Hoping to go on holiday

We use our Nationwide Flexplus bank account, annual travel policy, plus car breakdown for about twelve quid a month.

Tell them about the cancer, they will add a surcharge, or sometimes you can opt to be covered for everything EXCEPT PCa, which might attract no surcharge at all.

There’s loads of posts about this here, if you search for ‘travel insurance’ on this site.

Happy holidays.

Cheers, John.

Edited by member 04 Sep 2021 at 07:13  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Ann,

This isn't answering your question but it's a series of risk reductions.

The holidays are a long time off.  Are you planning to book right away?

I booked a holiday in Australia just before I was diagnosed, five years ago, and decided to take as few chances as possible.   I didn't want to claim on insurance if I could avoid it, although I registered a potential claim and got the forms.

I rang the airline asking about moving the flight and they said they would for a fee but suggested I waited until 24hrs before take off and to ring them then.  The apartments I'd booked I waited until the date the payments became due and cancelled them.  I lost a small deposit.

I had the op and the post op clinic was 5 days before flight.   It was good news so I went home and booked the apartments and a couple of other flights.  It cost me quite a bit more for the internal flights than if I'd booked them earlier.  I was ready to pay extra for reduced hassle as I was pretty flexible about whether we flew to other places as we had alternatives.

On subsequent holidays I've not insured for prostate cancer.  Some say that's a big risk as the company could try to avoid paying using it as an excuse.  I try to use companies with good reputations and don't expect that to happen.   I also wouldn't go a long way if I felt there was more than a very small chance of me being ill.

As for going to Canada.  I don't know what their health arrangements are but I would be very wary of going to the USA now.   If Canada is the same system I'd be wary there and look for full cover, might be expensive.   

Going to Spain I'd check what their arrangements are as the E111 is being phased out post Brexit and replaced with something new.  The E111 was a backstop anyway.   I'd also be a wary of the something new and take a close look on what it actually does.  When we go to the continent I don't cover my prostate cancer but I'm not being treated.

It can depend on your financial situation because as they say if you've got nothing you've got nothing to lose.

Anyway that's my opinion and perhaps offers some thoughts.

All the Best, Peter

Edited by member 04 Sep 2021 at 23:18  | Reason: Not specified

Thanks Peter the new E11 is now GHIC and I’ve just applied for those, Canada isn’t like USA for healthcare I think it’s similar to ours, the insurance companies are ridiculous why should someone be punished because they have an illness anyway my husband said he’s going regardless but I’m hoping we can get something sorted out nearer the time 

thank you

ann