travel insurance for 73 year old on a 8 week holiday

[keela1eva2]

I am planning a cruise in November for 14 nights in the Far East followed by 5 weeks holiday in Australia I called one T/Insurance company and they quoted me £464 I am 73 and have a couple of medical problems that I need to disclose No heart or stroke or raised B/P cholestrol etc I am wondeing if anyone can suggest any insurance company that may be able to quote me a lower premium Thank you any suggestions would be appreciated

 

Sue

[Ataraxia]

I gave just applied for insurance [ when I added 'cruise cover' it went up by 600per cent - check they are not adding that

[mkh999]

My Father is 84 years old and has an annual insurance, which has world wide cover including cruising, but limits any one trip to 28 days. This was £1200 but covers all exsisting conditions he has, which does include a triple by-pass and heart valve replacement some 14 months ago. The insurance company is Avanti. May be worth a call.

 

Martyn

[Wiz201]

Comparison websites like comparethemarket.com is useful. I'm a youngster at 30 so travel insurance is not expensive for me but I went with insureandgo for my 7 night cruise with silver cover to get the cruise cover and it was £19

[silversurf]

I think £464 is pretty good for 8 weeks including part cruise, especially considering your age, minor medical problem's and to Australia.

I am 70 with minor medical problems and have been quoted well over a thousand pounds for a normal two week holiday in either USA or Australia. OK though for Europe, Africa and Asia (apart from Hong Kong).

[keela1eva2]

Thanks for that I will use a comparison site and also maybe call one or two other Insurance Companies

I do appreciate your advice Previously I had insurance through my bank account and I paid a supplement when it was for a holiday over 35 days Can't remember how much but not a great deal This quote included the cruise as well as the Ports on the trip Sue

[dsrdsrdsr]

Staysure specialise in over-50's with health issues. My mother (82 with no health issues) pays about £380 for an annual policy. All their policies include cruises as standard.

[the english lady]

Thanks for that I will use a comparison site and also maybe call one or two other Insurance Companies

I do appreciate your advice Previously I had insurance through my bank account and I paid a supplement when it was for a holiday over 35 days Can't remember how much but not a great deal This quote included the cruise as well as the Ports on the trip Sue

 

Having read scary stories across the forums about what happens when people pick cheap insurance, then something happens I don't think going cheap is a good idea.

If anything happens onboard you would have a bill of 100's/1000's added to your cruise statement, as it would be private care charges, or if you were disembarked off the ship it would be the insurance company that had to pick up all the costs, and that is when you find that peace of mind with everything covered is the best way to go.

Might be worth while speaking to an insurance broker and tell them all that is required (including hele evac off a ship-so guess how cheap that would be) and see what they can come up with.

[balf]

Staysure specialise in over-50's with health issues. My mother (82 with no health issues) pays about £380 for an annual policy. All their policies include cruises as standard.

 

We are with them. I have a number of medical conditions which they covered (for well over £1000) Now I have another one and when I informed them of it they refused cover for the lot, leaving my virtually uninsured.

 

So I would not recommend them.

 

David.

[indiana123]

My thought is that £464 is very reasonable considering what some Companies charge. I mean for a really good and full cover of course.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Presumably they covered or else reimbursed you for the holidays already booked?

 

(addressed to balf - don't know why it didn't include the quote.)

Edited March 30, 2015 by dsrdsrdsr

[balf]

Presumably they covered or else reimbursed you for the holidays already booked?

 

(addressed to balf - don't know why it didn't include the quote.)

 

They gave us a refund to cover the remaining medical cover part of the multi trip insurance.

 

It seems that when you declare a medical condition points are added to the policy, get above a certain number of points and they cancel all medical cover.

 

So it isn't true that this company, or maybe any other for all I know, will cover all conditions.

 

I suspect many in my position just take out a basic insurance without declaring any medical conditions.

 

It's interesting how the insurance firms move the goalposts when it suits them. All house insurance policies have a surcharge added to pay for the unfortunate people in flood areas to get cover. Doesn't work like that for travel insurance though.

 

David.

[lindyloo22]

Try diabetes uk, (you don't have to have this), will insure most pre existing medical conditions are are reasonable in price.

[itf]

We've just had to send an elderly relative who has previously suffered with cancer (in remission) on a 4 week trip to Singapore and used Good To Go travel insurance and found them more reasonably priced than some of the others.

[itf]

I gave just applied for insurance [ when I added 'cruise cover' it went up by 600per cent - check they are not adding that

 

This is terrible advice if you're going on a cruise - if you have to be helicoptered off a ship in a medical emergency and you don't have cruise cover, let's hope you have very deep pockets.

[Ataraxia]

Is it that terrible - it's about reading the small print - the insurance I got covered helicopter repatriation. It did not offer the cruise package or the exorbitant price hike.

[kruzseeka]

Clearly it's all in the small print - I also had a bank travel cover policy which was fine until a hospital visit caused them to revoke all pre-existing conditions completely unrelated to the hospital visit. I could understand them refusing to cover the issues regarding the hospital - but other conditions which have been declared conditions for years - with no extra premium cover needed!!!

I've had to seek a different insurer and the 'cruise cover' on the policy I've just taken out related not to the repatriation and medical cover but to cabin confinement, loss of ports i.e. things which might result from contracting NV.

Best wishes in getting decent cover to everyone - it's a minefield but important to know exactly what your cover provides and that it's relevant to you.

[the english lady]

Is it that terrible - it's about reading the small print - the insurance I got covered helicopter repatriation. It did not offer the cruise package or the exorbitant price hike.

 

As per my 1st reply the time to find out that you picked the wrong cheap insurance cover is not when your other half is trying to sort things out with all the stress that entails, and finds out the insurance will not cover for this or that, because it wasn't mentioned at the time the insurance was taken out, to keep the cost down.

There have been enough posts on this and other forums recently about people being let down by their insurers, that one would be very very silly to take h chance.

What would helicopter repatriation be. If it covers that..presumably something like air ambulances here..right now you say to them I am on a cruise ship in the middle of the sea..can you see why the latter would cost a lot more now. Landing on a road/field is somewhat different than a ship.

 

Very very silly to suggest to the op that they do not mention they are on a cruise .

[Domsmam]

I spent eons researching this and found the above company so much cheaper than any others for those with pre-existing medical conditions. They ask more detailed questions than the usual standard ones so are able to make a much more informed decision on the level of risk. I got annual insurance for my hubby and self for £113 despite hubby being diagnosed with cancer less than 2 years ago and both being in our 60's. Just Google World First Travel Insurance. Good luck

[Josy1953]

I spent eons researching this and found the above company so much cheaper than any others for those with pre-existing medical conditions. They ask more detailed questions than the usual standard ones so are able to make a much more informed decision on the level of risk. I got annual insurance for my hubby and self for £113 despite hubby being diagnosed with cancer less than 2 years ago and both being in our 60's. Just Google World First Travel Insurance. Good luck

 

I have just got a quote from World First and they do not quote for Heli-vac in their cruise cover. We are both 59 and they quoted £168 for a multi trip annual policy because my husband had heart surgery 11 years ago, he has had no further problems and has now been discharged from the hospital. They also want to impose a £300 excess on any claim for my husband. Neither of us have ever had any other health problems. We can get better cover for less from Insure and Go.