Travel Insurance - Don't skip it.

[GT03ROB]

You know what they say.... it will never happen to us. Well it just did.

Just back from a week in Jamaica. Wife says she's feeling odd after landing in Kingston. Put it down to the 10hr flight. Not right the next day & vision in one eye off. Visit hotel nurse.... need to see hotel doctor... referred to ophthalmologist... need a see eye doctor urgently ... laser treatment required for a double retinal tear. Whilst bad enough could have been a whole lot worse & came from nowhere with no warning or prior condition.

So don't ever risk skipping it.

[mike_e]

+1

12 days into a 2 week stay in Cuba, wife suffers two brain hemorrhages. No prior illness or diagnosis. Week in Cuban ICU, air ambulance to US, neurosurgery in Florida, +3 weeks recuperation in US hospital, lay flat bed flight home, equals a truly massive bill. Cost me £75 excess, can't understand why some people think it a waste of money and risk travelling without.

[andym1603]

Another +1 here.
September 2010 second last day in Tunisia, wife had a stroke. Three weeks in a private clinic before fit to fly was granted. Sent an air ambulance for her and brought her to the local airport. This is just the shortened version as there was a lot more involved.
Best £38 I have ever spent. Would never go abroad without insurance.

[fatboy b]

Because the people who don't pay can then blame everyone else for their predicament, involve Sky News and the BBC to give the sob-story as it's never their fault.

[djc206]

I don't understand how travel insurance is so cheap to be honest, would never chance going anywhere without it.

I hope your wife is ok

[Rick101]

It's this what Justgiving pages are for?

[Dan_1981]

mike_e said:

+1

12 days into a 2 week stay in Cuba, wife suffers two brain hemorrhages. No prior illness or diagnosis. Week in Cuban ICU, air ambulance to US, neurosurgery in Florida, +3 weeks recuperation in US hospital, lay flat bed flight home, equals a truly massive bill. Cost me £75 excess, can't understand why some people think it a waste of money and risk travelling without.

Wow.

That one has to be well into 6 figures.

[Robertj21a]

I'm always staggered by those people who don't have travel insurance. Utterly ridiculous. I'm not a great one for many of the numerous insurance policies that they try to flog us - but Travel Insurance really is a MUST.

[Don]

Absolutely.

I keep an Amex Platinum card specifically for the Travel Insurance benefits. I wouldn't consider not having travel insurance. The consequences if the worst should happen are unthinkable.

And best wishes for a full and swift recovery to your wife...

[pc.iow]

+1 Here as well.
Our then teenage son had a bacon sarnie in Thailand a few years ago which ended with me taking him to the hospital on Samui in the early hours.
All they wanted was insurance and passport details before they started on him and told us to come back in the morning.

Next morning when we arrived we were greeted with, Ahh Mr pc, your insurance company good. All sorted.
They then took us to his room which was more a junior suit in a good hotel with sliding doors onto his own private balcony.
I've stuck with them ever since.

[jesta1865]

djc206 said:

I don't understand how travel insurance is so cheap to be honest, would never chance going anywhere without it.

I hope your wife is ok

because it's not compulsory, so we don't get bent over for it.

cynical, moi!

[Jockman]

GT03ROB said:

You know what they say.... it will never happen to us. Well it just did.

Just back from a week in Jamaica. Wife says she's feeling odd after landing in Kingston. Put it down to the 10hr flight. Not right the next day & vision in one eye off. Visit hotel nurse.... need to see hotel doctor... referred to ophthalmologist... need a see eye doctor urgently ... laser treatment required for a double retinal tear. Whilst bad enough could have been a whole lot worse & came from nowhere with no warning or prior condition.

So don't ever risk skipping it.

Sorry to hear that mate. No such problems in Barbados.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

jesta1865 said:

djc206 said:

I don't understand how travel insurance is so cheap to be honest, would never chance going anywhere without it.

I hope your wife is ok

because it's not compulsory, so we don't get bent over for it.

cynical, moi!

Or it could be because most people buy it but never need to claim. They must sell millions of policies that run claim free. That pays for the odd horror story, and allows them to make a profit.

[pherlopolus]

Agreed

we always pay extra to not have the excess, we always claim for something :/

[TwigtheWonderkid]

djc206 said:

I don't understand how travel insurance is so cheap to be honest, would never chance going anywhere without it.

It gets very expensive as you get older. It often costs the elderly more than the holiday.

[jesta1865]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

jesta1865 said:

djc206 said:

I don't understand how travel insurance is so cheap to be honest, would never chance going anywhere without it.

I hope your wife is ok

because it's not compulsory, so we don't get bent over for it.

cynical, moi!

Or it could be because most people buy it but never need to claim. They must sell millions of policies that run claim free. That pays for the odd horror story, and allows them to make a profit.

much like car insurance, but that's compulsory so not as cheap funnily enough.

granted there are far more car accidents that happen daily, but there must be a few million policies that never get claimed on, and i suspect the medical bills far outweigh the price of repairing a ford focus.

house insurance isn't a legal requirement, and admittedly they tend not to bang into each other, but they get burgled, water tanks split etc, and they cost more to repair most of the time. but generally cheaper over the year.

never worked in insurance, but i have had mates who do, they have said as much, seems plausible to me.

[GT03ROB]

Had a check up in UK this morning & all good. And thanks for the good wishes.

[Steve Campbell]

.....and the insurance isn't just for the holiday bit. Leaving getting the insurance to just before you go might leave you open to a problem before you fly and kissing goodbye to the cost of the holiday (which in the scheme of things might be relatively small but for the small cost of insurance, is just throwing money away).

[ChasW]

Dan_1981 said:

mike_e said:

+1

12 days into a 2 week stay in Cuba, wife suffers two brain hemorrhages. No prior illness or diagnosis. Week in Cuban ICU, air ambulance to US, neurosurgery in Florida, +3 weeks recuperation in US hospital, lay flat bed flight home, equals a truly massive bill. Cost me £75 excess, can't understand why some people think it a waste of money and risk travelling without.

Wow.

That one has to be well into 6 figures.

My cousin broke her neck while in Florida. Fortunately not bad enough to cause any paralysis but was in ICU for a long time and hospitalised for 5-6 weeks until she was fit/stable enough to be flown back to the UK. Insurance company gave her the choice of air ambulance or BA first class with a nurse accompanying her. Apparently the final bill was nearly $2m. She had bought the travel insurance policy over the counter at the bank.

[Nobby Diesel]

........and remember folks, it's not limited to medical cover, during your holiday.
I've missed holidays due to injury in the UK prior to departure, death of a parent before departure and illness.
Add to that, Icelandic volcanoes, which meant we were stuck in Thailand for an extra 2 weeks ( turned out nice again), I have to say, a good quality Travel Insurance is an absolute must.