Travel insurance

General chat
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Hi everyone hope you are all doing ok and enjoyed the festive season I’m due to renew my holiday insurance in March we usually get a yearly plan. Obviously premiums have gone up since my Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) diagnosis and I wondered if any of you have used a specialist insurance company who deal with diagnosis such as ours ? Is it any cheaper ? Thanks

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We’ve used the company Insurance With and found them ideal. All the best

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Hi Kay,
I had a diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and a stem cell transplant in 2020….I contacted around 8 different specialist travel insurance providers and found Freedom offered the most comprehensive cover for the best price. Enjoy your trip

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Hi @KayC
I can see you have had some great recommendations from out forum members and thought I would add some of our information:

This blog on our website here is about travelling when you have a blood cancer diagnosis, so may be worth a read. These webpages here from our colleagues at Macmillan have information on travelling as someone living with cancer and they also recommend particular insurance companies and give advice on the process.

Here are some other companies for comparison and review:

Staysure Travel Insurance: Travel Insurance for Cancer Patients | Staysure™

Insurancewith: https://www.insurancewith.com/

We would recommend visiting https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/ for advice in relation to the particular country you are visiting on all travel issues including COVID. In terms of accessing COVID treatments, this would depend on the health authority in the country you visit so it is worth contacting them before travel via this website.

Here is our specific information regarding COVID and travel, taken from our website, which may be helpful-

‘What if I want to travel or go on holiday?

If you are thinking of travelling away from home, do discuss this with your healthcare team or doctor first.

Ask them:

  • What do I need to think about before travelling?
  • What should I do if I test positive for covid while I’m away?

Not everyone with blood cancer needs antivirals or antibody treatments for covid, but some do. For many people, covid can seem mild at first but then get worse.

Before you go away, make sure you:

  • Have all of your covid vaccinations (How to book a covid vaccine if you have blood cancer | Blood Cancer UK)
  • Ask your healthcare team what you should do if you get covid while you are away
  • Have contact numbers for your healthcare team, including numbers for evenings and weekends
  • Take a recent clinic letter and any medication paperwork with you
  • Take lateral flow tests away with you, and test if you get symptoms
  • Ask your healthcare team for a letter to take with you, detailing your current diagnosis, treatment and condition overview, medication list, fitness to travel, and eligibility for new covid treatments.

If you get covid while you are away, tell your healthcare team straight away and get their advice.

You can also check the policy for covid treatments in the country you are visiting by contacting their health authority. If you have a UK European Health Insurance Card (UK EHIC) that hasn’t expired yet, or a UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC), you can access the same medical treatments as residents of the country you are in. So if covid treatments like Paxlovid are available in the country you are in, and you would be eligible for it according to that country’s guidance, you might be able to access it there.’

I do hope this helps and do enjoy your holiday,
Gemma

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Hi @KayC
I have found paying for cover for each holiday has been the best way to go. We have got each trip for around £30. Mostly to Europe. Nothing mad like skiing and we did have cover for USA for around £100 for 3 weeks but the trip never happened because of covid.
I haven’t been able to get annual insurance at any reasonable rates, all are way more than paying per holiday. Sometimes if you still have a mortgage they offer cover. I know my sister does hers this way and she had breast cancer.
Good luck with your hunting. There are companies that specialise in insurance for people with cancer but we didn’t find them any cheaper or that the cover was any better . I think you just have to shop around on the comparison sites and put in all your details and lists your conditions until you find a quote that suits.
Let us know how your search goes.

This article is a good read especially about the EHIC card.

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Thanks everyone for your really helpful advice. Very grateful x

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I use Allclear. Had Lymphoma six times, a stem cell transplant and numerous complications from treatment. They cover me for everything and at a reasonable price

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Thanks for this I will take a look x

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Just for information for anyone who likes their holidays as much as I do. I have just taken out annual cover with Staysure which gives excellent cover for my Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) for £246. Couldn’t quite believe how reasonable it is !

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I used Insurancewith last year, going on a trip in April, checked lots of different companies as the policy had expired, none of them came anywhere near insurancewith. I had Acute Myeloid leukaemia and a stem cell transplant. Insurancewith medical questionnaire is very thorough compared to others.

Enjoy your holidays

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Will have a look as I’ll be going on holiday end of the year

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Recently diagnosed with polycythemia vera and hoping to travel abroad at the end of the year can anyone recommend any travel insurance and who to steer clear of
Cheers
Ian

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Hi @The1andonly a great big welcome and a very good question that often comes up.
If you go to near the top right of this page and there is something like a magnifying glass and just search travel insurance you will be see the posts and perhaps look at them no matter which blood cancer they are about.
If you would like to speak to someone the Blood Cancer support team is there for you.
Others might be able to share their experiences.
Good luck and I look forward to hearing more about you, take care

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I have essential thrombocythemia, not quite the same as your diagnosis but i had no problems getting travel insurance with our nationwidd bank account. Currently in Spain taking advantage of it!

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Oh @TonyMontana if you don’t mind me asking where are you going on your long awaited trip?
Very exciting

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I am sure that this has been covered but I am seeking Travel Insurance and have Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), I take Ibrutinib and have IVIG once a month. (Intravenous Immunoglobulin). As soon as the Insurance companies hear of IVIG they see it as a treatment and hike the price or refuse it. I am now seeking Insurance for travel with Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) as an exclusion. Anyone had joy with similar exclusion as I need to know the company please

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We are with Staysure who have been really good and not much of a price increase. I have Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) but am on a watch and wait not treatment so rather different I expect Good luck

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Hi and welcome @NBarnard Staysure have agreed that for every Blood Cancer UK supporter who buys travel insurance, a 12.5% donation* will be made to Blood Cancer UK with no added cost to the premium. So you can be confident that your travel insurance is helping to beat blood cancer, transforming treatments and saving lives.
I will copy @KayC too
It’s worth a try and take care of yourself

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I didn’t know that Erica Interesting

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I recently got a good quote for France from Insurance With. I think Blood Cancer U.K. have also negotiated discounted rates for blood cancer patients with Staysure.

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