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...

What if you were permanently disabled or needed long term rehabilitation- you would have to be medi flown back and in the meantime family etc flown over for support additional expenses etc. Neither the nhs or the eu country you’re in would cover that.

Well a body being sent back is still very expensive. But you can also need a medical flight whilst still being alive

I have European cover as part of my bank account terns do I don’t to buy it for those trips.

Anything outside Europe I buy single trip.

Would never travel without!

Wait till you are over 70/75 with health issues its definitely expensive then. I am osteopenic (bone thin on but not yet osteoporotic) I get charged an extra £65 because it's not on their list. If I was diagnosed with osteoporosis I wouldn't have to pay - bloody idiots working off a list of illnesses. I have booked holidays that insist on insurance. My brother could hire a plane to himself with full medical staff and not feel it in his bank account so he prefers to 'self insure' but some companies won't let him and require proof of insurance

I was in a horrific accident on holiday, I needed a special ambulance to get me back to the UK , couldn't fly due to a collapsed lung amongst other injuries. I'd have been absolutely stuffed without insurance, the cost was eye watering.

I have dual nationality so I don't bother when going to my 'other' home country as I can use my GHIC and/or their healthcare system. If I died there, I'm happy to be cremated and left there. However, I do take out insurance for other countries that I travel to. It is irresponsible not to.

Out of principle I refuse to donate to appeals for anyone who’s stuck abroad with large hospital
bills because they didn’t take out insurance 🤷‍♀️

I have an annual policy but really can’t get too worked up about it tbh. What actually happens to these people in hospitals in turkey owing billions of pounds and doing go fund mes? They always make it home, don’t they. It’s not ideal but not entirely sure what people think will happen- you’ll starve to death in a Turkish hospital left to rot forever? 😂

same repatriation- sure you want your loved one’s body back but there is no law that you have to bring it back. If it costs a billion pounds and they were uninsured they’ll just have to have the cheapest form of cremation/ burial in said country and suck it up, really.

of Course it undoubtedly makes life much harder if you don’t have insurances (although Nb- lots of insurances aren’t that great either) but I can’t get as worked up as some people seem to.

My husband went for a four day weekend in Europe. He had insurance. He had an accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury. I had to fly over, stay for 2 weeks while arguing with the insurance company who were refusing to fly him home. It was reported in the media and then the insurance agreed to send him home on an air ambulance, ventilated. I then spent the next year trying to get the insurance company to pay my flights and hotel costs. Even with insurance it can be a fight. Additionally a go fund me was action, not by me I had enough to do, if we hadn’t been successful this would have paid towards an air ambulance home. Ten years ago the lowest cost one I could find was £14 thousand. The money went on all the adaptations needed for our house.

Are you still eligible for free treatment your other home country? For example, if you leave the U.K. and retire to Spain, after three months you are no longer eligible for free treatment under the NHS as residency in the U.K. is the criteria for free treatment here. Spain had its own EHIC system. Doesn’t stop some expats trying it on, though! Saw it all the time when I lived in Spain.

If I'm travelling in Europe (Irish passport and Portuguese residency) it's not necessary, only if I'm going out of the EU.

Always, I get worldwide cover with my bank and having done the sums its still good value. I have my E111 card thing too just in case.

People who don’t, are fucking stupid.

From someone who had £41k worth of treatment/extended stay/drs flown out 15 years ago, for the price of £7.50 insurance.

A friends parents had to remortgage their house after he died abroad, had insurance but didn’t declare medical condition.

the GHIC also doesn’t cover medical repatriation, so should you need a medical flight home you’re going to have to find ££££ if you haven’t got insurance.

I don't know. How long would you want to stay where you knew no one? What happens when you're well enough to be discharged but not well enough to fly?

I've got an annual policy and I update it whenever I have to see a doctor. Often it's irrelevant and doesn't add to the premium but I'm not taking any chances on a possible claim being refused because I needed treatment for a cough 6 months ago.

I can't believe people would travel without it, crazy! It's not that expensive either. We had to claim a week or so before we were due to fly as my partner was diagnosed with cancer (treatable thankfully) & needed an operation the day we were due to fly. The insurance company were excellent (staysure), this is not an Ad but our personal experience.

The problem with insurance is that they make it so difficult to claim.

I’m sorry you had to go through that. Exactly what you don’t need at such an awful time and everything insurance was supposed to relive you of (although I expect your experience is quite common)

Yes, and people need to know that you need to contact the insurers and let them know of every GP visit and prescription you have had or you may find your claim is not upheld.

For example, I heard of someone’s claim not counting because she had not said she was on HRT even though her claim was for a broken leg.

There have been threads about this sort of case regarding travel insurance.

Sometimes it doesn't pay out & some people can't get covered for certain things.

I think that’s pretty illlegal?!? 😱

I don’t believe for a second anyone informs their holiday insurance of any GP visit or prescription. What do you do when you take out a new policy, hit them with 40 years of appointments and antibiotics?!

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.

@ERthree you are aware for some it's thousands...

Judging by the proliferation of Gofundme begging on Facebook, I would say quite a few. I think insurance should be mandatory

@Eyesopenwideawake what about if an Irish passport but England residency

Yes, and people need to know that you need to contact the insurers and let them know of every GP visit and prescription you have had or you may find your claim is not upheld.

Lots of people don't realise this though