Travel Insurance

[lgp1]

I have booked and paid for a three week holiday at the Pop Century Resort in September for my wife, myself, and our granddaughter.


Last Monday I was taken into hospital with with a small stroke. When they did a CT scan of my head they said I had also suffered one previously. I can remember going to the doctors with weakness in my arm and leg a few weeks ago but he said it was nothing to worry about and was possibly caused by a migraine attack.


I thought they were saying that I had suffered a TIA [mini stroke] but they said it was worse than that. They said the strokes had been caused by blood clots in the brain so they put me on blood thinning medication and on cholesterol lowering medication. They scanned my neck and said I must also have a heart scan. I asked the doctor if I can travel to America and they said yes as long as nothing happens between now and September.


I phoned different places about travel insurance and the cheapest I can get is £2075 with a £500 excess which I am not prepared to pay.


My wife was all for cancelling the holiday but I will not do that has we have promised my three year old granddaughter [will be four when we go] that we will take her. I know that some of you will think I am mad for still going but I honestly can't let her down, so my mind is made up.


Because I have not got travel insurance has anyone got any idea of what would happen if I had a stroke in America?


Thanks in advance


Lyndon

 

[cmwade77]

I don't know how it works over there, but if we went to the UK, our health insurance would cover it (check your plan though). Now, the catch is we would have to pay in full at time of service, then our insurance would reimburse us.

Now that being said, here in America a hospital cannot refuse to see you for inability to pay, so you could go to the ER and still be seen.

 

[tfarr]

because it's clots they could go anywhere. In the brain stroke, heart heart attack, lungs pulmonary embolus. all can be fatal. I would strongly suggest consulting you doctor to see if you would even be able to fly. Keep in mind to without insurance you are responsible for all the bill if you end up hospitalized (About $800 a day for a basic room. if you need ICU about $3000 a day and your going to be there for a while). I would suggest getting the insurance because if something happens it would cover you until your medically stable to fly you home and you home counrty health care can take over. Also keep in mind that disney is a lot of walking in the heat which is not really good either. My wife and I were in DCA and a lady collapsed in the aladdin show. My wife being a nurse and the dumb-founded and paniced looks on half the CM faces inclinded us to go back and help. Medical staff didn't get there for about 30 minutes and the AED got there only a few minutes before and with the above mentioned conditions time is a factor. I don't want to scare you but I also don't want your family to be traumatized on a trip either. I hope this helps

 

[tfarr]

Try looking online for insurance you may be able to find it cheaper depending ont he questions they ask? Some that are offered throught travel websites don't ask many questions.

 

[mackay_j]

DO NOT GO WITHOUT INSURANCE. If you take ill they can proceed through the courts to get the money back includding selling your house.


My MIL had a throat infection = £500 with no hospital stay.

Friend had to have opp for appendix removal while a disney last year = $450000 as he was very ill afterward- luckly they had cover.



Shop arround for insurance - there are companies who specialise in diff. aspect of medical insurance cover. This year I was uninsurable for some of them yet in the end got annual cover for £500 (for family of 4). Try Go travel they couldn't cover me but put me through to a company who could (part of drakefield- who own the AA insurance comp).

Google insurance for heart conditions and you may get a few). Also ask if they would do cover for the trip only - ie not cover cancelation if new tests show you shouldn't travel- we got insurance that way a few years ago while I was still get tests to find out what was up.

Failing all that - GO TO DISNEY PARIS- Your granddaughter will not know the diff, we went there until ours got a bit older and they loved it. - You will be OK to get any treatment in france (but not repatriation)

Any holiday is not worth leaving your family penniless if you took ill, or worse risking your health over - I know how disapointing it is - we had to cannel while I was ill - but it was the right thing to do.

good luck

 

[wayneg]

Ring every company you can find and try get the price down, if you can't your only realistic choice is pay the £2075 or not go.
If you had a problem over there the £2075 (& £500) will seem like pocket money.

A couple of statistics from University hospital Newark.

The average cost of care for a patient up to 90 days after stroke is $15,000.

For 10 percent of patients, the cost of care for the first 90 days after a stroke is $35,000.

If you are in those 10% then the average cost is £22,000, I am sure some will pay substantially more.

You must have insurance for American holidays.

 

[lgp1]

Ring every company you can find and try get the price down, if you can't your only realistic choice is pay the £2075 or not go.
If you had a problem over there the £2075 (& £500) will seem like pocket money.



Hi Wayne


I have rang around all the comparison sites and specialist insurance companies and £2075 was the lowest I could get.


Thank you


Lyndon

 

[lgp1]

DO NOT GO WITHOUT INSURANCE. If you take ill they can proceed through the courts to get the money back includding selling your house


Shop arround for insurance - there are companies who specialise in diff. aspect of medical insurance cover. This year I was uninsurable for some of them yet in the end got annual cover for £500 (for family of 4). Try Go travel they couldn't cover me but put me through to a company who could (part of drakefield- who own the AA insurance comp).



Hi Mackay


Please don't think I am trying to be smart because I am not, but the fact is I don't own my house and if they took my car they would be lucky to get £500 for it.


Go Travel is the company who gave the lowest quote and I genuinely cannot afford it. The truth is it took us quite a while to save for the holiday and we are all spent out.


I know everyone means well but as I said my mind is made up to go. As I said previously I have asked the doctors at the stroke unit and they said there would really not be a problem as long as nothing happens between now and September. Having said that I know there is no guarantee.


Thank you


Lyndon

 

[Kath2003]

I agree with all of the above - if you cannot afford the insurance, you cannot take the risk. I would NEVER EVER go to the USA without MILLIONS in travel insurance.

 

[becca0417]

Sorry to hear this. I echo what others have said - it is defintely not worth going without.

 

[Constant]

Try the Stroke association
http://www.stroke.org.uk/shop/insurance_and_finance/travel_insurance.html

They do their own (I am sure underwritten by one of the big boys) my Mum was able to get good cover for my Dad. If they can't cover at a reasonable cost with your current situation then maybe consider waiting a year or a pimped trip to Paris where you can be covered by the EHIC scheme? A shorter stay but in Disneyland Hotel Castle Club with VIP fastpass, characters at breakfast in private lounge etc.

I know from my experience with my Father a trip out when he got ill would have been a disaster for us all if he didn't have insurance. If I read your post right you are now on medication but possibly discharged in which case we certainly got insurance but it was a little while after his stroke.

Good luck with what ever you decide and I hope that you make a good recovery.

 

[Kath2003]

Please don't think I am trying to be smart because I am not, but the fact is I don't own my house and if they took my car they would be lucky to get £500 for it.


Go Travel is the company who gave the lowest quote and I genuinely cannot afford it. The truth is it took us quite a while to save for the holiday and we are all spent out.

Besides the stroke issue, you say you're spent out.

So what happens if you're hospitalised and miss your flight home? Can you afford to fly yourself and your family back at a later date?

And I REALLY hate to mention this, but what if the worst happens? Can your family afford the accommodation, rebooking of flights and also returning you to the UK? That's thousands.

It's not just about the stroke. Appendicitis could wind you in hospital for several days with a bill of thousands (let's not even go into WHY you should pay your hospital bill...) and having to rebook travel home.

I know you say you're determined to go but it really is a very bad idea to go without insurance, even if you had a complete bill of health.

 

[lgp1]

Besides the stroke issue, you say you're spent out.

So what happens if you're hospitalised and miss your flight home? Can you afford to fly yourself and your family back at a later date?

And I REALLY hate to mention this, but what if the worst happens? Can your family afford the accommodation, rebooking of flights and also returning you to the UK? That's thousands.

It's not just about the stroke. Appendicitis could wind you in hospital for several days with a bill of thousands (let's not even go into WHY you should pay your hospital bill...) and having to rebook travel home.

I know you say you're determined to go but it really is a very bad idea to go without insurance, even if you had a complete bill of health.

Hi Kath,


I know that what you say above is true. To be honest, out of everything you say the one thing that bothers me more than anything else is " let's not even go into WHY you should pay your hospital bill "


This is the one thing that I would morally feel bad about. Out of everything that has been said this is the one thing which might ultimately stop me going [apart from another stroke].


Thank you

Lyndon

 

[catherine]

Please do not go to the US without health insurance! I lived in CA for 10 years and you seriously don't want to be taken ill over (with anything) and not have insurance coverage! If anyone is taken ill they ask about your insurance first and your condition second and I wouldn't want to be stuck in a county hospital for any length of time. I had to go to a county ER once and that was one too many. If you go and anything happens to you, your DW will be left trying to sort everything out a position I wouldn't want to be in! I really hope that you can find a cheaper insurance, if not I would seriously consider going to DLP!

 

[Rach78]

Hi,
I just wanted to say I am sorry to hear about your situation. I understand that the thought of cancelling must seem so disappointing, and I'm sure every parent/grandparent understands the feeling of letting a child down. However I suppose you have to think about how the holiday would be for your wife and grandaughter if you were to take ill. It really would be stressful and worrying for everyone and certainly not the special trip you have saved and planned for. Like pp's have said can you not cancel and take her to DLP this year instead? At that age she would not really know/care of the difference as long as she is still going to disney. You could have a few special meals, meet the Princesses etc. Then you can re plan your florida trip for when you are better. I mean the travel insurance alone would pay for an amazing stay at the DisneyLand Hotel in Paris and then you can still have your trip another time. When you see her face there you would realise that she couldn't care less where she is! Just not worth putting yourself and family through all that worry, especially when you probably need to take things easy.
All the best whatever you decide
x

 

[lgp1]

I have booked and paid for a three week holiday at the Pop Century Resort in September for my wife, myself, and our granddaughter.


Last Monday I was taken into hospital with with a small stroke. When they did a CT scan of my head they said I had also suffered one previously. I can remember going to the doctors with weakness in my arm and leg a few weeks ago but he said it was nothing to worry about and was possibly caused by a migraine attack.


I thought they were saying that I had suffered a TIA [mini stroke] but they said it was worse than that. They said the strokes had been caused by blood clots in the brain so they put me on blood thinning medication and on cholesterol lowering medication. They scanned my neck and said I must also have a heart scan. I asked the doctor if I can travel to America and they said yes as long as nothing happens between now and September.


I phoned different places about travel insurance and the cheapest I can get is £2075 with a £500 excess which I am not prepared to pay.


My wife was all for cancelling the holiday but I will not do that has we have promised my three year old granddaughter [will be four when we go] that we will take her. I know that some of you will think I am mad for still going but I honestly can't let her down, so my mind is made up.


Because I have not got travel insurance has anyone got any idea of what would happen if I had a stroke in America?


Thanks in advance


Lyndon

It's been seven months since I had my stroke and I seeing that I have not had another one I did a search for travel insurance again. Big difference this time.


These are the options I have. They also cover copd and other conditions that I have.


£310 with cancellation cover...excess for medical cover £150
£280 with cancellation cover...excess for medical cover £250


£260 without cancellation cover...excess for medical cover £150
£235 without cancellation cover...excess for medical cover £250


After a bit of thought [not much] decided I will go for £310 with cancellation
cover.


Hopefully we will have a good holiday with our granddaughter now.


Thank you everyone for your original input


Lyndon

 

[tinkerpea]

It's been seven months since I had my stroke and I seeing that I have not had another one I did a search for travel insurance again. Big difference this time.


These are the options I have. They also cover copd and other conditions that I have.


£310 with cancellation cover...excess for medical cover £150
£280 with cancellation cover...excess for medical cover £250


£260 without cancellation cover...excess for medical cover £150
£235 without cancellation cover...excess for medical cover £250


After a bit of thought [not much] decided I will go for £310 with cancellation
cover.


Hopefully we will have a good holiday with our granddaughter now.


Thank you everyone for your original input


Lyndon

Im so pleased that you have been well since you last stroke and that you have found a complany that is much much more resonable then your last qoutes!

In 2008 while on our Disney wedding and honeymoon i was taken ill as i suffer with kidney stones,Everybody had been sick with a bug and i thought thats what i had but it dehydrated me and effected my kidneys.

well waiting for the ambulance my DH got out our insurance only to fine that for some reason the stupid travel agent had ticked that i had my own insurance so only insured Dh and the kids!! i debated not going to hospital but was pretty ill
When i got to the hospital they discoverd i was pregnant so the doctor refused to treat me with my usual meds and pain relief until i had a internal ultrsound! even after that he refused to treat my pain!! the nurse in the end told me to get a taxi to another hospital other then Celebration as ther was no other doctor on! so we ended up paying 2 hospital bills the 1st was $1800 for 6hours treatment "or non treatment" we counter sued as the nurse advised us not to pay for the doctors time for treatment only the scan as i was never actually treated like a patient due to what the nurse said was personal beliefs!(I actually lost the baby 9 wk's after arriving home the hospital told us i wasnt even pregnant when getting to the hospital in England but every day i was blood tested the hormone got stronger so they said i had litterally just concieved and that NO pain relief treatment would have effected the baby)
the 2nd hospital treated me with pain relief anti-sickness and kidney meds told me that of course they could treat my pain as they knew passing a kidney stone was bloody painful! and could not be done without proper pian meds!! they then got me well enough to fly home so i could go to hospital as soon as i landed and it cost us another $600 just for the meds NO scans as they knew i had no insurance and didnt want to give us a huge bill as i was flying home that very night!


So im so pleased that your not choosing to go without insurance.

 

[Shazzie B]

Glad things have sorted out - have a fantastic holiday.

Don't want to sound like I'm preaching - but I'd reccommend to everyone to buy your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday - especially with Disney - when you tend to do book a year or so in advance - you never know what's around the corner.

 

[LeaversOnTour]

Hi,
Try insure and go. Call them and speak to them, if they say they cant cover ask for it to be referred to the underwriter. They will look at your circumstances and assess the risk based solely on your health not a generalised opinion.

Also if you do go, take out cover anyway for everything else. Not a nice thing to think about, but if you did have a stroke out there and the worst happened - They would repat you even if you dont have the appropriate cover.

I work for a travel claims company and dont know any insurer that would leave a body abroad. Very bad PR if nothing else.

They would also assist you whether you had cover or not. Plus you need to make sure your wife and GD are covered if they become ill. Also say you broke your leg, completely unrelated to a stroke you would need cover for this.

Another thing to consider is getting an annual policy, sometimes this is cheaper.

 

[wayneg]

Hi,
Try insure and go.

No doubt they will take the premium, its getting them to pay out thats the problem. I used to use them but they wouldn't pay out for the ash cloud, I was about £1,000 out of pocket, hopefully they have improved.