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?

Well not really because most people dont understand that many old health issues still need to be declared as pre existing conditions, you have to tell them everything and anyone on so much as a sniff of medication for anything, visits to the GP in the last 2 years, a referral for something (isnt everyone on some sort of waiting list these days), will need to be declared

If people just rely on it from their bank, they havent checked those details out and its worthless. Banks know this too, its a perk they offer that is often meaningless.

"Frankly, if you can afford a trip abroad, you can afford cover"

Well, NO! It's really expensive and very difficult to choose. I sometimes just tick the box with my flight or train, but I've not managed to find proper insurance. I go abroad a few times a year so multi-trip would be ideal for me, but is so expensive.

"If people just rely on it from their bank, they havent checked those details out and its worthless. Banks know this too, its a perk they offer that is often meaningless."

Oh dear. For years, this is what I had for travel insurance.

The article linked above, the insurer refused to pay out because the holiday maker hadn't declared hospital treatment 3 yrs earlier

Yes, and this - along with the usual exclusions - is why @Parrotseatthemall was correct in saying that even checking travellers have insurance won't solve it all

But at least it would be something, and to borrow Tesco's tagline, "every little helps" in protecting people from their own stupidity and the rest of us from the incessant sob stories

I rarely buy travel insurance unless its a cruise. I have pre existing conditions which arent covered. If i need energency care ill use my ehic. If i die my family knows not to repatriate the body. Cremate me there.

I was refused treatment in a hospital in Italy with my card, said it wasnt valid after Brexit and that I would have to pay.

I have diabetes so it's not so cheap, but luckily my American health cover has worldwide coverage and travel insurance is for flights etc. And of course, having diabetes makes it more important that I'm covered when I travel. Even countries with universal health cover will charge foreigners if there isn't a reciprocal agreement! A friend broke a leg skiing in Switzerland, American Blue Cross paid every franc and travel insurance the other expenses associated with it. If you are doing anything like that you are a fool not to have full cover.

My insurance is £170 a year for just Europe, with my pre existing conditions. Took nearly 2 hours on the phone with them recently for the yearly renewal, it was impossible trying to answer some of the questions as I couldnt remember stuff and realised that the year before when I had first taken it out I had forgotten lots of stuff. She said you really need your medical records with you when you take it out or renew, then you can go through each appointment you went to the GP for and say it exactly as it is on your medical recoreds

You know what GPs are like, they might say something verbally but its not on your record or vice versa.

It's very useful to have online access to your medical records so that you can go through 2, 3 or 5 years of random appointments that you would never remember.

Its not just at the time of taking out the insurance, you have to tell them about any subsequent medical conditions too (before travel) they will then charge the additional premium :(

Especially important if you have taken a multi trip 12month policy.

to point out, that is now six years ago and I believe that things have changed since then.

I am not on any waiting list.

It's worth checking every time that your bank's insurance gives you the cover you need, especially as you get older.

True, but then while I can't comment on others Staysure certainly send emails reminding folk about this, so it's not as if their customers can say "I didn't know"

It's also true that when age and illness roll round the kind of insurance banks tack onto accounts will never be enough, but then I'm not sure how many check the T&Cs on things like this at all

Typo

The annoying thing is the insurance company have a list of illnesses and ailments that they automatically cover and osteoarthritis and hip replacement are both on the list so the issue is he's been told he needs a hip replacement 'at some point', although it's not urgent and he's not even on a waiting list.

Regarding falling, I'm the idiot that tripped over thin air last year and broke my foot in 3 places but they don't need me to declare that as they aren't interested in broken bones!

I've looked at Aviva and they are only interested in the last year which is helpful as there's some things I no longer need to declare

I was with Aviva and they paid out with no fuss when I had to cancel my holiday due to post covid symptoms.

That's good to know @Rebusa . I'm with them for car insurance and they were very good at sorting out a claim when I had an accident.

I need to sort it out on the phone as I don't know how to answer one of the questions but I'm pretty sure I'll go with them.

Can someone clarify - we always take out travel insurance, do we need GHIC cards as well? We generally stick to Spain/Greece

Thursdaygirl,
As the GHIC cards are free it wouldn't hurt. You never know if there could be some problem with your insurer.
Of course, the GHIC cards are not sufficient alone.

Isn't it equivalent to having a BBC license?

Some people don't see the point no matter how often they travel abroad.

Hopefully we're all adults making our own decisions.

And the GHIC may give you access to cheaper initial treatment, and some insurers will refuse to refund a more expensive option as you could have accessed that (in theory).

I share the concern about the false reassurance of the bundled bank insurance packages. If you take out your own insurance you can still underestimate what should be declared (this thread has prompted a slightly gloomy conversation in our house about things we need to add on!) but at least you’re made to think about the policy inclusions/exclusions. The bank ones are often really basic and not suitable for lots of us, and people don’t realise they need to engage with them at all. We had one for a while and I had printed out the T&Cs as we wanted to check for winter sports cover, and was feeling fairly confident, but when we needed to make a claim for transport disruption the insurance company claimed not to have a policy under our name and the bank said there was nothing they could do to help. I took out a proper policy the day we got back.

The GHIC card will cover what the state would cover in Spain either for free or at reduced cost. Think of '24 Hours in A&E', all that stuff. Your travel insurance will assume you have a GHIC card.

The point about a GHIC card is that it entitles you to the same care a local would receive and on the same terms, so for something minor it might be worth using rather than claiming on your own insurance and risking the premiums going up next year

It won't cover you for things like travel delays/cancellations though, and certainly not for medical evacuation or repatriation if the very worst happened, which is why you need your own policy too

BTW the Italian care providers were totally wrong in telling the PP that the card didn't apply after Brexit, but some would say that's Italy for you and that - as a family member found - some folding stuff would have removed the problem

Typo

Your insurance can wriggle out of paying, GHIC replaces EHIC. Without it the insurance can say you should have on e in your policy as it’s needlessly increasing the price of medical treatment in a country with reciprocal agreements