Insurance for Child with a Pre-Existing Medical Condition

I have a problem at the moment with this issue. Myself, my sister and my 11 year old son are travelling to Phuket in October.

My 11 year old has two pre-existing conditions.

One is hydrocephalus(excess fluid on the brain, for which he has two shunts), the other is a cyst in the spinal cord for which he also has a shunt. Insurance company quoted cover for the first one but not the second one.

My son is a bit unstable at the moment medically due to the cyst in his spinal cord so I am quite worried that if something happens due to this reason before we go or while we are away we won%26#39;t be covered.

Don%26#39;t have insurance as yet.

Rang my private health insurance provider and was told they don%26#39;t cover either condition.

Will a travel agent change dates of flights and accom if needed?

He will be having MRI scans of the brain and spinal cord 1 month before we go.

Neurosurgeon is also issuing us with the name of a Neurosurgeon in Thailand and a copy on disc of his most current scans, just in case.

Anyone have any advice?

Tania

Insurance for Child with a Pre-Existing Medical Condition

Thanks for reply on original thread Chisel.

Insurance for Child with a Pre-Existing Medical Condition

Karen, I rang the insurance company and was told that they do not cover the neck or spinal column under any circumstances.

Should I check other insurance companies?

Even our private health insurance provider won%26#39;t cover it!

Tania

taniaL

i%26#39;m afraid you will probably find no insurance company will cover the cyst on his spinal column. as stated previously they tend not to cover potential spinal problems.

in regards to changing dates you will need to speak to your agent. they may be flexible, but don%26#39;t be surprised if they charge a fee.

i also have to point out that you are obligated to inform the airline you are travelling with if anybody suffers an illness that can be exacerbated while travelling. this is contained usually in their fine print somewhere. if they take your son on board you generally have to sign a waver freeing them of any responsibility if something happens during the flight. best to check.

i presume you are going to phuket. there is an international hospital there but i don%26#39;t know what it%26#39;s like. generally here all the best doctors and specialists work in bangkok at international hospitals.

the bottom line is if you do get to go on holiday and your son needs treatment while here it could turn out to be an expensive exercise. what if he needs to be medivacced back to australia?

so look out for info before you travel then decide

1. can i get insurance

2. will the airline take my son

3. is the hospital capable of treating your son if something happens

4. can you afford the medical bills (if no insurance) if something happens

bkk3

Thanks for the advice bkk3

I am definately going to be extremely cautious about this situation, we have always put our sons health first, and if that means no holiday for him, then that is how it will have to be unfortunately!

I have rung 3 travel insurance companies today and no one will insure for his neck/spinal column. Some would also not insure for the hydrocephalus either. I will definately ring others though, might be lucky. If something did happen over there I sure could not afford it without insurance. I will also ring Singapore Airlines and talk to them. Although nothing is likely to occur due to the flight, who knows with the different pressures and such.

We still have not paid in full for the holiday(through an agent) so maybe we might be lucky with plan or date changes???

Still have ten weeks to go also, so I%26#39;m hoping his health will improve by then.

Tania

TaniaL

good luck, i really do hope you can find someone to insure your son. it would be a shame that he would have to miss out travelling overseas everytime.

bkk3

Thanks bkk3

I will go through the phone book tomorrow and keep trying.

I truly did%26#39;nt think it would be an issue when we booked. I understand paying a higher premium and have no problems doing so. But to be told ';we don%26#39;t cover the neck or spinal column under any circumstances';, I must admit I was a bit dumbfounded.

This holiday was going to be something to look forward to for both of us as he has undergone many brain and spinal surgeries in his 11 years and has suffered greatly. His aunty is paying too!!!

Best Wishes

Tania

Hi Tania, I really hope you find an insurance company that will cover your son. Sounds like both of you really deserve a holiday. All the best and good luck.

Rene

I agree with Renee, Hope everything works out ok, let us know how you go.

Cathy

Thanks Rene and Cathy,

I am currently looking through the forum for ideas and the phone book. Will let you know if I have any luck.

Although they will cover the hydrocephalus which would require immediate attention if something went wrong, its hard to know whether to proceed without insurance for his other problem. If I was concerned I suppose we could catch an earlier flight back home? Don%26#39;t know what to do at this stage.

Tania

Hi Tania

What a shame, I would speak with the travel agent and find out where you stand re the possibility of changing dates etc. Hope you can sort out something with the insurance, not sure what I would do. Have you had sudden problems with the spinal cyst in the past, that could be triggered by the holiday? What does the neurosurg here think?

Lee

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