To think that people are idiots for not buying travel insurance

[MenyMeny]

Maybe it's because of the numerous high profile cases of people dying abroad but I don't understand why so few people seemingly buy travel insurance.

I've seen at least three cases where people have passed away with no travel insurance and are now fundraising to cover costs.

I was also on a SM post where numerous people were saying how they never bought travel insurance as they "didn't see the need" even when they admit to travelling abroad numerous times a year.

Frankly, if you can afford a trip abroad, you can afford cover or AIBU?

I used to sell travel insurance and it honestly shocked me how many people don't see the need for it until they actually leave the country if at all. They would spend 10k on a holiday and be surprised when I asked "but what if something happens before you go and you aren't able to travel, don't you want cancellation cover?"

YANBU, I find it strange when people go abroad without travel insurance.

I agree OP. Stupidity!

You can't go on a cruise without insurance. You have to get insurance especially for a cruise. Imagine the cost of being helicoptered off a ship and then being treated in a hospital who probably won't operate on you until the funds come through.

People take all sorts of risks to save money and/or time. The small step that could be taken is to make it compulsory for package holidays at least.

Yes, it’s idiotic not too.

My elderly DF with numerous ailments pays as much in insurance as he does for the actual holiday! But it’s still far more preferable to a whacking great medical bill.

I think that fact it is much easier now to booked self arranged holidays due to the frow of online booking means some people don't really understand that if you organise stuff yourself, you are generally responsible for all of it - insurance, getting yourself to the airport/station, keeping yourself informed of delays etc.. etc..

There are some countries that state having insurance is a condition of entry to the country. I know in Cuba they can ask you for proof of insurance when you arrive and if you don’t have it, you have to buy insurance from them at the airport, although in practice we weren’t asked for it so I think they just check randomly.

The free travel insurance included with bank accounts can be very good - I declare both of our medical conditions and mine are still covered for free, and just have to pay a very small premium to cover my husband’s conditions.

Definitely worth it - I got very ill with food poisoning on holiday in May and the medical costs were relatively minor, only about £250, but because I was declared unfit to fly the cost of the hotel for an extra 4 days, new last minute flights home, extra parking at Gatwick etc came to thousands - all covered by the insurance with minimal fuss - had the money back within a week of getting home!

I agree with a pp it should actually be required to get some level of travel insurance.

If it was a very young person who hadn’t grown up going on holiday and wasn’t really aware of the need I’d be a bit understanding, but anyone over the age of say 21 I’d expect to realise the importance of travel insurance.

I had annual cover travel insurance and I’m so grateful because I’d booked a trip to SE asia then got covid about 6 weeks before my departure date. Around 2 weeks before I realised I still wasn’t going to be fully recovered. I had to cancel my trip. If it wasn’t for the insurance I’d have lost £3000. As it was I just paid a small fee to get an unfit to fly certificate from a private GP and got nearly all the money back minus the £200 excess.

It was a sum I plucked out the air as you well know. But affordability is simple: deduct the cost of travel insurance from the holiday budget. The remainder is what you can afford to spend on the holiday. So in essence, it doesn’t matter how much the insurance costs because it’s balanced out by the holiday cost.

Happy to help!

Surely, with pre existing conditions, all the more reason to buy a good insurance?

That's not true.I used to work on the private ward at a large children's hospital in the UK which took predominantly overseas patients.Unplugging a machine is a stark way of saying it but treatment would be ended or refused it you didn't have the money/insurance to cover care.Those decisions were made and if a charity didn't help, or another hospital didn't step in to do it for free, care didn't happen or was ended as there wasn't the money.There was a documentary made there at the time which showed these decisions being made.

What for please? I’m going to visit family this year, I wouldn’t need it would I?

I would get it for abroad trips, but haven’t ever considered it for just going somewhere here.

Someone said travel insurance is cheap.... We had cheap insurance for years, then my husband got ill. He has a very complex health condition, which makes travel difficult. One large suitcase would just be his medical supplies, and he's not as mobile. To insure him would cost over £1000. We don't go abroad anymore. Wouldn't dream of travelling without insurance.

I am well aware that travel insurance is more expensive for many people due to health conditions. I posted again about DH. It's a gamble for people who feel that insurance costs are too high, but it's a gamble that I would not choose to take.

Surely if you do this then if the person with an existing condition can't travel or gets ill, the insurance on the healthy group won't pay out for cancellation or re-arrangements of flights etc. so you are not fully insured.

It’s wild. I’ve never travelled without it. It’s just one of those expenses you have to factor in to your holiday costs. I don’t donate to crowdfunders for this particular purpose.

I saw a post on LinkedIn a couple of weeks ago (maybe!) where a person had multiple health conditions and couldn’t get insurance for a trip to the med for a holiday with their family (Including relatively young DC). The risked it and they’ve had a sever stroke whilst there and the spouse is now looking to repatriate them back to the U.K.

As much as it would gall me to not travel abroad - if I had multiple health conditions I wouldn’t risk travelling without insurance, no matter how much I wanted to.

My DF used to say that if you cannot afford travel insurance you cannot afford to go on holiday!

I've always had travel insurance even for quick European breaks and I've insisted my 2 do as well. The last insurance my DS got was £5 for a week. It's so cheap and not worth the risk.

But people do chance it. I never contribute to fundraising for it. More fool them.

Not fair to those who have annual policy.

GoldfishSoup If you had non refundable costs, and could not go, such as a train ticket, or your bags were lost on the journey. Hotel costs that were non refundable?
If you are driving yourself, or know that you can change your tickets/bookings then you are probably ok if you have home cover that includes loss of valuables away from home.
Do you have car breakdown if driving yourself?

I think a lot of the people who are smuggly claiming to have insurance through their bank accounts, probably haven't read the small print. We were caught out with this.
If you are waiting for test results, or even just waiting for treatment (very common on the NHS) you have to declare it to the insurer and probably pay extra. Even if you know it's something mild that won't affect your holiday. It's very difficult to get insurance if you are waiting for tests or results. If you've been diagnosed with something since you took out the policy, you must declare it. It's not a case of pay your monthly fee to the bank and forget about it.

It’s not just the cost of medical treatment which can be eye watering which you are covered for. But if you need it insurance can arrange help with translators, arranging transfers to more appropriate medical facilities, repatriation etc. I work in the insurance industry and have seen 2 claims this week for air ambulances to bring people home which were both over £90k.

I get it’s not always cheap for people with medical conditions, my dad has cancer and he is paying £700 to cover him for a holiday. But it is cheap if you look at what you are actually covered for! You just have to factor it into the total holiday cost and include as an essential alongside airport parking, flights, hotels etc.

I would also say, buy as soon as you book.
If you leave the insurance until you are going, you won't be covered for the things that occur and stop you from going

Oops, I mistakenly clicked you are being unreasonable. I agree with you OP

No costs at all as staying with family, nothing booked etc, just driving and have breakdown cover. I don’t have any valuables except for my phone either! And that is covered by house insurance. - that’s what I was checking, in case I hadn’t thought of something!

A relative needed an emergency procedure in the USA, was in hospital for a couple of months then had to be flown back to the uk on a special plane to a uk hospital. The bill was a shade under $1,000,000.

Thank god they were insured.