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We have been having a few queries / enquiries about insurance and having
received permission from the people concerned, will publish their question / my
answer / feedback. I hope you find this helpful in your search for
insurance.

June 2008 - More excellent feedback concerning Endsleigh Insurance and
Jonathan in the Newcastle office:-
Dear Graham
A
quick line to say I was very impressed with the service I received from
Jonathan at Endsleigh Insurance (0191 2304021).
I advised him of my
son’s transplant and other relevant medical details. I asked for a quote
for an annual insurance policy as my son is travelling abroad twice this
year.
He gave a quote of
£42.34 for an annual policy, which includes Europe and Egypt. He gave me
my policy number over the phone and advised the details will be sent to me
today.
The service I
received was excellent.
Thanks
Linda
Holden

 | I received the following feedback from Brian Wood re Travelbility.
Has anyone else tried and failed / been successful?
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1330 hrs Wednesday 14/11/2007
I have just contacted Travelbility travel insurance,
6 years since my heart transplant with no problems and was refused
cover.
Brian Wood

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Received this Email from our chairman, Barrie Braidford on
27th June 2007:
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Hi Graham,
In the clinic this morning someone asked about holiday insurance, and a young
man said he gets cover with TESCO. This reminded me
that I had not arranged any insurance for my trip to Holland tomorrow.
I phoned Holiday Services, but they are out until late
afternoon, so I phoned Tesco, and yes they have covered
me for my transplant and Diabetes, at a cost of £89
for the weekend. Expensive, but at least I am covered.
Can you add this to the insurance list on the website please
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Thanks Mr Chairman,
This is very helpful and another insurance
company to add to our ever growing list. I wonder how an insurance
company can be 'out of the office' until late afternoon though.
If you had tried some of the other insurers listed who were 'open for business'
I reckon you would have found a much better deal than that offered by
Tesco, which by any reasonable standard is very expensive.
Graham
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April 2007:
Another 10/10 for ACE INSURANCE.
Read the information below from Alison:
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Hi Graham
I too was covered by Norwich Union after a lung
transplant in Jan 2000. I have just rang to renew it but have
been refused now - not because of the transplant but the condition which
caused me to have it. Also my husband had back surgery last
September so they wont cover him as it's less than 12 months but it does
state that on the policy .
So back to drawing board -will let you know
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Hi Graham
Just to let you know, I got annual cover for both
of us for £63.
Transplant fully covered with ACE INSURANCE.
No luck with the others I tried.
Alison Leslie
Thanks Alison, this is extremely helpful information and
backs up what others are telling us. It seems that at certain
times one or two companies appear to be much more sympathetic to our
case than the rest. It could be that even though a company
declines cover this time they might offer it in future, so never rule them out
completely.
I would also suggest trying your local High Street broker
who will trawl the system on your behalf. Metropolitan in Wallsend
are very good.

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I had to renew my annual worldwide multi trip travel insurance before 5th
march 2007 and had cause to change my insurer. I am 52 years old and
had my heart transplant in 1999. This is
what happened:-
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Fortis Insurance would not continue my policy when it came up
for renewal in February 2007.
I had cause to ring them from my broker's office and had to go through their
health screening process because they denied any previous knowledge of my heart
transplant. I found this pretty alarming as you can imagine because
they have been happily taking my premium for the past 6 years.
Some of the the questions they asked me were quite ridiculous and of no
relevance. In particular the fact that I had had bypass surgery pre
transplant is as relevant as a man with no arms being asked if his fingers were
numb.
They declined to offer me cover and I became a guinea pig of my own advice on
the 'insurance page'.
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Endsleigh Insurance were fantastic and it took no more than 10 minutes
on the phone and I was fixed up with fully comprehensive, unlimited medical
cover, annual multi trip cover, including the USA, for £93.26
They had a cheaper rate with slightly less cover at £77.41.
I cannot speak too highly of the service from David Goodman in the Newcastle
office of this nationwide insurance company.
Try him on 0191 2304021.
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I had tried Holiday Services Ltd first but the numbers given
could not offer me the cover I required. In fact two of them would
not insure me at all. It could be that on another day it may well be
different.
I can only tell you what happened when I was trying to renew my insurance.
Let me know what happened when you tried.
Regards,
Graham

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 | Just received this Email from Carolyn Whaymand, solicitor.
Sept 2006
Hello,
I have had an annual
worldwide travel policy with Fortis for the last few years and their
premiums have always been very reasonable. However, they have now changed
their declaration form to include transplant and with therefore not cover
transplants or cystic fibrosis. This is despite the fact that my condition
has not changed since the last insurance premium.
Carolyn
Thanks Carolyn,As my
insurance with Fortis is not due for renewal just yet I am assuming
my cover is the same as when I took it out, which does cover my heart
transplant.
If your information is correct then I
will be looking for a new insurance company too. Can anyone else
shed any light on this dilemma?
Regards,
Graham Graham
I found your site very
useful and was able to obtain insurance from ACE Insurance as
mentioned on your site.
None of the other
health sites were able to help me. So thank you!
Carolyn

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 | In complete contrast to the experience encountered by Brian Wood (below),
have a look at this:
May 2006
Hi Graham,
I am the mum of a 16 year old liver transplant patient, last year we went to
the World games in Canada and had no problem getting insurance with Marks
and Spencer - not even an extra premium, this year they are charging extra
£260.00 for 2 weeks. I tried Fortis through the Post Office, I have used
them before but they declined to cover Matthew for anything remotely
concerned with his transplant.
Jane Dodd
Hi Jane,
Have you tried some of the other insurance
companies that I have listed on the FHLTA website?
Holiday Services / THB Northern & Endsleigh
have all been recommended.
There is a letter from a young girl in Ireland
who suggests Ace Insurance although she gives no other details.
I am surprised about Fortis because that is
the company I use.
As you know, if you can answer their health
line questions it is normally OK.
Sometimes it is a good idea to take out annual
insurance cover, if possible, and then simply renew it each year.
I hope this information proves helpful
Let me know how you get on.
Regards,
Graham
Graham,
I have managed to get Travel Insurance through the Norwich Union
without any problems at all. They said that a fit and well transplant
patient was not a problem, no extras to pay, it was good not to have all
the questions to answer, they just asked how long ago was he
transplanted, did he take anti-rejection drugs and was he generally fit
and well. I did query them - because I had been having problems but they
said they were in contact with transplant organisations and from
experience they were happy to cover people with transplants of over 1
year.
Thanks for your help.
Jane 
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Last year I contacted you advising you that
insurance was available from Norwich Union Direct, Unfortunately this
company has now changed its rules and will no longer cover transplant
patients. After much searching I have reinsured with A company called
Wiseman's, trading via
www.laterlife.co.uk or telephone01784 242138 quoting laterlife who will
cover anyone that has not had an over night stay in hospital (mot angio's do
not count) and has been stable for 12 months. I have taken a joint annual
worldwide policy out for only £91. Hope this helps others having problems
Yours
Brian Wood
(heart)Thanks Brian
the above is very helpful 
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Hi Graham, I'm Mike Smith, heart transplant
since 1994. Hope you are well; I'm doing fine. Just a quick question which
you may have an answer to. My wife & I will be invited to a wedding in
Canada next July & I couldn't find insurance. Have you any ideas as to
which company I might try? I have visited Australia with Austravel & other
than increasing the excess payable( if I had claimed) to £1000, there was no
problem. From what I understand the U.S. & Canada are just horrendous
premiums. Any help you could give would be much appreciated.
Kind regards & thanks,
Mike,
Nice to hear from you.
I competed in the World Transplant Games this
August in Canada and did not have a problem.
I take out an annual insurance with
Fortis at a cost of £80 which allows me to travel anywhere in the
world and have used them for the past five years.
Contact any insurance broker and they will
contact Fortis on your behalf.
There are other companies which will insure you
and they can be found on the FHLTA website / Info / Insurance.
Holiday Services (also listed) are supposed to
be very good too.
Quote MS and receive a £1 discount.
If you find a particularly helpful /
unhelpful company let me have some feedback please.
I hope this is helpful.
Regards,
Graham, Your advice could not have been better!
Very many thanks for putting me onto Fortis who accepted me after info. on
my med. details with no loading. I opted for "couple" insurance with my wife
& got worldwide cover for £138 for the two of us!
Thanks also for the FHLTA website tip. I'm a
bit new to this.
Best wishes,& keep up the good
work,
Mike.
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 | My thanks to Gill Hollis, who had a lung transplant in
February 2004, for the following list of companies who will give a yes or no in
a 5 minute phone call. They are listed in order of cover offered:-
| Company |
Tel. No: |
| Positive response: |
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| Brunsdon Insurance Brokers |
01452 623623 |
| City Bond |
0870 2203937 |
| Medicover |
0870 7353600 |
| All Clear |
0870 7779339 |
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| Negative response: |
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| Mediquote |
0870 8902991 |
| 24 Dr Travel |
0870 3669373 |
| Venturesure |
0800 181532 |
| Holiday Services |
01773 747426 |
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I am just e mailing you to let you know I got insurance
for America for when I am hopefully going for a month in Feb. I
just wanted to let you know because I know how hard people find getting
insurance and especially to the States. The company are called
Ace Insurance and they do both Ireland and the UK. It
only cost me 39 pound sterling and they know everything. There are a few
terms like if you have been in hospital as a patient recently etc but they
are pretty straight forward.
Hope its of some use to someone,
Laura x 
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It is worth pointing out that the FHLTA has no connection with any of the
insurance companies listed above. We are not endorsing any company
or their products . We simply give the information so that it may
help you find the insurance cover for your needs.
We look forward to hearing of other companies.

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