... to go on holiday without travel insurance?

[AngelaoftheNorth]

I have a number of pre-existing medical conditions, the severity of which appear to have scared the hell out of everyone's insurance algorithms: to insure me fully would cost over £400, and that's the cheapest quote so far. That said, the likelihood of any of the said conditions causing problems whilst I am abroad is vanishingly minimal... and if I were to become ill, I would almost certainly be able to get a quick flight home for about half the price of what I'm quoted for the insurance.

AIBU simply to take my chances and travel uninsured? I can't decide...

Try InsuranceWith - they manage to cover my lot with all of their complicated medical conditions with reasonable premiums. Even insured us for the US without a massive price (well it was in the hundreds but all other quotes were thousands).

Just don't risk it please.

for hoofwankingspanglecunt

hoof Your post was relevant and thought out. If it stops the op from travelling without insurance it was really worth it

We have our travel insurance through our bank account with Nationwide and they have always covered pre existing conditions for an extra premium. They were the company who would insure me after I had pancreatitis. I did declare but exclude some conditions though, e.g. Tendinitis in my wrist.

Apologies, I was harsh based on what I said as I misunderstood. That said, I still think you would be very silly not be insured. You say it wouldn't be linked but all you need is some insurer to say "actually she wouldn't have got X if she didn't hav Y condition" and you're still fucked. It's expensive and frustrating going abroad with chronic health problems but not impossible to obtain insurance. I know people with very complex issues that find insurance. Honestly, please don't go without it.

People shouldn't be in this position - why won't insurers exclude the pre-existing condition and cover everything else?

But they decide that because eg you had cancer 20 years ago you're more likely to get food poisoning or have your bag stolen or plane delayed!

I don't get it.

I know of people who do travel uninsured because they can't get sensibly-priced insurance.

The EHIC card covers emergency care but it won't cover repatriation to the UK.

This makes me angry actually, it's extremely short sighted and selfish.

Oh I just saw you said this the insurance I already have attached to my bank account would exclude the pre-existing conditions. So if we were in a car accident or I got food poisoning, I would be covered

In my experience this isn't the case, they won't insure you at all. Or they'd wriggle out of it by saying it was somehow connected as a PP said.

There was an interesting consumer pages letter in the Times at the weekend. Guy was in Spain with wife - she got ill. Had emergency treatment. Operation cost about 6000 euros. They went ahead though travel insurance had said would not cover as not emergency.

Got home. Wife actually had cancer and had she not had operation would probably not be here. Travel insurance still won't cough up because they said that wasn't known at time so op not emergency. Harsh.

In some countries, EHIC only covers treatment (doctor, nurses, theatre/surgery & medication) - the hospital bed/room, meals, ambulance transfers etc would be charged as extra.

I recently helped someone with travel insurance. FlexiCover quoted a price, then quoted an additional price if the claim was to arise from the pre-existing condition, and we were given the choice of having that extra cover or not. My concern with that is if we hadn't accepted the additional cover and then tried to claim that the insurance co might attempt to argue that the new claim DID arise from the pre-existing condition even if we believed it didn't.

Please get insurance. I work in travel and over the years I've come across some real horror stories with uninsured customers.

Some knowledgeable folk here. Can I do a quick hijack please. If I had a condition that was treated and sorted fully, say a stomach ulcer, do I need to declare it ?

You need insurance incase of accidents, theft etc. I have long term conditions but they are not going to cause me problems as long as I have my meds. I've found policies which will not cover me for them but would for anything new. Is that going to work for you

Is there such a thing as 'holiday' insurance to cover U.K. holidays? Would you need any extra insurance? Probably a silly question...

Our annual travel policy includes pre-booked UK breaks of 3+ nights.

My goodness: Insurancewith have quoted me a whole hundred pounds less than even the most specialised brokers

THANKS for the tip

STAYSURE are brilliant for covering pre- existing conditions without charging you a fortune. My husband has a rare form of epilepsy and has really struggled with insurance in the past but they were amazing.

@Cheekichi Do Staysure insure people under 50, though - from their site it appears not. Am in my 30s, and I need cover for my DH and kids too.

Op I have nationwide flex plus travel ins. They quoted me £200 a year to add my conditions or £200 to exclude them. I chose the exclude them, things like arthritis abs other rare conditions which wouldn't make me need emergency treatment.

Don't do it (apologies HRTWT) it doesn't have to cost a bomb and worst case scenario repatriation does (cheery).

Hoof

Apologies didn't read your post before I posted.

So sorry.

I didn't have insurance when I had an accident in Italy and paid thousands!

EU EHIC card covers primary care so basically fixing your briken leg in hospital. but care beyond that is usualy not covered. what if you can travel with the cast after? who pays for the extra weeks in a hotel, your mortgage at home because you can't work, medicam supplies like crutches...

I always get myself a separate insurance to dh and the dc. They get cheap and cheerful I get the full works

In answer to AF, yes you need to declare everything.
I have this week had to declare TB, caught and completely cured 65 years ago!

Can you insure your DH and DC separately?