travel insurance for diabetics

[ginger]

Has anyone come across a good and reasonably priced travel insurance for us diabetics?

I am trying to source something that will not cost the earth.

So far I have found policies from £229 - £331 for my US trip. If I was "normal" it would be less than half this

Ginger

 

[Dennis]

My wife and I have travel insurance with Norwich Union. When I told them I was diabetic (T2) they just said no problem, it doesn't affect the premium. Might be different for T1 though. Cost for an annual policy worldwide for the two of us is around half Ginger's quote.

 

[ginger]

Thanks for that info Dennis. I will give them a ring tomorrow.

Nice to see some companies are not cashing in on other people's problems.

 

[Clare]

Hi there, I always used to use Trailfinders (about £160 for an annual policy despite the diabetes) but recently found their prices had gone up and I used this time TravelPlan online (can't remember the URL but the number was 0870 7747377), which was significantly cheaper (less than £100 for an annual policy) despite being diabetic AND pregnant (although as with Trailfinders they don't insure you if you fly after 24 weeks pregnant). We got it to cover a trip to Australia and France but I'm pretty sure we took the 'worldwide including US' policy, although this time we didn't ask them to include scuba diving or offshore sailing which I think puts the price up.

Fortunately haven't had to try and claim off any policy though!

Clare

 

[ginger]

Thanks Clare.

Funnily enough, it was Trailfinders (who I have always used before - but not any more) who I got the quote from.

Cheers, Ginger

 

[ginger]

Booked up a years worldwide travel insurance cover with the Norwich for £83 (was £73 for a single trip) Saving over £100. Thanks Dennis.

Travelplan have a 0870 number. Because of the charges I incur just to hold on automated machines I try not to ring companies that use these premium rate numbers. I did email and ask them to ring me but they wouldn't. So I didn't get a quote from them Clare. It is good to have the number as a back up though in this ever changing world.

PS. Besides diabetes being an issue it seems being over 69 is too. Several companies said you would have seek quotes from other insurers after this age. I am 48 and 69 doesn't seem that far off. I guess I better start saving now.

Thanks for the advice.
Ginger

 

[Dennis]

Ginger, no problem, glad I could help. Maybe I should be on commission!!

 

[Tony]

I found covermytravels.co.uk very good for diabetics. I have an annual worldwide policy, up to 90 days away for 195 pounds.

 

[Administrator]

This site should beat any other quote:

http://www.diabetictravel.co.uk/

If it doesn't please let us know on here.

Admin

 

[sling100]

Hi All

New here - only diagnosed six months ago (T1) so still getting to grips with everything. On levemir/novorapid which seems to work fine though.

Anyhow I'm going to S America and the Middle East for six months next year (including doing the Inca Trail on insulin which will be interesting....) and I tried http://www.diabetictravel.co.uk. Apart from the automated message promising 'immediate attention' I heard nothing - they didn't even respond when I sent them a second mail asking for my quote. That's quite rubbish in my book.

Eventually got a policy from http://www.staysure.co.uk who don't charge anything extra for DM (T1 or T2) as long as there's no complications. Worldwide policy for me and the wife (based on being out of the country for 160 days solid) including upgrading personal baggage allowance from £200 to £2K - £240 all in. Bargain.

Simon

 

[Dennis]

For anyone looking for travel insurance one important thing to look out for is the small print. When I looked this year at whether I could find a lower quote than the one I am with (Norwich Union), I found a couple that were slightly cheaper, but unlike Norwich, they don't cover you for any pre-existing condition. So if you are on holiday and have a diabetic complication requiring medical attention or even worse hospitalisation, you would find you are not covered as your diabetes is a pre-existing condition.

It all depends on whether the insurer accepts the pre-existing condition <u>and</u> covers it, in which case most charge a higher premium, or whether they just don't cover it, in which case you'll get cheaper cover but can't make a claim! The daft thing was that I tried one of the "specialist" insurers for diabetes and they said "of course we can't cover any pre-existing conditions". They didn't seem to understand when I said if I didn't have a pre-existing condition I wouldn't be calling you!!!

In our case I have diabetes and slightly raised blood pressure and my wife has some serious health issues, which I won't go into here, but Norwich are the only insurer we have found who are prepared to fully cover all our conditions with no increase in premium. PS I do work in financial services but have no connections with Norwich, just very impressed by their product and realistic pricing.

 

[sling100]

Hi Dennis

Good point about the 'pre-existing' issue, but I did check beforehand and as long as you have no additional complications then the policy I have covers diabetic claims. Good thing really given I've got take everything with me for 6 months (and no fridge so all in those water cool bag things)

Simon

 

[Dennis]

Hi Simon,

I'd be interested to hear how you get on because we intend to "do" South America, esp the Inca trail, in 2009 and I will have the same problem. A Frio pouch is ok for an odd night away but not for 2 or 3 weeks continuous use.

 

[Pattidevans]

Hello

I'd just like to add a post I made in a newsgroup earlier this year....

"today Julian was talking to a colleague who's wife is classed as "disabled" and who travel world-wide every year. He recommended http://www.columbusdirect.com who they have used for the past 7 or more years. They specialise in people with pre-existing conditions.

After a phone call this pm and a full and frank disclosure of our conditions and a pleasant conversation with a person who was clearly in UK and not elsewhere in the World, we bought a year's Worldwide travel insurance for both of us, not the basic version, we got the "Annual Super Multi-trip" insurance and with pre-existing conditions this cost us £92.50."

I might add we've claimed on this insurance and they were prompt and excellent in dealing with us.


Patti
On Levemir/Novorapid. Last hba1c 5.3

 

[sling100]

Hi Dennis

I'll keep you posted - leaving on March 28!

Had a long conversation with my SDN about the insulin thing as we had booked it originally before I was diagnosed, and she was the one who suggested the frio bags - as long as you 'recharge' them every 24 hours they are supposed to be fine. Anyone else got experience of using these for any length of time?

Simon

 

[cugila]

Just a matter of clarification, frio wallets are safe to keep your insulin in for up to 28 days if kept properly activated, i would not like anyone to be confused or alarmed by Dennis,s misleading and incorrect assumption of the frio wallet

For the facts check this out. not quite as above.

http://readycareco.com/RC_frio_faq.htm

Ken

 

[Dennis]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for clarifying this but, just for information, I have banned the poster. Anyone who joins a forum a makes their first post a deliberate attempt to discredit or insult a moderator will get very short shrift, as paul1 has just found out!

 

[Dennis]

It is probably quite timely that this topic has been resurrected, this being the time of year that many review their holiday travel insurance needs. I would like to take the opportunity of updating information I provided on the previous page back in 2007. At that time Norwich Union were one of the best and cheapest providers of travel insurance for diabetics. However in autumn of 2008 they changed their policy. They will now offer travel insurance but will not cover any pre-existing condition. So on an NU travel policy you would not be covered for any diabetes related medical treatment you might need while on holiday. Everything else would be covered as normal though (e.g. theft/loss of baggage, flight delays, unavoidable cancellation - other than due to a diabetes problem, etc).

The same stance seems to be taken by most of the well-known insurers. However, I have found that there are smaller specialist insurers who specialise in providing cover for diabetes. I got quotes from a couple and found that their cover (including all pre-existing conditions) was not only cheaper than NU (who would not cover existing conditions) but the cover they provide is actually of a far higher value (e.g. winter sports cover at no extra cost). The one I eventually chose was the one advertised on our own website:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/guide-to-diab ... urance.asp

If you shop around you may find that you can get a cheaper quote, but you need to check the small print very carefully to ensure that they will pay out for any diabetes related medical expenses incurred whilst you are on holiday.

 

[fran]

Why is it such a mine field if you have never had any diabetic related illness and have always managed to control your diabetes well?
Any ideas on companies who may be able to help?

 

[Dennis]

Hi Fran,

Many of the contributors to this forum have their diabetes reasonably well controlled, or are striving to achieve that goal. But unfortunately the vast majority of diabetics in this country have very poor control, for a variety of reasons that are well discussed in other threads. These are the people who are most likely to have a diabetes related emergency whilst on holiday and, unfortunately it is their poor management that the rest of us have to suffer for in higher premiums.

When the medical profession tells us that diabetes is progressive and we will all eventually suffer diabetic complications, they are simply confirming the picture they see every day. Of course what they should be saying is MOST will do this, not ALL. Those that follow the advice given by knowledgable diabetics on this and other similar forums are far less likely to experience the kind of problems that would result in a diabetes related emergency whilst on holiday.