Would you travel to Europe without medical insurance?

callum9999

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Define cheap

Well in Australia I think I paid about £20 for a doctor consultation. Presumably the insurance excess on most policies will be more than that? Though I guess I was leaving myself wide open to a big bill if I needed an ambulance...

Basically anywhere I could be seen in hospital or by a doctor for not much more than around £20. Though as I said, it's gambling. The average person will spend more on travel insurance over their lifetime than they would have if they paid any foreign medical bills themselves (otherwise it wouldn't be a viable product to sell) - you gamble that you will need it, I gamble that I won't (sometimes).

Voyager2002

callum9999 wrote: »

Well in Australia I think I paid about £20 for a doctor consultation. Presumably the insurance excess on most policies will be more than that? Though I guess I was leaving myself wide open to a big bill if I needed an ambulance...

Basically anywhere I could be seen in hospital or by a doctor for not much more than around £20. Though as I said, it's gambling. The average person will spend more on travel insurance over their lifetime than they would have if they paid any foreign medical bills themselves (otherwise it wouldn't be a viable product to sell) - you gamble that you will need it, I gamble that I won't (sometimes).

Agreed, and for the vast majority of people they are paying their insurance premium for peace of mind. However, for a minority of people unexpected horrors occur: not only could this result in financial ruin for the victim, but it could also force their relatives to make agonising choices.

Bob_the_Saver

callum9999 wrote: »

Well in Australia I think I paid about £20 for a doctor consultation. Presumably the insurance excess on most policies will be more than that? Though I guess I was leaving myself wide open to a big bill if I needed an ambulance...

Basically anywhere I could be seen in hospital or by a doctor for not much more than around £20. Though as I said, it's gambling. The average person will spend more on travel insurance over their lifetime than they would have if they paid any foreign medical bills themselves (otherwise it wouldn't be a viable product to sell) - you gamble that you will need it, I gamble that I won't (sometimes).

Not France then, don't forget many people in these countries have top-up insurance to cover the costs they don't 'get for free'.
Also if you're in a car accident for instance not conscious it's difficult to say to the ambulance chappies "I say, I'm British and have no insurance, make sure you take me to a Public hospital not a private one old fruit"

In India I paid £1.50 to see the doctor and In Singapore Mrs Bob the saver paid a fiver to see the Doctor, (The Insurance then paid £1800 for her time in the wonderful public hospital he sent her to)

1st Rule of Gambling - only gamble with what you can afford to loose.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/columnists/7888089/Travel-insurance-why-we-all-need-holiday-cover.html

From above article....
"Ambulances operate privately in France, and our emergency call-out cost €800"

callum9999

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Not France then, don't forget many people in these countries have top-up insurance to cover the costs they don't 'get for free'.
Also if you're in a car accident for instance not conscious it's difficult to say to the ambulance chappies "I say, I'm British and have no insurance, make sure you take me to a Public hospital not a private one old fruit"

In India I paid £1.50 to see the doctor and In Singapore Mrs Bob the saver paid a fiver to see the Doctor, (The Insurance then paid £1800 for her time in the wonderful public hospital he sent her to)

1st Rule of Gambling - only gamble with what you can afford to loose.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/columnists/7888089/Travel-insurance-why-we-all-need-holiday-cover.html

From above article....
"Ambulances operate privately in France, and our emergency call-out cost €800"

Though I'm covered in Europe anyway through Nationwide, I do take your point. And I'd fully understand if you viewed me as naive because of it - but I personally think the chances of me needing ambulance care, for example, is lower than the amount I'd pay out in wasted insurance. As I said before - that is the whole point of the insurance industry, they pay out a hell of a lot less than they take in! (Not that that is my sole reasoning behind not always insuring myself)

Bob_the_Saver

callum9999 wrote: »

Though I'm covered in Europe anyway through Nationwide, I do take your point. And I'd fully understand if you viewed me as naive because of it - but I personally think the chances of me needing ambulance care, for example, is lower than the amount I'd pay out in wasted insurance. As I said before - that is the whole point of the insurance industry, they pay out a hell of a lot less than they take in! (Not that that is my sole reasoning behind not always insuring myself)

Well if they paid out more they wouldn't exist.

I am happy to self-insure for bags and air tickets etc (because at the end of the day they wouldn't bankrupt me) but I never travel without medical cover because it could. As for the people on here always looking to claim because their flight is 30 seconds delayed, I have no worlds (that the mods would let me use again).
My short stay European cover is about £16 a year which would cover most holidays by most people in Europe so I see this as a risk not worth taking.
For me this only covers a fraction of my travels though.

I think the whole point of travel insurance is to cover you against the big bills you cannot cope with, if this means that the shareholders of the insurance companies make some money sometimes, well that's the quid pro quo.
I can afford to pay a few quid for insurance but to cover an air ambulance back from Oz would cut into the housekeeping in an unacceptable way. (No Wiskas for the cat that's for sure).

Spread you bets and buy shares in your travel insurance company!

Pollycat

callum9999 wrote: »

Well in Australia I think I paid about £20 for a doctor consultation. Presumably the insurance excess on most policies will be more than that? Though I guess I was leaving myself wide open to a big bill if I needed an ambulance...

and an even bigger bill if you were to need repatriation from Australia back to the UK.

callum9999

Pollycat wrote: »

and an even bigger bill if you were to need repatriation from Australia back to the UK.

Indeed, but the risk is so minuscule that I'm perfectly comfortable taking that gamble (particularly as I'm trying to emigrate there anyway!). If I get cancer, I'd much rather get private treatment than NHS treatment (not that there is anything majorly wrong with NHS cancer treatment), but I'm gambling that I won't get it anytime soon so haven't got private medical insurance. Everyone gambles with their health to some degree.

If however I'm in a country where I wouldn't be comfortable without private medical insurance - it obviously makes sense to add that to the cover.

Pollycat

callum9999 wrote: »

Indeed, but the risk is so minuscule that I'm perfectly comfortable taking that gamble (particularly as I'm trying to emigrate there anyway!). If I get cancer, I'd much rather get private treatment than NHS treatment (not that there is anything majorly wrong with NHS cancer treatment), but I'm gambling that I won't get it anytime soon so haven't got private medical insurance. Everyone gambles with their health to some degree.

If however I'm in a country where I wouldn't be comfortable without private medical insurance - it obviously makes sense to add that to the cover.

and you've never heard of unforseen events such as falling down stairs or being hit by a car.......?

callum9999

Pollycat wrote: »

and you've never heard of unforseen events such as falling down stairs or being hit by a car.......?

No I haven't. What are these "stairs" and "cars" you talk about...

ash28

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Agreed, and for the vast majority of people they are paying their insurance premium for peace of mind. However, for a minority of people unexpected horrors occur: not only could this result in financial ruin for the victim, but it could also force their relatives to make agonising choices.

In the US we paid $800 for a doctors visit - included the antibiotics for our grandson.

In the US we paid $1300 for a visit to the emergency room for a nasty cut that in the end didn't need stitches or pain killers - grandson once again.

In Greece (Skiathos) we paid 40 euros for a visit to a medical centre and 18 euros in total for 4 prescription items - less than the excess on our insurance - if we'd had the EHIC the visit to the medical would have been free - I'm not complaining.

Would never travel without insurance - especially medical and cancellation - but luggage, as we never take anything remotely expensive with us I would be prepared to forgo that - especially as the cover is often very limited.