Travel Insurance

fez1
fez1 Member Posts: 47
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone- I know that many of you on this board have traveled and I remember advice from some of you about getting travel insurance. Well, after 3 1/2 years of battling this disease my husband and I wanted to take our family on a short cruise over Thanksgiving. He was (and is) being treated with Erbitux and Ininotecan. We had cleared it with his oncologist to hold treatment for a week so that we could go. Of course, 2 days before my husband started with diarrhea (the worst that he had ever had), which progressed to vomiting, exhaustion and finally dehydration. He had to go to our cancer center the day we were supposed to leave for IV fluids, IV meds etc. I had taken out travel insurance with the travel agent. She called me last week, very upset. She said that she had never done travel insurance before and that she thinks that we are not eligible for any type of refund because he had cancer (a pre-existing condition). I just downloaded the reimbursement forms from the company's web site. They ask for an "Attending Physician Statement" which I can understand but they also want my husband to authorize a "Release of Medical Information". This I am very uncomfortable with. I guess what I'm asking is for anyone who traveled with insurance or who had a claim because of cancer related issues- is this how it is? if so, does that mean that we can never plan a trip from here on in??? Thanks, everyone. It's just another issue that gets me upset. BTW- our kids went with my husband's brother and his family whom we all are very close to... We had all planned to go together and I'm so grateful that they went. Take care.

Carol

Comments

  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #2
    scary
    Wow, Carol, I'm flabbergasted that the travel agent is saying your husband may not be eligible for reimbursement through travel insurance because of his "preexisting condition" (cancer). My husband and I are currently battling Delta because of tickets we lost out on when I had my recurrence in my lungs last August. We were due to fly to the East Coast in Sept, but cancelled our flight because of me needing to start chemo again.
    I was going to recommend to everyone that they make sure they get travel insurance in the future before booking any tickets (unless they know for sure they can roll them over to another future date- which was not the case in my situation). Now, I'm amazed to hear that travel insurance might not be any good for any preexisting conditions?? Given that scenario, someone who had a heart condition in the past & happened to purchase travel insurance & then had a heart attack which prevented him from traveling wouldn't be eligible for a refund either?!
    I'd look into it more & let me know what happens.
    Best wishes to you!

    Lisa
  • fez1
    fez1 Member Posts: 47
    #3
    lisa42 said:

    scary
    Wow, Carol, I'm flabbergasted that the travel agent is saying your husband may not be eligible for reimbursement through travel insurance because of his "preexisting condition" (cancer). My husband and I are currently battling Delta because of tickets we lost out on when I had my recurrence in my lungs last August. We were due to fly to the East Coast in Sept, but cancelled our flight because of me needing to start chemo again.
    I was going to recommend to everyone that they make sure they get travel insurance in the future before booking any tickets (unless they know for sure they can roll them over to another future date- which was not the case in my situation). Now, I'm amazed to hear that travel insurance might not be any good for any preexisting conditions?? Given that scenario, someone who had a heart condition in the past & happened to purchase travel insurance & then had a heart attack which prevented him from traveling wouldn't be eligible for a refund either?!
    I'd look into it more & let me know what happens.
    Best wishes to you!

    Lisa

    "pre-existing" conditions
    I know exactly what you mean. My husband and I were just talking about it. If some one has a stroke the day before a planned trip, will the insurance ask, "Well, did you have high blood pressure that you were being treated for which could have precipitated the stroke"??? I mean it can get to be ridiculous. I'm waiting to hear from anyone else who may have had this experience or who knows the ins and outs of travel insurance before I proceed. I'm thinking of calling the insurance company to just bluntly ask about the policy- if there is one, before we submit to them receiving my husband's personal information on his medical record. By the way, I just read some of your profile... my husband was also told that he had hemorrhoids when he had some bleeding which stopped; told he had a virus when he saw a doctor for cramping and abdominal pain after eating etc., etc. No one suggested a colonoscopy until after he became short of breath with exercise and they found his hemoglobin to be 7.5, years later. Take care.
    Carol
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #4
    fez1 said:

    "pre-existing" conditions
    I know exactly what you mean. My husband and I were just talking about it. If some one has a stroke the day before a planned trip, will the insurance ask, "Well, did you have high blood pressure that you were being treated for which could have precipitated the stroke"??? I mean it can get to be ridiculous. I'm waiting to hear from anyone else who may have had this experience or who knows the ins and outs of travel insurance before I proceed. I'm thinking of calling the insurance company to just bluntly ask about the policy- if there is one, before we submit to them receiving my husband's personal information on his medical record. By the way, I just read some of your profile... my husband was also told that he had hemorrhoids when he had some bleeding which stopped; told he had a virus when he saw a doctor for cramping and abdominal pain after eating etc., etc. No one suggested a colonoscopy until after he became short of breath with exercise and they found his hemoglobin to be 7.5, years later. Take care.
    Carol

    wow
    Wow- it's frustrating and sad to hear of so many others who also were basically "blown off" on aggressively checking for the possibility of cancer instead of just being told "it's hemorroids", or whatever else they say. Obviously, some people who have bleeding and cramps don't have cancer, but something's got to be done to make doctors more aware that they need to be aggressive in screening! I read a C3 article recently that said many oncologists are reporting that the numbers of people being diagnosed with rectal cancer (not colon, but rectal) is rising at an alarming rate in patients under 40- I personally know of 4 people (myself included) that live within a 10 mile radius of where I live who have rectal cancer and are under the recommended screening age of 50 (2 are in their 30's).

    Anyhow, do let me know if you hear more info on the travel insurance. I would definitely look into it yourself- don't just wait for them to come back and tell you what "they think" or "what they were told". Best wishes,
    Lisa
  • crazylady
    crazylady Member Posts: 543 Member
    #5
    travel insurance
    Hi Carol,

    I just booked a cruise for next October. There are four of us going on the cruise. After doing some research we decided not to buy insurance through the cruiseline. We bought it through a private company which offered travel insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.

    I was in a similar situation in 2007 when I had surgery 5 weeks before I was supposed to leave on a cruise. I had insurance with the cruiseline and wasn't sure that I would be covered, something I hadn't realized when I took out the insurance. I really pushed myself and luckily was able to go on the cruise. That is the only reason that I knew to do the research this time.

    I hope that you receive a full refund and that you are able to go on a cruise in the future.

    Take care,
    Jamie
  • JMARIE66
    JMARIE66 Member Posts: 55
    #6
    travel insurance
    There are a few different type of travel insurance so make sure you ask what it covers. Last year we cancelled Spring Break due to my husband not doing well from Chemo treatments. Our travel agent went to battle for us and we did get a refund. She even gave us her comission. We just booked Spring Break yesterday and again bought the insurance. She asked how long since last chemo treatment. I guess it has to be 180 days since your last chemo treatment for it NOT to be a preexisting treatment. Kinda odd. Also there is some insurance that is called "Cancell for anything"~obviously the best option.
  • fez1
    fez1 Member Posts: 47
    #7
    JMARIE66 said:

    travel insurance
    There are a few different type of travel insurance so make sure you ask what it covers. Last year we cancelled Spring Break due to my husband not doing well from Chemo treatments. Our travel agent went to battle for us and we did get a refund. She even gave us her comission. We just booked Spring Break yesterday and again bought the insurance. She asked how long since last chemo treatment. I guess it has to be 180 days since your last chemo treatment for it NOT to be a preexisting treatment. Kinda odd. Also there is some insurance that is called "Cancell for anything"~obviously the best option.

    Thanks
    Thanks so much or your experiences and advice, guys. I appreciate it. I'm waiting to hear their decision. Carol

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