Lauren McCusker with her sons Felix (3) and one-year-old Victor who has cystic fibrosis. www.communitypix.com.au d400672
Camera IconLauren McCusker with her sons Felix (3) and one-year-old Victor who has cystic fibrosis. www.communitypix.com.au d400672 Credit: Supplied/Dominique Menegaldo

Mum left feeling rejected

Staff ReporterEastern Reporter

A year on and she is reeling after a travel insurance company rejected her holiday insurance application.

The family plan to see relatives in Seattle and also visit Disneyland.

The 24-year-old, who gave birth to a healthy baby boy three years ago, only discovered she and her husband were carriers of the disease following second son Victor’s diagnosis a year ago.

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Mrs McCusker said what was supposed to be a happy time to look forward to after such a tumultuous year was marred by what she believed was a lack of understanding of the condition.

‘Cystic Fibrosis WA have a webpage with a list on insurance companies who have helped them in the past, one of them being 1Cover, which is part of the Allianz group,’ Mrs McCusker said.

‘We applied for travel insurance through 1Cover on May 5 and Victor’s doctor filled out a medical declaration stating that in his opinion Victor was fit for travel.

‘On May 7, I received a phone call from them stating that our application had been denied and a letter from the Medical Assessments Team at Allianz Global Assistance followed a few days later.’

Mrs McCusker said the letter, dated May 6, stated several reasons for the rejection.

It included medical details declared on the application, that Victor was taking an antibiotic containing Amoxicillin and Clavulanate, deemed him unwell.

Mrs McCusker said the antibiotic prescribed by Victor’s doctor was preventative and a standard treatment for the first two years. ‘ I think it’s a classic case of the condition not really being well understood, unfortunately. ‘

Mrs McCusker said the family would now travel overseas using standard travel insurance, with no cover relating to cystic fibrosis.

‘Obviously we hope Victor will be well in America but our plan is to contact our doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital if he becomes unwell and seek treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital if he needs it.’

The Times contacted the 1Cover and Allianz Group for a response but no comment was provided at the time of going to press.