To think that it should be illegal to go abroad without travel insurance

I don't know how this whole insurance thing works, but surely there should be some sort of thing that allows people with lots of health conditions to claim for something that is nothing to do with those health conditions and get insurance based on that. Like accidents.

Ask yourself the question in reverse. How would you feel about the NHS funding yet another tourist who hadn't got insurance. And who racked up a hefty bill that you as the tax payer had to fund.

If you can't afford the insurance you, it's the risk you take. It's not a right to go on holiday.

Well yes. What on earth would they do if they had an accident or were taken seriously ill?

Speaking from experience as my Mil was nearly bankrupted after her insurers wouldn't pay out after she was taken ill in the US ( had insurance but hadn't declared an existing medical issue.

It sucks, but unfortunately yes - they shouldn't be going abroad. My mum is in the same boat, can't get insured because of her conditions. So she doesn't go abroad. Unless they are a multi millionaire (and said millions are sitting in the bank ready to go, and not tied up in property etc) they could end up in a v messy situation

It really does. Wasn't there a case of a woman who thought she was insured only to find out that because she hadn't mentioned she was on HRT, they refused to pay out for a totally unrelated medical problem?

I mean, current medication is pretty hard to forget when declaring your medical history but these insurance companies are bastards.

Anyone recommend a lesser bastard travel insurance company please for an upcoming European trip?

Ah, you know it's almost summer when the travel insurance threads pop-up.

How would it be policed? What about people who can't get insurance?

What would the punishment be?

YABU.

You have to tell an insurance company absolutely everything. I had a similar argument with my DH, who wasn’t up for telling the truth.

i point blank refused to travel with him unless the complied.

Yes, unless you are willing as a family to pay for medical treatment. My DH and I have health problems which mean that insurance, despite automatic cover with the bank, is an extra £3-400. It wouldn’t stop us travelling but I would be unwilling to travel without the extra cover.
In addition you need to check that your insurance covers dangerous sports such as skiing or diving and especially if you hire scooters abroad.

The GHIC card covers most things and people rely on that. I never would and have always paid for health insurance. I can’t see any point in making it illegal to travel without. If you object to funding someone who needs help, don’t pay up.

Holiday insurance needs looking into, it's ridiculous that you could go to the doctor with something fairly minor and be on a long waiting list for investigation and not be able to get holiday insurance

Well it gets complicated for those who has overseas citizenships. I always buy travel insurance, but I think I'm still covered by state healthcare when I go home to visit my parents. I have got the free cash handouts before they stopped giving them out as cash (the recent ones required a bank account which I don't have).

I haven't recently looked at the maximum liability covered by a typical travel insurance policy. Flying a Gulfstream 6 back from Australia with full medical cover as a MediVac is probably quite expensive. How much does one need to set aside? 5 million? 25 million? So how many people in the country does this really effect? How many have that amount on instant access? 0.01%? 0.0001%
Those sort of people are usually capable of looking after themselves

YABU

nobody is forced to contribute to any gofund me page, or a family members pickles.

Life (and insurance) is all about risk and if some people choose to travel that is their risk.

Many people cannot qualify for insurance for various reasons and that's not a reason to tell them they can't travel.

Just wow.

😆

YABVU

I don't have any kind of insurance, apart from NI. I think insurance is a con.

Can anyone tell me, generally, how far back do you have to go on your medical records? My DH has had quite a few investigations over the years but no real diagnosis on some of them.

He really annoys me because I keep saying he needs to get a history from the GP. He takes statins but allededly told our travel insurance company that it was merely preventative because his DF and DB both had heart attacks a few years back. I recall that he was investigated for heart palpitations at the time but in any case he tells me that the travel insurance company told him “it was alright” as he had nothing wrong with him.

I don’t believe this in the slightest (I used to work in health insurance!) And know that they would have excluded this from our policy or made him pay a premium, which he didn’t.

He seems to think that his opinion of what was investigated matters more than what the GP records will say! I mean he doesn’t really know what they have put on his records.

I keep telling him that they will find any reason not to pay so he has to disclose everything honestly but he just keeps on dismissing me. We’ve had the same argument countless times. It’s really frustrating because if he gets ill, it will be me having to sort it out.

I am going to have to somehow get him to get a summary of his GP records.

Sorry for long read but if anyone knows how far back you go that would help me. Thanks.

I think the poster has said he travela by private jet so hes not bothered😂

Like your son?

I know, that worries me but not going away for 6-7 years is just crazy. I will probably stick to GHIC countries to be on the safe side!

It would be best to ring your insurance and ask. Or at the very least notify them of the potential diagnosis. There are some horror stories of people needing medical treatment and their claim being knocked back by their insurers even though the claim is nothing to do with what they are waiting for investigation for.

Good point, but out of intefest what would he do if needing medical care abroad?
I don't hink it should be illegal btw, but I do buy insurance when I travel just in case I am in an accident and need expensive medical care. Curious to know what other options there are too.

Exactly, years so probably best to go private if you need a quick diagnosis.

I have no idea about a ASD assessment though, hopefully someone can help

Yes, that sounds a bit more nuanced.

Do you think uninsured people, before entry into foreign countries, should have to provide evidence of a certain amount of money in the bank that they could hypothetically access in the event of needing hospital treatment?