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Holiday insurance nightmare!

I'm certainly not on my own here, but trying to get cover for CML, for a Caribbean cruise is just so frustrating. Quotes are ranging from £1020 - £2500.

I am in major molecular remission and have been for ten years. I've tried most of the companies in the travel section of this site - and more besides. I get the same questions, have you had a bone marrow/stem cell transplant (I had an experimental autologous stem cell transplant 19 years ago) and did you relapse afterwards? Yes to both questions, hence the ridiculously high quotes. The trouble is that these companies don't ask about, or are interested in my current condition. What it needs is for someone with authority on CML to talk to a couple of insurers and work with them to ensure that CML patients are assessed properly and that a much fairer and reasonable quote can be agreed.

I'm on the verge of going without insurance like many others, which is a shame because surely it isn't beyond these companies to restructure their questioning.

Have you tried PruHealth? They've been good to me. I know people associate them with health insurance, but they also supply my travel insurance.

NB: Prudential and PruHealth are slightly different. Prudential is, as you expect, Prudential. PruHealth is what used to be Standard Life. They're still integrating the two businesses so prices and practices often remain quite different.

Quick answer is no, but I will try them tomorrow. Just one question after a brief visit to their website - do I have to take out private health cover, in order to be able to access travel insurance?

Regards. Dennis.

I'm not sure, to be honest. I have both through work, also with income protection which covers my absence from work which is nice. They insure my travel with CML without additional charge so long as I don't travel against my doctors recommendation and a couple of other pretty obvious and non-issue stipulations. I had this policy before I was diagnosed, so I am sure this makes a difference ... but I also have a travel policy with Lloyds TSB which I had before I was diagnosed and they will no longer cover me - ran a mile from CML as soon as I told them (still insured, just not for CML related things).

The only other thing I can suggest is looking at Hiscox travel insurance. Some of my colleagues deal with Hiscox in work (I work in the finance industry) and say that as a rule of thumb, they are the least "computer says no" insurance company - mainly because they don't have the computer systems to support that kind of automated decisioning. Perhaps they'll say no right away, but worth a try?

I appreciate you suggestions. I'll look at both of those suggestions and let you know how I got on.

Dennis,

I've traveled quite a bit since Dx. I'm also MMR and have been for some time. I received some silly quotes from a 'specialist' insurer (read: we can justify high prices because we're a 'specialist') last year.

My personal view is CML is typically a chronic, slow moving disease and if it's under control there is no reason it should suddenly cause a problem. I simply made the choice to get insurance and have CML excluded - this included a trip to the US.

It's a risk, but at two grand a time, it's a risk i'll accept and effectively self insure if i need a flight home.

Enjoy the trip!!

chris

Hi Dennis,

this is and always has been a problem and I do not see the insurance industry changing any time soon- no matter what. I think that - as David says- the 'computer says no' scenario is definitely why so many quotes are so high- and in my opinion just not worth paying.

I have always excluded CML on any travel insurance I have taken out since my diagnosis in 1998 - even when I was 8 months post SCT and went on holiday to Greece (with the full knowledge and agreement of my CML clinician). I see it as a risk I just have to take a 'view' on.
In my view as my response to therapy has been/still is good and has been stable over the longer term (now 10 years since SCT) plus blood counts within normal range, then I am only as much at risk of a CML related problem during a 2 or 3 week holiday as the next person.

If you find that either of the two companies David suggested have a more 'sane' approach to travel insurance then I would be please to add then to our list-
I would also like feedback on those companies we list that will not insure, or charge high premiums. I will then be able to take them off the list and save everyone much frustration.

Hope you find a way around this Dennis- it is really annoying I agree.

Sandy

I got in touch with Hiscox, David. Nice company, gave me a quote then got me to ring their medical line. I spoke to a qualified nurse who understood CML, understood that I'm in MMR, Understood that I haven't had an overnight stay in hospital for almost twenty years. She also knew about Glivec. Bottom line was that they class Glivec as chemotherapy, so wouldn't cover me. I disagreed about the chemo thing - in a nice way - but it made no difference. I've also contacted other companies, all to no avail. I get the message now, either we pay a hefty and very overpriced fee, or we go without cover. I think that's so unfair. These insurance companies, publically make great play in them wanting people to tell them exactly what their condition is so that they can avoid confusion, yet when you tell them how things are, their systems can't deal with it.

Sandy,

I tried most of the companies on your list and they all either wouldn't cover me, or quoted between £1020 and £2500. I wouldn't change the list though. Even CML patients vary with their conditions. I only posted on here to make people aware of the current insurance conditions. My advice would be to check your travel insurance before you book your holiday. Be aware of the problems you might face. For me, in future I won't declare the CML. not happy about that, nor is my wife Hazel. Women tend to worry about these things.

Regards everyone. Dennis

Seems this is the only way to go for me - at the moment. Hopefully things might change.