Travel Insurance for myself, when husband with Lymphoma isn't travelling

Hi Whipperty and a warm welcome to this corner of the Community. I am Mike and I help out around our various Lymphoma groups. I was diagnosed way back in 1999 with a rare, incurable but treatable Low Grade type of Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Stage 4a so I do appreciate the challenges of this journey rather well.

First you may want to join our general Non-Hodgkin lymphoma support group where you will connect with patients and family navigating the journey.

As a family we have never seen in this specific situation but having lived with my Low Grade NHL the chances of things changing in such a short time is actually very low. As you have already talked with an insurer it may well be challenging to get what you are looking for but let’s see if anyone has been successful.

I will keep an eye open for you in the n the NHL group.

Hi Mike, thank you for the warm welcome. I'll definitely check out the Lymphoma group too. It's been quite the journey for us these last 6 months to get to this stage, as I said luckily no treatment needed just now, but knowing insurers I just need to make sure I'm covered just in case. We are both coping very well now, the worst part, as I'm sure with everyone, was the months of waiting for diagnosis.

I've just done a quote online for both of us with HolidaySafe for annual multi trip insurance, with the condition declared, and was pleasantly surprised that is was only £100 for a year, this may be the way to go. Though he won't be coming skiing, hopefully we'll take another holiday together before the policy ends, so we'd already be covered! For comparrision, a single trip cover for me only would be around £35/£45. We enjoyed an amazing 3 week road trip this summer between tests and diagnosis, and that time we had to exclude the lymphoma as it wasn't confirmed.

Thanks again

Hi Whipperty

Unfortunately, as you've found, it can be more difficult to get travel insurance when there is a cancer diagnosis involved.

I'd be very careful if you decide to do as you've suggested, ie "I wonder if it would be better to insure us both for the trip, declaring his condition of course, but him just not travel" as I'm not sure how the insurance company would react to a claim if you had to make one.

I had to cancel two booked holidays earlier this year because of my cancer diagnosis. Both my husband and I were travelling. Amongst the various things that were asked for when I submitted the claim was proof that we had booked a holiday in both names. Now you wouldn't be able to supply this so I don't know if this would affect any claim.

Also, if you had to return home early because your husband was ill, I don't know how that would affect your claim as I assume that the insurer would want to see evidence from the GP/hospital in the country that you and your husband were supposedly on holiday in and, as your husband wouldn't be there. I don't know how that would work. Equally if he was very ill then they'd be looking to medevac him back to this country and you'd then have to tell them that he wasn't actually there.

It might be best to speak to an insurance broker to find out if there's any way that you can get the sort of insurance that you want.

x

Thanks for taking the time to reply, so sorry that you had to cancel your holidays, and for letting me know that they expected you both to be travelling.

I made quite a few calls, and in the end have gone with StaySure, with just me insured. They assured me that they are only interested in my medical declaration (which is minimal), after I explained the situation they said that I'll be covered for any issues back home which might make me cancel the trip. Here's hoping that is actually true! I asked them to record the call as I asked my questions about husband. Weirdly it was cheaper for me to buy an annual policy with Winter sports included than a single trip with winter spots as an extra, so I'm covered for any European holidays in the next 12 months.

Great news Whipperty and I hope you have a lovely time.

Edit - Just to add, if you check your policy booklet it should confirm what you were told about a non-travelling person whose health affects your ability to holiday or continue holidaying.

x

Yes great news, do come over to the NHL group and introduce yourself.

Hello

I was just looking through the forum as i need advice on how to get travel insurance on pre existing illnesses in my family, while i travel abroad next year. When i spoke to Stay Sure today i confirmed that i was enquiring about Known circumstances to which she then realised her original advice wasn't correct and they do not offer anything should a non travelling person become ill (family/friend back home) and you need to cancel the trip, the insurance would not cover that as its not unforeseen. 

Jennifer 

Thanks for posting this Jenifer1989 - it's definitely different to what I was told, so I'll check with them. My trip is only about 5 weeks away now, and my husband is doing well, still "watch and wait" so hopefully it won't affect this holiday at all. My elderly parents home both have "known issues" and dad is bed bound with Parkinson's, they would be the main reason I might need to cancel at this point should anything get worse, so I'll definitely check with them,