Usually I put articles of interest up under Breaking News on the home page, and I don't mention most of them. Some people read them; some don't. However, I thought this one was important enough to have its own discussion thread. The direct link will be on the home page after I finish writing this, but to copy and paste - http://www.cottagecountrynow.ca/community/health/article/1353444--dementia-considered-a-travel-risk
I had never heard of dementia (as a pre-existing condition) not being covered under travel insurance. Does anyone know about this? Has anyone had any experience with this?
The insurance companies can be strict. I have not tried to use travel insurance, but my parents once had the insurance not pay because my mother had injured herself before paying for an expensive trip and so it was a pre-existing condition even though she was not healing as quickly as predicted.
If I buy trip insurance I buy "cancel for any reason" insurance. I have bought it in the past from http://www.travelsafe.com/, but they seem to be offering it now only on their premium plans.
The original question in the article was about out-of-country, but the article is quite informative about everything to look for when buying any kind of travel insurance.
For example, if I decide to take Sid with me to Chicago for Thanksgiving this year (I swore last year was the last time I would do it), and a couple of weeks before, I decided, it just wasn't feasible to take him, would I be able to say that his declining mental condition made it impossible to travel and therefore, the insurance should pay for the canceled ticket? I doubt it. I highly doubt it, but that's the point of the article. Check, check, check, and ask, ask, ask, before you buy.
Joan--I had run up against this last year, and I think I posted about it. Some travel insurance companies consider Alzheimer's Disease a "mental Illness" and therefore, it isn't covered if you cancel because of it. Others will cover a cancellation, as long as Alzheimer's is listed as the reason. I was cautioned by my travel agent that if I need to cancel because of Steve, his doctor should not use the words mental illness to describe his condition, nor anything but AD. I'll try and find the old thread.
Tangentially related, there was a column in the Annapolis paper yesterday, re travel insurance. The couple had booked a trip after the H had been Dx'd with pancreatic cancer, but was doing very well with treatment, so they were anticipating good health for the trip. When he turned suddenly, shortly before trip time, and died quickly, Princess Cruise line would not reimburse because it was preexisting. (as was stipulated in the contract.) More fuel for the argument that you must be very clear on what the rules are when you buy travel insurance.
Well, I took my son's and my sister's advice and made the decision that my traveling days with Sid are OVER.
That means I go to Chicago for Thanksgiving by myself IF I can find respite funding for Sid. So I guess I have to find insurance that will reimburse me if I cancel if an emergency comes up with him. I'll check that travelsafe website.