Do I really need travel insurance?

Indie_Kid

Thanks. Will be going to France, Dublin and Malta at various points.

aerostar

Make sure you declar ALL pre-existing medical conditions, forgetting one could invalidate your insurance.

InsideInsurance

sillygoose wrote: »

Whilst the UK falls over backwards to do every whim Europe requires, I find that the rest of Europe only picks the bits it likes! (avoiding bits it dislikes such as healthcare, health and safety etc) The EHIC is hardly worth the baggage space to take to some countries but show them an insurance policy number and you get treated perfectly well.

Obvious tripe being spouted. No one in EU can choose not to accept the EHIC.

You do have to remember how it works however, it only entitles you to the same level of cover as locals get so if locals have to pay a 25% contribution then so do you.

Secondly, not every country's process is as straight forward as in the UK (for locals too) and you may well have to pay it up front and then reclaim it but of cause most brits dont bother reading before going and so dont do what they need to.

Finally, private clinics and hospitals are much more common in some other countries. Some of these may have a reimbursement process for state healthcare and others are purely private so of cause have no interest in EHIC and are possibly interested in insurance (though most UK issued insurance would exclude them)

Try getting one of your EU friends to turn up to London Bridge Hospital or the Cromwell Hospital with their EHIC card and see how far they get, probably just as far as you do in another country. So I guess the UK opted out of healthcare for EU citizens too by your reckoning.


If you do go to Europe, look at the NHS website before you travel to ensure you know the processes for the countries your going to.

samuela66

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Looking at going abroad next year and am looking at travel insurance. Hardly anyone will insure me due to my disabilities. Staysure want some £300 for one years cover.:mad: I should add that, I am not doing any extreme sports, etc. whilst on holiday.

What does travel insurance cover and do I really need it? A few people have told me I don't need it. Also, if I do need it, what do I look for?

My mother sadly passed away on holiday and was not even ill, there is no way we could of covered repatriation fees, etc etc....

So yes you do need it

sillygoose

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Obvious tripe being spouted. No one in EU can choose not to accept the EHIC.

You do have to remember how it works however, it only entitles you to the same level of cover as locals get so if locals have to pay a 25% contribution then so do you.

Secondly, not every country's process is as straight forward as in the UK (for locals too) and you may well have to pay it up front and then reclaim it but of cause most brits dont bother reading before going and so dont do what they need to.

Finally, private clinics and hospitals are much more common in some other countries. Some of these may have a reimbursement process for state healthcare and others are purely private so of cause have no interest in EHIC and are possibly interested in insurance (though most UK issued insurance would exclude them)

Try getting one of your EU friends to turn up to London Bridge Hospital or the Cromwell Hospital with their EHIC card and see how far they get, probably just as far as you do in another country. So I guess the UK opted out of healthcare for EU citizens too by your reckoning.


If you do go to Europe, look at the NHS website before you travel to ensure you know the processes for the countries your going to.

You obviously don't have much connection with healthcare then? UK hospitals are wall to wall with health tourists being extended far more care than you will be offered in some of Europe, complete with complimentary translator, go on a fact finding trip to Gt. Ormond Street or Birmingham Childrens and see for yourself before being so abusive. People in much of Europe can and do ignore EHIC cards whether you like it or not, someone says simply no what do you do, phone Brussels? It won't happen with decent insurance which I think you were actually agreeing with.

DUKE

I've had similar problems Indie Kid, & although no one will insure me for multi-trips on an annual basis, they will insure me for single trips. Many banks these days do a free policy for trips to Europe (mine do), if yours does you could just add on your pre-existing, this may be cheaper for you.

If not have a look here - https://www.moneysupermarket.com/travel-insurance/pre-existing-medical-conditions/enquiry/

InsideInsurance

sillygoose wrote: »

You obviously don't have much connection with healthcare then? UK hospitals are wall to wall with health tourists being extended far more care than you will be offered in some of Europe, complete with complimentary translator, go on a fact finding trip to Gt. Ormond Street or Birmingham Childrens and see for yourself before being so abusive. People in much of Europe can and do ignore EHIC cards whether you like it or not, someone says simply no what do you do, phone Brussels? It won't happen with decent insurance which I think you were actually agreeing with.

Go to EU countries and they will complain about exactly the same. "Immigrants" are not a UK only problem and we are considered immigrants and health tourists when we go to other countries just as you consider those that come here to be so (we only call ourselves ex-pats of cause)

British people complain about private hospitals not accepting EHIC but private hospitals here wont either, hence mentioning private hospitals not state ones.

They complain that they have to pay for some services even though every person living in that country has to do the same.


There are many threads on here of people complaining that they had to pay, just as a local would have to, when they went to a private clinic in the islands. The NHS guidance on EHIC says that if you go to a private clinic then you pay up front, get a form and take the form to the local government building and you get your reimbursement, just as the locals do. Of cause people dont bother doing that because they didnt bother learning about the country they are visiting. They then complain because their insurance wont pay out because its treatment that would be covered by EHIC

Indie_Kid

Cheapest one I've found is £246 from top dog insurance.

I note that money supermarket can't find anything suitable for me - is it normal for a comparison website to not list certain companies deals? Sort of remember it being the same with car insurance.

InsideInsurance

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Cheapest one I've found is £246 from top dog insurance.

I note that money supermarket can't find anything suitable for me - is it normal for a comparison website to not list certain companies deals? Sort of remember it being the same with car insurance.

Very normal

Insurers/ broker have to pay a significant sum of money and agree to some restrictive contract clauses.

If you are a big insurer then the aggregators will bend over backwards to get you and your products on there - our IT guys estimated 6 months to do the work necessary, the aggregators guys said they could do it in 2 weeks and in fact had always hoped we'd come on board so had already done work in the background.

If your a small broker/ intermediary etc then you have to weigh up the cost -v- other marketing you could do if you spent the money elsewhere.

You also have some insurers like Direct Line and Aviva that have explicitly gone against listing products on them (though go the back door by having sister brands on them)

Voyager2002

sillygoose wrote: »

I simply wouldn't travel without it, ever.

Whilst the UK falls over backwards to do every whim Europe requires, I find that the rest of Europe only picks the bits it likes! (avoiding bits it dislikes such as healthcare, health and safety etc) The EHIC is hardly worth the baggage space to take to some countries but show them an insurance policy number and you get treated perfectly well.

OTOH when my father was seriously injured in France, he was given excellent treatment under the public health system there.