Florida Medical & Travel Insurance Info B4 You Go!

Fruity1

Hi you've mentioned you don't favour insurance included in bank accounts. Does this include AXA ones? I know I will have to pay an additional premium for DD and myself but just wondered if there is anything I should specify when I contact them about this.

FH_Brit

Fruity - Axa is the reason I am not in favour of these accounts - see my other (and other posters) remarks on Axa.

If you have another option I strongly suggest you steer weel clear of any Axa policy. Axa has a very poor after claims service and often will use one of their many "get out" clauses to deny your claim and leave you high & dry with a huge(possibly) bill.

FH_Brit

Fruty - go to search above - enter axa and see!

Sarjsmith

FH Brit this is a great thread, I was wondering if you had a German colleague who would be equally generous with their time and knowledge. We live in Germany and want to travel to Florida in 2011, however my German is only average and I don't find that the Germans follow the 'plain German' rule when it comes to policies!! Just a bit of guidance on who the best insurers seem to be would be appreciated TIA.

dacouch

Sarjsmith I assume your a proud member of the UK HMF, there are normally insurance brokers on the bases or near them. Have you tried any of these eg Culpecks etc as they normally have army wives as staff and are set up to handle the requirements of UK HMF.

If you find out which companies they are recommending and then post up here FH Brit can tell you what they are like on claims.

FH_Brit

Sarjsmith - if as dacouch (he/she is as good a contributor to MSE as myself - we often refer to each other) is correct you are Forces (Ex RN here by the way) try NAAFI they have good policies. but if for your friend is not HM forces sorry no can help - although I have had few troubles with Zurich travel policies issued in Germany.

And thanks for your comments.

Quentin

dacouch wrote: »

If you find out which companies they are recommending and then post up here FH Brit can tell you what they are like on claims.

FH Brit is a debt collector. How can he tell what companies are like when he judges them by the number of invoices he has to chase them to pay up!

Just look who his latest "recommendation" is (based on not getting any invoices through his hands to chase up)!

FH_Brit wrote: »

Aviva is one of the best (my opinion) as I deal with bad debt in the travel/medical billing business I see very few Aviva claims, that effectively eans that they are good enough that they pay BEFORE it qualifys for bad debt (or they sell only 5 policies a year!!!)

Do you still think his opinion on insurers is really relevant to us here?

FH_Brit

Hello Quentin - you get out of bed the wrong side again this morning?

For Gods sake do not be so rude and give posters the courtesy they deserve. Dacouch and Sarj are both big enough to make their own minds up and do not need people like you telling them what to do.

In fact you are conradicting yourself. "Judging" as you put it is the best way to see if an IC is worth it weight. People like most of the posters here will never have a claim or maybe once in their life (2 or 3 if they are unlucky) at last count I have 26,000 accounts on my desk, probably 80% are British and I put travel insurance claims (UB04's I am sure you know what they are!) in more times than any regular traveler 100 fold (in one week) more than they would in their lifetime.

I judge them on their claims efficiency and abiding by the laws and rules, I suggest (note that - I don't tell like some people) companies with bad claims services or customer services and those that try to blind the customer with delaying tacktics and/or wrong information.

And where credit is due I will recommend IC's based on the same categories and only from my own experience in dealing with them.

Your comment "Just look who his latest "recommendation" is (based on not getting any invoices through his hands to chase up)!" Well I assume you are not a fan of Norwich Union/Aviva - I again have had no problems in 7 years - if you have, then by all means add your own opinion. If you are talking about Aviva in any other area of insurance we all I can say is stay on topic - this is travel insurance thread and I am speaking on MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE in dealing with their travel insurance (and that is in Florida so Europe and elsewhere may be dealt in a different way.

jeanniebeanie_2

[QUOTE=Quentin;29354751]"FH Brit is a debt collector. How can he tell what companies are like when he judges them by the number of invoices he has to chase them to pay up!"

Surely it is not necessary to launch into a personal vindictive attack on someone who gives a such a lot of his time to advise on this forum whether you agree he has expertise or not? An informed, logical point of debate would be far more effective if you want an opposing view to be taken seriously.

I for one have much appreciated the advice FH Brit has posted here, knowing personaly of a case of a death in Florida and the widow being pursued through the courts from the US because of insufficient information given to insurers at the point of purchase. Insurance can be such a minefield that the case I referred to could possibly lead to the loss of a new widow's home.

Whether you believe in his expertise or not, FH Brit is sure as heck coming from a far more informed position than most of us on here!

So- to all who give their time and share their knowledge on here with no hidden agenda- THANKS!

Quentin

jeanniebeanie wrote: »

Surely it is not necessary to launch into a personal vindictive attack on someone who gives a such a lot of his time to advise on this forum whether you agree he has expertise or not?

Where was I vindictive?

The criterion that FH Brit used when recommending aviva was based on his debt collecting experience with them (as you will see from the quote from him I posted).

You will see that he didn't comment on how they dealt with claims (how could he, when he admitted he saw very few!)

You suggest I posted with a "hidden agenda". This is not the case at all. My concern was the authoritative way a company was recommended to us because a debt collector rarely had to chase them!

And here's something to consider if you were thinking of following FH Brit's Aviva recommendation. Do you think this unusual exclusion of aviva's should make them a top recommend for holiday insurance:

Excluded from cover under the policy:

Any claim from Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or its symptoms that result from travelling by air