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AIBU?

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Original poster

Don't bother with travel insurance.....

180 replies

HeCantBeSerious · 11/08/2016 16:58

Go in on your lovely exotic holiday. Take advantage of all the dangerous activities. When you have an accident and are in a coma/break every bone in your body the rest of us will club together to pay the tens of thousands of pounds of costs to bring you home through the magic of crowdfunding. No no, no need to get travel insurance before you go. What sort of fool does that?

[just been sent the third begging email this week for an eye watering amount needed to bring what's left of a foolish and reckless youngster home from the third world country he decided to risk his life in.Angry]

OP posts:
Wincher · 11/08/2016 22:59

Thanks for the reminder - I've just bought an insurance policy for a forthcoming holiday to Europe.

I just read the small print (after signing up) and it seems to say that any claim will be turned down if you don't declare any planned hospital treatment. I have an appointment booked in the autumn for treatment in a dental hospital - surely they wouldn't turn down my claim for lost luggage just for not declaring that? Do you think I need to let them know about it just in case?

specialsubject · 11/08/2016 23:05

Yes.

Bear in mind the worst case - medevac home alive or dead. Thousands even from Europe.

May it never happen - but don't leave your family in an impossible position if if does .

Mughalswife · 11/08/2016 23:21

My parents go to Europe every summer and they never used to get insurance as they thought they were covered by the EHIC. I think they do get insurance now although I'm not sure. I used to worry about something happening to them while they were uninsured, but it never occurred to me to worry about having to put my own house on the market in order to medevac them home or similar.

I think many, many people think the EHIC is all they need in Europe.

HawkingsMead · 11/08/2016 23:22

Vimto so sorry to hear your story. What a terrible tragedy and I'm so glad that you had the insurance.

EnglishGirlApproximately · 11/08/2016 23:24

wincher tell them everything. Even if the claim is irrelevant to the treatment if you don't declare the policy will be void for everything.

wigglesrock · 11/08/2016 23:34

vimto Flowers

I have in the past few years had to try and organise a repatriation of a loved ones body who had a traffic accident whilst on a three day quick visit to a European city. They had no insurance, they were only nipping over for a few days, they had done it loads of times before. They had a horrible, heartbreaking accident and died immediately. The pain, heartbreak, shock, disbelief that follows that kind of news, then having to deal with the financial implications of trying to get someone "home" with no insurance, I can't really describe the mess and repercussions that followed and continues to follow.

unlucky83 · 12/08/2016 00:08

I've always wondered this - if someone dies overseas can you not just have them cremated there and bring the ashes back in hold luggage or something?
I do take out insurance but I am not fully covered...and think they often just want safe bets/try to wiggle out of things.
I have health issues I declare but the majority of companies won't cover me -the ones who will charge silly money -I was once quoted more than the cost of the holiday. So I just exclude it...(history of DVT - I take anticoagulants, take precautions during the flight etc - will be at less risk than the majority of the population who don't know they have a problem)
If the worse came to the worse and I did get a clot - we'd have to get a mortgage or something -but it is incredibly unlikely - if it wasn't I wouldn't fly full stop.
Actually the travel insurance companies have done well with me...
I likely got a DVT after a flight to the US in my early 20s (before I knew I had a problem) I had insurance but had forgotten to take the documents with me. I was limping round with a sore leg and my flatmate said they'd fax them to me and kept forgetting....in the end I went to a free clinic but it was busy and they told me I'd have to go back the next day and by then it was getting better...so I didn't bother...guess it would have cost a fortune if they had found it...
(Same trip on my last day I got my pocket picked - had been cashing my travellers cheques (cheaper to exchange cash than those on return) so lots of cash nicked - discovered cash wasn't covered...)

I've also been on antidepressants - standard travel insurance wouldn't cover me ...guess they think you might be going to commit suicide or something -seeing as I knew I wasn't I excluded it...

Someone I knew's Dad died suddenly on holiday (iirc a heart attack) - completely out of the blue - in fact he'd had a routine health check a few months before and was given the all clear ....still they had a real battle battle getting the insurance to cover it . They tried their best to get out of it - even saying he should have declared the routine health check. They did pay up in the end...but the stress the haggling and arguments put the family under ...might have been less stressful crowd funding (if it existed then...)

LunaLoveg00d · 12/08/2016 08:11

One of the best things about EHIC though is that it is great for people with pre-existing or chronic conditions. You can, through EHIC, arrange to have dialysis in Belgium or have your diabetes treated in Madrid. I have a friend with Crohn's disease - her travel insurance is ridiculously expensive and EHIC helps a bit. Some companies will give you a discount on your insurance if you have EHIC too.

Belt and braces approach always best though - EHIC will cover you for the emergencies and the basics, then if you need to be brought home you can claim on your insurance. As someone said upthread, there's not always state healthcare provision where you're visiting. Also in countries like Norway you're expected to make a contribution to your treatment even with EHIC and it's about £30 to see the GP. However if I were going to rural Bulgaria or Romania I would not want to be using the state healthcare system and would be getting a good private policy.

BikeRunSki · 12/08/2016 08:12

if you can't afford the insurance then you can't really afford your holiday.

This

Masketti · 12/08/2016 08:28

Isn't it interesting that the people who are huge advocates are the people who have had to claim on it? The people who don't bother with it have never needed it and think it's a waste of money. But those who are advocates were once in the category 'never needed it' and yet here they are singing its praises. If you think it'll never happen to you you are an idiot.

SpaceUnicorn · 12/08/2016 08:36

Most insurance policies won't pay out on dangerous or extreme sports and activities anyway

So you make sure that you purchase a policy tailored to your planned/likely holiday activities.

EBearhug · 12/08/2016 08:45

Most insurance policies won't pay out on dangerous or extreme sports and activities anyway.

Some will, though. You need to shop around and find one which will. It can be quite surprising what won't be included otherwise - some fairly normal things. Even walking might not be included if you're over a certain altitude.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 12/08/2016 08:53

God, I would never go without insurance - so stupid and irresponsible. I've been on 2 Caribbean holidays where someone else in the hotel has either been taken seriously ill or had a bad accident and needed to be in hospital for at least a couple of weeks, with one family member needing to stay on at the hotel with them.

And another, where it was thought while the aircraft was one hour back over the Atlantic, that the person was in danger, and they had to turn back, jettisoning God knows how much fuel - and that person plus his dad had to stay several more days. Luckily it was a false alarm, but if they'd turned back any later the whole crew would have been out of hours and crew and hundreds of passengers would have had to stay the night. So there was no time to unload their baggage. I don't suppose the dad claimed on his insurance for a couple of pairs of shorts and T shirts and toothbrushes, though!

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 12/08/2016 08:55

I'm insured through my bank and pay the upgrade fees to cover any pre existing conditions. They were the only ones who would insure me after I had pancreatitis, even the companies that said they cover cancer patients wouldn't give me a quote.

I'm amazed how many people think that, if they have insurance through the bank, they don't need to tell them of pre existing conditions.

Chikara · 12/08/2016 09:33

People sometimes think that the EHIC covers them for exactly what they would get in the UK. As we have seen - it doesn't.

I also think that maybe the NHS should introduce some of the strict controls that the US and other countries seem to do to recoup some of the costs of "Health Tourism".

wineoclockthanks · 12/08/2016 10:03

Although it's obviously not as serious, if you're holidaying in the UK, do think about cancellation insurance.

We're due to go to Cornwall tomorrow with another family but very sadly their grandad passed away last week . The grandma is in pieces and as the only child, my friend doesn't feel she can leave her Sad

The accommodation is already paid for but it means she's paying for a holiday she can't take and they won't be able to get away this year. As was said upthread, cancellation insurance is about £5 Sad

Buxtonstill · 12/08/2016 10:15

Repatriation of a body from most countries would be in the region of £4-6k. I have seen appeals on Fb informing people that it will cost in excess of £25k just to bring a loved one home. (No medical bills)

ShanghaiDiva · 12/08/2016 10:22

Agree 100% - travelling without medical insurance is madness.
My uncle was unwell in the US - cost 3K in medical bills - he was insured. Now he's over 80 and the medical insurance is so expensive for a US trip (he likes to go for about 4 weeks) they have crossed the US off their list of holiday destinations.

specialsubject · 12/08/2016 10:23

Insurers can indeed make life difficult but if the incident is covered under the policy and no other conditions have been broken, you'll get there eventually. To rely on crowdfunding is very selfish.

Cremations aren't free abroad.

Common exclusions: pissed, drugged, motorbike, sport not covered under the policy.

unlucky83 · 12/08/2016 11:23

Cremations aren't free in the UK either - funerals cost thousands. You'd have to pay that anyway if someone died here...
My point is that if it is £25k to get a body home - or even £4-6k - it is likely to be cheaper to have it done where you are and bring the ashes home for a funeral/internment of the ashes etc...

practy · 12/08/2016 11:31

Travel insurance is not cheap if you have lots of medical conditions, but is essential to have. It can cost more than your actual holiday.

Original poster
HeCantBeSerious · 12/08/2016 11:34

Common exclusions: pissed, drugged, motorbike, sport not covered under the policy

This one is a motorbike accident. The appeal says his insurance "ran out". Looking at his Facebook profile he's been visiting this country and riding motorcycles there for many years, so you'd think he would know if he was or wasn't covered.

They're wanting to raise £10k to repatriate him home - the accident only happened on Monday and he's been in a coma ever since.

OP posts:
SistersOfPercy · 12/08/2016 11:45

A few years ago in L.A I woke up with a face like a hamster. The entire right side of my face was massively swollen and tingly.
Off I went to the nearest walk in centre where a lovely Dr basically laughed at me for a bit and gave me a script for some painkillers and strong antibiotics.

I'd taken my Insurance documents with me, but he just waved them away and told me to take my script to the local Target and enjoy my holiday.

I was waiting for about 2 years for a bill, but it never did come, and thankfully my face returned to it's normal proportions the following day.

I have an Aunt who is a bit of a hypochondriac. She was admitted in one US hospital last year for a 'slight stroke'. She now tells everyone this was actually a migraine. She doesn't list most of these things on her Insurance forms. One of these days she will come unstuck, especially as she is abroad more than in the UK.

Manupprincess · 12/08/2016 11:46

I forced a friend to get travel insurance at the airport before we went skiing. Two trips to hospital, one via helicopter, broken ribs and a dislocated elbow later he was pleased he'd paid the £12.

roomonmybroom · 12/08/2016 12:06

My SIL travelled to Canada with her partner, 2 children and 3 grandchildren with no insurance, utter madness, my husband joined them a few days later and hit the roof when he found out, and made her take insurance out immediately, it was only around £100 for all of them, the flights alone had been over £4,000, why you would scrimp on £100 is beyond my comprehension when the consequences could be dire.

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