Travel insurance - when you have metastatic cancer

Hello,

im sorry to ask here but, having recently been told one out of 19 lymph nodes has cancer in it, now makes it metastatic, as its out of the cervix. I'm trying to plan some things in between therapies and for when it ends, but nearly every insurance company says no. Surely this isn't right for every company :( made me feel quite rubbish that I may not be able to take my children abroad because of one lymph node grr.

Does anyone have any idea on where I could try? 

 

Hi Sylvia,

I was lucky with my insurance for our upcoming holiday as I pay for it through my bank account. Have often thought about downgrading my account and saving some cash. Am glad I didn't now. Basically it's a continuous policy so because we booked our holiday before diagnosis I'm fully covered.

Have you rung and policy providers or just looked online. The word metastatic makes them freak out but I don't think pelvic node involvement is truly metastatic (may be worth asking your consultant or CNS for clarification. I have always Bern of the impression that metastatic cancer is advanced (ie stage 4). Mine was 2b with bilateral pelvic node involvement. Such confusion.

It's possible that you may not be able to get insurance now, unless you take a policy that doesn't cover you for anything related to the cancer. This however won't be the case forever. 

Keep looking. Ask at your hospital too. There is a support place at mine that have a list of insurers that people have used successfully. Unfortunately I didn't need to ask so don't have that list. Macmillan may be able to help too. Also try bigger companies like Aviva etc if you've not done so already, because they have more customers it spreads the risk.

Good luck, I hope you find something.

Rachel xx

Hello

travel insurance is a nightmare for those who have recently had cervical cancer.  I had extra check ups because of bleeding and this pushed me into the bracket where most insurers wouldn't touch me despite being 2 years after diagnosis and treatment.

i increased my bank account cover at lloyds and was covered that way.  I listed all pre-existing conditions and my cancer was excluded from the policy.  It was a risk but the specialist policies were so expensive!!!  I really wanted to be covered for accidents and illnesses incurred whilst on holiday and wasn't so fussed about the cancer Cover. After all, if i needed urgent further treatment the holiday cost if I needed to cancel really wouldn't be important.  That said we were savvy about our booking and where possible booked only on credit cards and where early cancellations were available.

The macmillan website has a list of specialist insurers you can call/ get quotes online.  I found it quite depressing though having to continually list my cervical cancer on one website after another.  I cried having to spend hours telling third party companies about my cancer :( only to find I couldn't be covered to take my family on holiday.  Having had cancer the holidays and special times are so much more important and I felt even that was taken from me.  That said cover is possible if you are willing to spend the time hunting for it and the money!!!!  But if you are going on a short break and the holiday cost isn't too steep I would consider getting a normal policy and excluding the cancer.

Good luck!!!

Kirsty x

 

Thank you. I'm just so upset that I'm classed as metastatic now and it makes me feel like there's no hope! Which isn't the case ;(

Hi 

It does seem that cover via bank accounts is worthwhile after all. I also have cover with my bank account and all it means for me is that I'm not covered for anything cervical cancer related, although they did also exclude any metastatic stuff too...sneaky!

That's fine for me as I consider myself cancer free and as long as I am covered for my luggage going missing or falling over and breaking a leg etc then I'm happy. I think I do recall seeing a Mamilla leaflet on travel insurance, so that's perhaps a good place to start.

Good luck & stay well.

Greta x 

I have bank travel insurance, my partner and I are just working out how best to try and do a trip. It's such a stressful time having to keep repeating the I have cancer process 

Hi Sylvia

thinking and praying for you. 

Isn't there e111 cards you can get that basically mean if you are in Europe you can get free hospital cover as long as you tell whoever is ringing not to ring private ambulances. I was at the doctors recently and the bloke next to me was telling me he couldn't get travel insurance and had used this method a few times. But he said it was v important to ensure it's the normal hospital not the expensive private ones. Which makes sense. 

I have those cards but they expire quickly so I am looking into renewing them. Xxx

Hello 

I was going to suggest e111 for Europe too.  It would only cover medical costs but is better than nothing x

Hi I had a lot of trouble getting cover for going to Spain in June as I too had cancer recurrence in the lymph nodes so was labelled metastatic! After trying almost every company I could find I got cover with a company called "ok to travel" although it was expensive I was content knowing I was covered for all eventualities and also my consultant would only allow me to go if I had proper insurance. But since coming back I saw a Facebook post being shared by a lady who got really cheep cover for cancer  with a company called insurance with.com

I hope this helps and that you have a fab holiday!! 

Hi Sylvia

i had a rogue cell in a lymph node too- I got travel insurance no problem with Eurotunnel. I was recommended by a friend who got cover following breast cancer. I paid £75 for a worldwide annual policy, we'll worth it.

good luck

sophie x

Hi Sylvia

I was stage 4 at diagnosis as I had spread to one of my ovarys.I have finished treatment and all looks good so far. I have a holiday planned for next month and couldn't get a realistic quote from any insurance company. Most would provide cover excluding cerevival cancer or any complications relating to it whitch seems a bit pointless as this is the most likely thing to cause any problems. I have since came across a company called insurance with they gave me a realistic quote of £50 for a week and this was with a full deceleration of cervical cancer they went quite in depth but they seem really good. They specialise in providing cover for cancer so it's maybe worth giving them a try. xxx