Disney Disaster - Reclaiming Medical costs help please!

asea

May I just ask why you thought you had insurance? Did the travel agent give you that impression? Were you offered insurance? Perhaps it was a mistake on the agents part if you thought that you had insurance? Glad all is ok though!

dzug

It's not a legal requirement to have insurance.

Travel agents insist on it because there can be a case for negligence against them if they have allowed a client to travel without it. So you either buy it through them or sign a form saying you have it. Even if you are lying that lets them off the hook.

abijanzo

turtle2k1 wrote: »

I'm not sure what sort of response you were expecting? You went on holiday had no insurance, didn't take E111 cards and paid the price when you got ill?

How could I have made it any clearer what kind of response I was expecting when I directly asked if anyone could help in advising if and where I could reclaim the money I had spent?
This is a money saving site which offers financial advice. Where in my initial post did I say 'Please feel free to rub salt in our wounds, judge us and generally be bad minded about my mistake in not taking out insurance'?
I genuinely thought that I had it in place and would never knowingly leave the Country without insurance.
It seems some people are too quick to jump in and kick someone who is down - thanks again - NOT!

dzug

Well in the spirit of trying to be helpful, I don't know whether this would work or not.
Get yourselves E111s.
Send off a claim to the French authorities. The E111 doesn't bear an issue date - all you would do is quote its number anyway. Apologise for not having put the claim in before you left France (as you are, strictly, required to do.)
See if you get anything. It won't cover all you paid - 50 to 75% at a guess.

It might work, it might not. If it doesn't you have only lost the cost of a few stamps and you have an E111 for next time.

The most difficult thing will be finding out where to send it - the local sickness insurance office is what the book says.

PBA

Dzug is correct, the EHIC (replaced E111 a couple years ago) wouldn't have given you free care, but the right to reclaim a portion of what you'd paid. This is probably the refund they mentionned in France. While you're supposed to claim it while you're still in the country, you can make a claim once you've returned home and the DWP number to help you do this is 0191 218 1999.

The Dept of Health website for travellers is worth a read at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthadvicefortravellers/index.htm. I can't see anything on there of what to do if you've forgotten to take an EHIC, but as in France you pay up front and then claim money back it's got to be worth a try. Also so on that site now and order EHIC cards for your family, so you've got them ready for next time you go away.

You weren't too specific about how the holiday was sold, but if you were led to believe you were covered when you weren't then it would be worth writing a letter of complaint to the agent. Even if they don't have any legal liability they might offer a payment as a goodwill gesture or a discount off a replacement holiday.

moonrakerz

dzug wrote: »

Travel agents insist on it because there can be a case for negligence against them if they have allowed a client to travel without it.

It's more likely that they will make more profit on the insurance than on the holiday !

abijanzo

PBA wrote: »

Dzug is correct, the EHIC (replaced E111 a couple years ago) wouldn't have given you free care, but the right to reclaim a portion of what you'd paid. This is probably the refund they mentionned in France. While you're supposed to claim it while you're still in the country, you can make a claim once you've returned home and the DWP number to help you do this is 0191 218 1999.

The Dept of Health website for travellers is worth a read at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthadvicefortravellers/index.htm. I can't see anything on there of what to do if you've forgotten to take an EHIC, but as in France you pay up front and then claim money back it's got to be worth a try. Also so on that site now and order EHIC cards for your family, so you've got them ready for next time you go away.

You weren't too specific about how the holiday was sold, but if you were led to believe you were covered when you weren't then it would be worth writing a letter of complaint to the agent. Even if they don't have any legal liability they might offer a payment as a goodwill gesture or a discount off a replacement holiday.

At last some constructive advice! Thank you ever so much.

Keeping_Positive

There is no need to attack the OP she realises she made an unintentional mistake and is now paying the price for it.

Whatever happened to being nice to moneysavers? It doesnt say rub salt in wounds for stupid mistakes.

I hope this thread is closed soon because I am really upset at the response this OP has had.

If you cant help stay away

Hintza

I think the OP knows by now they were a plank.

But you are over egging it a bit Donnie!! Although I would agree with you, it is still not a crime to travel without insurance.

tarajayne

I think although reaction is slightly OTT I see what is meant, you cannot think you have travel insurance because you have to actually opt out of it, in the travel agents, over the phone or online, even the disney website puts it in automatically. You can't even buy a flippin train ticket these days without having to untick the box so I think the rant was more aimed at not admiting to knowingly going on holiday without it, especially as for a few days in Europe you can go for between £5-10 depending on level of cover and kids go free so although I wouldn't call anyone a bad mother I would say slightly naive and if you find comments on here hurtful (as any mother would) maybe you should not pursue trying to get money back as you might get more from other people. Why not just chalk it up to bad experience and start saving for another trip next year. We all make mistakes and then we learn from it the hard way. At least it was only money and I'm glad your little girl is ok now.