Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Heart problems and travel insurance for competitive riding.
  • peanutcracknell
    Free Member

    I have recently been diagnosed with a heart issue (arrythmia) and though I dont know for sure yet, I’ll probably end up having a cather ablation to treat it so it should be well managed by the time I travel.
    Can anyone recommend any providers of travel insurance that will cover me to race in europe with this condition?
    I’ve looked around and the only insurance companies that seem to want to cover heart problems don’t cover mtb, let alone mtb racing.

    T.I.A.

    bonni
    Full Member

    I might be wrong but I think that’s a big ask for travel insurance. You’ll be maxing out your HR after your heart has been modified. That can trigger certain arrhythmias in certain people. Also, you may well be on blood thinners, at least for a while, which clearly has implications for crash injury complications.

    Forgetting insurance for a second, when is your planned racing taking place? It can take 6 months for the heart to fully recover, even if you can start (gently) exercising again after a few weeks.

    Please don’t take this the wrong way but I wouldn’t want to commit to any races until I’d at least spent a chunk of time training following any heart procedure.

    Best of luck with solving your arrhythmia issues. Sincerely hope it all works out.

    natrix
    Free Member

    Try asking British Heart Foundation, but I’m with bonni in that I think that’s a big ask for travel insurance

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    peanutcracknell
    Free Member

    Thanks for your replies. You’re both thinking what I’d suspected which isn’t what I wanted to hear!
    I managed to get an entry for the trans Maderia which is at the beginning of June and it’s something that I rwally want to do, but it sounds like I’ll probably have to see how things pan out and hope I can get an entry for something similar next year, if I’m given the all clear.
    The doc’s haven’t finished with me yet and I’ll know more tomorrow about what treatment I’ll be having and when, and what their recommendations are for exercise and in general in the future.

    butcher
    Full Member

    Having known a couple of people go through this process, it’s probably also worth noting that the ablation is not always successful on first attempt. Sometimes it can take a number of goes. And if you’re just going through the referral process now, I think treatment before June is optimistic.

    There are a few companies specialise in cycle travel insurance. Yellow Jersey being one. Not sure where they stand on heart conditions, but in my experience that’s a standard question asked by all insurers.

    ahsat
    Full Member

    To give context, I had to pay £465 for 2.5 weeks travel insurance to the USA for simply mountain biking (not racing) last summer whilst still undergoing arrhythmia investigations (OH was also on that policy but he didnt have any medical exclusions so it didnt cost much for him). There is specialist insurance out there which will likely cover you (though racing I don’t know – Freedom sorted me out, without racing) but it will be £££! Mine has seemingly resolved with beta blockers (after some trial and error), and though seeing the consultant next week I now don’t expect to need ablation, it has taken 6 months to get me back to fully function. Not racing, or anything at that level, but exercising again 4-6 times a week. Be prepared to give yourself time – you only have one heart! Also, most insurance providers won’t cover you if you have any cardiac related issues within the last 12 months (£££ specialist cover obviously is the only option) – so even if the treatment is carried out by then, you will still need to declare it and many will decline you.

    peanutcracknell
    Free Member

    Thanks all. Unfortunately it looks like I’m out of luck. The arrythmia specialist has said I’m o.k to ride again, now, if I want to… but he can’t give me the go ahead for racing abroad.
    There may be a spot on the Trans madeira available soon if one of my mates doesn’t take it.

    Twodogs
    Full Member

    I had an ablation for AF in 2016…I got insured thru DogTag last year to race, but even 3 years being clear they still added a surcharge. Couldn’t get cover at all in 2016

    allancamilleri420
    Free Member

    https://www.beverage-distributors.com/product-category/wholesale-energy-drinks/
    Buy Energy drink for sale in Bulk- Bulk energy drink supply at factory prices
    Beverage-distributors.com stand out as one of best wholesale energy drinks supplier and exporter, when searching for where to buy energy drink in bulk . We have a dedicated shipping arrangement geared towards meeting the growing demands of our teeming customers irrespective of where they are. We believe in the power of quality energy drink—to bring people together and make moments special. Every product, every order, and every decision we make is inspired by the people on the other side of the plate. if you’re considering buying Energy drinks in bulk, we can offer you the best selection of wholesale beverages supplies at the best prices, delivering Globally.

    The energy drink market is saturated with countless brands and many flavor variations. No matter your business, ensuring your energy drink stock is full can prove to be extremely profitable. Keep your target audience happy, with wholesale energy drinks and bulk energy drink supplies from us.
    https://www.beverage-distributors.com/

    howarthp
    Full Member

    I had an ablation in ’15 and again in ’18 for AF. I recovered pretty quickly in both cases and cycled 12k km in ’16 and 11k km in ’19. However, I don’t think I’d have been ready for a race 2-3 months after. Post my ’18 ablation I have chosen to remain on beta-blockers, with the support from my cardiologist, which takes my max HR down from about 172 to 150 in most circumstances. I’ve adapted well to the HR range I now have.

    Good luck with the ablation.

    ahsat
    Full Member

    @drac @cougar @mark – mid thread spam going on (see two posts above)!

    outofbreath
    Free Member

    @twodogs @ahsat @peanutcracknell, you’ve all worrying me. About once a month I have AFIB that typically starts in my sleep (wakes me up) and typically goes away when I get up in the morning. First noticed it two years ago.

    Saw a consultant and he seemed totally unconcerned. There’s no treatment of any kind, no follow up appointment. Certainly no mention that I needed different holiday insurance or to limit excersize in any way at all.

    The three of you opted for ablations, was your situation significantly worse than mine, or is my specialist missing something?

    ahsat
    Full Member

    @outofbreath – my Mum is in that situation – often happens when she is over tired or has had a couple of glasses of wine. They aren’t going to do anything for it – all the tests show its fine. There are lots of different types of arythmia and many people have it (a lot don’t notice it).

    By comparison, I was getting 17,000 ectopics a day at its peak in December, for 3+ weeks. It took a bit of time to sort out the tablets that worked for, but my 24-hour 12-lead ECG (that they did in case I need ablation – which I haven’t had) showed that after 6 weeks on the correct tablets, it had dropped to 3-ectopics a day!! And my echo-scan showed my heart is fine (this is the 3rd significant, more than a couple of days, episode I have had in 1.5 years so they followed it up). Even a cardiology friend of mine was impressed! I was told to carry on exercising, though that took a while to get my head round it and also to get used to running a lower HR, but now I am fine with it. Will see what the consultant says, but I am expecting them to take me off the beta blockers now, and use them as required when it flares up.

    Re travel insurance, if you have had any treatment/investigations for cardiac, I would think nearly all, if not all, insurance co’s require you to declare it. You then have to had extra medical screening (i.e. answer more questions!).

    outofbreath
    Free Member

    @outofbreath – my Mum is in that situation – often happens when she is over tired or has had a couple of glasses of wine. They aren’t going to do anything for it – all the tests show its fine. There are lots of different types of arythmia and many people have it (a lot don’t notice it).

    By comparison, I was getting 17,000 ectopics a day at its peak in December, for 3+ weeks. It took a bit of time to sort out the tablets that worked for, but my 24-hour 12-lead ECG (that they did in case I need ablation – which I haven’t had) showed that after 6 weeks on the correct tablets, it had dropped to 3-ectopics a day!! And my echo-scan showed my heart is fine (this is the 3rd significant, more than a couple of days, episode I have had in 1.5 years so they followed it up). Even a cardiology friend of mine was impressed! I was told to carry on exercising, though that took a while to get my head round it and also to get used to running a lower HR, but now I am fine with it. Will see what the consultant says, but I am expecting them to take me off the beta blockers now, and use them as required when it flares up.

    Cheers, that’s very reassuring.

    Re travel insurance, if you have had any treatment/investigations for cardiac, I would think nearly all, if not all, insurance co’s require you to declare it.

    Thanks, I’ll bear that in mind.

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

The topic ‘Heart problems and travel insurance for competitive riding.’ is closed to new replies.