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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

434 replies

AusBoundDD · 23/05/2025 18:46

A friend has just put a plea for GoFundMe donations on our WhatsApp group as one of her cousins was involved in a car crash whilst on holiday in Spain, ending up in hospital with multiple bad fractures. He was uninsured so the family have been left unable to pay for his hefty ambulance fees, surgery, hospital stay etc. To make matters worse he isn’t fit to fly commercially and instead needs to be medically evacuated home to the UK via private air ambulance.

It feels like a yearly occurrence - someone begging for help to get their relative home after they’ve been stupid/naive enough to leave the country without adequate travel insurance. Surely it should be like having your passport - you can’t board a plane or gain entry to a country abroad without it?!

OP posts:
Pandasandelephants · 23/05/2025 20:10

Sesma · 23/05/2025 20:08

Best not go to the GP for anything that might need investigation before you go on holiday as you might not be able to get insurance and if you have already got insurance it may become invalid because of waiting for a diagnosis.

Have you not heard of waiting lists? years!

Out of interest, does anyone know if travel insurance will turn one down whilst waiting for an ASD assessment? My DC is on a 6 year waiting list.

Sesma · 23/05/2025 20:08

Best not go to the GP for anything that might need investigation before you go on holiday as you might not be able to get insurance and if you have already got insurance it may become invalid because of waiting for a diagnosis.

Pandasandelephants · 23/05/2025 20:07

AusBoundDD · 23/05/2025 19:24

From my experience you can get insured no matter what condition you have, but for a hefty pricetag. DD for example is not easy to insure whatsoever due to pre existing conditions - her insurance for 1 month in Australia came in at £500, whilst most of her friends were closer to £50! It’s the price you pay to go abroad, no I would not travel without it nor do I think anyone should be able to. Travelling is a luxury, not a right. To knowingly make yourself a liability is simply selfish.

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for certain/complex conditions there is no cover. I can only assume you don't have complex disabilities? and if under investigation, nobody will touch you in any case.

Fluffyyellowball · 23/05/2025 20:07

lnks · 23/05/2025 19:11

My family member can't get travel insurance because of several long term conditions. Are you suggesting he should never be able to travel abroad?

Yes. Why would they take the risk of going abroad, needing medical help and not be able to pay for it. Would they just join the Go Fund Me gang?

lnks · 23/05/2025 20:06

WithManyTot · 23/05/2025 20:04

What you BIL is doing is called "self insurance", having the money to buy himself out of conceivable eventualities. That is different to doing something with no money to cover conceivable outcomes, and no insurance to cover them either. The OP maybe should perhaps revise the question to "AIBU .... with no insurance and no means to pay for conceivable outcomes""

Exactly this. I do think it is irresponsible to travel without the means to pay.

Jc2001 · 23/05/2025 20:05

Pavedaspen · 23/05/2025 19:59

We used to have EU health cards for this reason.

We still do. There is a reciprocal agreement still in place between the UK and the EU . You just need to apply for it (free). But it never did cover all expenses like repatriation. It was always highly recommended that you took our additional insurance.

Pandasandelephants · 23/05/2025 20:05

For Europe, there is still the GHIC card, why did friend not get this one, it's free.

I agree, OP, it's illegal but have done it myself (with GHIC). one of the issue is the long NHS waiting lists and when you ate waiting for a diagnosis, nobody will cover you. I had a family emergency and had to go (and had a small accident but all covered by GHIC thankfully).

KeyWorker · 23/05/2025 20:05

lnks · 23/05/2025 19:11

My family member can't get travel insurance because of several long term conditions. Are you suggesting he should never be able to travel abroad?

They might not be able to with high street insurers but there are specialist providers.

WithManyTot · 23/05/2025 20:04

What you BIL is doing is called "self insurance", having the money to buy himself out of conceivable eventualities. That is different to doing something with no money to cover conceivable outcomes, and no insurance to cover them either. The OP maybe should perhaps revise the question to "AIBU .... with no insurance and no means to pay for conceivable outcomes""

lnks · 23/05/2025 20:02

I want to add, people seem to think I am irresponsible but I am not. I always take out travel insurance for me, dh and dc because I am not a wealthy person.

But my sisters husband and his family are very wealthy. So there is no reason whatsoever for him not to travel

BatchCookBabe · 23/05/2025 20:01

Butchyrestingface · 23/05/2025 19:56

I have several health conditions which have increased my holiday insurance in the past. Not sure if they were actually excluded under the cover - will check next time I take it out.

I've never heard of anyone who was outright unable to get holiday insurance at ALL due to pre-existing conditions - and this included my late sibling who, when I was a child, was terminally ill with cancer when they took a turn for the worse on our family holiday abroad and was evacuated home.

In any case, if I literally couldn't get any cover at all, I would not holiday abroad. Unless one's family are zillionaires, I wouldn't consider it fair for anyone else to cover the costs of my hospital treatment and medical evac.

Exactly this! ^

BatchCookBabe · 23/05/2025 19:59

MissMoneyFairy · 23/05/2025 19:57

Bit more than that if you need specialist hospital care, theatre, itu, medication, hotels, flights, repatriation, compensate airline and passengers but this person has loads of money and flies in a private plane.

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😂

Pavedaspen · 23/05/2025 19:59

We used to have EU health cards for this reason.

lnks · 23/05/2025 19:57

BatchCookBabe · 23/05/2025 19:55

That's correct. If he can't get travel insurance, then he should not be travelling abroad. The medical bills will very likely be astronomical. It can run into 6 figures sometimes. Will your family be able to raise this money? Will they even want to? Of course not. You will all be opening a GoFundMe page. Everyone does it who hasn't taken out travel insurance (when something happens, and they end up with a massive medical bill!)

Edited
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BIL is very wealthy, he could more than cover any costs. So why should he be prevented from travelling abroad?

MissMoneyFairy · 23/05/2025 19:57

JudgeyJudie · 23/05/2025 19:54

Yes. Unless they have a spare £200K

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Bit more than that if you need specialist hospital care, theatre, itu, medication, hotels, flights, repatriation, compensate airline and passengers but this person has loads of money and flies in a private plane.

Butchyrestingface · 23/05/2025 19:56

I have several health conditions which have increased my holiday insurance in the past. Not sure if they were actually excluded under the cover - will check next time I take it out.

I've never heard of anyone who was outright unable to get holiday insurance at ALL due to pre-existing conditions - and this included my late sibling who, when I was a child, was terminally ill with cancer when they took a turn for the worse on our family holiday abroad and was evacuated home.

In any case, if I literally couldn't get any cover at all, I would not holiday abroad. Unless one's family are zillionaires, I wouldn't consider it fair for anyone else to cover the costs of my hospital treatment and medical evac.

XenoBitch · 23/05/2025 19:56

I am torn on this. I don't think it should be illegal to travel without it, as some people simply can not get insurance due to conditions that can't be helped.
Maybe there should be an insurance for them that would cover accidents, or things not related to their health condition.
I am not sure how it works. The furthest I go is the Channel Islands and I don't get insurance.

Dodgyormymind · 23/05/2025 19:55

People say travel insurance is cheap. Ours was £2500 last year, this year quoted over £3k. My OH has one condition, with no symptoms, which has had insurance cancelled and many decline. We paid it last year as we had holidays booked. Have had to rethink this year and now have to consider our holiday choices.

BatchCookBabe · 23/05/2025 19:55

lnks · 23/05/2025 19:11

My family member can't get travel insurance because of several long term conditions. Are you suggesting he should never be able to travel abroad?

That's correct. If he can't get travel insurance, then he should not be travelling abroad. The medical bills will very likely be astronomical. It can run into 6 figures sometimes. Will your family be able to raise this money? Will they even want to? Of course not. You will all be opening a GoFundMe page. Everyone does it who hasn't taken out travel insurance (when something happens, and they end up with a massive medical bill!)

lnks · 23/05/2025 19:54

JudgeyJudie · 23/05/2025 19:54

Yes. Unless they have a spare £200K

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Yes, he does

JudgeyJudie · 23/05/2025 19:54

lnks · 23/05/2025 19:11

My family member can't get travel insurance because of several long term conditions. Are you suggesting he should never be able to travel abroad?

Yes. Unless they have a spare £200K

PrincessofWells · 23/05/2025 19:54

A GHIC card covers emergency treatment in Spain and is free.

Yes, not having travel insurance whilst travelling is really stupid unless you can afford the costs to be repatriated.

andtheworldrollson · 23/05/2025 19:53

I guess there would be a need for greater trust / oversight of the insurance industry

MichaelandKirk · 23/05/2025 19:53

lnks · 23/05/2025 19:11

My family member can't get travel insurance because of several long term conditions. Are you suggesting he should never be able to travel abroad?

So who do suggests pays when family member is ill and stuck abroad?

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