Become sick before your holiday?

By Maryam Moshiri
Business reporter, BBC News

Ron Phillips was shocked to find his insurer would not cover his illness

You're going on your dream holiday.

You've packed your suitcase, remembered your travel documents and bought your travel insurance.

Insurance should mean you're covered for any unforeseen eventuality - but are you covered if you fall seriously ill between booking your holiday and setting off?

If your unexpected ill health happens while abroad, then you are normally covered for all associated costs of that ill health and repatriation, if needed.

But if it happens before you travel abroad and you don't want to cancel your trip, then you could be in trouble.

Dream holiday

Ron Phillips, 78, paid for his holiday with his Coutts bank gold card - which came with the added benefit of travel insurance.

Unfortunately for people with serious health conditions, the chance of needing treatment when abroad is significantly higher Nick Kirwan, Association of British Insurers

But a few months later, he was diagnosed with cancer. When he informed Coutts of his illness, they agreed to insure him for everything but the cancer, which they said they wouldn't cover.

His son, Trevor, says that it hurt the family when they were told that.

"To have gone through the shock of the cancer diagnosis... and to then be told by the insurance company: 'You know I am sorry, you can't go on that trip', and it's a trip they've been planning for a huge time."

"It was a huge shock and it knocked both mum and dad for six and caused a lot of angst within the family," Trevor Phillips says.

When he and his father challenged Coutts, the bank admitted its own terms and conditions did not allow it to revoke the policy - and full cover was re-instated.

Now Coutts is re-wording its policy so conditions can be changed if you fall ill after you've booked a trip - which is something most other insurers already have in their terms.

What is covered?

Hundreds of thousands of customers are given free insurance if they book a holiday through their bank or credit card provider.

Trevor Philips has set up an online campaign with his father

But anyone suffering or recovering from cancer would not usually qualify for this free cover. Taking out a policy that does cover you could cost hundreds of pounds more.

Nick Kirwan, from the Association of British Insurers, says covering people with more serious health problems simply costs more.

"Unfortunately for people with serious health conditions, the chance of needing treatment when abroad is significantly higher and that does mean the premiums for them are going to be a bit more, but for most people travel insurance is cheap and we'd really like it to stay that way."

But cancer charities say the industry should do more to help sufferers go on holiday.

Campaign started

Mike Hobday, from Macmillan Cancer Support, says sufferers should get a better deal.

"Cancer treatment is improving all the time and for the two million people living with their cancer diagnosis today, their state of health, their state of well-being is a lot better than it was 10 years ago," he says.

"As people's health improves, Macmillan wants the price of travel insurance to come down, in a way that reflects people's better health."

Trevor Phillips and his father, who is currently on the holiday he had planned for, have started a campaign to improve the deal for cancer sufferers trying to get holiday insurance.

They hope interest in their website, welivewithcancer.org.uk, will eventually develop into a charity which can give advice to cancer sufferers about how to get the best insurance deals.

Fine print

"Dad's experience has been with cancer and travel insurance and obviously that will be our primary focus but what we really want to do is see if we can win the battle on travel insurance for cancer patients," Trevor says.

"If we can get the rules changed then that will apply to all illnesses and to all forms of insurance."

If you are planning a holiday abroad and are worried, the advice from the Consumer's Association is to let your insurer know if your circumstances change.

It also recommends closely checking the details of the policy -- to see what's covered and what the rules are if the unexpected happens before you jet off.

In the mean time, both Macmillan and the insurance industry say they are working together to improve cover for cancer sufferers who want a foreign holiday with peace of mind.