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

Exactly. Am confused on some people's weird ideas

But it is still a risk to depend on E(G)HIC. It can depend on where you are. Some places have very limited facilities (and those may be quite poor / not offer a range of treatments). There may not be state subsidised ambulances. A place that I go to every year has one ambulance for the entire island, and the state hospital is small and limited. There are two nice hospitals on the island with a wider range of treatments / facilities and private ambulances. Complex matters require relocation to the mainland either by air or by boat. So your broken leg, if not complicated, could have involved a 12 - 24 hour wait for an ambulance, or having to get a taxi and hope the transport doesn't make things worse. Then you can wait for several hours at least in a grubby waiting room (much like being at home only they don't speak English). Hopefully it won't be so complex that they can't deal with it, assuming they can get you in to the theatre without another lengthy wait. If you need to be moved to the mainland, well there are only private transports for that....

Or you could literally nip next door to the bright airy hospital with loads of treatment support etc, clutching your insurance policy because the E(G)HIC will get you nowhere.

If you have insurance that would pay If you offered the insurance details. I also had treatment and an operation on a broken leg when I was in Spain. All was done on my EHIC

There is a limit though and it's important people know, some years ago my late uncle went into hospital whilst on holiday in Spain because the veins in his leg collapsed. The operation he needed to sort it cost his insurance company £16000. I wouldn't people to think it covers everything.

But if you’re taken ill on a plane the flight could well be delayed, diverted etc whether you have medical insurance or not. The cabin crew don’t ask if you’ve got insurance while you’re having a stroke or heart attack!

It does cover hospital admissions. I have travelled o ot using my EHIC in France where I was hospitalised with a blood clot ehic covered all of that, it didn't cost me anything
Of course it doesn't cover repatriation etc

That's what does get me about insurance now! They are trying to look at any little thing as get out clause! I have diagnosed IBS which is pretty stable most of time and never been a issue to the point of needing medical intervention in hospital. I can go months without needing my IBS meds and mostly take them when travelling just as a precaution but I'm never sure if I should declare it but it'll never be that much of an issue touch wood as it hasn't been historically.

They tend to ask extra questions, like is the person non verbal, do they have meltdowns or risky behaviours. I guess they are trying to gauge if the person is more likely to have an accident because they can't assess risk, or panic and run into the road in tricky situations.

With autism its really common to not feel things the same way, or be able to describe symptoms appropriately, this can lead to delays in treatment which makes things worse. It's why people with autism were offered covid vaccines early.

We didn't find autism without meltdowns put up our premium much or at all, but it might for others.

Let's address two major issue cropping up on here!
EHIC IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE!!! If it was no European citizen would ever need travel insurance to travel to Europe! Plus I doubt it covers every country in Europe! It's basic accident and emergency treatment and will not cover admittance to hospital, surgeries, medical repatriation!

People saying that it's all on the people that mess up and it's not an issue to anyone else - it could be! If it becomes too frequent an issue with foreigners tying up hospital beds whilst they beg for donations, it could get to a stage where countries don't let people in without proof of decent insurance cover and that won't be your £5 policies!

It's a dangerous belief that the EHIC covers everything because if it did, why would any European citizen ever need insurance to travel to Europe! If you have to go to the local general hospital to have an x-ray and your fractured arm put in cast or a few stitches put in a cut! It's for basic accident and emergency treatment, if you find yourself admitted to hospital needing surgery or medical repatriation, you or your insurance company will be expected to fund it.

Are things like that and issue though, they aren't something likely to put a child in hospital overseas or contribute to an illness happening are they? I'm guessing adults with these disorders are able to buy travel insurance because they aren't ill as such.

They are, their cars get seized and crushed for a start.

It is, but these people are tying up these hospital beds whilst they wait for people to donate enough money for surgeries or repatriation and that does have an impact and the more people do that, the more likely countries will start insisting on having of having adequate insurance before being allowed entry into the country and they will want people to have a minimal amount of cover not found on dirt cheap policies.

I think we do get that it can be pricey but don't go away without money to cover eventualities, don't be that person blocking a hospital bed overseas whilst begging on go fund me's for help. If you are going to go away without Insurance, make sure you can fund care.

I agreed with you on this, but now - I’ve just gone to get a new insurance policy for my next holiday. I have an endoscopy in a couple of weeks, but my appointment for my results is not until August, after my holiday. So I can’t be quoted because I’m “awaiting results” on any I’ve tried.

so now my options are to cancel my holiday, or take the risk - it’s a check up for chronic GERD to make sure my stomach is ok , nothing extremely serious.

I can see why people take the risk, I am personally undecided.

Yes I know this. But was replying to a PP. Luckily it was about a tenner I was out of pocket so not worth worrying about

Airlines are only required to provide compensation when they are at fault, not when delays are caused by "extraordinary circumstances" beyond their control. A medical diversion would generally be considered extraordinary circumstances and hence passengers wouldn't be entitled to compensation regardless of whether the sick passenger was insured or not. Travel insurance covers the costs of the insured party, not other passengers. I think you might be able to claim something for delays on your own insurance though, depending on the situation.
"Extraordinary Circumstances" actually seems to cover most of the things that are likely to cause flight delays so seems a bit ridiculous to me, but that's the law.

Well they probably will be. I didn't get anything when I was delayed on a plane as it had to divert due to someone having a medical emergency. Up to me to pay for extra car park fees etc.

I used to work in an embassy overseas and the amount of consular cases where folks didn’t have travel insurance was eye watering.
The EHIC may well cover hospital treatment but it’s doesn’t cover repatriation by medical jet.

It’s nothing to do with you, why are you angry? In the end it’s on her if she has to pay. The family are cheeky to set up
a gofundme.

I cruise a lot and it's usually a condition of cruising that you have cruise travel insurance. I can have it but as I'm awaiting surgery anything to do with that is exempt. Nothing to do with charging higher prices for cover they simply won't insure me. I have had beast cancer. I've had the all clear and the surgery is just cosmetic but that doesn't matter.
I rely on my EHIC but always ensure you get treated in a state hospital should you become ill

No idea. I was only going on what a previous poster said. Am not sure who pays for the other passengers' inconvenience/additional costs if an uninsured person causes the plane to divert etc. I trust that they won't be out of pocket though.

That's interesting. I didn't know the policies are only valid for 12 months. I am not one of life's travellers, so was only going on what Martin Lewis says. I am guessing that many people have travel insurance via their bank these days, so that must be ongoing.

If I'd had to cancel before I paid in full I would have saved around £150 by not having insurance - the insurance was £50 more and the two excesses of £50 each for claiming. Obviously I wouldn't pay the balance without insurance in place.

One other point about insurance, it's not practical to say it has to be taken out at time of purchase in many cases. You can book a holiday in 2 years time for example but policies only cover holidays within the next 12 months so insurance isn't available.

Totally agree with you @AusBoundDD
I ended up in hospital for weeks in a foreign country once. Had no symptoms of illness at all before going. Without travel insurance I don’t know what we would have done, as it came to an amount way beyond my credit card limit. It really annoys me when I see go fund me’s for this kind of thing. If you can afford to go on holidays you can afford the travel insurance!