To be sick of people starting to fund me pages when they go on holiday without travel insurance and can’t afford medical bills when they end up in hospital?

She's clearly stupid. I would not try to match her stupidity by contributing to those medical costs

Yanbu. Would never donate to any of them. Morons

It is illegal for people with less privileged passports ie brown and black people usually. You can't get visas.

Maybe she could have cut her 4 week holiday to Florida down to 2 weeks - money saved could have paid for the travel insurance, plus it would have been cheaper!

Stupid, irresponsible person - Idon't agree with setting up GFM for this, and I would never donate. Unfortunately plenty of people will, so people will continue to do it.

When I went on a cruise recently, we had to have valid insurance of the appropriate level to be allowed to board, so it is mandatory in certain situations and should be in others.

I know of healthy young people being silly and feeling immortal on holiday - or not thinking to even consider insurance - but for a proper adult with pre existing health conditions who can afford £LotsK for a holiday, well that's just bloody stupid.

I have an unstable life limiting condition. As a result I don't go abroad due to the cost of insurance. The last time I looked it was thousands. Also the last time I looked Disney for a fortnight would have cost £20,000 doing the family trip I wanted. If she can afford a month there, she could have afforded the insurance. I have no sympathy in this case.

I can understand that young, healthy people sometimes take a risk and don't get j surname even though it's stupid but for an obese 76 year old who uses three different inhalers to ease her breathing difficulties which is caused by a chronic pulmonary disease, and she relies on a walker is utter madness not to have insurance!

It also wasn't a once in a lifetime trip -

'On her 20 previous trips to the US she had purchased travel insurance. But this time couldn't afford the $3,000 cost quoted due to her severe health issues.'

I think they need to make it a condition of entering a different country that you have valid insurance.

Our children all like to travel and we have drummed it into them that they must always have insurance.

It's just as essential as remembering to pack your underwear!

DS and his girlfriend booked their first overseas holiday recently. I sat with them to help while they arranged it all and made it very clear that as soon as it was all booked they absolutely had to sort travel insurance as a priority. Fortunately they are both sensible and did it immediately but I was quite surprised to find out that many of their friends don’t bother.

I did - it was Except that the cost of her treatment in the US is probably in excess of £1,000,000 - that has no bearing on the cost and duration of her holiday, which is what I was comparing the cost of her insurance to.

The cost of insurance is frustrating if you have pre existing conditions- but there are specialists companies you can engage with for quotes.

I have a medical issue from 28 years ago I still have to declare it and find a specialist company even though the risk of it happening again is the same as anyone else!

Recently went away for the family insurance was £30 for me the same trip around £300 - but I would never travel without insurance so know I have to pay the extra!

I saw this story and didn't really feel any sympathy for them.
I understand that it's disappointing if the insurance cost means you miss out on a family trip, but that's just how it is. They could have saved for a bit longer to make sure the cost was covered.

My travel insurance costs are starting to increase for various reasons and I factor it in to the cost of the trip and budget accordingly. No sympathy for those who don't and then want others to pay.

I’d try a different insurer. I’ve added loads of things like that to policies and never been charged extra!

It's like the poor teenager that was hit outside a restaurant by a paraglider in Turkey. A totally freak accident and I hope she is doing well, but they had no insurance and had to set up the fund page to cover.

I have only ever done abroad once without insurance, was an oversight on my part, and I was lucky but would never do it again, you never know what is round the corner.

If have some sympathy if she was having a cheap holiday in France but if she can afford to go to Disney World, which most of us can’t do, then yes, she should have bought her own insurance.

Just don't donate? There are lots of charities / go fund he's etc that I don't agree with so I just don't donate. If the lady has made a poor decision that sucks for her family, but you can't blame them for trying to sort it out regardless, however you can just scroll past

Insurance could be made a requirement for a visa. No insurance no visa.

Of all the places to go without travel insurance as well - the US.

Yes you are right - no one should go ANYWHERE abroad without travel insurance. There is no excuse for not going. It doesn't matter if you are fit and healthy, any random accident could happen - as the incident where a paraglider crash landed on top of a fifteen year old proves.

Do people just not realize how much health care actually costs? Or do they just feel confident that the people from their home country will foot the bill if something happens?

Yeah you need to read the second half of what I said. Go on - its just 1 more sentence.

Arrgh typos. On my phone without my glasses.

She travelled to the USA without insurance?!
Oh my word. Stupid dies not even begin to describe her.
I wouldn’t donate a penny.
Stupid, stupid woman.
When I worked in the travel industry you either had to fake out our insurance or provide us with the name if the insurance company you were using.
I know times change and I’m guessing she probably booked everything separately to penny pinch there too.
No sympathy from me.
A 4 week holiday to Florida is an absolute luxury.

This lady was quoted 3k for holiday insurance apparently, that's a hell of a lot

That's less than the cost of a week in Disney World, and she went for four weeks!

Insurers are businesses, not a public service - they have to make more money than they pay out in order to survive - would you want to pay more for straightforward travel insurance so that people with multiple or complex health conditions paid less?

Do they take the piss, or reflect the true potential cost of treatment?

This lady was quoted 3k for holiday insurance apparently, that's a hell of a lot. Except that the cost of her treatment in the US is probably in excess of £1,000,000.

But all that would happen is that the sort of people who dont care about insurance take out cheap policies that aren't worth the paper they are written on. I mean it'd be good if all you are concerned about is covering the cost of lost baggage but for health coverage it's not so simple, especially if there are existing health conditions.

Whilst I completely agree that it's absolute madness to travel without travel insurance, the legislation I'd like to see in is on insurance companies. It would be great to stop them taking the piss with premiums for pre-existing conditions. But vested interests and all that mean I won't be holding my breath.

Meanwhile this thread should be bookmarked for the summer "AIBU to think I don't need travel insurance" threads.