Seeking cruise tips & travel insurance rec's for pre exisiting conditions

[micheleq]

Hi DISers,

Looking for some input on two topics:

1) Can anyone recommend a travel insurance plan for those with pre-existing conditions? We are taking my ILs on the Magic in December and my FIL has COPD, my MIL had back surgery in June. FIL is very active (golfer, goes to the gym three times a week), but my MIL is the wild card.

I typically use Travel Guard Gold or Silver for my cruises, but I'm wondering if there is a better choice for my ILs? One plan that came up during my insuremytrip search was the Nationwide Choice Cruise.

2) Any tips/advice? Not sure if my MIL will want a scooter for the cruise, they are coming to visit us this week so we will be able to see how she is moving. Haven't settled on any port excursions yet, again that is something I plan on going over with them when they arrive. We are on a Western cruise, so the ports are Cozumel, Grand Cayman and CC.

ILs are all set in a HA cabin (Cabin 7636) and FIL, DH and my DD9 are all listed with their gluten allergy so those are covered!

TIA!

 

[lanejudy]

I use a travel insurance comparison website, and then follow-up with calls to the agent to discuss particulars. Most times, PEC waivers must be purchased within a week or two of making initial deposit for the cruise. It is possible to get the PEC later through some policies, but your options are limited and will cost. Consider medical and evacuation coverage as well as cancellation/interruption. Just be sure to ask questions specific to your/your ILs' situation. Make sure that illness for an IL will be covered for your stateroom as well (assuming you have separate staterooms).

Also, one tip I learned recently is to make sure you have documentation showing that your ILs are well enough to travel NOW (at the time insurance is purchased). That may be required later if a claim is necessary, and can be very hard to obtain after-the-fact.

If MIL plans to use an ECV, check port excursions carefully for accessibility. Grand Cayman is a tender port, which can be extremely challenging for those needing a mobility device. She may need to use a manual folding wheelchair for some excursions.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[stitchlovestink]

Something else to keep in mind when purchasing Travel insurance for the elderly is if they have Medicare, Medicare does not provide any health care coverage outside of the U.S. Many health insurance companies don't. Ours health care policy (through an employer) will provide coverage, but it is less than what we have here in the states.

This is the site I use....
InsureMyTrip.com.
It will give you side by side comparisons. I purchase my insurance earlier rather than later. I think you probably have put yourself behind the proverbial 8 ball. There are going to be very few companies who will sell a preexisting conditions policy at this point in the game. But you can probably find a few choices, but the premiums are probably going to be substantially more expensive.

Another site to look at is this:
TripInsuranceStore.com
They have a wealth of information and specifically talk about preexisting conditions and such. They do a great job of explaining what you need to do to make sure you are properly covered in the event you need to make a claim.

We have cruised a western itinerary on DCL. Grand Cayman is not an easy port with a mobility issue. Since it is a POC that uses tenders, you would have to use a wheelchair rather than an ECV. Honestly, I found the great majority of excursions not to be friendly for those who are mobility impaired. Very very few (if any) excursions will allow an ECV. And many (if not all) that provide transportation will require that the person can transfer into the vehicle (usually some sort of bus or large passenger van).

Good Luck and happy cruising!

 

[micheleq]

Thank you both for the advice!

I was thinking that GC would be particularly challenging of MIL needs an ECV. I'll have that discussion with them this week.