IT IS one of the busiest times of year for holiday bookings but many Scots with pre-existing medical conditions will see their plans scuppered by problems obtaining travel insurance.
There are an estimated 1.8 million people in the UK living with some form of cancer, 2.5 million with heart disease and millions with other health issues. And with life expectancy rising and diagnostics improving, the number of people surviving serioADVERTISEMENTus illnesses is rising all the time.
For those with – or who have previously suffered from – serious health problems, finding affordable travel insurance is often a frustrating battle, even when they have long since had the all-clear.
Two in five people affected by cancer are quoted higher travel insurance premiums and about one in 13 travels without insurance at all, according to Macmillan Cancer Support. And 41 per cent of Genetic Interest Group members find it difficult to obtain travel insurance, the charity reported last year.
There are two main issues surrounding travel insurance for people with pre-existing conditions – getting any cover at all and, if cover is possible, securing an affordable deal.
Insurers deal with claims from people with pre-existing conditions in several ways. They may provide the normal level of cover but with a higher premium or excess; they may agree to some degree of insurance but with exclusions (such as claims relating to the condition or illness) and a higher premium; or they will refuse to insure you.
Some people no longer in treatment continue to be barred from cover – or are quoted higher premiums – as insurers consider those with pre-existing medical conditions as more likely to fall ill while on holiday, even if they have been given a doctor's green light.
Mike Hobday, head of campaigns at Macmillan, said there was little consistency in the way in which different insurers serve cancer patients.
"Not all insurers share the same business model and people go through a dreadful, frustrating process of phoning company after company and getting turned down," said Hobday. "You can't expect every company to serve everyone, but even people out of treatment can find it difficult to get cover."
Where insurers do agree to provide cover, it is often extortionate. There are companies that will provide more affordable cover, but getting a reasonable quote can be a lot of hard work. And while there are companies that specialise in high-risk customers – including Free Spirit, Travel Insured and Insure Pink – the cost is rarely competitive.
"We are staggered by the discrepancy in the quotes a person can get for the same trip from different insurers – up to tenfold in some cases," said Hobday.
This is partly because some mainstream insurers have failed to update their risk models in accordance with advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other critical conditions, he added. "Any price set 12 months ago is higher than it needs to be because companies are slow to recognise that cancer patients are not as risky as they had previously thought."
There are steps you can take find affordable travel insurance, although the extent and price of the cover will vary depending on the severity of your condition. The key is to shop around. "If you are a few years out of treatment you ought to get a decent price from a mainstream insurer," said Hobday. "If you are at an advanced stage of cancer you are going to pay more, but some companies specialise in high-risk consumers."
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