To be sick of people starting to fund me pages when they go on holiday without travel insurance and can’t afford medical bills when they end up in hospital?

[AngeloMysterioso]

A woman with chronic pulmonary disease and mobility issues couldn’t afford the travel insurance she needed for her four week holiday to Disney World in Florida with her sons and grandson. So she went anyway, without any travel insurance, and you can guess what happens next… she caught covid and flu, then developed pneumonia, and is now in a critical condition in hospital.

And of course, her family has set up a go fund me to go begging to the public to cover the considerable financial cost of this woman’s utter foolishness.

AIBU to think if you can’t afford the travel insurance, you don’t go on the fucking holiday?? Especially if you have pre-existing conditions which make you particularly susceptible to falling seriously ill?

DS and his girlfriend booked their first overseas holiday recently. I sat with them to help while they arranged it all and made it very clear that as soon as it was all booked they absolutely had to sort travel insurance as a priority. Fortunately they are both sensible and did it immediately but I was quite surprised to find out that many of their friends don’t bother.

I can understand that young, healthy people sometimes take a risk and don't get j surname even though it's stupid but for an obese 76 year old who uses three different inhalers to ease her breathing difficulties which is caused by a chronic pulmonary disease, and she relies on a walker is utter madness not to have insurance!

It also wasn't a once in a lifetime trip -

'On her 20 previous trips to the US she had purchased travel insurance. But this time couldn't afford the $3,000 cost quoted due to her severe health issues.'

I think they need to make it a condition of entering a different country that you have valid insurance.

Our children all like to travel and we have drummed it into them that they must always have insurance.

It's just as essential as remembering to pack your underwear!

I have an unstable life limiting condition. As a result I don't go abroad due to the cost of insurance. The last time I looked it was thousands. Also the last time I looked Disney for a fortnight would have cost £20,000 doing the family trip I wanted. If she can afford a month there, she could have afforded the insurance. I have no sympathy in this case.

When I went on a cruise recently, we had to have valid insurance of the appropriate level to be allowed to board, so it is mandatory in certain situations and should be in others.

I know of healthy young people being silly and feeling immortal on holiday - or not thinking to even consider insurance - but for a proper adult with pre existing health conditions who can afford £LotsK for a holiday, well that's just bloody stupid.

Maybe she could have cut her 4 week holiday to Florida down to 2 weeks - money saved could have paid for the travel insurance, plus it would have been cheaper!

Stupid, irresponsible person - Idon't agree with setting up GFM for this, and I would never donate. Unfortunately plenty of people will, so people will continue to do it.

It is illegal for people with less privileged passports ie brown and black people usually. You can't get visas.

Yanbu. Would never donate to any of them. Morons

She's clearly stupid. I would not try to match her stupidity by contributing to those medical costs

Yes and posters suggesting we should exasperate that by not letting them travel god forbid they risk starting up a go fund me 🙄

I've just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, before my diagnosis we were meant to be taking kids to Disney in the spring.
We've cancelled as I will be on treatment. Reading this I doubt we will ever do it now. £3000 for travel insurance is ridiculous.
I just won't ever be able to go on holiday again.

I actually feel a huge amount of sympathy for this woman and her family. Yes, she made a mistake. A huge one. But she is a human, a mother and a grandmother, critically unwell in hospital. There is no obligation to donate to the fund. I sincerely hope the family don’t read any of the judgemental and unkind comments on here, particularly the ones calling her stupid. What a nasty thread.

I read this story this morning utterly ridiculous decision she took and her family to allow it considering her issues

OP - please come back and tell me if anyone donated and how much - I've never heard of this - am not on fb

I’m so sorry. It’s so tough. I hope your treatment goes well.

I have chronic lymphocytic leukaemia which is just monitored atm. Travel insurance for me is really expensive now too. I always wanted to go to India but I wouldn’t risk it even with insurance. I’ve just had my third respiratory infection in 4 months and this one floored me and I had to have really strong antibiotics so I know I’m at greater risk of being ill.
I’ve resigned myself to holidays in Europe.

And then there are people who pay full insurance and the company tries to wriggle out of paying up.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3vl40pvydyo

If there is one place not to fuck about with when it comes to insurance it's the US. We all know how astronomical their healthcare is. Insurance always cost more for the US because of this and the high litigation culture. If you have high risk/pre-existing conditions then it will cost more because you are high risk! I can't believe that someone would be so stupid to travel there without insurance! Well, I can. But no one else should be footing the bill now. Maybe they should have set up a go fund me for the insurance in the first place?!

It would be more helpful to suggest an independent review of the insurance industry and their criteria for insuring people and managing claims. When you're reasonably healthy, it's easy to buy insurance and difficult to imagine a scenario in which you wouldn't be insurable, yet it does happen. And no, this doesn't mean you aren't well enough to travel.

This stuff drives me crazy. It’s so irresponsible.

I have very complex medical needs - all sorts of rare and potentially life limiting conditions. I always, always take out comprehensive insurance. If you can’t afford the insurance you can’t afford to go. It’s that simple.

I think it should be absolutely mandatory that anyone travelling has adequate insurance, as it is with driving a car.

I’d agree with you, I always buy travel insurance. I don’t think it should be mandatory but if you gamble and then lose you shouldn’t expect much help on a go fund me.

Pretty sure there are people in the U.S. who file for bankruptcy everyday due to medical bills, I assume that is what will happen here too tbh.

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. But your insurance wouldn't necessarily be that price - different conditions, age, risks etc. Insurance to travel to the US will always be way more expensive than elsewhere. I'm not sure I would want to risk travel to the US with a chronic health condition even with insurance.

I used to be a commercial insurance broker, who covered staff for business and personal travel insurance. We once had a claim refused and then, as the broker, I took over the claim for the employee and got it paid, as insurance companies (some of them) try to look for ways not to pay and often say no, when it should be yes! There are insurances out there for long term conditions, but it is worth talking to a specialist broker to get advice on which one to buy and that the company knowing more about you ensures that they are happy to cover you, often for less than a more generalist company. Never travel without insurance, it is really not worth it, for anyone!

Me to. I hope none of you suddenly realise how short life is and want to do something special with your family.
In the last few months my life been completely turned upside down because of my diagnosis. £3000 is criminal for travel insurance.
I desperately want to go somewhere this summer with my family if I get a gap in treatment but if my insurance is £3000 there's no way we could go anywhere. We wouldn't risk it but I can completely understand why she did. Put yourself in someone else's position for a minute.
If you don't approve of someone else's decision just scroll past.
All these posters saying such horrible stuff take a breath and think how lucky you are to able to book a holiday without trying to afford all the extras of being so unwell. I'm in my 40s with a terminal diagnosis guess what I would love to still take my kids away!
What a nasty nasty thread

YABU - I find that it has zero impact on my life (except a bit of schadenfreude). Just don't send them any money!

They're not blaming others, they're asking others to pay for it.

Idiots!