Useful Information
This area of the website is dedicated to miscellaneous useful information that didn't really fit anywhere else.
Other resources on this website:
Travel Insurance
Obtaining travel insurance can be tricky but this all depends on your own personal circumstances.
The British Insurance Brokers' Association has search facility that may lead you to companies who specialise in dealing with pre-exisiting medical conditions.
See LAMPost for one Lammie's travel insurance sage.
One Lammies experience:
I have been seeking travel insurance recently. I fall into the "difficult" category due to a combination of three factors; I was transplanted relatively recently (I had a single lung transplant in February 2004); my underlying condition, LAM, still affects my native lung; and my destination (the US) is a very expensive place for medical treatment.
I contacted 7 firms, all of whom specialise in pre-existing medical conditions. 4 were not prepared to insure me at all, regardless of cost. Of the 3 that were prepared to insure me, the most expensive quote was nearly 4 times the price of the cheapest! Thus, my advice is to shop around. All the firms below were able to give me an answer during a 5-minute phone callBrunsdon 01452 623623 / City Bond 0870 220 3937
Medicover 0870 735 3600
All Clear 08712 088 579Mediquote 0870 890 2991
24 Dr Travel 0870 366 9373Venturesure 0800 181532
Holiday Services 01773 747426For info, in my case the first three were the firms prepared to insure me. My cheapest quote was the combination of a basic travel policy by an insurance broker, Brunsdon, with an additional top-up policy to cover my pre-existing conditions with City Bond. However, as prices depend on the particular circumstances of the individual, they may not necessarily provide the cheapest quote in all cases, so do shop around!
Another Lammie speaks:
Venturesure is the company I've used the last two times I've flown to the US. They were very reasonable in 2003, quite a bit more expensive in 2005 but still manageable, about £80 I think. It must be said that though I had to answer yes to using oxygen and being seen by a consultant, I haven't been an in-patient since 1989 so I'm sure that helped.
Organ Donation
NHS UK Transplant saves lives through organ donation and transplantation. It provides a 24-hour service for the matching and allocation of donated organs throughout the UK.
It also maintains the NHS Organ Donor Register, a confidential database which holds the wishes of people who have decided that, after their death, they want to leave a legacy of life for others
