Chronic Kidney disease or chronic kidney failure is when you suffer from a steady loss of kidney function. The kidneys will filter waste or excess fluids from the blood that will then be removed from the urine. However, advanced kidney disease has the potential to cause unsafe levels of fluid, electrolytes or wastes to build up in your body.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) or chronic kidney failure is when you suffer from a steady loss of kidney function. The kidneys will filter waste or excess fluids from the blood that will then be removed from the urine. However, advanced kidney disease has the potential to cause unsafe levels of fluid, electrolytes, or wastes to build up in your body.
Chronic kidney disease is arguably one of the most life-changing conditions you can have. With the need for such regular treatment as dialysis, it is understandable that many people end up feeling like it is impossible to get away and enjoy a holiday.
Having a long-term medical condition such as chronic kidney disease can mean you are ineligible for many standard travel insurance policies, including the non-specialist policies on price comparison websites. That’s why at Free Spirit we specialise in providing medical travel insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions, including chronic kidney disease.
While regular treatment can manage the symptoms of chronic kidney disease – when you’re a kidney patient – it’s an unpredictable illness. Having Free Spirit travel insurance in place means that you will be covered while you are away. For example, if you were to contract an infection while on holiday and need to receive medical attention, or even stay in the hospital, your specialist travel insurance from Free Spirit would cover the cost.
Alternatively, if you book your holiday a few months in advance of travel but then find that you are too ill to go – having specialist travel insurance in place from the time you make your holiday booking will mean that you can recoup some of the costs you have already paid out. We’ll also cover anyone you are travelling with, so long as they are listed on your insurance, even if they don’t have a medical condition themselves.
With a Free Spirit medical travel insurance policy, you gain the peace of mind to travel knowing that you and your medical condition is fully covered.
Having a kidney condition such as chronic kidney disease will inevitably mean that you are no stranger to hospital appointments and medical examinations. But the good news is that to get specialist travel insurance with Free Spirit we don’t need to speak to your doctors.
To get a quote and cover, all you need to do is call our insurance experts and we’ll ask you a short series of questions in order to understand more about your condition and make sure that we provide the right holiday insurance for what you need.
Typically medical screening questions a person with chronic kidney disease will be asked:
While the most common type of kidney disease is chronic kidney disease, we also cover polycystic kidney disease (PKD. Polycistic kidney disease is a genetic disorder where numerous cysts form in the kidneys, leading to enlargement and impaired function. Symptoms often include high blood pressure, back pain, and kidney stones. If you are unsure which type of kidney disease you check, you should check with your medical practitioner so we can screen you correctly.
As with all long-term medical conditions, it’s vital that you have any medication you always need with you and that you have discussed your travel plans with your doctor.
Be sure to plan your trip carefully. If you are on dialysis for your chronic kidney disease, it will mean you will need to be organised well in advance to ensure that you can get booked into an alternative hospital for holiday dialysis sessions. Your GP should be able to advise you on how you can get this booked.
One thing to consider if you are taking a UK holiday is that The National Kidney Federation sponsors a Dialysis Swap Scheme which is a great way of enjoying some time away while getting the treatment you need. They also provide help and useful information about chronic kidney disease.
To ensure a safe and pleasant journey, think about organising assistance from the staff at the airports you will be using if you are flying, and be sure to have transport pre-arranged on the other side to take you to where you are staying.
Finally, be extra vigilant in your fluid intake. If you are heading to a hot country, be aware of how a temperature change can alter how much fluid you need to drink.
Knowing that you have travel insurance in place will be one of the best things you can do to ensure that you have a restful time away. So get in touch with us today and start your holiday planning!
″As on our previous experience with Free Spirit we again have nothing but praise for your service. The medical questions asked initially were adequate but non-intrusive. All our e-mails and conversations with Free Spirit were friendly and efficient, which is just what is needed. We have now returned from a very happy and enjoyable holiday with no insurance worries.″
