Travelling differently after having heart issues

[Timeshare Von]

When I turned 60, I was thinking about where I was going to travel because travelling was going to be ramped up. Then, tightness in my chest started to happen and became regular. Stubborn me thought it was the way I was sleeping. As the problem got worse, I finally dragged myself into hospital. It ended up I had congestive heart failure. Fast forwarding, my new heart condition lead me to assess my travel plans. First, I wasn’t sure if I could get travel health insurance that would cover my (now) pre existing heart condition. Living in Canada, I was frankly afraid of travelling to the US anymore because any travel insurance I have could be void which could be a problem. I had a trip booked to Honolulu in November but cancelled it because I was in hospital in October. Now, I’m assessing my options. Here are a few ideas:

1. Only travel to locations where direct flights home are available on a daily basis. Yes, grab my heart and suck it up until landing If need be.
2. Go to locations where if something happened and my travel insurance was void, I could afford to pay for hospitalization out of pocket. Places in Mexico come to mind.
3. Just travel in Canada? Naw, I’m addicted to Palm trees. Dying under one is preferred over being in the cold .

How about you? What would you do if any major health event happens? What would your future travel plans look like? Can you even get travel health insurance to cover the condition? Would you just take the risk anyway? Would you change your timeshare plans? Would you avoid places not located near hospitals. Life happens and plans you thought you had dramatically change.

Best wishes to you as you continue to navigate through your heart health issues and figuring out how best to plan for your future travel. I know it can't be easy, as I too have had to deal with heart issues of a serious nature since 2018, but only in late 2021 agreed to the ICD that had been recommended by my specialists. I have never regretted it and with the device, I feel even more comfortable about traveling . . . even on solo trips without my husband or sister.

That said, Jim (and others) have provided good advice relative to travel insurance. I always buy mine as soon as I have booked a trip necessitating travel insurance. The waiving of pre-existing conditions is important for those of us with long-standing known issues. Evacuation is also a huge consideration, so I look for very high coverage policies.

For me, I continue to travel without restriction or concern for "what if" . . . because I want to live life to the fullest and I've worked too hard to make it to my retirement. I want to get out and experience all I can while I'm still relatively healthy and capable of doing so. And I agree, dying under a palm tree wouldn't suck and is preferred to being in the cold (in my case, in Wisconsin).

Prayers that you continue to receive good medical advice and care . . . and enjoy the life you've been given.

 

[noreenkate]

Well, and the problem like in many situations is - we don't have a consistent healthcare system either. If you're rich or otherwise have the means and can go to NYC or other center of "top hospitals in the world" for whatever you need, you'll get world class treatment. If you're in "random 3rd tier city or rural" you tend to get very much not that level of care. I'd be willing to pit the no costs barred NYC location as likely equal or better than anywhere. I'd also be willing to pit the "random 3rd tier city or rural" with the lowest developed countries given my experiences...

This is very much true- what I have found is outside of NYC healthcare is very much treated as assembly line production at best.
We live close to a major university health care system in a medium sized city - my SO with Afib & CHF, unfortunately way to common, gets outstanding top notch care. Me with an uncommon orthopedic issue not so much- I have to travel to both John Hopkins, HSS and NYU for proper diagnosis and treatment…Being lucky enough to hold a medical insurance plan that has in-network with nationwide coverage and the ability to travel has made all the difference- my SO jokes this is why many Tennesseans walk with a limp.

It’s so important to actually read through the plan’s information. What works for some doesn’t work for others.- part of the reason we remain- committed but not married is because of medical insurance plans what he needs and what I need are to very different plans.

 

[easyrider]

@Fredflintstone Good advice here. We use www.squaremouth.com to research and buy travel insurance. You can filter for things like coverage and pre-existing conditions. I don't know if their service is available in Canada, or how it compares or aligns with what your coverage is. I only mention this because the US health industry is ANYTHING BUT user friendly. It's expensive and most of us hate it. The industry has promoted that ours is 'The World's Best', but truly, US healthcare is just the world's most expensive. The mortality tables regularly show that health care in other countries costs less and people live longer.

Jim

I think you mentioned this somewhere on tug. Your squaremouth mention was where I found a policy that covered preexisting conditions. I'm glad I didn't need it, lol.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

I think you definitely need to look at not just medical insurance but evacuation insurance.
It can cost you 50K to get back to Canada if you crash in a foreign land.
Some of these foreign hospitals won't touch you until you pay cash up front.
They don't care if you have travel insurance they want cash and will not as much as give
you a Tylenol until you wire them 10K up front so just know that's a thing in some places
including Mexico.

Because of that, I am a chicken and have not travelled outside of the US since 2016.
My health just isn't up to par anymore. I've been all over the world in my younger years
so now I'm good with sticking around the US and the islands. Heck I barely get out of
FL anymore. Hopefully I'll start cruising again soon once I renew my passport which is
something you might want to consider.

Look at buying a plan that covers you for the whole year instead of just per trip so that
you know your buying a solid plan. It might cost more but you need to invest in yourself
if your going to take several risky trips and it will be worth it in the end for the peace of mind.

You should have your medical team evaluate you for oxygen while flying too.
It makes the flying less risky and easier on your heart.
They have nice little portable machines now that are lightweight and airline approved.
I bought one and you can plug them into your seat in first class.
Insurance usually doesn't cover the cost but I feel that it's definitely worth buying because
you for sure are hypoxic at the higher altitude and don't need the extra strain on your
heart right out the gate.

Good luck.

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My wife fell on a cactus last year in Cabo. You are right in that we had to pay for her surgery with our credit card. She was in surgery for four hours having cactus needles removed. The trip insurance reimbursed us.

Bill

 

[chriskre]

My wife fell on a cactus last year in Cabo. You are right in that we had to pay for her surgery with our credit card. She was in surgery for four hours having cactus needles removed. The trip insurance reimbursed us.

Bill

Yeah, there is a show about medical nightmares that happen when you travel abroad and OMG that stories they tell about
Mexico, Thailand and other countries and the shock everyone gets when they present their "Medical insurance".
My family is from the Dominican Republic so I am not surprised at all that they wouldn't want cash up front and then leave
you to deal with the insurance company afterwards.
That's why I won't travel abroad. I don't have 100K available right now to get me home just in case I crash someplace on a scooter
and need emergency surgery and then get complications which I always do with my lungs and need a Mediflight back home.
Just not worth it to me and you can just be an innocent bystander too, not just a weekend warrior on a bungee getting
injured. So many pedestrians getting hit by crazy drivers or robbing you for your phone, no thanks. I'm done with the crazy
world right now. Until things calm down a bit I'll take my chances in the good ol USA. We have enough issues here. LOL.