Holiday/Travel Insurance From The UK

[RunMartin]

I have just been trying to get annual travel insurance (for people resident in the UK) but this year the insurance companies say they will insure me but NOT including the existing heart condition. I have a bicuspid aortic valve and I am on six month check ups. My last check up was early January. Does anyone know of any UK based insurance companies that will cover me or have had this problem?

Thanks

Martin

 

[Magic8Ball]

I only took out annual cover a couple of times in the uk and had no issues, i only did it when i could forsee multiple journeys which wasn't often.

I think i went through the co-op travel agency but can't remember if the insurance was with them or a third party.

Best of luck, does the normal one-off cover through the travel agencies not give you enough cover, (i realise it would be more pricey if you did multiple trips).

I also think i did some type of cover through barclaycard at one time.

Regards.

 

[ClickerTicker]

I haven't tried the market for new travel insurance as we have cover with our NatWest GoldPlus card. This card is no longer offered to new customers so I don't know if the info below applies to later offerings such as Advantage Gold.
I queried the terms for the travel insurance and got a letter clarifying what they view as a "pre-existing medical condition" which is not covered:

Pre-Existing Medical Condition means any medical condition in respect of which the insured person:
a) is receiving day or in-patient treatment or is on a waiting list for day or in-patient treatment or;
b) has received a terminal prognosis or;
c) is intending to travel against the advice of a qualified medical practitioner or;
d) is travelling to obtain medical treatment.

I figured that I didn't fit into any of those categories - assuming that they don't treat check-ups as treatment.

One other thought, is that for certain countries you really don't need travel medical insurance. Australia, for instance, has a reciprocal agreement with the UK and frankly a much better standard of health care than we get here.
Good luck - Ron

 

[ptoddy]

Hi Martin

I too live in England and we used a company called Freespirit last year for our travel insurance which covered my aortic aneurysm. I found it by doing a google search for travel insurance with pre exisiting medical insurance, there were other companies too but freespirit were the cheapest.

I have found reading your old posts interesting as your situation is similar to mine. I too enjoy running (on the flat only!)and have played competitive football until quite recently. I am a keen fell walker too. Since discovering my condition I have been reluctant to run to the extent I previously did. My aorta measured 4.89cm last year and am waiting for MRI scan in April to determine if it has grown this year.

I was curious to know if your aorta has remained stable over the last few years, and have the measurements always been exactly the same. Do you take beta-blockers? Sorry for the questions but your situation and mine are just about exactly the same.

By the way did you get the Bob Graham Round done? It has always been my ambition to try it although I think it would take me 48 hours now.

Thanks
Paul

 

[RunMartin]

Thanks for your replies. I have found that the Post Office Insurance will insure me at a cost of an extra £18 for the year which seems OK. It looks like all the cheap and competetive insurance companies use the same data base which is probably why I got the same responses.

Hi Martin

I too live in England and we used a company called Freespirit last year for our travel insurance which covered my aortic aneurysm. I found it by doing a google search for travel insurance with pre exisiting medical insurance, there were other companies too but freespirit were the cheapest.

I have found reading your old posts interesting as your situation is similar to mine. I too enjoy running (on the flat only!)and have played competitive football until quite recently. I am a keen fell walker too. Since discovering my condition I have been reluctant to run to the extent I previously did. My aorta measured 4.89cm last year and am waiting for MRI scan in April to determine if it has grown this year.

I was curious to know if your aorta has remained stable over the last few years, and have the measurements always been exactly the same. Do you take beta-blockers? Sorry for the questions but your situation and mine are just about exactly the same.

By the way did you get the Bob Graham Round done? It has always been my ambition to try it although I think it would take me 48 hours now.

Thanks
Paul

Paul, I have just been to see my GP and I asked him about the insurance problem I have been having. He gave me my latest report from the cardiologist to show insurance companies. It says my aorta has been stable at 4.6cm for the past two years and I have moderate AR and moderate aortic stenosis. This is the first time I have seen the figures. I have not taken any medication so far this.

I have not done the Bob Graham yet. I have been helping other people do their BG. At present I am training with someone who has an attempt in May. We are regularly doing 5/6 hour runs on the hills. I feel fit enough to do it but every time I say I am going to do the BG and start training specifically for it, something heart related stops me.

Martin

 

[ptoddy]

Thanks for replying Martin

All the best

Paul

 

[Emma]

Norwich union insured Chloe without any problems to travel to the US

xxx

 

[sue943]

If you go to the British Heart Foundation website then search travel insurance there is some helpful infomation.