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...

Update - I rang AllClear this morning to disclose HRT. They said they don't need you to disclose menopause related issues, because they don't class it as a medical condition, which is very refreshing!

I would never, ever travel without insurance. I know someone in their 20's, young, fit, healthy... had a stroke out of nowhere when travelling in Australia.

He had no insurance. Months of inpatient medical treatment and eventual expatriation to the UK (once being signed off as fit to fly) cost his family upwards of £100k.

A lot of people would need to sell their houses to raise that kind of money

@SpainToday I don’t know the full details but they did have to remortgage their home sadly!

Does any company offer inexpensive insurance that only covers you for the very large (but very unlikely) risks? Thinking about it, travel insurance covers a lot of stuff that is claimed more often (cancellation, lost luggage) that I don't really need and would prefer cheaper insurance that didn't cover it. In the same way that I don't need insurance for UK holidays.

Or equivalently, insurance with a very large excess.

The World at One Radio 4 on now is going to be talking about insurance including travel insurance I think they said.

Its your responsibility to review and annual policy every year and declare any changes.

Imagine if you had an accident - they will look for any reason not to cover you. The implications are not worth thinking about.

For the cost of insurance which is not high.

Please remember all the difficulties and refused claims people have had trying to make travel insurance claims for illnesses/accidents when politicians talk about us moving from the NHS to insurance based system.

I cannot really answer your question but you could try going through lots of companies’ questions yourself, or ask a broker.

I do know you can vary the excess, and that a lot actually offer surprisingly little to cover baggage, for example no where near enough to buy a new smartphone or laptop. You have to pay more to get real cover for those valuable things or jewellery. Then you can get add-ons (so without those you are effectively getting take-offs if you see what I mean).

Often you can choose silver, gold or platinum.

It can take a lot of time to find insurance in some cases.

@ScrollingLeaves

Yes, but from what I've seen the maximum excess is still not large. I was thinking of an excess of £5,000 or more.

It's a risk only the young and healthy would take. Also if you're in that category travel insurance is cheap as chips.

I view it a bit like house insurance. You could cover the cost of the odd damaged carpet but it's the catastrophic loss like fire or flood that you really insure.
Same with travel. Sprained ankle - GHIC does the job.
Massive road traffic accident causing paraplegia - you'll be very glad you paid £20 for insurance.
Just to add my insurance is £500 due to health conditions. DS2 got an annual policy for under £20

That is an interesting idea.

Maybe there are certain brokers who could find an insurer who works on a one to one basis with you. You woukd think that would be apt for the USA though which would could easily swallow an excess like that.

You shouldn’t be allowed to travel without insurance, it’s absolutely ridiculous and so irresponsible.

we have worldwide annual insurance from out bank account package.

I’ve always taken out insurance and am
very lucky to have a really good annual policy where I only need to be fit to fly as I work for an insurance company.

Anyway, I heard a story on a podcast the other day where a poor girl was hit by a taxi in New York and had to have her leg amputated. She was in hospital for months out there and said she was very lucky her travel insurance covered it all. Her name is Sian Lord if anyone wants to read about her. A classic example of why you need insurance!

I used to until I realized you need to see your medical notes to check what the GP has down as pre existing conditions. I was shocked to discover that I wasn't covered once as I hadn't declared I have constipation. I had a course of movicol years ago following haemorrhoids but constipation is now one of my pre existing conditions, alongside several other things I didn't know I had. I usually travel to Europe and always carry a GHIC, and rely on the power of prayer other than that!

An expensive lesson for her. Lots of travel insurance will not pay out if you hire a moped unless you have a bike licence.

I had relatives travel to France, they were staying with friends so they didn't take out insurance or the EHIC.

That was fine until my cousin got appendicitis.

They were really lucky that the hospital agreed they could get the card once they got home and send it to them.

@Eyesopenwideawake

You get to access EU health care on the same basis as a local so what you get is not the same as the NHS eg Croatia charges a daily fee if you are in hospital, France you have to pay and then be reimbursed.

As already stated it doesn't include repatriation or the cost of someone to stay with you if you are in hospital.

I'd never go anywhere without it. But yes, it's common.

A bigger issue is people who don't read the terms or don't have the correct cover. So many have accidents that aren't covered as considered risky - like riding motorbikes without a licence, skiing, etc. Then they have fundraising campaigns...

I realise some insurers are ridiculously picky (see the constipation example above), but for comparison, I need to add existing medical conditions to my annual insurance which comes with my bank account and this is what they want to know about:

You need to let us know about every diagnosed illness, injury or disease where in the 12 months before opening your account or booking a trip (whichever is later) any of the following points apply.
An insured person has:

• been prescribed medication, including newly prescribed or repeat medication. This includes medication designed to control symptoms of a medical condition.
• had any medical treatment, investigations or tests, or is waiting for any of these.
• been referred to, is under the care of, or has had an appointment with, a specialist or consultant.
• been admitted to hospital or had surgery.

If an insured person has any diagnosed medical conditions that don’t meet the above criteria you don’t need to tell us about them, and they are covered without the need for a pre-existing conditions upgrade.

Last year I added one person with sleep apnea and asthma, one with diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and one with a variety of low level things, and it was an extra £30 total for the year.

Insurers vary but as @KnitKnitKnitting says, most want to know about the last year or more often two years. Plus any history of cancer however long ago. Anything you saw a doctor about or had on repeat prescription.
Mine is Nationwide and I have about ten declared conditions. They weren't interested in my breast cancer diagnosis 5 years ago.

I wouldn't be relying on annual travel insurance without thinking about it, you still have to declare any changes or it may be invalid

As I haven't lived in the UK for 30 years and no longer have a British passport I'm not really concerned about what the NHS does.

Even a relatively minor injury can end up costing a lot without insurance. My friend fell over on holiday and had a small leg fracture with no complications and it healed quickly. It was covered under the old EHIC system and she only had to pay for crutches.

But she couldn't come home on her planned flight, as they would only let her fly on the extra room seat and it was full. They only flight available involved extra nights hotel stay and to an airport 3 hours from home, needing a taxi. Without insurance, that would be a fair bit to shell out, despite none of it being for medical treatment.

Wouldn’t bother with it in Europe, but would for places further away. It’s more hassle than it’s worth trying to claim for a cancelled flight & similar. They’ll do everything in their power to not pay out

Cancelled flights are inconvenient but major medical issues are much more
Pretty daft not to get Travel Insurance for that reason

My experience is from working as a travel rep in Europe.

Cancelled filghts are a matter for the airline concerned, as is lost luggage.

We regularly had guests who needed assistance from their insurers, particularly with regard to health issues and accidents - in busy periods as many as 5 to 10 people a week out of 150-200 guests. In the vast majority of cases the insurance companies were very professional and excellent, as were NHS Business Services who took care of EHIC/GHIC issues, for example when someone had forgotten to take their GHIC card with them and NHS BS issued authorisation over the phone.

None of this ever makes the papers because "woman broke leg but everything went well" is not interesting enough. Newspapers only want the sensational stories, so you only read about the people who didn't insure, or who "forgot" to mention a dozen pre-existing health conditions.

As several posters ^^ have described, even a minor injury or health episode on holiday can result in costs running into tens of thousands of pounds. And yes, I've more than once had to deal with the situation where the guest hadn't taken out insurance and was facing that sort of expense, where I've had the patient's family shouting at me as if it was my fault (or the fault of the travel company) while I'm trying to help, translate and point people in the right direction - all because they didn't take out a £50 or so insurance policy.