pre-existing conditions and travel?

No not refused but paid higher premiums for DH’s diabetes and my cancer.

Not refused but most companies were quoting over £700 for annual European cover. Cancer surgery 2 years ago, no follow up treatment. Take one tablet for high blood pressure and low dose of medication for under active thyroid.

I find this so confusing! Before we went away last year, DH had back spasms. He saw the Dr, who prescribed painkillers which he never needed to take as the symptoms passed away by themselves. When renewing our annual travel insurance this year, I felt I had to declare it and have had to pay an extra premium accordingly. Still not sure if I needed to?

Try StaySure as specifically cater for the older customer with ‘conditions’.

Yes, I've had cover refused for my most recently diagnosed conditions although I'm still covered for my many and various other pre existing conditions. There seems to be a maximim level of things you can get insured for. Fortunately, it doesn't matter too much as neither of the things they won't cover me for are likely to cause me to want to claim against travel insurance. But if I did, I'd have to stump up the cost myself.

Having had to make several claims, I'd advise anyone to declare all pre existing conditions, even trivial ones to avoid the risk of having a claim refused. I had a claim for holiday cancellation refused (slipped disk) because I hadn't told the insurance company I'd been prescribed amitriptyline for back pain for a fortnight.

We’re covered worldwide under our bank account (I won’t call it a freebie as we pay £13 a month but that includes full AA type cover for the car and mobile phone cover as well).

However DH has several health problems which have been declared and paid an extra £300 to have them included which I’m happy with for peace of mind as we travel back and forth to Spain and the occasional proper package holiday further afield.

£1 a day seems money well spent to me!

I was refused by one company for my AF or they said they would cover me for everything else except that which seems a bit strange though we did eventually find someone that would cover me for everything at a price of course.

Interesting Greenfinch. We have travel insurance with Nationwide Flexplus account after I was quoted £900 for DH for a fortnight in Canada. He has many preexisting conditions which are covered. When I was renewing this year, AF looked like it might lead to him being refused. However as it was caused by hyperactive thyroid (Graves Disease) which has now been remedied, the insurance was put in place. It looks like AF is something which ticks the wrong boxes with insurance companies. ?

I have asthma and mild bronchiectasis. I finally found a travel insurance which was supposed to renew by direct debit. I had a letter earlier this year telling me that they would no longer give insurance to people with lung problems. The policy was due to renew whilst we were in Cuba so I had to find another insurance quickly!
I went online and was turned down several times until I finally found one - at a price! So we are making the most of it. I had to be covered for Cuba, then we went to Turkey and finally three weeks in India.
The daft thing is that I only have beach holidays in non polluted, hot places so I am really well whilst on holiday.

We have travel insurance with our bank account but I have several conditions so I pay for annual cover with a private company. They answer the phone and talk to you, rather than simply ask you to complete an on line form. I was turned down by Age Concern after filling in an on line form but the company I used for the past 3 years accepted me.

I have complex medical conditions and used to be with Staysure. I changed from them, as every time I phoned to note a change of medication , (and it happened often), they charged me an admin fee.
The agent would raed from a script and would not deviate from it. It drove me mad.

On the recommendation of a friend, I went with All Clear and they were almost half the price. I had to cancel a trip, due to an unexpected stay in coronary care and got my money back. I found them to be very helpful.
However, when I phoned to add my new heart condition to my annual policy, they said they were no longer able to insure me, ( medical condition overload!) and cancelled my policy there and then.
I didn't get a refund of the remaining premiums, as I had already made one claim.

I went on a comparison website and Saga are the only company who will now insure me for my forthcoming trip to New York, I almost needed a mortgage to pay for it. It cost more than the actual trip, but is on my "bucket" list and I know my days of going abroad are numbered.

You must be really honest about your conditions or visits to the doctor's, no matter how trivial, or it may invalidate your policy.
I always worry that I may have forgotten something.

Thanks all. Am asking as we have UK friends who have a holiday apartment here, and they come and go regularly. when they bought the flat, both were in good health, but as years pass, now both have pre-exisiting conditions and due to Brexit- will soon not be covered for emergency care by EHIC.

We had an annual worldwide policy with staysure. Were booked to go to India. Prior to departure I reported a new medical condition expecting to be asked to pay a extra premium to cover and their response was that my policy would be invalid. Still don’t understand that but as we were close to departure I had to buy another separate single trip insurance with all clear.
We older people generally left school at 15 or 16 to start work did not have the money, time or opportunity to travel as our children have done, and now we have time we are finding insurance awkward and pricey. c’est la vie. That’s life.
Expect many of us are quietly hoping Brexit doesn’t happen so we can keep the health cover we currently enjoy in the eu.

As I understand it EHIC will be valid regardless until end of 2020 with the possibility of extending beyond that (and this all assumes that Brexit happens of course

Regardless if the above Surely if people can afford to pay Hundreds/thousands for a holiday/holiday home, they can afford a £1 a day for worldwide insurance?

They’d have to have it if they traveled outside Europe anyway wouldn’t they or are they the chancers we hear about expecting donations on go fund me type sites when it all goes pear shaped.

We have an annual insurance with Caravan motorhome club it covers all of Europe with extended 60day stays,cost us £386
My Dh has AF and had a subarachnoid aneurysm many years ago, I have psoriatic arthritis, we are covered for all of this.
Worth a look.

I use 4 medical travel insurance ..cheaper than the rest .I have a lot of medical problems ..one with spinal problems , our policy for the 3 of us £180 for two weeks holiday

Pantglas2 ''Regardless if the above Surely if people can afford to pay Hundreds/thousands for a holiday/holiday home, they can afford a £1 a day for worldwide insurance? ''

well yes, I get that. And yet - people made the decision to buy, sometimes a very modest, holiday home in the EU- with the clear knowledge that EHIC would cover them in emergencies. And now find that it is not just a question or cost - but a question of 'IF'. It is very difficult, and often impossible- depending on the type of pre-exisiting conditions- to find cover at all.

We’re insured with Staysure at the moment. Will look at Allclear for next year. Thanks Marydoll.

DH was wrongly diagnosed with sclerosis of the liver last year and no company we found would insure him to travel to China (expected), Canada or the USA - or go on any cruises. Even a river cruise on the Rhine was out. Luckily the diagnosis was changed and all is now well. But we had rather ‘reserved’ North America and cruising for when we are too decrepit for anywhere else, so it was a bit of a shock!

Totally agree Jura2. Know a clergyman who scrimped and saved to buy a retirement home in Europe as clergy housing is tied to the job. Brexit and the loss of reciprocal health has made that plan very worrying for the future. It’s not all about rich second home owners.

Both me and hubby have health issues and take medication.

I have never been refused but one time when I did the medical declaration for hubby it was impossible to answer the questions they asked so they wouldn't quote.
I always try different insurance companies for quotes when we travel.
The one we have at the moment is Allclear it's annual worldwide cover for up to 45 days per trip and covers cruises I managed to get it for just over £700.
Our previous insurer was M&S who also quoted they added on £1000 to the previous years price and it came out at £1600. I said to them you must be having a laugh.
I wouldn't use Staysure again, we tried to make a claim for thieft but they wouldn't pay out because we were also covered on our household insurance.

Purpledaffodil - yes I am aware of large numbers of people in the same situation. Bought a modest second home to retire to eventually, in EU- and now find that they can't get medical insurance and their dreams to retire there are shattered.

With someone who was tied to accommodation they did not own in UK, it must be terrible to find yourself in that situation.

And for those who children and grandchildren have moved to EU, and now cannot go and visit anymore.

We have reciprocal cover in lots of countries. This covers for immediate treatment needed. When overseas visitors were seen as temporary residents at the surgery I worked in they would come up to pay and the GP would say that there was no need!

It does say that, as well as your passport, you may need further proof of identity such as a utility bill! Can’t say I’ve ever taken the gas bill before but perhaps we ought to!

www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/healthcare-when-travelling-abroad/travelling-outside-the-european-economic-area-eea/

Our current insurance is with Avanti. It excludes PEMD but presumably my hypertension would be covered as it’s not mentioned.

The insurance company will trail through your medical notes and latch on to the slightest excuse to refuse payment. One patient broke her leg on holiday and they refused payment because she had seen her GP 20 years previously about a painful knee.

Meant to say we do have to pay an additional premium. A doctor friend told us that the best thing to do if you are taken Ill on holiday is to get the next flight home!