i am under investigation by the Urology department but say i had an heart attack this would be covered given i have no heart condition or investigation
I had a situation some 5 years back my brother in law on holiday with us - could not pass water in pain and he needed hospital treatment - the insurance paid because he had no notes on his medical records in the UK for a Urology condition
If in my case with the same condition they would not pay because i do have notes on my medical records
Does this make sense
Hi Pauloboss
If I've understood your posts correctly, I think you want to avoid telling the insurer that you're under investigation for a possible urology condition and hope that if you don't tell them you'll still be covered for any other health condition and that this is what your insurance agent has told you to do.
You have said that you have not had a diagnosis yet but are going to have a biopsy in a few weeks. One of the questions I was asked was something along the lines of "is anyone awaiting specialist referral, investigations or results of any tests". When I was waiting for my biopsy I answered 'yes' and, from what you've said, as you are awaiting investigations by the urology department I would have thought that you would need to answer 'yes' as well.
I don't know whether you looked at the information from Macmillan about travel insurance (link) that I linked to you before but I've added it again here. You'll see that they say to "Be open about your health and ask travel insurance providers for their guidance."
I do hope that you can get travel insurance so that you can book a holiday. Let us know how you get on.
x
Thank you for your replay and i reply in the hope of helping others who might need some clarification
I think rightly or wrongly if i do not disclose a pending Urology investigation that i would not be covered for any incident in a private hospital in which i found myself in if it involved Urology for example - i could not pass water
But if i had an heart attack or fell and broke an arm and taken to a private hospital i would be covered surly this would be correct
Thank to everyone i will buy travel insurance - i have never travelled abroad without it but i want to be able to pick a cheap policy (from say money supermarket) and get what is the same protection and rating apposed to phoning and paying a massive premium for the same cover
Does all this make sense for a 58 year old who had almost never had a day illness in his life
Hi Pauloboss
I can certainly understand your desire to be able to get travel insurance that is no more expensive than someone who is not waiting for the results of tests and biopsies.
No one in this group is an expert on travel insurance, we are just people who either have or have had cancer and can only tell you about our own experiences with getting insurance.
I have always declared my circumstances, ie that I'm waiting for a biopsy/results or my diagnosis so have no experience as to whether you'd be covered or not if you had to claim for something that was directly related to what you're currently being investigated for and you haven't declared this.
It might be an idea to post your question in the ask a financial guide section and one of the Macmillan guides will aim to respond within 2 working days.
Whatever cancer throws your way, we’re right there with you.
We’re here to provide physical, financial and emotional support.
© Macmillan Cancer Support 2024 © Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland. A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 2400969. Isle of Man company number 4694F. Registered office: 3rd Floor, Bronze Building, The Forge, 105 Sumner Street, London, SE1 9HZ. VAT no: 668265007