Traveling After Stage IV - Questions, Concerns and Conversation

Hello dorimark

Yes, i started checking xeloda board, it has so many useful information! Thank you!

Recent scan showed my liver tumor has gone after 3rd cycle, so at this point im NED! I hope xeloda works for you too.

Pajim, Cuba sounds great destination! Please add some pictures!

Parry, back in the old days I traveled whilst I was having radiation. It was near the end so my skin was mostly gone and I was wearing those strips and a net around it. I don't remember anyone saying anything at any time.

It can't hurt to have a doctor's note with you but don't let it stop you from going places!!!

Best way to get a note is to write one and ask him or her to sign it. That's what I did (for Cuba -- you're supposed to have a MD note if you bring in prescription meds)

Working on the Cuba pix. . .

Here's my husband and me with the 50's Chevy we rode in. The car behind us is an Edsel. Long story but the people we were traveling with were dying to find an Edsel. Our guide made it happen.

Me and our guide with Havana in the background. It was the one non-sunny day. As you can see, I didn't take a wig with me. Too hot.

I did see a policewoman with a shaved head. Our guide told me that some of the Cuban women do that for the summer because it's too hot to deal with hair.

Mycells, DH and I have a trip coming up in October and paid just after my diagnosis. We booked through AAA and also paid for their insurance which required no health info. (If needed my onc was prepared to write that I was healthy enough for travel, not sure if that would really help though.). I believe it’s a “cancel for any reason” plan and includes coverage for medical costs overseas. If you haven’t already looked into that it may be helpful.

Thanks Rosie24, I can look into it. I'm in Australia so if for some reason anyone in Australia has any ideas that would be great. The Breast Cancer Network Australia site just basically says "you won't be covered by any travel insurance for anything to do with your MBC, soz". And every policy I've looked at has advanced cancer in 'exclusions' once you delve into the fine print, even when you try to buy coverage for pre-existing medical.

sherry35

re: "Have the opportunity to go to Florida first week of October. I'm looking for information from fellow Canadians on where they got their travel insurance for pre existing conditions and how expensive it was? Any and all information would be appreciated."

I wanted to go to Florida last winter. I could not find any Canadian travel insurance company that would sell me travel insurance once I mentioned that I am under treatment for breast cancer currently.

If you find one please post.

(Even in the U.S. health insurance companies cannot refuse you if you have a pre-existing condition!) I'm mostly worried that if I get an infection or a fever, and have to go to the ER or clinic, then I could incur a massive bill. All I could think of was go without any medical insurance and if I got sick, hop on a plane back to Canada ASAP, but that's not necessarily a very realistic plan. I ended up not going to Florida but I have a condo there and would like to go for at least a little bit in the winter.

Sherry35,

It’s my understanding that if you have been on the same treatment for 6 months, you are considered “stable” and can get insurance, although it could be pricey. Your oncologist may be able to help answer some questions.

Anna

Thanks ladies

Thanks Greekninja! That's good to know. I will look into it

hi

Has anyone ever been told that you are at increased risk of DVT on long haul flights if you have stage IV cancer

thank you pajama

Adding my input on travel insurance for Australians after spending a demoralising day yesterday trying to buy travel insurance as my annual multi-trip insurance is coming to an end (I've already been to Thailand and Bali since finishing chemo with no cancer-relaetd issues - just some Bali belly and a sprained ankle!).

I have confirmed that in Australia if you have metastatic cancer you will not find any insurance that covers the cancer or any claims arising directly or indirectly from it. But I finally found, after scouring the NIB product disclosure statement and reading the wording on the page where it denied insurance for my cancer, their single trip policies will cover illnesses and injury unrelated to cancer, as well as all the other stuff like luggage, natural disaster etc - including to the US (which would bankrupt me if I went without insurance and got a broken leg or got shot).

Other companies I tried gave the following results:

1. Covermore: would not sell me any insurance policy (not even for luggage etc)
2. 1Cover: would not sell me any insurance policy
3. Insureandgo: would sell me a policy excluding cancer, but then the fine print says no medical claims (whatsoever) can be made where the person has had cancer treatment within the last five years and no cancellation cover (of any kind) if the person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness
4. Allianz: fine print in PDS ambiguous and may be interpreted that having metastatic cancer would invalidate any health-related claims (or it could have just meant metastatic-related claims)
5. AllClear (apparently the only specialist company that considers cancer): would only sell me a single trip policy to Thailand for $3600 (yes you read that right) with a $250 excess, but it would cover everything including cancer. They wouldn't let me just exclude cancer.
6. I found some amazing US-based companies that seemed to offer cheap medical and other insurance to non-US citizens with cancer but when I went right to the end I couldn't buy it due to being located in Australia.

TLDR: NIB is the only company I found that will cover medical expenses unrelated to cancer. MBC cannot be covered in Australia.