To share my experiences - being ill abroad - insurance cover isn't the only issue.

[Kingsway]

Shared as an answer on another post. Sharing as part of the risk in going abroad just now.

The insurance may be fine, but have people really thought about being seriously ill, perhaps your whole family, whilst abroad?

I was prevented from flying due to my toddler having chicken pox. It was the worst three weeks of my life.

I couldn't stay in the hotel we were in, as the 'new' holiday makers needed the accommodation.
I was moved again during my stay for the same reason.

I was alone, my DH had to fly back on the original flight, as the insurance wouldn't pay for us both to stay on and the costs of the hotel and return flight couldn't be guaranteed. At one stage the travel company suggested all they could find to move us to was super, super expensive hotel (£600 per night😱) and we were told we would have to pay for my DH - at that point your stay is endless (until recovery and permission to fly) - we just couldn't afford it or take the risk.

The 'local' clinic and chemist were miles away and I didn't drive (without DH). The travel rep didn't want to be near us in case she caught it, so contact was by phone, sporadic and when she was busy, unanswered.

My toddler wanted familiarity, to be cool, his bed, his food. He was really quite ill and I was so worried in calling an ambulance ( how did I do that abroad) in case the insurance didn't cover that particular cost. I realised one of the local clinics that I'd used couldn't be reimbursed by the insurance company, so I had to pay the bill.

I've never felt so alone and stressed with no one to help me. I hardly slept, dumped after two nights of super luxury, into a grotty hotel, in an unfamiliar place, one which I would never have chosen.

When my toddler was declared 'fit to fly' by a doctor ( another whole saga) there was no available seat on flights for another 4 days..the travel firm couldn't tell me when seats would be free, so it was days of packing up, waiting around, sometimes even as far as getting to the airport..to be told no flight.

It was horrendous. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[Hellocatshome]

Sharing as part of the risk in going abroad just now.

This is a risk of going abroad at any time nor just now though. Would it not have been better for DH to stay and you to come home if you dont drive? We were very nearly faced with this situation but luckily DS2s chicken pox cleared up very quickly and he managed to get the fit to fly the morning of our flight.

[VodselForDinner]

Sounds horrifically stressful.

Can I ask though, what about traveling “right now” made it worse? Do you mean because of Covid? If so, would it have been any different without the Covid factor?

[Geamhradh]

Yep. That's why you need to read the small print in your insurance document. So should the worse happen, you are covered no matter what.

[PinkiOcelot]

Ahhh that sounds awful OP. Glad you’re home now.

[Kingsway]

Yes, I was thinking just now in terms of Covid. More risk at the minute of having to isolate abroad. Reading posts, questions are asked about insurance but little consideration for the practicalities of having to stay abroad, beyond the end of a holiday. I felt any control was taken away as I was so reliant on decisions made by the hotel, airline, doctor...

About the driving - DH had to return to work. Insurance wouldn't cover his loss of earnings.

[Robin233]

I'm sorry you went through that op. You were very unlucky.
I wonder if additional needs could be cover (at a cost)
When my daughter was 2 ex dh wanted ti take her aboard for a week.
I was very keen that they had a good relationship so was very accommodating (soft) with requests but I did say no ti this.
I'm sure she would have had a great time and maybe I was being a bit precious, but I just wasn't happy with her being aboard at 2 and needing medical attention- they took her somewhere in the uk other times though.

[Nengineer]

To be honest I would choose any inconvenience and cost over being killed by the third world NHS

[Angel2702]

Yea having been on honeymoon with H unwell it was difficult. We always make sure we pay for extra insurance that covers the whole party to stay in that situation.

[Orf1abc]

I knew I was becoming unwell in a non EU country (nothing contagious, pre existing condition), so I booked on the next flight back into the EU. If you can't get home, get to somewhere you're confident of receiving the best treatment.

Wherever you travel, check before you go where the local healthcare is, and where applicable find out what is private and what is state/ low cost. In many popular resorts you'll be directed to a private facility, and your insurance may only cover the NHS equivalent.

[Bythemillpond]

I think it depends on the insurance company and where you are.

We have been to America 3 times where Dh has ended up in intensive care (pneumonia)
The first time Dh fell ill we were in California and we had flown with BA and taken out their £140 insurance policy for Dh, myself and dd. I was heavily pregnant with Ds at the time,
Yes we had to move rooms, as we were there an additional 3 weeks. We would have had to move again if Dh had been kept in a few more days but they had saved us a room in an even better hotel in the area.
The treatment Dh received was excellent. I saw the bill and it was 6 figures as he had been in intensive care for so long.
Dd and myself were given extra money for food and the inconvenience of having our holiday extended.

I know it isn’t quite the same as being stuck indoors with an ill toddler but I think if this had been the case they would have taken all the hassle away. I was given a local phone number if I needed any help with anything. They arranged all of the flights and told me that they had arranged for someone to help me move hotels if Dh was still not out of hospital on a certain date.

We have been through this twice more with the same sort of service

Dh worked in the US for a time and also ended up in intensive care with pneumonia
No idea why going to the US triggers pneumonia in Dh.

[Kingsway]

Although the insurance cover turned out not to be great, it was more than that. It was the uncertainty and the unfamiliar - a much bigger version of 'needing your own bed'!

[FlowerArranger]

Why isn't he vaccinated if he gets pneumonia so often?

[FlowerArranger]

Above addressed to @Bythemillpond...

[MrsBillyNoJagNoMates]

I don't know
Yes Covid makes everything more complicated with testing / quarantine / etc
But as we are potentially going to my home country and my DH home country only this year if anything goes wrong we are 'stuck' at home.
Don't think I would go anywhere where I would've to rely on staying at hotels etc

[Hellocatshome]

It was the uncertainty and the unfamiliar - a much bigger version of 'needing your own bed'!

This has and always will be a risk of being abroad or even far away from your own home within your own country. I'm sorry it came as a shock to you but really this kind of thing happens to many people every year.

[Attheheart]

It sounds awful OP and you're right the risk of being stranded and ill is much higher now. I'll guarantee most people here who developed a cold or flu would keep quiet and travel home anyway, but not if you've test positive you won't.

Even if all your costs are covered the experience would be pretty awful, especially with children. Even with a bottomless pit of money, you're still going to be reliant on hotel and flight vacancies, plus, probably, a language barrier at the same time as feeling rubbish or being worried about the health of a family member.

It's an interesting reaction from many posters, determined to somehow insist that all the difficulties were of OP's making.

[faw2009]

That sounds awful OP. When DS2 was a toddler, he got violent diarrhoea and vomiting while we were in Rome, ended up taking him to children's hospital and stayed overnight with him. The care was great but the whole process of not fully understanding what was happening, what to do, wishing we were home etc. It was pretty horrible. So wise words op.

[Bythemillpond]

FlowerArranger

He has never been offered a pneumonia vaccination. Is their one?

[TheCanyon]

People but the cheapest insurance though without a thought to the coverage. I always buy a fully comprehensive insurance and read the small print just to be sure.

[taliopolis]

@Nengineer

To be honest I would choose any inconvenience and cost over being killed by the third world NHS

Do you want to expand on that comment or did you write it to deliberately wind people up?

[Amboseli]

@TheCanyon very true. That's what we did until we got caught out by the ash cloud in 2010 and having to fund out own additional 9 night stay (it was actually fun, kids enjoyed it, ended up doing a mini tour of Europe in our efforts to get home) but it cost ££££.

Now I read the small print very carefully and take out fully comprehensive cover.

But I do understand the OPs point of not just the expenses but trying to navigate a foreign health system with little help from tour operator etc.

[taliopolis]

I get where you're coming from, OP. Of course there is always a risk you might become unwell on holiday, but right now the chances of having to isolate / not be allowed to fly home are really high.
A few years ago, one of my DCs got an ear infection on holiday. So a really minor issue really. But we then had to spend the next 5 days not allowing him into the sea or swimming pool. That was incredible stressful. So getting properly and / or having to isolate would be that expensive multiplied by a thousand. No thank you!

[FizziWater]

I've had the pleasure of a state run Greek Island hospital and a swanky private Spanish hospital. I wouldn't want a repeat of either. It's not just about the insurance/ cost. Language is a problem, it's hard enough if you are in hospital at home but when you don't speak or understand the language it's even more stressful.
I've also had several trips to doctors with children in Cyprus and Spain and had fab service and care.

[purplesequins]

and even if you have good insurance an event can leave you out of pocket.
we were in new york (state) on 9.11
no planes for almost a week, and no means of communication for a couple of days dud to the incident.
even with the flight back arranged by the insurance the extra costs of staying one more week were eye watering.
luckily we had no loss of earning as we were allowed to use extra annual leave.

[Stormyseasallround]

Having flown out to my elderly parents when my dad had a massive stroke on holiday, all of this. We were out there for 7 weeks, dealing with all you’ve spoken about, plus trying to communicate with nurses and neurologists in a foreign language. It was extremely difficult, and has certainly made me think again about risking ending up on a foreign Covid ward.