Travelling Without Insurance
Discussion
No. No. No.
I know an ex-paramedic who now divides his time between working offshore and arranging care flights back to Australia for sick people. His stories about the costs involved are terrifying. If you’re lucky you’ll only need a whole row on a commercial flight and a nurse at 10s of thousands of dollars. If you’re unlucky you’ll need a proper air ambulance, and have to sell your house to pay for it.
Of course if you could be really lucky and snuff it so you could get cremated and posted back in a Jiffy bag.
I know an ex-paramedic who now divides his time between working offshore and arranging care flights back to Australia for sick people. His stories about the costs involved are terrifying. If you’re lucky you’ll only need a whole row on a commercial flight and a nurse at 10s of thousands of dollars. If you’re unlucky you’ll need a proper air ambulance, and have to sell your house to pay for it.
Of course if you could be really lucky and snuff it so you could get cremated and posted back in a Jiffy bag.
Jader1973 said:
No. No. No.
I know an ex-paramedic who now divides his time between working offshore and arranging care flights back to Australia for sick people. His stories about the costs involved are terrifying. If you’re lucky you’ll only need a whole row on a commercial flight and a nurse at 10s of thousands of dollars. If you’re unlucky you’ll need a proper air ambulance, and have to sell your house to pay for it.
Of course if you could be really lucky and snuff it so you could get cremated and posted back in a Jiffy bag.
We had to get my mother home from Portugal and it was over 20K.I know an ex-paramedic who now divides his time between working offshore and arranging care flights back to Australia for sick people. His stories about the costs involved are terrifying. If you’re lucky you’ll only need a whole row on a commercial flight and a nurse at 10s of thousands of dollars. If you’re unlucky you’ll need a proper air ambulance, and have to sell your house to pay for it.
Of course if you could be really lucky and snuff it so you could get cremated and posted back in a Jiffy bag.
I was a bit put out paying the travel insurance for my parents' trip to the US at Easter. It cost me over £500 for the pair of them for a two week trip.
My Dad got pneumonia, not terribly badly but it required a hospital stay of five nights and a lot of tests for other possible causes (thought he might have TB at one point).
Cost to us was precisely zero.
Cost to the insurance company was nearly £30,000.
And that was for a relatively non-serious illness – no medivac flights, personal nurses etc to take into account
My Dad got pneumonia, not terribly badly but it required a hospital stay of five nights and a lot of tests for other possible causes (thought he might have TB at one point).
Cost to us was precisely zero.
Cost to the insurance company was nearly £30,000.
And that was for a relatively non-serious illness – no medivac flights, personal nurses etc to take into account
To put it this way...
A broken leg in the USA will cost north of $50k not including anything like complications or pins and plates.
My OH didnt understand why I was annoyed when it still wasnt purchased a week before we were flying to Fiji, I explained I would rather miss the holiday then fly with no insurance considering we were taking small island hopper planes and diving in the 2 weeks we were there.
She thought that if we were careful, then its fine... $150 later and we are covered for the year, inc diving and other extreme sports. Never needed it but I certainly dont want to need it and not be covered.
A broken leg in the USA will cost north of $50k not including anything like complications or pins and plates.
My OH didnt understand why I was annoyed when it still wasnt purchased a week before we were flying to Fiji, I explained I would rather miss the holiday then fly with no insurance considering we were taking small island hopper planes and diving in the 2 weeks we were there.
She thought that if we were careful, then its fine... $150 later and we are covered for the year, inc diving and other extreme sports. Never needed it but I certainly dont want to need it and not be covered.
boyse7en said:
I was a bit put out paying the travel insurance for my parents' trip to the US at Easter. It cost me over £500 for the pair of them for a two week trip.
My Dad got pneumonia, not terribly badly but it required a hospital stay of five nights and a lot of tests for other possible causes (thought he might have TB at one point).
Cost to us was precisely zero.
Cost to the insurance company was nearly £30,000.
And that was for a relatively non-serious illness – no medivac flights, personal nurses etc to take into account
and that is your answer.My Dad got pneumonia, not terribly badly but it required a hospital stay of five nights and a lot of tests for other possible causes (thought he might have TB at one point).
Cost to us was precisely zero.
Cost to the insurance company was nearly £30,000.
And that was for a relatively non-serious illness – no medivac flights, personal nurses etc to take into account
Robertj21a said:
It would be a good move to include travel insurance in all airline tickets. I know it won't cover everybody (boats, backpackers etc) but it would be a good step in the right direction, at minimal cost.
Agreed, and it would also make sense to require any passenger inbound to the UK to provide proof of insurance before boarding the aircraft!pequod said:
Robertj21a said:
It would be a good move to include travel insurance in all airline tickets. I know it won't cover everybody (boats, backpackers etc) but it would be a good step in the right direction, at minimal cost.
Agreed, and it would also make sense to require any passenger inbound to the UK to provide proof of insurance before boarding the aircraft!Du1point8 said:
Or if not that then border control to state that no insurance, no entry to the UK... It cant be that difficult and would stop health tourists that become ill 2 days into the visit that need life-saving operations (pre-existing conditions) that cost the UK taxpayers thousands and they get off Scott free.
If they are from outside the EU then they are still responsible for most charges.XJSJohn said:
Please take out travel insurance ....
Having lived in Thailand and having a place in Bali, the amount of horror stories that you see about people in dire situations with part completed medical care / left in sub standard facilities because they didn't have any insurance and now are relying on family selling up assets / friends running gofundme's.
If you get sick or have an accident overseas it is f
kING EXPENSIVE!!!! excuse french and in many situations (especially in places like Thailand) if you dont have insurance they wont even see you, or you will get the basic triage and could be left unconcious with a bill on you and no more care.
I wonder how many people realise that if any mishap has a root cause in alcohol, they won't be covered by their insurer in many cases. Booze accounts for many a disaster. Having lived in Thailand and having a place in Bali, the amount of horror stories that you see about people in dire situations with part completed medical care / left in sub standard facilities because they didn't have any insurance and now are relying on family selling up assets / friends running gofundme's.
If you get sick or have an accident overseas it is f
kING EXPENSIVE!!!! excuse french and in many situations (especially in places like Thailand) if you dont have insurance they wont even see you, or you will get the basic triage and could be left unconcious with a bill on you and no more care.No idea how they prove you were pissed unless a blood sample was taken.
A friend of mine was on holiday in Cuba when she got run over by a JCB. Medical evacuation flight to Florida, multiple operations over several months, and then a medical flight back to the UK. I suspect the total cost was more than her house is worth.
Insurance is one of those things that I only tend not to have if I can afford the worst case if I don't have it.
Insurance is one of those things that I only tend not to have if I can afford the worst case if I don't have it.
The Mad Monk said:
I am flying to Oz at the end of the year. How unwise would it be to travel without insurance. I am elderly and have had a few thing wrong with me. If I buy travel insurance my pre-existing conditions will be excluded.
Would it make sense to travel and if I need medical care, pay for it as I go?
You must live under a rock to have never heard on the news of stories like this: Would it make sense to travel and if I need medical care, pay for it as I go?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-1418856...
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/664325/Woman-hor...
Du1point8 said:
pequod said:
Robertj21a said:
It would be a good move to include travel insurance in all airline tickets. I know it won't cover everybody (boats, backpackers etc) but it would be a good step in the right direction, at minimal cost.
Agreed, and it would also make sense to require any passenger inbound to the UK to provide proof of insurance before boarding the aircraft!pequod said:
Du1point8 said:
pequod said:
Robertj21a said:
It would be a good move to include travel insurance in all airline tickets. I know it won't cover everybody (boats, backpackers etc) but it would be a good step in the right direction, at minimal cost.
Agreed, and it would also make sense to require any passenger inbound to the UK to provide proof of insurance before boarding the aircraft!I can imagine the s
testorm that will happen when the airline gets their first 100k+ bill for someone having a fake insurance or a real cert, but after receiving the cert they canceled the insurance and the government goes after the airline. Much like the poor truck drivers who get it in the neck when they have stowaways.Now I wonder why its never been done?
pequod said:
Robertj21a said:
It would be a good move to include travel insurance in all airline tickets. I know it won't cover everybody (boats, backpackers etc) but it would be a good step in the right direction, at minimal cost.
Agreed, and it would also make sense to require any passenger inbound to the UK to provide proof of insurance before boarding the aircraft!And who would provide the cover? The airline don't want to be in the travel insurance business. Would it be a govt scheme. How much would that cost to set up. Travel insurance is time critical. You need to be able to call a helpline emergency number and get immediate authorisation. A government run travel insurance would be a disaster.
And what would happen to all the existing travel insurers, who have invested in staff and computers and infrastructure. I guess they'd just be left to go bust and no one would buy their product.
Sorry, but just NO. I'm all for considering making it compulsory, but to be bought in advance privately by the traveller from a travel insurer.
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Saturday 8th September 16:04
Riley Blue said:
As has already been mentioned, contact Staysure: https://www.staysure.co.uk/medical-travel-insuranc...
We both have pre-existing medical conditions; I would never, ever travel without insurance.
Totally agree. We are both over 70 with various health issues, Staysure covered everything including my heart problem at a very reasonable cost. As with any policy just make sure you answer all the questions truthfully and correctly. We both have pre-existing medical conditions; I would never, ever travel without insurance.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff