Medical travel insurance

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Asif
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Medical travel insurance

Postby Asif » Thu 26 Jun 2008 4:30 pm

I was planning to go on holiday soon but since my graft three years ago I havent left the UK incase something happens to the grafted eye. I have tried getting medical travel insurance but have been rejected due to an existance of an underlying medical condition. Has anyone got any advice as to what I can do?

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Sarah M
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Re: Medical travel insurance

Postby Sarah M » Thu 26 Jun 2008 6:46 pm

Hi Asif,

I had a graft Nov 06 and I went to Cuba in Feb 07. I got annual worldwide travel insurance from Tesco and have declared both KC and graft. It costs me something like £110 a year. Had to phone up and speak to someone as opposed to buying it online/instore. Thankfully I've not had to use it.

Don't know if thats any use to you, but hope you get something sorted and can get away. :)

Sarah

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Asif
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Re: Medical travel insurance

Postby Asif » Thu 26 Jun 2008 8:35 pm

thanks for that sarah. so were there any problems at all when you went to cuba with your grafted eye due to climate change like redness or irritation? Did you take anything with you like chloramphenocol or maxidax?

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rosemary johnson
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Re: Medical travel insurance

Postby rosemary johnson » Thu 26 Jun 2008 8:45 pm

Hi.
Don't know where you're going or for how long, but on a couple of occasions, I've had Boots Gap Year Travel insurance.
Despite not being a student on a gap year and a bit older than most gap year people!
Once was for going to Africa for just over three months, the other time was going to New Zealand for about 6 weeks.
Both these were pre-graft.
I had to ring and tell them my conditions and for NZ they excluded something that was recent but in fact had ceased to be a problem so I wasn't worried about the exclusion. They were very cool about the KC.
The cover I remember being pretty good - emergency repatriation from Darkest Africa, and it includes horseriding as standard, though you have to pay extra for more extreme dangerous sports. Needless to say, I didn't want insurance that didn't coer me to go pony trekking!
You can but ring and ask them - if it's 3 years on fro a graft and no trouble so far, you may be OK.
PS: don't forget your E111 - originally for EU countries, it now covers more outside the EU, ISTR, on reciprocal deals. Ask at a post office if you haven't got one. The idea is it covers emergency medical treatment abroad on the basis of your UK national insurance "stamp" payments in countries who have reciprocal deals with the UK.
Rosemary

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Asif
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Re: Medical travel insurance

Postby Asif » Thu 26 Jun 2008 9:38 pm

I'm going to Turkey for 1 week. I havent had any serious problems apart from several lose/broken stitches at random times. Thanks for the heads up on the E111 I didnt know there was such a thing, i googled it and its now replaced by the EHIC card

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melissa
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Re: Medical travel insurance

Postby melissa » Fri 27 Jun 2008 7:24 am

Not sure about the medical insurance, but have some travel tips...
Aeroplane air is VERY dry. make sure you have lots of rewetting drops on your person (not in the overhead hold)- to use throughout the whole trip. i also take hygenic wipes to clean my hands without getting up and going to the toilet
Hot and Dry destinations- again- lots of rewetting drops... bottled water or sterile saline for rinsing hands and lenses- I havn't been to Turkey, but I know Egypt- if there are so many bacteria in the water that it can give you diarrohea - imagine what it could do to your eye!
I always take a bottle of 'Maxidex' with me when I travel (on the advice of my doctor)

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Sarah M
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Re: Medical travel insurance

Postby Sarah M » Fri 27 Jun 2008 3:23 pm

Hi Asif,

I was really worried about going to Cuba as it was only 2 months after the op. But my consultant was happy enough for me to go. Thankfully the only problem I had was when we went to club tropicana, the bright lights made my eye water like mad so had to watch the show with my sunglasses on.

I was on Maxitrol at the time (still on Maxidex!!!), and i also had lacrilube with me as I had dry patches at that point.

You should go to your dr just to be safe/for reassurance, but i'm sure you will be just fine. :)

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Re: Medical travel insurance

Postby Andrew MacLean » Sat 28 Jun 2008 11:20 am

As to medical insurance, I guess the message is to shop around.

Take your meds with you: I always got mine dispensed in minims (single dose vials).

All the best

Andrew
Andrew MacLean


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