Travel Insurance - Don't skip it.
Discussion
There was a poor bloke from Hull on tv last night, out in Thailand two years ago with his wife and children, had a motorbike accident resulting in terrible brain damage.
No insurance so his neighbours, friends and family raised the money to pay the bill and have him repatriated, he would still been a virtual vegetable but insurance would have saved his parents, wife and kids a lot of distress for less than the cost of hiring the bike.
No insurance so his neighbours, friends and family raised the money to pay the bill and have him repatriated, he would still been a virtual vegetable but insurance would have saved his parents, wife and kids a lot of distress for less than the cost of hiring the bike.
Very true, though I would say that it depends where you're going, some places are more ridiculous than others. Certainly all visitors coming to the US get insurance without fail - even a "minor" injury like a broken limb can hit $50k, don't even want to think about the costs when the neurosurgeons get involved.
French friend here had a visitor from Paris who broke his ankle. He spent 3 days taking painkillers with his leg elevated until he could fly back to France for treatment as he knew that he could not afford the uninsured costs here.
French friend here had a visitor from Paris who broke his ankle. He spent 3 days taking painkillers with his leg elevated until he could fly back to France for treatment as he knew that he could not afford the uninsured costs here.
Some very sobering stories so far.. I hope all involved are back fit as a butcher's... or at least on their way.
That said, anyone have their travel insurance with their bank account?
I have mine as one of the 'perks' on RBS bank account. Seens fine but (touch wood) havent needed to use it. Although they state they are fully comprehensive, anyone used theirs?
That said, anyone have their travel insurance with their bank account?
I have mine as one of the 'perks' on RBS bank account. Seens fine but (touch wood) havent needed to use it. Although they state they are fully comprehensive, anyone used theirs?
Nobby Diesel said:
........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.
I forgot to add, discovering that my 16 year old daughter was allergic to nuts, whilst we were driving from the UK to the Alps.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.
ECG's, emergency hospital admission, over night stay etc etc..........EHIC card didn't cover it. Travel Insurance did.
Dan_1981 said:
Wow.
That one has to be well into 6 figures.
An American work mate paid $12,000 for an emergency root canal on a Sunday, in New Orleans. Not sure why it was an emergency, or why so bloody expensive, but just to give you an example of medical costs in the land of the free....That one has to be well into 6 figures.
I pay my own medical insurance for my family here in the Philippines, $5200 a year. Exact same cover in the USA would be $28,800 ...........
WolfAir said:
Some very sobering stories so far.. I hope all involved are back fit as a butcher's... or at least on their way.
That said, anyone have their travel insurance with their bank account?
I have mine as one of the 'perks' on RBS bank account. Seens fine but (touch wood) havent needed to use it. Although they state they are fully comprehensive, anyone used theirs?
Check the conditions carefully. I chucked in my Barclays Premier account when I checked the travel policy small print which said I was only covered if I paid for the holiday and all associated costs with the debit card associated with the account.That said, anyone have their travel insurance with their bank account?
I have mine as one of the 'perks' on RBS bank account. Seens fine but (touch wood) havent needed to use it. Although they state they are fully comprehensive, anyone used theirs?
So putting it on a credit card or bank transfer to the travel agent would have voided it.
A mate of mine from Yorkshire is somewhat on the tight side.
He went off to India a few years back with his wife and a work colleague.
They did not take out insurance they all ended up ill the 3rd member of the party caught an infection and could not see. She apparently had the last couple of days of the holiday being led around before the return flights to the uk.
Apparently insurance is now always taken out.
I have no idea what medical costs are in India
He went off to India a few years back with his wife and a work colleague.
They did not take out insurance they all ended up ill the 3rd member of the party caught an infection and could not see. She apparently had the last couple of days of the holiday being led around before the return flights to the uk.
Apparently insurance is now always taken out.
I have no idea what medical costs are in India
+1 here
We get worldwide travel insurance as part of a Direct Line package. We were in Mexico for 6 weeks but my wife took ill after eating street food. We love street food but she is a veggie. So as the kids and I ate at the best fish taco stand she went to the local shop for a cheese sandwich. Big mistake.
After coming home from a party she started to get really really ill. The place we were in didn't have thebest medical facilities so we pressed on to Mexico city. How she managed to keep it together I just don't know but that opening scene in James Bond where they are walking down the road during the road for the day of the dead? We were on a bus from airport down there and then had a short walk to our house and it was hellish getting there. The nice owner of house suggested an English speaking hospital. We managed to get there and very nice it was to (well apart from the sexual assault but we don't talk about that).
Anyway I made frantic phone calls and although at first they were a royal pain in the arse I finally got someone who helped me. Upshot was we spent a week and half in Mexico city before she recovered enough to carry on our holiday. We had to miss out much of travel - including to somewhere I have always wanted to visit - Oaxaca - but hey I had a wife that hadn't died so all good. Flights were arranged to get us to a location on our schedule and missed coach tickets were paid for. Despite those hellish first few days I was very happy to have someone on the end of the phone and also someone willing to move us to Mexico Cities bland dead zone of 5 star hotels so my wife could recover in hospital and then in a comfy bed.
Never ever travel without insurance.
We get worldwide travel insurance as part of a Direct Line package. We were in Mexico for 6 weeks but my wife took ill after eating street food. We love street food but she is a veggie. So as the kids and I ate at the best fish taco stand she went to the local shop for a cheese sandwich. Big mistake.
After coming home from a party she started to get really really ill. The place we were in didn't have thebest medical facilities so we pressed on to Mexico city. How she managed to keep it together I just don't know but that opening scene in James Bond where they are walking down the road during the road for the day of the dead? We were on a bus from airport down there and then had a short walk to our house and it was hellish getting there. The nice owner of house suggested an English speaking hospital. We managed to get there and very nice it was to (well apart from the sexual assault but we don't talk about that).
Anyway I made frantic phone calls and although at first they were a royal pain in the arse I finally got someone who helped me. Upshot was we spent a week and half in Mexico city before she recovered enough to carry on our holiday. We had to miss out much of travel - including to somewhere I have always wanted to visit - Oaxaca - but hey I had a wife that hadn't died so all good. Flights were arranged to get us to a location on our schedule and missed coach tickets were paid for. Despite those hellish first few days I was very happy to have someone on the end of the phone and also someone willing to move us to Mexico Cities bland dead zone of 5 star hotels so my wife could recover in hospital and then in a comfy bed.
Never ever travel without insurance.
Yes,wherever you go always be properly insured.
Also when you apply for cover make sure you never leave anything out regarding your past health and medical history.Always be 100% truthful,cross the "T" and dot the "I".
My son was taken ill while working in Peru,spent two weeks in hospital,had to give up work and fly home to the UK.This cost him £000`s.When dealing with the claim his insurance company discovered he had treatment in the UK for the same condition and had omitted it from the form.They refused to pay out,cancelled the policy and refunded the premium.
They were in the right and my son was in the wrong.
Also when you apply for cover make sure you never leave anything out regarding your past health and medical history.Always be 100% truthful,cross the "T" and dot the "I".
My son was taken ill while working in Peru,spent two weeks in hospital,had to give up work and fly home to the UK.This cost him £000`s.When dealing with the claim his insurance company discovered he had treatment in the UK for the same condition and had omitted it from the form.They refused to pay out,cancelled the policy and refunded the premium.
They were in the right and my son was in the wrong.
ChasW said:
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. 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.
That one has to be well into 6 figures.
+1 on the advice to always get travel insurance, even for EU trips. Many seem to think the EHIC covers them but it has limitations. My uncle had a stroke in France. He was covered though a Lloyds bank account. Whilst he would have received emergency treatment on the EHIC, he wouldn't have got the private ambulance back to the UK. That said, Lloyds (or their claim handler) were not brilliant and did seek to economise. The docs in the local hospital said he needed a specialist stroke unit and so might as well move back to UK (he was in Rouen and lives in London so not a huge journey). Several days went by and eventually I spoke to the insurers and it transpired they were waiting for a cheaper road ambulance to become available rather than splashing on an air ambulance, so I had to explain they were ignoring the doctors' advice for immediate transfer to a stroke unit and they'd better have an ambulance with us with 24hr. The insurers also didn't cover the family's expenses in going to visit/retrieve him and his things (inc car). Eurotunnel also charged us full whack for the passage of his car (we'd missed his booked crossing with the week or so in French hospital), which I thought was pretty tight of them given we were in tandem with his ambulance.
technodup said:
I'm one of those who never buys travel insurance. Basically on the basis I'm young(ish), fit(ish) and I won't be doing any high risk activities.
Having read this I think I might have changed my mind. Take my money!
There's plenty of others like you - they tend to become rather apparent when family and friends start desperate appeals for help through the media........Having read this I think I might have changed my mind. Take my money!
I could understand any reluctance if travel insurance was expensive - but it's actually fairly cheap.
jesta1865 said:
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.
And they are wrong.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.
The car insurance industry hasn't made an underwriting profit for the last 15 years (or something like that)...
Edited by sidicks on Tuesday 29th November 13:02
technodup said:
I'm one of those who never buys travel insurance. Basically on the basis I'm young(ish), fit(ish) and I won't be doing any high risk activities.
Having read this I think I might have changed my mind. Take my money!
If you purchase annual it's likely to be less than £70 / yr.Having read this I think I might have changed my mind. Take my money!
Really naive not to have it.
We have a rolling annual multi trip family cover including winter sports. Pay for the zero excess.
If anything ever went wrong the last thing I'd want to be worrying about is a massive medical bill additional flights and special flight home.
For £120/year it's exceptional value. Touch wood never had to use it but would never contemplate without.
We have a rolling annual multi trip family cover including winter sports. Pay for the zero excess.
If anything ever went wrong the last thing I'd want to be worrying about is a massive medical bill additional flights and special flight home.
For £120/year it's exceptional value. Touch wood never had to use it but would never contemplate without.
audidoody said:
Check the conditions carefully. I chucked in my Barclays Premier account when I checked the travel policy small print which said I was only covered if I paid for the holiday and all associated costs with the debit card associated with the account.
So putting it on a credit card or bank transfer to the travel agent would have voided it.
I have the Premier Account and after reading your post went to check my paperwork, can't find the small print that states it must be paid for by the debit card attached to the accountSo putting it on a credit card or bank transfer to the travel agent would have voided it.
Had a family holiday to Florida a few years ago and ended up buying the cheapest travel insurance possible through Compare the Market. I have never claimed on any kind of insurance in my life so just went for the cheapest £40 option as I saw it as a complete waste of money.
First day of the holiday my daughter has gastro, by the next day 4 people are vomiting so we decide to call a Doctor. The doctor takes one look at my daughter, tells us she is severely dehydrated and calls 911.
Daughter gets admitted to the florida hospital for children, next day my ex wife is vomiting blood so they admit her as well.
Both made a quick recovery and were released a few days later, the insurance company were fantastic and even the £250 excess each was nothing compared to the final hospital bill.
Personally I would never now travel without insurance.
First day of the holiday my daughter has gastro, by the next day 4 people are vomiting so we decide to call a Doctor. The doctor takes one look at my daughter, tells us she is severely dehydrated and calls 911.
Daughter gets admitted to the florida hospital for children, next day my ex wife is vomiting blood so they admit her as well.
Both made a quick recovery and were released a few days later, the insurance company were fantastic and even the £250 excess each was nothing compared to the final hospital bill.
Personally I would never now travel without insurance.
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