Travel insurance to cover hiking

[sandra]

Apologies if this has been covered before. I have had a search but can't find an answer to my question. Hopefully, some of you have experience and can advise me.

I am a keen hiker and have booked to do a five day guided trek to Milford Sound in New Zealand. (I live in Australia). The hike is only accessible by boat, and the hiking is mountainous but not extreme. I am trying to get travel insurance, and getting responses that say they will not cover me.

I have had two heart valve replacements - first one in December 2014, and the second one a year ago tomorrow. I currently have an Inspirus Resilia tissue valve. Eleven days after my last surgery (I was at home) I went into Atrial Fibrillation and collapsed out cold twice. I was taken by ambulance to the closest hospital (45 minutes drive away). In the ambulance I went into Ventricular Cardiac Arrest a number of times for periods of ten seconds and increasing, but returned to consciousness without intervention each time. After four months of treatment, I was able to get off all medications.

When I disclose my heart history to get travel insurance for my trip, I am being told that they won't cover me to hike overseas.
I am covered via Medicare in Australia (I hope)
I am close to retirement age, and have been planning to return to the UK to hike in the coming years. I am English by birth and hold dual nationality. I was also hoping to hike in other countries.

Could any hikers on here (or those of you that engage in 'adventure activities' please advise me how you have dealt with this? Thanking you in advance.
Sandra

 

[pellicle]

Hey Sandra.

I'm with BUPA ... I've used their travel policy when I went back to Finland, but you can also find (depending) that such things are covered with various credit cards (if you have the right level) ...

In Finland I didn't just hike, but XC skied in the winter


Myself I decided that I don't have a "heart condition" because that was repaired with a mechanical valve. If I fell and broke an ankle skiing then I doubt it'd come up as being a contributor.

Best of luck

 

[sandra]

Hey Sandra.

I'm with BUPA ... I've used their travel policy when I went back to Finland, but you can also find (depending) that such things are covered with various credit cards (if you have the right level) ...

In Finland I didn't just hike, but XC skied in the winter


Myself I decided that I don't have a "heart condition" because that was repaired with a mechanical valve. If I fell and broke an ankle skiing then I doubt it'd come up as being a contributor.

Best of luck

Great video. Thanks Pellicle. I guess I have the choice of saying I don't have a pre-existing condition, because as you say our valve/s have been repaired/replaced. But the form asks if I have had a heart valve replacement, and if I have arrhythmia, and if I have ever been hospitalised due to a cardiac arrest. It might depend on how confident I feel that these things are unlikely to happen again. I can obviously get insurance for anything unrelated to my heart, such as a broken bone, which as you say wouldn't be attributed to my heart. But, I do still have arrhythmia. I have my routine echocardiogram on April 3rd, so will speak with my cardiologist when I get the results. Thanks again for you reply

 

[pellicle]

But the form asks if I have had a heart valve replacement, and if I have arrhythmia, and if I have ever been hospitalised due to a cardiac arrest

dang, that's pretty specific ... such questions were no on what I signed.

I can obviously get insurance for anything unrelated to my heart, such as a broken bone, which as you say wouldn't be attributed to my heart.

that's what I'd do ...

But, I do still have arrhythmia. I have my routine echocardiogram on April 3rd, so will speak with my cardiologist when I get the results.

How bad is it? Mine's (tachycardia) presently covered well with a bit of metorprlol. I guess it all depends on your risk tolerance.

I ride a motobike still (as you've perhaps seen) and so my view is that if I make a mistake then it'll cost me a lot more than money.

I hope you get it sorted and are able to travel.

Best Wishes

 

[JWalters]

Went on 1 week hike in the Alps last year, and there were companies offering Helicopter extraction 'insurance'. That would be easy to determine if it is available in your target area. The cost was something like $USD 1500

 

[3mm]

the form asks if I have had a heart valve replacement, and if I have arrhythmia, and if I have ever been hospitalised due to a cardiac arrest.

Thank you for sharing this information with us because it helps us understand what we may be asked when we want to get traveler's insurance. I had mistakenly assumed that anyone could get this insurance.

Sidebar for USA forum members who are or will be using Medicare: some of these types of questions may be asked if you ever change Medicare Advantage plans or change original Medicare supplemental part G plans.

I went into Ventricular Cardiac Arrest a number of times for periods of ten seconds and increasing, but returned to consciousness without intervention each time. After four months of treatment, I was able to get off all medications.

Your hiking trip seems to place you far away from significant medical support. Please consider if your health is adequate for this. Even if there is a doctor on site, what can they do if you go into cardiac arrest? They probably have an AED machine, but can they treat arrhythmia to keep you stabilized while transporting you to a hospital?

 

[sandra]

How bad is it? Mine's (tachycardia) presently covered well with a bit of metorprlol. I guess it all depends on your risk tolerance.

I don't think it is too bad. Mostly it is exercise induced I think. When I walk up a big hill, or I run downhills (which for some reason I really love to do on a hike), I notice that my heart rate varies a lot. It will be at 150, and then begins to drop and could go down to 65. And as I am walking it continues to cycle between these two numbers. It never goes above about 155. It is the drops that concern me. Sometimes I feel light-headed and that is when I slow my pace right down, but it does take about 30 minutes to settle again. My blood pressure is good (on the lower side). I am wondering if my heart rate variance is because I am slightly dehydrated at the time, so I am making an effort to drink more water.

Went on 1 week hike in the Alps last year, and there were companies offering Helicopter extraction 'insurance'. That would be easy to determine if it is available in your target area. The cost was something like $USD 1500

This is really interesting. I never would have known about this. Definitely could be an option.

Thank you for sharing this information with us because it helps us understand what we may be asked when we want to get traveler's insurance. I had mistakenly assumed that anyone could get this insurance.

Thank you. It is not something that I had thought about previously either.

Your hiking trip seems to place you far away from significant medical support. Please consider if your health is adequate for this

I hadn't really thought about this too much before having to look at travel insurance. My cardiac arrest occurred 13 days after my OHS valve replacement, so I think it was likely a consequence of the surgery. It is one year today since my surgery. My arrythmia is exercise-induced, so I discuss this with my cardiologist. Maybe I would be better with a beta-blocker such as Metoprolol. I am going to cancel my trip for now. There are other less remote places to go that are just as beautiful. I will have my annual echocardiogram on April 3rd, and then discuss the results with my cardiologist and my doctor (who has a background in cardiology).

Thank you kindly for your responses and sharing your thoughts and experiences.

Sandra

 

[JWalters]

Has an ElectorPhysiologist proposed a pacemaker to ensure you always have a pacing signal (especially at the ventricle)? I have occasional Afib, and too-low pacing of the Atria as well sometimes. But I sleep a lot better knowing that I have a pacemaker that ensures my Ventricle never goes below a certain threshold.