Travel Insurance and Cancer

Travel insurance provides financial protection against risks associated with travelling and going on holiday.  It is advisable for everyone to buy appropriate travel insurance before a trip, but especially if you have or have had cancer.  PLANETS have spent a great deal of time over the last few years campaigning for cancer patients to have access to fair and reasonable travel insurance and have also created a petition which you may like to sign here that has had some excellent media coverage.

We do not have the magic solution to getting a reasonable quote but we have created a list of tips and resources that may help you:

• Get a letter from your clinical team stating that, in their opinion, you are fit to travel. Most insurance providers will ask for this, so it is best to have it ready and it is also useful to have your diagnosis details and list of medications ready for when you call for a quote. Your clinical nurse specialist (CNS) will be able to help if you are unsure.  Questions you may be asked include:

Cancer details
When you were diagnosed, the type of cancer, the stage and grade, where it is or was and any associated syndromes
Treatment
What treatment you’ve had or are having, and any surgery you’ve had or plan to have as well as when you are next due to have a scan
Symptoms
Any symptoms or side effects you have
Medical history
Details of any other medical conditions you have, and all the medication you are currently on

• Call insurance providers on the phone instead of filling in an online form or using a comparison site. Online forms are generic and cannot consider your individual circumstances, so you may find you can get more affordable quotes if you ring and speak to an advisor.
• Contact multiple insurance providers to find the best and most affordable travel insurance for you but remember that most companies use the same online screening form so we would again suggest calling rather than filling in multiple forms that may return a similar result.
• If you’re travelling to a country in the European Union (EU), get a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or ensure your EHIC or UK GHIC is valid. This card will give you access to free or local resident-rate healthcare in an emergency, but you should still buy travel insurance with medical cover too.
• Consider being flexible about where you want to travel. For example, you may notice when looking at travel insurance that travelling to the USA costs a lot more than somewhere in Europe. The reason for this is the US (and indeed North America and the Caribbean generally) is deemed a higher risk destination because healthcare is much more expensive than the rest of the world.  Even within Europe the price can vary, with Spain often proving more expensive than Greece or Italy.  So, if you are looking for a relaxing beach holiday but are not fixed on a particular destination, try getting some travel insurance quotes for different destinations before you book.  In terms of insurance, a trip to the Maldives could be significantly cheaper than a trip to the Caribbean.
• Limit the amount of time you go away for, it sounds obvious but one week away will often be significantly cheaper than two weeks.
• The cost of travel insurance can also be kept down by only buying the cover which is absolutely necessary – emergency medical and repatriation cover, you could remove parts of the policy which would already be covered by your house insurance for example, or choose to book a holiday last minute and not take ‘late cancellation’ cover.

Travel Insurance for a cruise:

Many patients ask us about obtaining insurance for a cruise. Due to the nature and logistics of a cruise, it is often not a cheap option but is not necessarily out of the question.  This link provides some excellent advice for those looking to book a cruise holiday: https://www.travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk/all-travel-insurance-advice/cruise-advice-for-those-with-cancer/

Insurance companies that other patients have found to offer fair priced cover include:

Insurance With: 0333 005 1066 | www.insurancewith.com
MIA: 0800 999 3333 | www.miatravelinsurance.co.uk
Free Spirit: 02392 419 080 or 0845 2305000 | www.freespirittravelinsurance.com
OK to travel: 01223 446920 | www.oktotravelinsurance.co.uk
All Clear: 0800 848 8608 | www.allcleartravel.co.uk

Other resources that you may find useful:

https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/insurance/travel-insurance-if-you-have-a-medical-condition

Travel Insurance Explained Website