Travel insurance when cancer is terminal

How do other people get travel insurance when you have cancer? I have recently bought insurance and admitted that my cancer is terminal. The cost was extremely high because of this. Also they are saying that should I claim I would need a proof of life expectancy from an oncologist which, according to the very helpful lady at Macmillan, they won’t do. Any advice?

many thanks

  • There is no cheap insurance for many of us with advanced cancer. I'm receiving palliative care with immunotherapy, my quotes to Spain 10 days were £900+ and £1400 upwards

    I took my own risk and my GHIC card for acute emergencies.

    Try the medical travel insurance comparison website https://www.medicaltravelcompared.co.uk/ for a quote.

    Best of luck.

    Ed

  • Hi Ed
    Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. 
    Apparently, this is a bit like going down a rabbit hole; some say one thing, others say the opposite. 
    I am shocked that with so many people with a terminal illness, who wish to have a holiday, that the conditions are not clear. 
    I don’t blame you regarding the EHIC card. I will be taking mine away with me too. 
    Best of luck too!
    (I have breast cancer mets to bones in pelvis, stage IV, terminal)
  • Hi Ed
    Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. 
    Apparently, this is a bit like going down a rabbit hole; some say one thing, others say the opposite. 
    I am shocked that with so many people with a terminal illness, who wish to have a holiday, that the conditions are not clear. 
    I don’t blame you regarding the EHIC card. I will be taking mine away with me too. 
    Best of luck too!
    (I have breast cancer mets to bones in pelvis, stage IV, terminal
  • Hi Ed
    Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. 
    Apparently, this is a bit like going down a rabbit hole; some say one thing, others say the opposite. 
    I am shocked that with so many people with a terminal illness, who wish to have a holiday, that the conditions are not clear. 
    I don’t blame you regarding the EHIC card. I will be taking mine away with me too. 
    Best of luck too!
    (I have breast cancer mets to bones in pelvis, stage IV, terminal
  • if you feel well enough to take trip then it is unlikely that anything catastrophic will happen. At worst your luggage is lost or you miss your flight and have to pay for another or you need to cut short your break and fly home. In my case I don't think any of the above would come to £1400. Ive got advanced skin cancer mets to bones and spine. The holiday is very important for our well being.

    Ed

  • Hi Bushey-Herts  Did you manage to get travel insurance or are you going to take your chances?  I am interested because my husband and I would like to go to Portugal for a week in September.  I have stage 4 breast cancer with mets in pelivis, spine, ribs and skull.  Legally for travel insurance is this classed as terminal?  I dont know if I will bother with insurance as Ed says maybe will take my chances.

    Lee x

  • Hi Lee

    Hope everything is going as well as possible for you and you are enjoying walks with your dogs in the warm sunshine. I took the cue from Davek about just relying on GHIC card in case of emergencies. Its probably not a good idea to travel abroad if you are feeling unwell without insurance but otherwise I cant see why not if your cancer is stable. I think the £1000/week and upwards health insurance premiums are not based on risk, rather that they do not want your custom. Getting immunotherapy or chemotherapy treatment seems to put you in the terminal category (lees than 6 months survival outlook). Before starting treatment the quotes were high (a few hundred pounds) but rocketed when immunotherapy was declared). Ive got three trips lined up for the summer while I am still able to. France, Switzerland and Italy and I will just take my chances without insurance on staying healthy.

    Ed