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Atrial fibrillation and health insurance

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lankylass
lankylass

Hi guys, Saw cardiologist yesterday, 'flipped' out of sinus rhythm a month ago so she suggested another cardioversion, I am ok with that for the moment but am considering an ablation if the next cardioversion doesn't stay long. However, I wondered if anyone can recommend travel insurance. I got insurance a couple of months ago, no real problem as I was in sinus rhythm. I rang them today just to confirm the changes and to say I am on the list for a cardioversion. They offered to sort any claim out or refund my money!! As I hadn't booked anything yet the former was not a problem but I can't go on holiday uninsured. I asked them why they wouldn't insure me and they said that it is because I am 'unstable' and awaiting a procedure. I argued that I could just as well stay as I am because the meds are controlling the AF and if I wanted to I could stay like this for the rest of my life. It was just like pressing the 'repeat button'. He kept going on about my condition being unstable as I was awaiting a procedure. I rang a friend who I know has just come back from Greece, she has a holiday ap't there and flies often. She just said to me that she didn't have any insurance for that reason!! She is very brave but I don't think that I could do that. Anyway, I would be grateful for any companies that will insure in this circumstance. Thanks guys. 

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

  • mazieboo22
    mazieboo22 lankylass

    Posted

    Hi, a number of years ago I was due to go on holiday about three months before my very first episode of AF. They did think it was a one off and the Cardiologist said to not include it as it could well be just a one off and discharged me from any further treatment so my insurance was fine. I do have it now so when I filled out my insurance form it did ask for circulatory and various other problems which I listed and it said I would be covered for most things but anything I was having treatment for or I was previously suffering from was not covered and I asked a few Companies and the answer was the same. I had to risk going but I took the E111 card with me so had some sort of back up in case it started but thankfully it was fine on that trip.
  • derek76
    derek76 lankylass

    Posted

    Ask them in they will exclude AF from your policy and cover you for everything else. I used to do that for my aortic anureysm on my annual policy with insureandgo.  

    Are you on warfarin? My neighbour travelling on his E111 had a stomach bleed from polyps when in Spain but went to the nearest private hospital. It cost him 3000 euros for two days plus another 1000 for blood transfusions. They wanted him to stay longer but he could not afford it. 

    • mike485
      mike485 derek76

      Posted

      HI I am in Spain, have been going regularly on and off for a few years, I have Permanent AF, and am treated regulator by Spanish Health system with EHIC card(Old E111), whenever I go in to a Doctors ( State GP), I get full treatment as if in the UK including full prescription although I have to pay 10% of cost at the Pharmacy, ( over 65 pensionsta). the point I am making is that according to the UK Government website, with the EHIC card within the EU (But I can only speak from experience in Spain) you are entitled to all necessary treatment on the same terms as if you were a Spanish resident, BUT you cannot expect extended treatment.
  • lynne24791
    lynne24791 lankylass

    Posted

    Hi. I am confused by all the notifications about cardioversion and ablation.

    Four years ago I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF and given medication. Two weeks ago I went o the gp complaining of breathlessness The gp said seemed like AF was now persistant and upped the bisoprolol and started me on rivaroxaban.(I had a choince of that or warfarin) When I mentioned any procedure she said I wasn't in need of that so at what stage do you need any procedure done.??

    I am insured with Insure for All. I told them of change in medication and because rivaroxaban is not a blood thinner needing regular blood tests it didn't matter. The cost was increased by £10 because of the increase in bisoprolol for blood pressure. I am still classed as paroxysmal AF on insurance because it was just the gp saying seems to be 'persistant'. So I didn't say anything. I haven't had another monitor or seen cardiologist so I call that not official!!

  • anna_maria20163
    anna_maria20163 lankylass

    Posted

    Hi I have had persistant AF for quite some time now and I have had two ablations and four cardioversions, none of these has worked, so on Tuesday I had a pacemaker fitted and I'm hoping that finally this will make a difference. I have had a terrible year.My travel insurance was reduced after having a cardioversion, maybe because it seems one is having remedial treatment. I also went to Australia in January and got insured with Saga, it wasn't cheap but for peace of mind it's good to have. Strangley while in Oz I just had AF with no breathing problems. Its just over the last few months that things got so bad I couldn't walk down the street without stopping to rest. I'm only 62 and was beginning to feel like an invalid! I was offered another ablation but I refused, hence th pacemaker

     

    • lankylass
      lankylass anna_maria20163

      Posted

      Cheers Anna and AF guys!!, It seems to be about keeping some things back and hoping nothing happens. I could have said my AF came back on hol, wouldn't have been honest but how would they know. As I said my friend with an ap't in Greece doesn't have any travel insurance but takes the E111 card, she was a midwife foe 34 years!! Cheers for your help, I'm sure I will get sorted but I am not paying hundreds just to go away for th week. 
    • derek76
      derek76 anna_maria20163

      Posted

      Have you felt improvement from the pacemaker yet? I am having one fitted in the next few weeks after a diagnosis of tachy bradycardia.

      How much was not cheap with Saga? They would not insure me when I  asked about ten years ago because of a small aortic anureysm.

    • anna_maria20163
      anna_maria20163 derek76

      Posted

      I've only had the pacemaker one day Derek and because I have AF I have to wait up to six weeks forit to be connected to my natural sinus node. I think the insurance was about £260+ we went to Australia for three weeks
    • derek76
      derek76 anna_maria20163

      Posted

      That's not bad for OZ as a percentage of the holiday cost.

      NZ has reciprocal health care with the UK. Australia only has some cover. 

      Under the reciprocal healthcare arrangements, British citizens resident in the UK and travelling on a British passport are entitled to limited subsidised health services from Medicare for medically necessary treatment while visiting Australia. This does not cover pre-existing conditions, or treatment that does not require prompt attention. Other exclusions under the reciprocal agreement include pharmaceuticals when not a hospital in-patient, use of ambulance services and medical evacuations, which are very expensive.

    • anna_maria20163
      anna_maria20163 derek76

      Posted

      I knew that but anyway I have an Irish passport. I must say though, last year the cost of my travel insurance reduced when I declared that I had ablation and cardioversion for my AF
    • derek76
      derek76 anna_maria20163

      Posted

      Wait till you get to the stage where they increase it because you are a year older.
    • sylvester13
      sylvester13 lankylass

      Posted

      hi you could try All clear.  Although my husbands yearly policy was high (multiple health problems) mine wasnt too bad for AF and psoritic arthritis. Might be worth a try you can get a quote on line.
    • lankylass
      lankylass sylvester13

      Posted

      Hi, Cheers, will try that. The problem was that because I am waiting for a procedure (cardioversion) my condition is deemed 'unstable', which it isn't as I am fine on my meds and could remain on these for the forseeable future. There is no 'box to tick' to say I have 'flipped' out of sinus rhythm, or cardioversion and am now back in AF but my meds are controllin it well. Thanks for your advice. 
    • anna_maria20163
      anna_maria20163 lankylass

      Posted

      Hi I do hope your Cardio version works for you. I have had four plus two ablations and nothing was successful. So I had a pacemaker fitted on Wednesday
    • derek76
      derek76 anna_maria20163

      Posted

      What have they said about medications you will need to take after the pacemaker is connected?

      Cardiologist I had phone converstation with when he phoned with my seven day monitor results said that I would still need bisoprolol after getting a pacemaker but as my heart rate is being controlled that the side effects wuld be less. Not sure why that would be.

      A friend who had a pacemaker fitted twenty years ago when he was 60 was told that he would have to take amiodarone for life. The side effects were so bad that he stopped it and it was not replaced by another drug.  

       

    • mike485
      mike485 derek76

      Posted

      HI I am have Persistent AF, and have been prescribed

      warfarin 4 mg per day

      Bisoprolol 5mg per day (reduced to 2.5mg when put on Multaq400mg twice a day)

      Pravastatin 20mg

      Capenon HCT ( A composite tablet for blood pressure),

      I was put on Multaq , reduce Bisoprolo and Capenon, post cardio version which worked for about 5 months then AF returned, The Multaq gave me some pretty bad side effects for a while but I persevered for three months hoping for improvement , but no luck, have now been taken off Multaq, dosage upped on Biprosolol.

      Since then condition remains, although now I tend to get heavy pressure over left breast some days!.. But repeated discussions with Cardiologist seems to indicate that is sort of ok, and that I am in Persistent AF and should adapt to live wiith it,

      In general reading all the comments here and in other locales, it would seem the choices are two fold, live with AF ( and the subsequent issues with QOL) or keep going for Cardio Version, ablation and other erraticaly successful or not procedures, quite a dilemma and it would seem the same for most of us!!

       

    • lankylass
      lankylass mike485

      Posted

      HI Mike, I started with AF about this time last year. I was put on 5mg of bisoprolol and 4mg of warfarin, (3 at the weekends). I still got a lot of 'bumpiness and knocking, but no pain, and was put on 2.5 digoxin which seemed to help. I had a cardioversion in October which lasted for 7 months, came back into AF on voting day this year!! I did the usual 'rounds' of seeing the cardiologist and having another echocardiagram and have just got a date for my second cardioversion this August 20th, am excited and worried at the same time!! Forgot to say I am also in permanent AF. I was offered an ablation but decided to go down the non invasive route of CV for now, I always hope that 'can' last!! I did ask the arhythmia nurse who did my procedure last October if any of his cardioversions have lasted and he said yes, a few, also the warfarin nurses I see confirm this so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I know exactly how you feel, it may be better to just live with this thing than go round the merry go round all the time but when I was back in sinus rhythm it felt great, no breathlessness, no being puffed out walking up the slightest hill, no 'knocking'!! Hopefully, one day they will find a cure, until then, keep taking the tablets!! Good luck. 
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