What about travel insurance?
It can be very difficult for people who are seriously ill to get travel insurance. The information below aims to help you get the travel insurance you need.
Although your doctor may feel that you are well enough to travel, you may find it difficult to get travel insurance. This is because some insurance companies think that a person who is seriously ill is more likely to need to make a claim on their insurance. This is not always the case, although if you have an advanced illness you may be more likely to fall ill while you’re on holiday and need to make a claim.
Different insurance companies use different factors (criteria) to decide whether or not they will give insurance to people with a serious illness. You may need to phone a few different companies before you find one that will give insurance cover for your particular situation. Some companies charge extra to cover people with certain illnesses, so you might find that the premium is higher than you would normally pay. Some companies say that you must pay a particular amount towards the cost of any treatment that you need. This is known as an excess, and may range from £50 to a few thousand pounds, so it is worth shopping around.
People who have an advanced illness, or are currently having treatment, are less likely to be able to get travel insurance – as are people who have had a blood transfusion in the last three to six months. Companies are often reluctant to insure patients for travel to countries where healthcare is expensive, for example, the USA and Canada, or for trips that involve long flights, such as to Australia or New Zealand.
People with colostomies or ileostomies can get special insurance by contacting Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Support Group.
There may be other potential costs of falling ill. Accommodation or living expenses, for example, or the cost of bringing travel companions back to the UK. Some companies will insist that accompanying family and friends are insured under the same policy.