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Travel insurance

Hi everyone,
Not a new topic, but I guess it's the time of year when families with school-age children start thinking about holidays if we need to go in the school hols. Our lad was diagnosed at the end of Aug 06, there is no suitable BM donor so far, so he is taking imatinib and the results are looking good - minor cytogenetic response on BM aspirate at end of Nov. (Blood counts not far off normal and he's living the fast and furious life of a 13 year old who's football-mad and enjoys muddy bike rides!)

I looked back at previous posts about insurance and the list in Travel FAQ on this site and tried Post Office and JD Consultants, but was knocked back. (Poss because of hospital in-patient treatment withing last 6 months??)Also reduced to tears by insensitive manner of one medical screening 'examiner'. Free Spirit were helpful, but came up with a premium of nearly £250 for a week in France (also including my husband's high blood pressure!) and there would be an excess of £1000 for CML-related illness. Cancellation due to CML would carry an excess of £350 for the 3 of us.

However, Freedom Insurance Services (0870 774 3760)have quoted £68.48 with only £50 excess for illness or cancellation! The chap said he knew they were 'worryingly cheap' and they were 'well aware of what their competitors were charging' and indicated that he thought it possible that their charges could change, but once a quote is made it is valid for 31 days.They will not quote for holidays more than 6 months ahead though.

Thought I'd share this bit of info with you - maybe it will save someone some fruitless and upsetting calls. The chap seemed impressed when I told him he'd 'made my day' when it was only 9.15am!!

Keep fighting...
best wishes, Kestrel

hi kestral, thanks for this information... i am sure it will bring 'freedom ins' a lot of extra business, at least from our small group ;o)

these days i tend to travel without specific ins. for CML. maybe i am over-confident but then.... !
i do understand however that it is not the same for everybody and you would need CML cover for your boy.. especially as he sounds like he lives a wonderfully normal life ;o)

i am so glad his counts are good.
best wishes,
sandy C ;o)

Hi Kestrel,

I called Freedom to try and obatain annual cover and they could only offer me single trips. So I called Age Concern who offered my annual worldwide cover including skiing for £85 but as you mentioned above with a £1000 excess. Like Sandy mentioned, I normally take the risk but as I'm going on 4 holidays all over the place this year I thought it would be worth while getting the extra cover. At least I now know if something was to go wrong wherever I was I could scrape the money together and get it sorted out.

I might try the post office before handing any money over just to see if they can offer me a better excess.

Happy holidays,
Martyn

Please sponsor me!

I have given up trying for CML cover. As I am 4 years post diagnosis and "now entering a shady area" (according to one helpful telephonist), despite being PCR undetectable for 12 months, the Post Office, Freedom, JD and Fortis have all refused me travel insurance.
As I am not backpacking anywhere, and only go the usual tourist routes, I have taken out annual travel insurance without mentioning the CML.
In my view, if anything is going to go pearshaped, it will take longer than a week in Spain to come to light. Even if I am hospitalised through accidental injury etc, and they do a PCR (and why should they want to do that?) they wouldn't pick the CML up.
Perhaps the ghost of CML is finally lifting and I am accepting that I am ostensibly "normal" once again. (If I ever was in the first place!!)
Thank you Glivec!
Happy healthy holidays everybody, no matter who you insure with.
Des