I was diagnosed with cancer and my travel insurance hit £4,000 – here’s how I cut the cost

WHEN retiree Les Sutton found out he’d been diagnosed with a terminal illness he was in shock. But he was hit with another blow when he realised his devastating diagnosis meant he may be unable to visit his daughter and her family when they moved 3,000 miles away to Orlando. Les Sutton and his wife had been planning to visit their son’s family in the states Credit: Les Sutton Les faced a second huge shock when he was given a new quote for travel insurance after his diagnosis Credit: Les Sutton The now 71-year-old, who lives in Pencoed, in South Wales had no idea that his health condition would add thousands of pounds to his trip, making it unaffordable to travel. More than 420,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year and around 168,000 die from the disease, according to Macmillan. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! The financial impact can begin long before someone books a holiday. Someone living with a terminal illness can expect to pay £12,000 to £16,000 extra a year, through a combination of lost earnings, additional spending, home adaptations and specialist equipment, according to Marie Curie. When it comes to finding travel insurance, Which? found one complex condition increased an annual premium by over 600% from £58 to £426 on average, while more stable conditions produced much smaller rises. Les, a retired electrical engineer was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in February 2021. This caused his annual travel insurance to rocket from £30 to £4,000. Les said: “Getting diagnosed with cancer was an absolute shock. But trying to get insurance is absolutely loads of rubbish. The minute you tell them you’ve got cancer, they add zeros to your policy. “It meant the trip was unaffordable for us.” Most read in News Money When his daughter and son-in-law moved to Orlando with their two sons in July 2024, he had planned to visit them regularly, at least twice a year. Les and his wife Janet, 62, a part-time retailer worker, had already booked flights to visit them later that year when they started to look for travel insurance. “I was being quoted £3,000 to £4,000 for an annual policy, when I used to pay £30,” Les added. “It’s a nightmare because if you apply online with the big firms that say they offer insurance then they knock you back immediately. “Then I started ringing round and the minute you say you’ve got cancer, they put you through another screening system. “That would take 45 minutes to an hour…and then the quotes would come in for up to £4,000.” Finding help when facing a terminal diagnosis When faced with a terminal diagnosis many don’t know where to turn to for help Credit: Getty It wasn’t until he spoke with friends and staff at his local Maggies centre that he realised he may be able to get a cheaper policy – and still travel to see his family. Maggies is a cancer charity that provides support for anyone with the illness free support, including in-person advice at 30 centres across the UK. Les added “Maggies gave me a list of specialist insurance companies to try, and I called InsureWith and I got quoted £1,147 for the same policy.” However, since finding the specialist insurance company Les and his wife have been able to visit his daughter and her family 2-3 times a year. He added: “I take out an annual insurance policy because if I need to go then I know I can just jump on a flight.” An ABI spokesperson said: “We know how important holidays can be for people living with cancer and other medical conditions, and insurers want to help people travel with confidence. “Unfortunately, people with existing medical conditions may be more likely to need treatment overseas, which can be incredibly expensive. Insurers will take that risk into account alongside other factors when considering what cover they can offer.” Maggies is calling on the government and the Financial Conduct Authority to review how cancer patients are treated in the travel insurance market. Dame Laura Lee DBE, Chief Executive of Maggie’s, said: “While we know there are specialist providers that offer better options for people with cancer, too often people are left overpaying because of the dominance of the key players in the industry. “For years now, government departments and industry regulators have shirked responsibility for the problem and not even considered working together to find a solution. Our ignored calls for action demonstrate that this shirking is going to continue.” Dame Lee adds that as a result people with cancer or a history of cancer are being denied the opportunity to travel because of their diagnosis. Half of customers think that insurers are treating people with cancer unfairly, according to Maggies which did a poll of 2,000 Brits. HOLIDAY SOS: HOW TO CLAIM ON YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE If something goes wrong while you are abroad, acting quickly and collecting the right evidence can make it much easier to get your money back. Call your insurer immediately Keep the emergency assistance number in your policy documents or confirmation email handy. Most insurers operate a 24-hour helpline. Have your policy number, location and contact details ready. If it is a medical emergency, contact the local emergency services first. Once you are safe, call your insurer -or ask a relative or friend to do it for you. For non-emergency treatment, speak to your insurer before attending a clinic or agreeing to treatment. Never organise expensive private treatment or a flight home without consulting it first, unless delaying would put your health at risk. Use your GHIC In participating European countries, show your valid Global Health Insurance Card or European Health Insurance Card when accessing state healthcare. Some insurers may waive the excess if you use it. However, it is not a replacement for travel insurance. It does not cover private treatment, every medical charge or the cost of repatriation to the UK. Keep every piece of evidence Save receipts, invoices, medical reports, prescriptions, emails and photographs. Make a note of who you spoke to, when you contacted them and what they advised. Keep copies of all documents submitted with your claim. If you have to buy food, toiletries, clothes or alternative transport, spend only what is reasonably necessary and keep itemised receipts. Submit the claim promptly Contact your insurer even if you do not yet have every document. Ask what evidence it requires and whether there is a claims deadline. Complete the form accurately and keep a copy. Remember that your policy excess will normally be deducted from any payout, while individual items and sections of cover may also have payment limits. Challenge an unfair refusal If your claim is rejected, ask the insurer to explain why in writing and make a formal complaint. It normally has up to eight weeks to respond. If you remain unhappy, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge. How to find affordable travel insurance with a pre-existing condition Thanks so cheaper insurance cover, Les and his wife can travel to see their family and keep his protection. Credit: Les Sutton Using a specialist insurer can help cut travel costs after a diagnosis Your insurance premium will vary based on your age, condition, where you’re travelling and whether you want to take out a single policy or annual trip. Medicaltravelcompared.co.uk compared prices for a man aged 65 travelling to popular destinations with no medical condition versus four common ones. Destinations such as the US where medical treatment is more expensive will cost more to insure. For example, last year a UK insurer paid out £500,000 to a customer who required emergency surgery in the US and medical repatriation back to the UK. And if you have a pre-existing condition, it will likely bump up the price of your policy. A 65-year-old man with no condition will pay £45.86 for cover on average, according to figures from Medicaltravelcompared.co.uk. But a 65-year-old man with prostate cancer faces paying £432.55 on average. How to find a specialist policy and slash costs If you’re struggling to find affordable travel insurance via a price comparison website, then it’s worth using a specialist one such as MedicalTravelCompared, PayingTooMuch, InsuranceWith or All Clear. You can also contact the British Insurance Brokers’ Association to help you find a broker who may be able to get you a policy. You need to declare any previous or current medical issues, usually from the last five years. But the amount of time will vary based on the condition and the insurer, so you need to double check. If you’ve recovered and not received any more treatment since this time has passed, then you do not need to disclose it. Holidaymakers should never leave out any pre-existing conditions due to fears about the price. However if an insurer is unable to provide cover or the premium is more than £200 then under regulator rules they must signpost you to a specialist company that may be able to help. Tommy Lloyd of Medicaltravelcompared.co.uk added that it is essential to give accurate information. He said that travellers also need to check more than just the price, including whether their exact condition is covered along with the medical excess. If you find that an annual policy is too expensive, look into single-trip cover. Comment now