Why would you take you family on holiday without travel insurance?!

Just another data point here. I am 59 and have type 2 diabetes. I recently renewed annual worldwide travel insurance (including USA) and it was £121 for the basic cover or £171 for the "premium" cover with higher limits

Honestly I don't think it should be allowed. I think you should have to prove you have it to get on a plane.

I'm not sure if people just assume they won't need medical assistance or whether they don't realise they'll only get it if they pay?!

Surely the paraglider and/or company is responsible for the medical bills as she was hit by them?
Insurance and/or action through the courts to recover costs could take months, or even years. Treatment is likely necessary right away, and from the reports the hospital is going to insist on payment before discharge.

If you are insured, your insurance company covers your expenses and then spends the time necessary to recover their costs after the event from anyone else that might be liable.

Well that's a different issue, but if you are honest when completing the proposal it shouldn't be a problem. It asks you if you are taking any medication you don't need to be familiar with potential side effects just know the name.

Exclusions for things like water sports or drunkeness can be an issue. But as with everything people should really read the key facts to determine suitability. If they don't then there is a risk.

This is why I just take out travel insurance on my health insurance policy. I have a VHI and it literally says it includes cover for all pre existing conditions (except for over 80s). It’s slightly more expensive but just takes away the need to trawl through the small print or worry that that migraine that I suffered 20 years ago will somehow negate my policy

I am now 80, DH 73, so we have to pay extra for age, plus we have a variety of chronic conditions including asthma, diabetes 2 and high blood pressure and I have a pacemaker.

@TrickyD does your insurance actually cover those conditions and any associated issues ?

It's Turkey, not entirely unlikely being run by a local with a small business on the beach who doesn't have insurance. I don't know what the regulations on health and safety are in Turkey nor the rules on public liability insurance, so it's possible there is no recourse for them from the paraglider/company.

I do know someone who had his rental car crashed by a valet parker at a Turkish hotel, the valet company were not insured and the car insurance on the rental car did not cover it because the valet parker was not a named driver on the rental agreement. Car was a write off, which he had to pay for.

I've claimed twice in these circumstances, the first time my partners sister was unwell in hospital, it was touch and go so we decided not to travel and the insurance paid out. The second was a close family bereavement before we were due to travel.
We've also claimed for ds becoming unwell on a UK break and cutting our trip short as a result.
In each of these we only had to provide a doctor's note / hospital record, death cert for the bereavement.

"It should be added to all holidays in the price as it seems a lot of people forget"

Which part of the holiday? - the flight, the accommodation..
Is anyone still buying package holidays?

I understand the medical part and how important it is, but I always assumed that claiming for having to cancel for personal reasons would be almost impossible. Do companies genuinely pay out in the event of ill health and bereavement? I can't imagine how high the burden of proof is in those circumstances.

With our family history of holiday ailments we do arrange insurance. I have had a ruptured Anterior CL, DH a broken collar bone - both skiing injuries, Grandson eye infection, taken by ambulance to the resort’s affiliated clinic, treatment with same ointment that costs £4 in Boots, ambulance back, $850 - had to pay upfront but reimbursed by insurers. Then same grandson, but different holiday, badly affected by altitude and had to be taken to a town at lower altitude and accommodated there for the rest of the week. Again insurers sorted out all the medical treatment and accommodation.

I am now 80, DH 73, so we have to pay extra for age, plus we have a variety of chronic conditions including asthma, diabetes 2 and high blood pressure and I have a pacemaker.

Our insurance is with our bank account, but the supplements for age and all these ailments plus more, came out at £475 in total for the two of us, annual worldwide including cruises. I don’t think that is too bad.

Travel insurance for a healthy young person for a week or fortnight would be peanuts, crazy not to bother.

DH and sibling both have an inherited condition. When we’ve been abroad DH has to pay out hundreds to get it covered. BIL just gets normal travel insurance and doesn’t tell them. It seems totally pointless even getting it.

Or if you forgot to mention you were taking statin's and were in a car crash, the Insurance company may decide not to honour the claim as you didn't mention the medication when taking out the policy, even if it had nothing whatsoever to do with the accident.

And you can't say you didn't know because every medication dispensed in this country comes with an information leaflet highlighting the side effects from common to rare. And buyer beware comes into play , did you read the insurance documents thoroughly before leaving on holiday to ensure you were covered for everything you thought you were ?

Travel insurance is well worth it. The insurance industry is heavily regulated so any issues with payouts can be escalated to the ombudsman.

I am not disputing it is worthwhile @WorriedRelative , but I wonder how many people take out insurance without really checking the small print for exclusions, so they think 'I have been offered insurance therefore I am insured' when in actual fact that might not be the case for a whole variety of issues related to their medical condition or potential side effects of any medication they are taking ?.

That's all very well, Happiestwhen, just so long as they don't pull the poor-old-pensioners "Ooooo what are we going to doooooo" and turn on the tears should the worst happen

It's bad enough behaving this foolishly in the first place, but picking up the pieces themselves is one thing and expecting family to bankrupt themselves to do it quite another

My family have definitely benefited from travel insurance.

Years ago some cousins were abroad, all fit, healthy, active adults between 23 and 55. They were in a car crash, the other driver didn't stop. The air ambulance was required. One died and two were critical in hospital, needing multiple surgeries and unconscious for days. One never walked without crutches afterwards and is now in a wheelchair.

Another family member had to fly out to identify the body and deal with the authorities then accompany the body home in a lead lined coffin. The other two eventually required medical assistance on flights home.

All paid for by insurance.

More recently we've had a child break a wrist on holiday, and an adult unable to go on their holiday because they were hospitalised beforehand, and two adults with flights cancelled on the way home from their holiday needing alternative accommodation and lost wages paid.

Travel insurance is well worth it. The insurance industry is heavily regulated so any issues with payouts can be escalated to the ombudsman.

"It should be added to all holidays in the price as it seems a lot of people forget"
Honestly, I very much doubt people forget. There are so many reminders during the booking process and the countless e-mails before you go that I can't see how it's so easily missed. I know on some of my bookings, I have had to tick a box to say that I've read and understood about the need to take out travel insurance before I can proceed with booking.
It cannot automatically be added to the holiday as several of us have annual policies which cover multiple trips and destinations so we wouldn't want to be paying again. It would also be impossible to implement for do-it-yourself holidays where the flights, accommodation etc are all booked individually.

I had to pay £500 for my child’s travel insurance because they are disabled but I paid as the bill would of been a hell of a lot more if something had happened

@catchthepigeon98 were there any exclusions on the policy ? Or did it cover anything even if related to your child's disability ?

I understand that people think 'it'll never happen to them' but people spend £000's on getting their nails and hair done before a holiday. Spend some of that on insurance.

It’s awful what happened to the poor girl. It was in one article that she thought she had it then on the just giving page she said she forgot. It should be added to all holidays in the price as it seems a lot of people forget. I had to pay £500 for my child’s travel insurance because they are disabled but I paid as the bill would of been a hell of a lot more if something had happened

Sorry meant to add that if you are hospitalised as a result of something related to a known condition or a medication you take, you might find you are not covered for treatment or repatriation ?

YANBU read this the other day and the mum said she didn’t realise it didn’t come with insurance or something to the effect! Utter nonsense, how many times throughout the booking process are you prompted to get insurance. A tragic and unexpected accident however anything can happen when away from home and it is not worth the risk.

If you declare a medical condition or that you take a medication with known if rare side effects like HRT, would you still be covered ? So if you declare you take HRT and have a stroke, won't the insurance company have removed that scenario from what it would cover ? So does everyone with travel insurance check what isn't included in their policies before travelling or do people believe insured = OK ?

Well it's the responsibility of the person booking the holiday. Just like car insurance if you drive or insuring your house.