Travel Insurance for pre-existing heart condition

[Lisa1208]

Hopefully someone has some advice!!!

My mum is desperately looking for some travel insurance for my dad for a 6-8 week trip to the US at the end of the year. The issue is he is 68 with a pre-existing heart condition ( angina and has had stents in 2002). We have looked at so many companies -cover more, Allianz, national senior etc etc but the only company that has said they would cover him is Insure and go. We are a little unsure about this company as we haven't really heard of them before and have since read some bad reviews.

Is anyone able to help with any other companies that may cover my dad?
Has anybody had the same issue and found a good outcome?

TIA for any help!

 

[drron]

They are very wary of travel to the USA with heart conditions.
I have known that on occasions if assessed by a Cardiologist with recent evidence of a negative stress echo or myocardial perfusion scan that cover has been given.more recently one also requested CT coronary angiography as well.
But you have to talk to the companies to see if they will accept that..more often the patients I have known have been knocked back.

 

[QF WP]

Wonderful rich information there drron for Lisa1208 to consider. Pre-existing conditions are a bee-itch. Hope you can find an insurer that doesn't want the equivalent of another airfare for the cover.

 

[hazel]

Hi - my mother has stents plus some other heart condition I can't remember the name of. She got cover last year through Medibank Travel Insurance. If they will provide cover for your father it will be expensive.

 

[Lisa1208]

Thanks for the replies.....yes we are certainly finding this process a huge pain in the you know what!!!
We have tried Medibank with no luck. Apparently most/all companies changed their policies within the last 6 months and don't cover heart conditions anymore, or so we keep being told. We do have a doctors letter stating dads pre-existing conditions are stable.
Does this mean everybody with a heart condition can no longer travel....I guess they can but its a huge risk that could become quite costly....seems silly to me.

We have requested a reassessment to Covermore to reconsider their decision since they covered dad 3 years ago for the same trip under the same pre-existing conditions and we are awaiting a decision from qbe. Fingers crossed but we aren't holding our breath. We do have Insure and Go who have said they would insure dad, but we will use them as a last resort. We are just wary of this company as we have never heard of them before and have read some bad reviews.

Thanks for the suggestions and fingers crossed it will all work out.

 

[NinnyPoo]

Lisa1208 or any of the other posters, were you able to get insurance? I have a similar situation, where my father will travel to Singapore. He is mid 70s and had stents in 1998. His origin is actually New Zealand, but most insurers operate on both sides of the Tasman.

Thanks

 

[Major]

This is an interesting thread. What is the definition of a heart condition ?

I take a daily pill and my BP is OK but a recent CT calcium score showed "significant calcification" so I am due for an echo stress test tomorrow.

I hope all is OK as we are travelling to the US in Oct

 

[cove]

I had a bypass operation just under 20 years ago and with good medications and some exercise each day I don't consider my risk to be in the very high region.
I don't travel to out of the way places and just go to cities where the health system is brilliant rather than ordinary.
I have Chubb cover thru work and by working less I have tried to remove stress from my life.

 

[Lisa1208]

Hi NinnyPoo yes we were eventually able to get insurance for my dad although it took a lot of hard work. Dad was eventually approved through Vero but was only covered for a limited amount for his heart condition,can't remember the exact amount but it was around $50,000 and although unlikely something with dads heart would happen in America this would definitely not be enough cover and we would be greatly out of pocket.
Mum finally found an Insurance broker who was helpful and put us in touch with COTA Insurance. It is my understanding COTA specialises in seniors or older people with pre existing medical conditions. COTA approved travel insurance for my dad no problem at all and will cover all pre existing conditions related to his heart. Good luck and I hope you're able to find travel insurance for your dad.
Heres an email for [email protected]
website......cota.com.au


Major...good luck with your stress test, hope nothing major was found!!!!

 

[Major]

Major...good luck with your stress test, hope nothing major was found!!!!

Well I survived the treadmill and apparently the ultrasound & ECG showed no problems. Then went to lunch with a mate and we had a delightful Pinot Noir from Marlborough.

 

[scaredeycat]

I advise my patients to be extremely wary of doctors who suggest having a calcium score scan. I have several patients who forked out $600 (without any Medicare rebate, because they had no symptoms) and were told they had early coronary artery disease. Many ended up lying awake at night worrying about suddenly dropping off their perch (which if anything would have increased the risk of just that happening). What was potentially a more realistic outcome was that suddenly the cost of life, disability and travel insurance were all substantially higher. None of this was divulged to the patient before the test was organised. The advice I give to patients who worry about their risk of silent heart disease is to look at their lifestyle. Stop smoking, exercise, diet. More effective than pills by a substantial margin.

 

[deejo77]

yep another heart condition knocked back by National Seniors - Stents - 12 years ago no other ongoing medical issues. As soon as she said Llyod's as the underwriters I knew the answer was going to be NO. Off to the next one

 

[Sanpan]

My Husband has several chronic conditions and he made his first flight in 12 years last year after surviving massive surgery.

I know what you are going through shopping around for travel insurance. I rang 11 companies and none would touch him and it looked like we would have to cancel our trip. A friend recommended InsureandGo to me and I rang, they were fantastic and after his specialist wrote letters giving him permission to travel and stating that he was now fit to travel the Insurance company covered him for all his previous conditions. It was not cheap but I didn't care the main thing was we could travel together and I did not have to leave him home anymore. I travel at least 2 times a month and now only use InsureandGo for my travelling. I have spoken to many of our friends and they have heard about this company. The company is backed by a Japanese Insurance company and has been around a long time. They don't do much advertising as they don't have to. People who know them talk about them all the time. They have been mentioned on TripAdviser many times.
You could try them, it is only a phone call. They are a Company based in Sydney. Wow sorry about the long post.

 

[taj]

Yep have to agree disappointed in National Seniors - did find an interesting post which included a post from Travel Guru mentioned covermore had a quick look and they appear to cover stents in their list of existing cardio conditions.
Price quoted was very reasonable extra $125, obviously not confirmed but will be contacting them asap.

hope this help some.