Insurers tried to charge cystic fibrosis sufferer Lauren £1,400 to cover her two-week US holiday, when it could have cost just £89
The highest quote Lauren's mum Jo received for a two week holiday to the US was £1,419, while a specialist travel provider eventually quoted her £89.21.
FOR JO Green, an adult education tutor from South East London, every holiday begins with a two-day search for travel insurance.
Her daughter Lauren, 17, has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and other organs.
Although Lauren’s lung function is currently better than most healthy adults, she does have to take regular medication and have check-ups, and finding a company that will insure her for a simple trip is a task that Jo dreads.
“It feels like ripping off a plaster,” she says, describing the process as “hideous”.
“It can take two days so I have to really psyche myself up to do it. I start by phoning the company that insured Lauren the previous year.
"Sometimes they have changed their mind, and give me a blanket 'no'. Sometimes they charge over £1,000 for a two-week trip, which is eye-watering.
“Lauren is extremely well, and hasn’t had a hospital admission in years,” says Jo, 46.
“We’d love to be able to buy insurance online like everyone else, but that is never going to happen.
"But even when we phone up specialist insurers they give us a questionnaire, and even though we tell them how well she is they still often say no.”
Getting insurance for Lauren makes it hard for the family to travel.
Jo and husband Matt, a 46 -year-old automotive engineer, have two other daughters, Philippa 15, and Esme, 7, went to the US a few years ago.
“We almost had to exclude Lauren’s CF from the insurance policy,” Jo says. “We figured that if something went wrong it would be cheaper to get her onto a plane than to pay the premium. It was truly astronomical.”
The highest quote Jo received for a two-week holiday to the US was £1,419, while a specialist travel provider eventually quoted her £89.21.
The Green family is far from alone when it comes to the struggle with insurance. Recent research from Macmillan found that travellers who have suffered from cancer also face sky-high premiums and struggle to get cover.
Two per cent of cancer sufferers were unable to get insurance at all, while the average cost of a policy for a cancer sufferer was £133 - four times that of someone who has never had the disease.
How to get travel cover if you've got a pre-existing condition
WE take a look at how you can arrange travel cover without paying over the odds.
- Talk to a specialist broker. The British Insurers Brokers Association (www.biba.org.uk) has around 300 members that specialise in cover for people with pre-existing conditions. Charities related to your specific condition may also have lists of brokers that will cover you.
- Choose your destination wisely. The nearer you are to the UK, the cheaper insurance will be, says BIBA’s Graeme Trudgill. Cruises can be particularly difficult to insure due to limited medical facilities onboard.
- Avoid comparison websites. Martin Blain, director of specialist broker Lesson Moore, which specialises in pre-existing conditions, says that you will end up having to speak to a broker anyway if you have a pre-existing condition, so pick from the experts rather from those that advertise on comparison sites.
- Talk to your GP or specialist doctor. Macmillan Cancer care says that this can help to persuade an insurer to keep costs down.
- Allow plenty of time. Getting insurance for pre-existing conditions may require an interview, which will take even longer if you don’t have information to hand. So ensure that you are prepared with all the information about your condition and medication before phoning brokers and be prepared for it to take time, says Macmillan.
Lynda Thomas, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Care said that even those who had been clear of cancer for a decade were sometimes deemed uncoverable.
“We want insurance providers to give people with cancer a break,” she said.
Lynsey Beswick, public affairs manager at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, says that the organisation is continually presented with evidence of people with the condition either being denied travel insurance completely or charged extremely high fees.
READ MORE: Do you need an EHIC? What does it do? And does it replace travel insurance?
A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) which represents the industry, said that part of the problem was that people try to use price comparison sites, which often are not set up to insure people with any complex needs.
“People are driven by price when buying insurance, but this can lead them to buy the wrong product,” he warned.
"Those who do have chronic illnesses or past diagnoses and do not tell the insurer when they take out an insurance policy risk an insurer not paying out if they are unwell," he added.
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