Any advice on this situation....father-in-law in hospital
Dec 28th, 2007, 10:58 AM
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Any advice on this situation....father-in-law in hospital
We are scheduled to leave on January 3rd and my husband's father is in the hospital. For all practical purposes, he is dying. My husband and he don't really get along but of course, he would want to be there for his mother. I called to purchase trip insurance, but they basically said that they would not cover it because the father had a preexisting condition. Does anyone have any other ideas for me on how to protect us from not losing the money? Unfortunately, the trip is costing about 26,000-30,000. Obviously, in retrospect, I should have purchased the insurance early on. However, given that he has been sick for some time, it might not have mattered.
Dec 28th, 2007, 11:29 AM
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I'm sorry you are in this situation. You could try calling a broker at www.insuremytrip.com to find out if you have any other options. They helped me find a policy that covered something unusual on my last trip. Maybe you could find a plan that would cover trip cancellation in the event of a family death, regardless of whether if was because of a pre-existing condition.
For future trips, I believe if you purchase most company's trip insurance within a certain period after your initial deposit, pre-existing conditions of you, your travelling partner, and family members are covered.
Good luck!
For future trips, I believe if you purchase most company's trip insurance within a certain period after your initial deposit, pre-existing conditions of you, your travelling partner, and family members are covered.
Good luck!
Dec 28th, 2007, 11:36 AM
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What terrible circumstances to be caught in.
I doubt whether any insurer will cover you this close to departure and certainly not for pre-existing medical (for the travelers or family members or others not traveling with).
As uscmolly mentions, and with you having prepaid for a trip (regardless how costly) it's alway a very very good idea to cover your investment. Anyone can get ill or hurt before departure, delayed on the way to the airport, or something occurs at your destination requiring an early departure.
I sincerely hope that you make it thru your entire trip without incident or call from home with sad news.
I doubt whether any insurer will cover you this close to departure and certainly not for pre-existing medical (for the travelers or family members or others not traveling with).
As uscmolly mentions, and with you having prepaid for a trip (regardless how costly) it's alway a very very good idea to cover your investment. Anyone can get ill or hurt before departure, delayed on the way to the airport, or something occurs at your destination requiring an early departure.
I sincerely hope that you make it thru your entire trip without incident or call from home with sad news.
Dec 28th, 2007, 12:09 PM
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I can't imagine anyone insuring you and then honoring the payout given the circumstances. I would consider seeing whether it is possible to reschedule some parts of the trip. Before our trip I asked ccafrica about their cancellation policy and was told that they evaluate each situation individually and allow rescheduling in case of serious problems. So you might be able to reschedule Bataleur and Crater Lodge for a later date.
Dec 28th, 2007, 12:52 PM
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Sorry to hear about your dilemma.
Same as marija,
I asked my agent what would happen in the event of illness etc. (I have an unpredictable chronic thing)
I was told that I couldn't get a refund but I could indeed move the trip up. That, of course would mean paying any additional money if various fees are higher at a later date.
I know that in the past, various airlines will do the same or give you a partial rebate.
Same as marija,
I asked my agent what would happen in the event of illness etc. (I have an unpredictable chronic thing)
I was told that I couldn't get a refund but I could indeed move the trip up. That, of course would mean paying any additional money if various fees are higher at a later date.
I know that in the past, various airlines will do the same or give you a partial rebate.
Dec 28th, 2007, 01:44 PM
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Dr Andrea, I'm so sorry both that your FIL is so ill and that you are in this difficult situation.
For what it's worth, before we did our 2004 trip, my husband's father was ill. The doctors hadn't said he was dying in so many words but we had a feeling...
We spent some time discussing what to do together and then with a couple of members of his family. My husband and his father were not close but, as in your situation, we wanted to ensure that, if the worst was to happen and he died whilst we were away, that my husband's mother and his siblings would be OK. With the help of one of his sisters - the sibling he is closest to - we decided that, given there are 6 siblings alltogether, we would go ahead with our trip as planned AND that, should he pass away, we would probably not cut the trip short to come home for the funeral.
He did pass away whilst we were gone - we were in a camp without telephone so the message came by fax a day or two later, having been sent by family to the WS' head office and then flown in to the camp on a passenger flight. Our return message went back the same way and head office faxed it back.
My own dad found it a little hard to understand that we were not coming back but we had discussed everything beforehand and stuck to our plans. We had been due to hold our wedding renewal ceremony on the date that the funeral was held and we did move the date of it but otherwise came home as planned about a week later.
Once we got home we visited my husband's mother and went to the graveyard with her, which she appreciated. No one in the family itself criticised us for not being present at the funeral (at least not to our faces!).
I don't know if this helps you as I don't know whether there would be other family members to be with your MIL if you go ahead with the trip or whether your husband feels he ought to remain at home regardless of his own closeness with his father.
For what it's worth, before we did our 2004 trip, my husband's father was ill. The doctors hadn't said he was dying in so many words but we had a feeling...
We spent some time discussing what to do together and then with a couple of members of his family. My husband and his father were not close but, as in your situation, we wanted to ensure that, if the worst was to happen and he died whilst we were away, that my husband's mother and his siblings would be OK. With the help of one of his sisters - the sibling he is closest to - we decided that, given there are 6 siblings alltogether, we would go ahead with our trip as planned AND that, should he pass away, we would probably not cut the trip short to come home for the funeral.
He did pass away whilst we were gone - we were in a camp without telephone so the message came by fax a day or two later, having been sent by family to the WS' head office and then flown in to the camp on a passenger flight. Our return message went back the same way and head office faxed it back.
My own dad found it a little hard to understand that we were not coming back but we had discussed everything beforehand and stuck to our plans. We had been due to hold our wedding renewal ceremony on the date that the funeral was held and we did move the date of it but otherwise came home as planned about a week later.
Once we got home we visited my husband's mother and went to the graveyard with her, which she appreciated. No one in the family itself criticised us for not being present at the funeral (at least not to our faces!).
I don't know if this helps you as I don't know whether there would be other family members to be with your MIL if you go ahead with the trip or whether your husband feels he ought to remain at home regardless of his own closeness with his father.
Dec 29th, 2007, 02:19 PM
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Wow! Thank you all for your thoughtful responses especially Kavey. We visited him in the hospital today and he seemed ok. It looks like they are planning on transferring him to a rehab when he gets out. So that seems promising. I also emailed my sister-in-law and thanked her for dealing with anything when we are gone. I didn't get more specific than that though. I think things will be ok. I also realized that in the worst case scenario, we can always just cut a portion of the trip out....we will be gone for 14 days. So to cut out one leg of the trip isn't that bad. I really appreciate your help though. It definitely made things better.
Dec 30th, 2007, 02:43 AM
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Glad to help. It's a difficult situation, not least because other people impose their judgements based on THEIR interfamily relationships and that can be hard to deal with...
Glad he seems OK and is being transferred to rehab.
Glad he seems OK and is being transferred to rehab.
Dec 31st, 2007, 11:29 AM
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Because I have elderly relatives, I've discussed this issue with my family. We have agreed that they will not contact me if someone passes away while I'm in Africa. I'll find out when I return. It would be hard not to be at the funeral, but I probably couldn't get back in time, anyway.
Dec 31st, 2007, 02:49 PM
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That's excellent advice, Shay Tay, I never thought of it that way, but you are right, one probably could not get back in time anyways!
A young friend of mine went to Ghana one Sat night in Sept. to volunteer for 4 months at a school in a small village. She was so overwhelmed once she got off the plane Monday morning with the cultural differences, etc that she knew immediately that she wasn't up to handling 4 months, that she was out of her comfort zone. She couldn't get a flight back though until the Friday night following. And, to top it all off, she spent the next 4 days throwing up in the hospital there, she had really worked herself into a sickness. She had what I called the shortest trip to Africa ever. She said it would have been 4 days shorter if she could have got a flight back sooner.
A young friend of mine went to Ghana one Sat night in Sept. to volunteer for 4 months at a school in a small village. She was so overwhelmed once she got off the plane Monday morning with the cultural differences, etc that she knew immediately that she wasn't up to handling 4 months, that she was out of her comfort zone. She couldn't get a flight back though until the Friday night following. And, to top it all off, she spent the next 4 days throwing up in the hospital there, she had really worked herself into a sickness. She had what I called the shortest trip to Africa ever. She said it would have been 4 days shorter if she could have got a flight back sooner.
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