Travel insurance
Travel insurance provides you with compensation for anything that could go wrong while you are away, from having to cancel your trip to losing your suitcases. But the most important element is the medical expenses cover. If you are without cover and you travel to a country with high medical costs, or if you need to be flown back in an emergency, the possible cost to you could be high.
Cancer and travel insurance
Having cancer obviously makes you a greater risk for a travel insurance company as they see you as someone much more likely to need medical treatment when abroad. However, some companies are prepared to look at individual cases.
If you have cancer or have had cancer in the past, some travel insurance companies will give you medical insurance if you have a certificate from your doctor saying you are fit enough to travel. You should be able to make claims on your insurance for emergency medical care abroad, even if that treatment is necessary because of your cancer. But to claim, you must have told them about the cancer when you applied for the cover. If they have knowingly taken this risk, they must pay according to the policy.
If you have had treatment for cancer during the 12 months before your trip, companies may only insure you for treatment or emergencies unrelated to your cancer. So you can get travel insurance, but if you need treatment as a result of the cancer, you will have to pay for it yourself.
Your holiday destination
Whether you have had cancer or not, travel insurance costs vary depending on where you want to go. Medical costs in the USA are very high, for example, and so it is hardest to get cover if you are planning a holiday there. If you have an incurable cancer, particularly one that has spread, you may not get insurance for the USA and may have to rethink your holiday plans. A general guide is that insurance for Europe is cheapest.
Full Information
It is vital to disclose fully any information about existing or pre-existing conditions. Even if you had cancer a long time ago, you still need to disclose it . If you don’t the insurance company can rightly claim it was misinformed and may not pay out. If you have an annual or multi-trip policy, you need to provide an updated confirmation certificate from your GP each time you travel. If you have a terminal illness or are unfit to travel, then travel insurance companies will not cover you.
The European Health Insurance Card
If you are travelling to a country within the EU, you can get an application form for the new European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from your local Post Office. (This replaces the old E111 form as from September 2005) This entitles you to free medical care in the country you are visiting. The countries included in this agreement are listed in the leaflet that comes with the form. You need to take a card with you if you want to benefit from these reciprocal health service agreements. But you may have to pay for some things at the time and then claim the money back later. The card does not cover the costs of any pre-planned medical treatment abroad in EC countries. It will only cover you for unforseen medical needs. The cards will be issued by a central agency but the forms are available from your local post office.
NB Reciprocal health service agreements do not always cover the full cost of treatment or getting you home in an emergency. It is always advisable to have insurance even when travelling around the EU. If you have travel insurance, you still need an EHIC because your insurance company may not cover the cost of treatment that the EHIC covers. If you try to claim in full, they may say you should have had an EHIC.
Insurance Companies
Cancer Bacup has produced a list of insurance and brokerage companies who may be prepared to offer travel insurance to cancer sufferers. This list is reviewed regularly, however, insurance companies do change their approach to risk quite frequently so you may need to phone a number of companies before finding one which will be prepared to underwrite the risk. Alternatively you could consider using one of the insurance brokers listed as they will do the searching on your behalf. Please click here for further information.
In addition Freedom Insurance Services offer insurance to people with pre-existing medical conditions.
