Travelling with OVCA

I know we have mentioned this before but as (hopefully) my husband is soon retiring we had hoped to travel abroad a little as long as I can manage it, having had to put the idea on hold for years.
Now I find that insurance is going to be a big issue - you can get cover with a few companies if you have cancer but not if you are classed as terminal. I have noticed that some of you in the USA and other countries outside the UK seem to travel abroad and go on cruises - do you get insurance or just take a chance?

I am afraid of the cost if I had to be 'Air Ambulanced' home - it would be astronomical!  Unfortunately the USA seems to be quite out of the question with insurance companies - terminal or not!

Ruth in the UK

[Hope19]

Hi Ruth
I haven't checked this yet but i have been told that bacup website can give you a list of companies. Good luck and enjoy

[katems]

Hello Ruth

Yes, Cancerbackup.org uk has a section with information about travel under Practical Issues.

Having said that, my husband and I have decided that if we just go to Europe we will just rely on the E111 for insurance. But we haven't been out of the uk this year at all in spite of having a house in France. This is not so much because of the cancer but more about the side effects of the chemo which has hospitalised me once and caused me to need the out-of hours service another time. I must be a bit of a coward but it has made me very wary.

However, if I was you and got good results next week, then I would pay the money and go off as soon as possible and enjoy my 'dream holiday'.

Best of luck!

love
Kate in the UK

[EchoUK]

Can't go for some months yet I am afraid (if at all)  - got a business to sell first!

I already had quite a good list of addresses but on closer inspection if you add the word 'terminal' they either want the whole of the Royal Mint  as payment or don't want to know.

This is interesting -

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/About_Us/Newsroom/Cancer_Services_and_Campaigns/UK-wide/Press_release/Recovered_from_cancer_but_not_covered_for_travel_abroad.aspx


Also quote from the Department of Health site -

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthadvicefortravellers/index.htm

The E111 form is no longer valid. You will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to receive necessary healthcare during a visit to an European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.

There are restrictions on what is provided and they usually don't  include getting you home also you often have to pay towards treatment.  Bit of a minefield really!

Love,

Ruth

[katems]

Yes I actually knew the E111 was out of date and we do have the EHIC but we haven't checked what is or what is not covered by the agreement - should do that.

Also why do you have to put 'terminal' down unless you have been told that specifically. I know that my prognosis is not good and that ultimately I will be terminal but when I asked in vague terms about the length of my future, my onco said she couldn't tell me anyway.

Thanks for the couple of sites. I will look them up.

love
Kate

[EchoUK]

When I was diagnosed I was told that I had terminal but treatable cancer - I was told stage 4 but subsequently stage 3 - not that it makes much difference to insurance.  No-one can say how long terminal is - my surgeon says she has quite a few patients over the 5 year mark. I never asked and don't want to know at this stage.
However I suspect that if there was a problem with insurance the insurers could check with your medical  records and they have a clause which lets them out if you haven't fully declared your diagnosis.
There is a forum on the MacMillan site where people have been discussing their experinces with insurance companies which is quite helpful.

Love,

Ruth

Love,

Ruth

[kismetfarm]

We have travelled since my diagnosis.  The cancer is excluded from the insurance as an existing condition usually, occasionally I talk extra hard and get it covered but not very often.

I can live with that - I figure that I have never been in an emergency situation with this so am unlikely to start while overseas. I do take some strong painkillers with me and sleeping pills (neither of which I normally take but I reckon would possibly get me through if necessary)  Also a big credit card limit just in case.

It would be a shame to miss out - just go, chances are it will go fine.

[Helmar]

Hi Ruth...Does the UK have a reciprocal health cover with the U.S? We don't down here, but we do with U.K. and Canada. My Oncol. has told me not to go to the U.S. because if I get sick it will cost me 'an arm and two legs'.. :-).. but if U.K. citizens are covered by your Health system to travel to countries with reciprocal cover, then you should at least be able to get the basic treatments if needed, before going home again. Maybe you should change your plans and come 'DownUnder. :-)
I'm not able to get travel insurance to cover me, because my cancer is now deemed' pre-existing'... so the Insurance people won't cover me, but my Medicare here will, for certain countries. My travel insurance will cover loss of luggage and other stuff like that, but not my health.
I guess the best thing would be to travel when you are not actually doing chemo Ruth...then you would have a good chance of taking your holiday without anything untoward happening.
Wishing you all the best with whatever you decide......it's nice down here though. :-)  Hugs..Helen..

[EchoUK]

Hello Helen,,

How are you? The UK has reciprocal health cover with quite a lot of countries
but mostly with strings attached. No agreement with the USA though.
Australia would be great but we can't go anywhere until my DH stops work!

Good info here for travellers from the UK -

http://www.moneyextra.com/guides/travel-insurance-011689.html

As I said before - you can get insurance but mention terminal and your options
become very limited unless you are able to pay a large premium - with my luck
I don't think I am bold enough to go uninsured as some people do!

Hugs,

Ruth x

[vegas2cr]

Come travel here to Costa Rica.  An emergency trip to the hospital for a blood trasnfusion 1 full stay day in the Hospital is less than $200. We have top rate great hospitals... I am an American who chose to retire in this beautiful country... Here don't worry about medical bills... they are very low...One of our Hospitals is affliated with Baylor University medical and another with the Cleveland Clinic.... trust me when I tell you the medical care here far surpasses the United States...Ronni

[EchoUK]

Sounds wonderful Ronni - could certainly use some sunshine - looks as if we are in for a 'soggy' winter here!  It isn't so much the cost of medical bills as the cost of being sent home if the worst came to the worst that is the problem !

Ruth

[Helmar]

Hi again Ruth... I've just had cocktail No.2 yesterday...feeling pretty good though. I find this combo easier to take than the Topotecan/Femara, which 'blotted' me out completely. Fatigue was something awful.I get the CA.125 on 12th.Dec. so that should be interesting, seeing it was 5750 last month. Looking for a huge drop.
I feel the same as you re travelling without insurance, but our Medicare covers one if that person gets ill in another country where we have a reciprocal agreement...but unfortunately not the U.S..Perhaps your National Health would cover you if you did venture down here, as ours does if I was to go to England. If you did decide to come,  down south where I live, has the type of weather that would be easier for you, coming from the Northern Hemisphere. It's not too hot...like up north. You could hop across on the ferry to Tasmania and feel really at home there, as it's very 'English'.... :-) Worth a thought.
How are you doing these days Ruth? I hope you are feeling fine and all is well over there. :-)
Hugs....Helen...

[SimplyStar]

I find it very discouraging to hear that the US won't help you, we have all kinds of illegals getting free health care here.  By the way it is Thanksgiving night here now and I am as stuffed as that turkey was.  The family turkey winner in the US weighed out at 72#, can you just imagine them drunsticks?   lol

[Helmar]

Hi Marty...and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Leslee and other family. Hopefully you'll be able to sleep it off now. :-)
Yes...it's strange that we don't have an agreement with the U.S. as we are allies in most other things. We do have the opportunity to travel to many other countries, and be covered by our Medicare in a reciprocal agreement, but not America. Not sure why. Pity as I would love to see the U.S. My daughter was there a couple of years ago, and loved it. Oh well, maybe one day.....
Hugs to you...Helen...

[EchoUK]

That wasn't a turkey - must have been an ostrich  :-)    Yes - it is more than a bit annoying to find there is no reciprocal health treatment between so UK and the USA.
Glad you had a good thanksgiving and hope Leslee did too!

Ruth

[EchoUK]

Not feeling too bad Helen - trouble with this disease is that you can't remember what normal was so every little 'twinge' that you used to ignore now comes under the microscope. Hope your CA125 plummets on your current 'cocktail',

Love,

Ruth x

[Kimchi]

I just came back from a trip to INDIA....wore a face mask on the plane and in very congested places to minimize catching  a bug or something, took my supplements every day, ate up a storm and enjoyed the cold weather (nice change from the yearlong hot climate in Bangkok) .  Like Vegas said, if you travel to certain countries, the cost of medical care if 1/16 of what it is in UK./USA...India was much cheaper than Thailand, a PET scan in private hospital cost me $200 and in Thailand it would have cost me $400 and both are still cheaper...Think that you if you get sick while on vacation, what ever hits you can still give you enough time to fly back home for treatment.  But what I would like to tell you and everyone dealing with cancer including family and friends is:
'TAKE A VACATION"  .  It is so good for the spirit and mind,,,its great for dealing with depression, appetite, sleep, aches, pains, worries, and everything else that comes with this battle...You all deserve to do this and get re-energized.

[EchoUK]

Thankyou for your post - glad you had such a good time!!

Ruth x