Medical tourist insurance

[toodotty]

Hi All,

I am looking to travel to the USA for Nanoknife treatment to the pancreas. Can anyone recommend a company that effectively provides insurance for someone travelling abroad with the specific purpose of some form of treatment (health tourist)? I can get insurance for pre-existing condition but most policies are immediately invalidated because the purpose of my trip is surgery. I would prefer not to take the risk of invalidating my insurance.

Any help much appreciated,

Erika

[kate2101]

Hi Erika

That’s a question I have too as I am also hoping to go to US. I was wondering if Dr XX might have any info from previous UK patients? Can I ask how you sent your scans to US? Finally managed to get hold of my disc and wondered if Dr xx will accept them electronically. I seem to remember from my first conversation with him he asked for disc to be sent by FedEx.

Hope your cold better, are you still going to the XX Thursday? Hopefully we can find five mins for a chat and compare notes.

Let me know how you get on with your red hot burning tumour visualisations! Worth a try!

Kate x

[toodotty]

Hi Kate2101,

Firstly yes I will be there tomorrow and I am looking forward to meeting you. Re the disks I did send them FedEx (£52!), and they did get there. You might struggle to send electronically, the images were huge. We definitely need to compare notes, I think insurance is the biggest worry, (though not keen on a 10 hour flight either), there must be companies that will provide this sort of cover but struggling to find one at the moment. Blood tests came back fine today so chemo will go ahead on Friday. I saw another Oncologist today, I think they draw lots for me …… When I asked would I be able to carry on with Folfirinox after round 12 he looked completely dumbfounded and told me it was unheard of. Clearly it isn't, because I do know of people who have done 18 rounds. I pointed out to him that I seem to be able to tolerate it really well, with minimal side effects and he did admit he had never seen anybody get past round 8 before, and certainly nobody who seemed to be able to cope with it so well. But he wasn't having any of it, "there is no protocol for more than 12 cycles …." , so looks like another battle down the line. What happens if I don't tolerate the alternative?

Erika

[kate2101]

Hi Erika

I don’t know what planet your hospital are on, apparently my hospital are still treating a patient with Folfirinox after 2 years, adjustments made but as long as it’s working they carry on! Decided to send discs FedEx, dropping them off tomorrow...thanks for £52 shock!

Looking for insurance deal, will let you know if I find any info. Don’t think it’s uncommon to travel for treatment today, there has to be a way but expect it will cost an arm and a leg. Feel uneasy about travelling without the right cover in case of complications and I have to stay on. Anyway, I might be jumping the gun as I may not be suitable!

Glad your bloods ok, presume your cold cleared up? Just hoping I feel ok tomorrow, at the bottom of my ‘dip’ and also in pain from my back (fell downstairs and broke 3 vertebrae). Felt good Monday and pushed the dyson round...big mistake! Early night tonight, look forward to meeting you.

Kate x

[kate2101]

Ps

Thanks for spirulina tip re hair. I have some in the cupboard but haven’t taken it religiously as it’s so foul and I take so many other supplements. I haven’t lost my hair but it’s started to thin quite dramatically the last couple of weeks, I will definitely add it back into my routine!

[Borobi]

Travel insurance is a terrible rip off for people with incurable cancer. My husband paid over £3000 for cover for a single trip which we then couldn’t take due to Covid lockdown. The insurance company refunded 50% as a “goodwill gesture”. So they got over £1500 for doing precisely nothing.