Insurance - not quite as certain as taxes

[journeygal]

Hi all, Thought i would float this topic to see if anyone had any wise words of wisdom on this. I'm a young un relatively and am battling a cancer diagnosis at 29. Just trying to work out if this means a total no go with future income protection or life insurance policies (i don't have either set up at the moment unfortunately - if only i'd had that crystal ball). I know travel insurance is probably a bit easier to deal with. Would love to hear your thoughts/experiences? Thanks JG

[joyhoney]

Hi I just faced this particular dilemma. I had a phonecall offering a quote on life insurance. Everything was going well until they asked the health questions. Have you had leukaemia or cancer is one two of them. When I told them I'd had leukaemia I was hastily told I didn't qualify. To be truthful, until that phonecall I had never thought of it. But since then I have heard of others being refused travel insurance on the same grounds. However they managed to shop around and get cover. Let me know how you go, interested to hear how you get on, Joyhoney

[caring_partner]

Hi All- Has anyone had any sucess in getting travel health insurance after their diagnosis as we have been told you can't get it and so have ruled out a trip we would like to have taken to the US and Canada. Regards Gail.

[Sailor]

Travel insurance - you can get it but it won't cover pre-existing conditions. So if you have had cancer and get run over by a 91 bus in London that is OK, but if you have a urinary tract blockage as a result of radiotherapy to the pelvis, you are on your own. Life insurance - shop around, but be prepared to pay. Sailor The cure for anything is saltwater – sweat, tears, or the sea. Isak Dinesen

[samex]

I've used QBE Travel Insurance. They don't cover the cancer but cover me for aqnything else. Thank goodness I had Income Protection Insurance before diagnosis. Samex

[flight]

Check out your superannuation fund. Some funds automatcally provide a basic level of insurance coverage for all of their members. My super fund is HESTA and they do this. I would have to disclose my past medical history if I wanted more than the basic coverage, though. There is a disablity web site that gives more information about this. I think the Cancer Council has some resources too. Flight.

[flight]

Here is that link I was writing about. The organisation is called the Chronic Illness Alliance. They have a link that covers centrelink, power of attonery and guadianship, super, wills, insurance and discrimination. The can be found at: www.chronicillness.org.au/workwelfarewills/index.htm

[deejjay]

I'd also check out the Australian Human Rights Commission website section on insurance http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/insurance.htm in relation to disability discrimination. Cases and conciliations seem to confirm the below. My understanding is that most insurance including TPI and income protection won't cover pre existing medical conditions but should cover unrelated future conditions and situations, ie being hit by the proverbial bus. But one has to be honest about everything when asked, say in their questionnaire, ie past any condition to ensure the insurance is valid. However some insurance cover will still cover cancer. For example a past work place I worked at where their superannuation also offered TPI and income protection they actually did not ask questions about pre existing conditions and did cover claims. Their rationale was that the organisation was large with 14,000 employees of working age (15-65) which statistically this population in general has a low level of disability (10%) and thus the risk of covering an employee with a pre existing condition was was spread over a large range of low risk employees. There was also a 3 month wait for income protection to kick in and many conditions although serious are too short term ie heart bypass, minor heart attack, even major surgery without ongoing complications or treatment where most are back at work after 3 months. Cheers DJ