Travel Insurance

zagfles

Poppie68 wrote: »

Thanks everyone but don't shoot the messanger! I'm asking on behalf of one of my carers. She has a medical history that is bumping her insurance up to astronomical amounts even though she has been problem free for over 2 years, we were discussing travel insurance and the possibility of cover without Medical. She has managed booked a flight to stay with friends in their villages in Portugal, holiday total £300, cheapest insurance £996.... Her choice.

If she's going without medical insurance, make sure she gets an EHIC and reads and fully understands the state cover she'd get in Portugal. Also how to get state medical treatment, and what if anything she'd have to pay for (like in the UK there are medical costs you have to pay even with state treatment). If she's staying with Portugese people it'll be a lot easier as they should know these things - the EHIC card basically gives the same cover as the locals get from the state.

The EHIC site has a country by country guide:

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

The main thing which insurance covers over and above state medical costs is repatriation, which wouldn't be available, so if she were to be hospitalised she'd likely need to recover in Portugal until she can travel home by normal means. This again may not be so bad if she has friends in the area.