You've had your stents inserted now, and your cardiologist is happy with you so I wouldn't worry. Go and enjoy yourself, the relaxing will do you good

I wouldn't think it makes a difference whether you are in the EU or not. As long as you have adequate insurance should you need to see a doctor you will be fine wherever you are and private healthcare in Turkey is very good. Your GP and consultant have said it is fine so surely they know best.

Go and have a wonderful, relaxing holiday

Your problem is the insurance company. Are they willing to authorise/pay for treatment in the event of your needing it for any reason.

Remember TOs and their delaying tactics when claiming are a breeze when you compare them to insurance companies. I have no doubt if you cut your finger and required treatment they would manage to link it to your heart attack if they could avoid paying.

fwh

Have you advised you travel insurance of your heart attack? That is the most important thing, to have it added to the policy and accepted.

luci

Did you have the insurance before heart attack?? As you don't travel untill Sept I am thinking you already the policy, therefore it will need to be ammended.

Our friend had a pacemaker inserted a couple of years ago and had to wait 6 months before the insurance would cover him for travel to Turkey.
The insurance companies seem to try and get out of paying out for claims these days,so if I were you I would phone the medical screening at your insurance company and ask them if they will insure you should any problems relating to the heart attack occurs in Turkey.

Thanks for your replies.
I have an annual insurance with the Post Office which was taken out in March. I have spoken to them and informed them of what has happened and they have assured me that the information that I have given them has been added to my case notes and that I am covered should anything happen as the insurance was taken out before the heart attack. Admittedly, I haven't got this in writing as they said that they don't issue updates in writing, does this sound familiar with anyone?
I am actually in the process of claiming for a holiday that I should have been travelling on this Monday. My consultant said that I could probably have gone on that one too as it would have been more than 4 weeks after having my stents fitted, but me and my hubby decided that it was too soon as the huge ball of cotton wool that I have been wrapped in has only just about come off.

This raises a slightly different issue. Are the payout limits in the policy based on per claim or per year? Will the fact that you have made this claim lower your cover for the second trip?

Going back to the notification question, there's no harm in writing to them by recorded delivery. They probably won't acknowledge that either but you'll have some evidence that you did contact them.

As your holidays were booked before your heart attack, and insurance was in place at that time, the insurance company have no option but to cover you for these. They may prove sticky regarding the one you've cancelled however, as they usually insist on confirmation from your doctor/consultant that you were unfit to fly, whereas you say the decision was taken by you and your husband. As you have been given the 'all clear' by your doctor for the September holiday the insurance company won't be able to wriggle out of their responsibility. You will probably find they will amend your policy for future travel however. I had a heart attack over 15 years ago and my policy still does not cover me for any heart related problems.

I would make sure you receive documentation with the heart attack written down as should you require medical help on this holiday you have to produce your insurance policy with all pre existing conditions documented,even if a problem arises not connected to any.
I have spent hours on the phone this week trying to renew my insurance as the free one with the bank ended when we changed banks.
I rang the company my husband is insured with to be added to his policy but when the certificate arrived it didnt have one of my pre existing conditions on.
When I rang them they said it didnt need to be included but I know it has to be especially as I go to Turkey and Sharm which are not in the EU.
I eventually got the cover I needed with Direct Insurance.
Maybe I always look on the black side but I want to have peace of mind when I go abroad,just in case anything happens.
Get notification from them before you go away.

Thanks again for the replies.
I have been advised that there shouldn't be a problem with my current claim as even though my consultant said that we could probably have gone on the holiday on monday, he did say that I would have to find an insurance company that would have been prepared to cover me and also my GP said that she probably wouldn't have given her consent. Sorry, I should have explained that better.
The Post Office have assured me that I am covered, as you say aslemma, they have no option but I do agree with you Jay Trip, I would feel happier myself having a documented updated policy.
Bringing it back to the question of whether to holiday outside the EU? I admit, I am ignorant of the differences. In your opinions, would I be better holidaying within the EU or does it really matter?

The EU bit isn't really relevant to the patient, although it might save the insurers a bit of money. The question is actual medical facilities in the specific location you visit. In Turkey I'm sure you'd be OK in the main tourist resorts (and Instanbul, Ankara and other big cities) but out in the mountains it may be a different story. But the same would be true of the USA or Australia, they may have some of the best facilities in the world but they also have remote regions where you'd be out of reach. Don't forget there are areas of the UK where you'd need a helicopter to hospital in some emergencies!

Sorry to hear about your heart problems, I hope you are feeling better.
I had a heart attack in 2003 at the grand old age of 36 , this was just over a month before I went on holiday.
Although I can't answer the question about the EU I can tell you that I was a bit unsure about going on holiday at all even though my consultant gave his consent just as long as I did nothing other than relax. I was the same with my insurance I had bought it at the time of booking, when I phoned them they told me that I was covered they also said that I did not need any updated policy but I politely asked them to send me one anyway as I would rather have a written copy for my own benefit and since I was not to get stressed in any way not having it would not help me stay calm. They then sent a letter to my e-mail and sent an updated policy out a few days later.
Just so you know your insurance will be harder to get and more expensive, it is worse this year than it has been in the past. for the past couple of years I have used the post office insurance but this year when I phoned up they told me they would no longer cover my heart condition even although nothing has changed.

Very true Steve, I didn't think of it like that.
That's a strange one Scampy, I wonder why the Post Office have refused you this time. Who have you managed to get cover with for this year?
I have booked next years holiday already, call it therapy for the disappointment of not going on holiday, which should have been today :cry.
I have done some light research on how much insurance is going to cost for next year and it seems to be around the £150-£200 mark.

My Dad has also had a problem this year. He has pre-exisiting medical conditions and for at leat 10 years has taken out a policy with a particular organisation, not sure who it is, as some wouldn't cover him. For years he has gone to Kefalonia and this year they wouldn't insure him as they wouldn't cover him to travel to Greece or any Greek island this year because of the 'trouble' that has been happening over there, he eventually managed to get cover with M&S.

def get it in writing as if you do have a claim it is your only proof, and insurance companies have bad memories. what ever you do enjoy whatever holiday you choose rest and have fun xphx

Hi I also thought it strange when the post office would not cover me, they just said that there insurance changed about 10 months ago and they would no longer cover my heart condition. I have also went with m&s this year they were about the cheapest I could find with the cover I needed and not a lot of excess.

Hope you enjoy your holiday and relax.

Post Office are not an insurance company, they simply do a deal with a real insurance company and take a cut. They currently front for Fortis but may have changed partners since last year, check the old policy for details. M&S do the same, they front for Axa and when I used them had different (better) terms than Axa direct but changed the year after.

Hi
A similar thing happened to me . Last year M & S gave me insurance cover for breast cancer, this year wouldnt renew the policy, I couldnt understand why as I didnt even claim on the policy. After looking on HT forum for travel insurance, I managed to get covered by Columbus at a very reasonable price.
M

Sometimes when the insurance companies change their underwriter they refuse to insure you even if you have been insured with them the previous year.This happened to me a few years ago when my bank changed from Sun Alliance to Fortis.
I nearly always go to Turkey on holiday these days and because its not in the EU I make sure that the insurance company will insure me for pre existing conditions and get it in writing.
In a EU country we would get free emergency treatment if the company refused to pay(with the EU medical card) but i dread to think what it would cost in a non EU country.