Pre Surgery Insurance HELP!!

FormerMember
FormerMember
  • 3 replies
  • 18 subscribers
  • 2747 views

My partner was diagnosed with a renal clear cell carcinoma about 6 weeks ago. He is T1N0M0. We have a holiday booked to Madeira for 30th September for a week and he is due to have surgery to remove the tumour on 14th October. The procedure should be curative and no further treatment required afterwards. However, because this is a recent diagnosis and before surgery I am really struggling to find travel insurance that will cover us. I have tried several of the companies already listed elsewhere but they won’t do it as it’s not considered stable enough at this stage. It’s very frustrating as he doesn’t have any symptoms and we wouldn’t have even known it was there if they hadn’t found it whilst preparing to remove his gallbladder. Just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and been able to get cover and where? We’re seriously considering cancelling now even though we’re in desperate need of this holiday!

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Unfortunately as you say it’s very unlikely you will find any company to insure your partner at this late stage. Any test, result, appointment or investigation etc that you haven’t got results for practical excludes you from getting insurance at any cost

    It is why it’s always recommended to take out cover when you book a holiday. I don’t suppose you have a bank account that provides travel insurance? Certain accounts do and if you had one of those before you discovered the diagnosis you could claim on that.

    Your best option might be to postpone your holiday, will still cost something but might save money at a later date.

    Hope you didn’t book with Thomas Cook though...lol

    If you have no other options than to postpone or cancel talk to the customer service department first. Surprisingly they can be very helpful, if you get a call centre type response ask to speak to a manager.

    Good luck, I fortunately was insured with my Bank account when I was diagnosed and had to cancel 3 holidays which wer all refunded without question. I had to get a GP letter, fortunately they accepted the same one for all of the holidays 

    good luck

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember in reply to FormerMember

    Hi Christine,

    I did already have insurance and when I have gone to update them they have withdrawn it. We aren’t waiting on any tests results or anything, we know exactly what this is and the operation in 3 weeks time is all that is required and will be curative. It’s so upsetting after the stress of all the uncertainty this was what we were looking forward to before he has the operation. We don’t even need cover for the cancer but have to declare it otherwise it would void any claim we did make.

    The accommodation we have is family owned so it’s just the flights which I’ve heard EasyJet might allow us to defer or have credit for and we can go early next year. That option is looking more and more likely at the moment and perhaps we use the time off and money to go for a week in Cornwall or something instead.

    I have two more companies left to try which I can’t speak to until tomorrow

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember in reply to FormerMember

    If the policy you had in place provided cancellation cover then you need to challenge that decision.

    Ask to speak to Manager and ask the specific reason you’re claim is being denied 

    It doesn’t make sense x