A woman has received high praise from BBC presenter Graham Norton for her story in regards to the rising cost of insurance.
Anne Herlihy, from Charleville, in County Cork, spoke to Joe Duffy of RTE about the rising cost of insurance. She explained that she was attempting to maximise her life after being diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer – but instead finds that she is unable to go abroad because of the extensive costs of travel insurance.
Speaking to the station, she explained: “I had to pay €1,200 for four days travel insurance to go to Malaga. It cost more than the holiday. So the other day, I went online to check if I was going to go (somewhere else) for four days and I was quoted €810.”
The 54-year-old highlighted that many companies have refused to offer her any form of insurance while others ask her to fill out online forms explaining every detail of her diagnosis – including questions about how long she thinks she will live.
As a result, she commented that she cannot afford the cost of insurance but wouldn’t like to travel without it just in case – highlighting that an air ambulance alone can cost as much as €70,000.
When talking about life in general, she went on to explain how she didn’t want to lay back and feel sorry for herself – and that she had recently renewed her wedding vows with her husband joking that “I used the cancer card.”
The mother-of-two was praised by Graham Norton for her story with the Irish host describing it as “one of the most life-enhancing and profound pieces of radio” he had ever listened to.
However, is there a deeper point to her story? Should the questions insurers ask be as intrusive as asking how long she expects to live? As insurance professionals, please leave a comment with your thoughts.
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