5 things we learnt from this week’s Talk of Hope podcast
In this week’s Talk of Hope podcast, we cover the always hot topic of travel insurance (very appropriate after the mini heatwave gave us serious holiday vibes last week!)
Joining us was Fiona Macrae, founder of Insurancewith. Fiona truly understands how difficult it can be for people with cancer to get insurance, especially those with a stage 4 diagnosis. Fiona, herself, is living with stage 4 breast cancer.
Here’s five things we took away from the podcast, including ways to potentially bring down the cost of insurance…
Asking the right questions, in the right way
“One of the benefits of our partnership with Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is it helps us understand what we should be asking and how we should be asking those questions without triggering people.
“A clear example of this is the use of word ‘terminal’. Some insurers will ask if the person has a ‘terminal diagnosis’ but we don’t. It’s not relevant and it’s very old fashioned. It’s not a phrase that is really used with cancer anymore – except many in the movies! It’s not even defined by the NHS, and it can be very distressing and confusing for people. Instead, we ask is a person’s treatment is curative or if it aims to extend their life.
“We’re thorough in our approach. We use a bespoke medical screening software by the Tif Group which gives people the chance to explain their full diagnosis and where they are in their treatment. Cancer is such an individual condition and so is how a person responds to treatment. We try and fully understand this and that’s why we can then offer the most appropriate insurance rather than a one-size fits all approach.”
It’s not necessarily the cancer that insurers are concerned about
“Quite often, the insurer is more focused on the effects of a person’s treatment rather than the cancer itself.
“For example, if you are on an immunosuppressant, this can increase your chance of picking up a bug or an infection. When you go to a foreign country, there is a risk of anyone falling ill whether they have a cancer diagnosis or not, because of the unfamiliar illnesses that our immune systems don’t recognise. However, that risk is increased when you are taking immunosuppressant.
“Similar some cancer treatments, particularly some hormone therapies and chemotherapies, can increase the risk of bone loss and osteoporosis. This means if you trip or fall on holiday, you are more likely to break a bone and need medical assistance. An insurer needs to take all this under consideration.
“You must declare everything, even if you don’t think it’s relevant or linked to your diagnosis. Not including it won’t necessarily bring down the cost of your premium, but it will void your insurance if something was to happen. Let the insurance provider decide what’s important.”
We love a list!
Anyone who listens to this episode will hear all three of us are fans of a list – be it a list of what to pack, a list of all the medication you’re taking or a list of all the documentation you need. Top of that list is a fit to fly letter.
“You must have agreement from your doctor about your travel plans. Without it, your insurance would be null and void.
“You don’t necessarily need a physical letter to travel but it can help to have it, especially if you need assistance at the airport. You just need to ask your GP or lung cancer nurse but make sure you allow for enough time. We recommend two weeks, given the pressure primary care is under.
“I also make a list of the nearest health centre or pharmacy,” Fiona adds. “I also suffer with lymphoedema and had a flair up on one holiday. I spoke to my doctor, and they said they could email over a prescription to a local pharmacy. Problem was I didn’t know where my nearest one was, so we had to go searching for one. It just made a stressful situation that bit more stressful so now I always make a note of the nearest ones or even make sure the hotel has a pharmacy close by.”
Flexibility is key
“Being flexible about when you go on holiday, where you go and for how long can help reduce the cost of your travel insurance so it’s a good idea to keep as flexible as possible.
“In terms of destination, Europe is the cheapest because it’s the easiest place to get back from should something happen. Spain tends to be more expensive than other countries in Europe because healthcare is more expensive there so you may see options that include or exclude Spain from the policy.
“With the rest of the world, USA and the Caribbean tend to be more expensive than the Middle East, Far East and Australia. Mexico is the most expensive country to get insurance for and again, this is down to the cost of healthcare in Mexico combined with the price of travel.
“The distance from treatment can also bring down the cost. For example, if you’ve had surgery you will need to wait at least 8-12 weeks before cover is considered. This is to make sure the wound is healed and there is a reduced risk of infection.
“With radiotherapy, it’s a minimum of 12 weeks. Radiotherapy can cause tiredness but also infections and swelling and going on a plane can exacerbate these side effects so the longer you can go post treatment, the smaller the risk.
“If you have changed treatment, an insurer will want to see a period of stability of at least 4-6 weeks to make sure any side effects are managed.
“It’s also worth noting that you may not be able to secure insurance until two months before you go. If this is the case, we recommend speaking to your travel agent and ask if you can put down a small deposit rather than paying the full amount. In my experience, if you explain the situation, many travel agents are sympathetic. I’ve heard very positive things about Travel Counsellors in this respect.”
A chance to be you again
“When I go on holiday, there are moments when I forget I have cancer, and I just get to be me again. No one around me knows about my diagnosis and you’re away from all the daily reminders – the letters from the hospital, your appointments written on the calendar, your medication on the kitchen side.
“On holiday, you can be the old you and escape the reality of cancer. I don’t know if any studies have been done about the mental wellbeing of cancer patients after they’ve been on holiday but I can only imagine it’s positive!”
That’s why it’s so important people with cancer can get some much needed time away.
And part of our partnership, when you take out a policy via our bespoke charity page on the Insurancewith website, we will receive a donation from Insurancewith – at no extra cost to you.”