How many people travel without insurance?

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I have an annual policy so I'm insured without really thinking about it.

I have lots of weekends away with a group of friends, almost always in Europe.

I have realised only about half take insurance for these trips, with the others believing it's not needed for these short trips, they'll take the hit on any cancellation/ lost luggage and rely on GHIC for anything medical that can't wait until they get home.

I don't love this as I fear it will be me trying to get their bodies repatriated!

I was talking to a colleague who is very well travelled and she agreed it's not necessary for European travel...

Me and DH have agreed if either of us die abroad we’ll get cremated and our ashes brought home.

OK, what if you were taken so ill you needed medical evacuation?

Depending on your conditions it can be very expensive
depending on your wealth it can be very expensive

not saying it’s advisable to go without but I can see why people might not

But would I need evacuation? If I was that seriously ill in general EU at least I would get treated there ? The medical evacuation is a choice ?

Admit that the idea of being in a hospital where k can’t speak the language isn’t an appealing idea

You may have it but it's often not valid. We have an annual one and I phoned to upgrade it as we are travelling outside Europe. Is anyone undr investigation for anything medical? Yes, husband has tinitus and is waiting for NHS referral. Sorry can't cover you whilst he's under investigation if travel not already booked.
Ended up going private instead of NHS. Im obsessed with not getting caught out.
Ive got something bothering me but it will have to wait until March now before I will go to doctors.

having had to pay a 5 figure sum for a medical patriation of a relative (complex broken leg so needed to fly lying down) you absolutely need insurance. even if travelling inland.

I think you get emergency treatment but then your long term care needs to be paid for and/or you need repatriation
Insurance companies offer assistance with admin and language type stuff as well

This is not strictly true, as long as you have airlift cover and enough medical cover. The cruise cover part adds things like missed port cover. Our annual policy doesn’t have ‘cruise cover’ but covers us well enough for cruises.

I would guess people would want to be at home if they could - if you don’t have insurance you should be “self insured” - have the money to sort yourself out

i can totally understand if someone is quoted more than the cost of the holiday for insurance why it might grate and I would love to analyse the insurance company data - I mean is someone who has undergoing tests for cancer at a great risk of breaking a leg ?

I’m on holiday now and Ryanair have completely screwed me over with travel Insurance. I brought it on the 5th of September but they have put the insurance dates as 17th - 25th August.. A date that had already passed when I purchased it along with my flights and seats. They are also impossible to speak to.
I have the worst UTI I’ve ever had. I got antibiotics through an online mobi doctor two days ago , they’ve helped abit but it’s still massively uncomfortable. Anyone who can give me a tip on clearing a UTI?

We have annual travel insurance and have never really questioned it. But actually, if you have good savings behind you and consider yourself to be low risk, it may not necessarily be the rational thing to do. Insurance companies make money, so on average customers lose money!

We've never claimed, but as others say, it seems easy to find yourself in a position where insurance companies won't pay out.

What really bugs me these days is that every time I buy a train ticket, concert ticket etc the website tries to sell me insurance! Crazy for these relatively small amounts. Who buys it??

I have a whole host of medical complaints but can get a weeks cover for £27. If some can't afford a tenner for a weekends insurance they could always drink one less gin whilst they are away.

It’s generally the latter. The cruise ship I went on in May has had two medical evacuations since then, one of which was by helicopter and the other by lifeboat off the IoW. Also, if you do get sick, the cost of medical treatment onboard is ridiculously expensive.

P&O Cruises insist you have appropriate travel insurance and will not allow you to board if you don’t have it. I think other lines do similar.

I’d say it’s about half as well. Most people who say they don’t need it for a short European trip are right - that’s why so many people get away without having it but better to be safe than sorry. There could be a time when they do need it.

I’ve always had it, and always regularly updated it as necessary.

My sister was once taken seriously ill on a flight - the whole ‘is there a doctor on board’ scenario - and the flight had to be diverted. She (or rather her insurance) had to pay €thousands just for that, let alone the three week stay in hospital, hotel costs for her husband, translation services… Anyone who thinks a GHIC is sufficient is taking a big risk.

I've been "under investigation" now for something for 18 months with no end in sight. I may never get a diagnosis. So I'm pretty screwed re travel insurance. At the moment I'm not going anywhere but at some stage I'll probably just say sod it and take the risk.

I would never have dreamed of doing that before but I realise now that all the travel Ins I bought in the past would have been invalid anyway as I didnt know you had to declare every little sniffle! I wouldn't go to the US without it but I don't want to go to the US again anyway.

That’s nice for you. Our annual quote this year is £5,000. Or £1000 just for Europe.

You’ll certainly need repatriation if you die!

Learned my lesson on this after never having bothered with it (I live in the US but am a UK citizen and come back to England often) when I unexpectedly got sepsis in London and nearly died. NHS (rightly) counted me as foreign (am a UK taxpayer now but wasn't then) and I had to pay a shit ton of money when my US health insurance and the NHS were incapable of talking to each other - I tried for about a year and then just gave up and set up the direct debit.

ehic/ghic is for primary care only.
if you had a broken bone that would mean first cast & pain relief, possibly emergency operation. but not second cast, physio, crutches...

Speaking as someone who ended up with three lower limb fractures after tripping on a short European break and needed three seats on the plane home plus ambulances either side not to mention hospital care etc, then yes it was worth it. I can’t say the insurance company were very good though and we ended up going to the Ombudsman to get them to pay up in full.

When I was young and not so knowledgeable I went USA for six weeks without insurance. Luckily nothing happened.

I don't know why MN is so obsessed about travel insurance. It's such an odd thing to care about.

I have it with my bank account so don't have to worry unless I have to disclose something, but otherwise it's always in hand.

I don't care if other people get it or now, it doesn't affect me.

What would you do if you needed a medical repatriation flight?

Nothing- you’d be dead!