Hi everyone, hope you’re keeping well
Does anyone have any advice on getting cheaper holiday insurance?
I’ve contacted direct line and they quoted me £172 for 2 weeks cover, which is an addition £100 more than someone without MS. The extra £100 is incase I have a relapse, a bit unfair I thought…easy money for them I guess.
Before I get some insurance I would be grateful for any advice or even what has been your own experience with holiday insurance?
Cheers
David
I used direct travel this year £41.26 it’s only for a week in Turkey but reasonable I thought. I got two weeks worldwide insurance last year sorry can’t remember who with, it was about £90.00 for my friend and I so if I needed to cancel she was covered too. Shop around you should get something quite reasonable, it will depend on where you’re going and for how long.
Jan x
In the past, albeit not recently, I’ve used All Clear. They specialise in travel insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions. Naturally, other insurers who do the same also exist, and I’m sure you can find them on Google.
I was not charged any extra for a trip to Turkey with MS, but the premium does depend on a number of risk factors, such as whether you’ve relapsed in the past year (less stable disease), whether your ability to care for yourself has deteriorated markedly, and the cost of healthcare in the destination country - with the U.S. typically being the most expensive, as even a short spell in hospital and a course of steroids could result in a bill for thousands.
Tina
That does sound expensive. I can’t remember the figures but a couple of years ago I go a year’s Worldwide cover for my husband and I for less than that.
I actually got a quote from one of the comparison websites (the one with the annoying opera singer this time!) which was helpful because I didn’t have to put the same information in multiple times looking for quotes. Quite a few of the major providers would insure me so it definitely isn’t a case of having to get cover from specialist insurers only and the uplift wasn’t toooooooooo bad. (Although, one tip I have been given is that when you have identified the company with the best quote you can try contacting them directly rather than linking through the comparison site as you sometimes get the cover a little bit cheaper. Not much, but it might pay for an extra cocktail on the beach!)
The main thing that insurance companies are concerned about is how stable your condition is so people with a very recent diagnosis you might have problems getting cover at a reasonable rate as you won’t have much of a MS history to point to…
Try Gallagher Health Insurance Services. tel: 0800 731 7431
i found them through Diabetes UK. I pay about £150 for a years cover with both conditions - includes repatriation.
good value I think
best wishes
David
I find the Post Office insurance best cover; including MS and cheapest. I pass their health questions and if I can lots can it’s basically if you have heart problems. Travel Insurance Coronavirus | Covid Cover | Post Office®
Society’s very expensive.
George
What bungs up the insurance premiums for my husband and I doesn’t seem to be my (six months’ old) dx of MS but his history of two angioplasties and stents a few years ago, though he’s fine now.
I thought that adding MS to the many conditions would make a big difference.
Louise
Dave,
i’ll check it out with my partner, but we both do Annual Insurance for Travel, and it was about £10 extra for Me & MS 
Mark