AIBU to worry about elderly relative travelling to Eire without insurance?

[PlayingGracesByMyself]

Elderly relative (mid 80s) with complex health problems - heart, blood pressure, very recent stroke. All being well managed through complex cocktail of medications and they are actually brighter than they have been for ages.

Determined to accompany their friends on a 5 day coach trip to Dublin and Cork. Insurance not looking possible though we will keep trying.

Family feel strongly that they should go and the benefits outweigh the risks. They will be covered for any hospital treatment while they are there.

So the risks are basically their friends having to fend any initial health problems , one of us having to fly out to support them if there is any serious issue, managing a long stay in a hospital outside the UK and at the worst repatriation.

I feel it's endearingly optimistic but a bit bonkers. Everyone eise thinks it's their life so their decision. Obviously we can't stop them but we could try to persuade them if we thought it was really unwise.

Any thoughts?

YABU - YOLO, encourage them to go for it
YANBU - could end in (expensive) tears

Play a bit of Kneecap and you’ll be grand.

As an Irish person myself some of you are not behaving well at all.

You can't spell Deutschland.

Nothing like a really massive thread derail.......

It cost us nearly £4k to get my mum from the UK to the Channel Islands for her funeral - would imagine Ireland would be similar. I also think you have to pay to even see a doctor in Ireland? The HCIP is very minimal cover.

I have got an old Irish florin from 1935, it says EIREANN and another word. It's a beautiful coin, it has a harp on one side and a salmon on the other. I always rub it for luck.

I’m Irish but no one is speaking on behalf of any country. I’m saying I empathise with someone trying to work out what to do about her elderly parents, with recent health problems, wanting to go to Ireland on a holiday without insurance. And I think it’s really unhelpful to turn it into a conversation about something else and keep ticking off the OP who came here for help with a specific problem

I've reported my own thread and asked for the title to be corrected.

I am old enough to have been raised in the time when the name Éire was used in the UK press. I didn't recall the correct spelling. Ironically, I was probably trying to be respectful by not just saying "Ireland" which is of course the word we use when we discuss the trip. I should have checked and used the right name but I didn't, probably because my main concern was to get information about someone who we have been extremely stressed and worried about.

I am not at all surprised by the thread derailment, this is Mumsnet after all, but I am extremely grateful to everyone who responded in the spirit in which the original post was intended.

You’re right🤣

I’d claim autocorrect but I’d be lying. And that is why I would always use Germany when speaking English.

Actually, it kind of proves my point really given the posters on here using Eire (incorrect) instead of Éire (correct if speaking Irish)

It’s Ireland but what’s the worse that can happen? Can you get access to money in an emergency. My mother does this but she has savings that will cover her & is happy to be bought home as ashes 🤷🏻‍♀️

I reckon there has been way too much point-scory MN but thank god not everyone is like that. There are loads more people in the real world who lie awake worrying about their parents and totally get your concerns, whichever way they go on the advice. Don’t let the whatevers grind you down

The biggest financial concern would not be dying in ROI, but becoming critically ill and needing repatriation. Have you tried AllClear? They're not cheap, but pretty good for covering pre existing conditions.

Our health system is better than the NHS. She will be grand.

Have you tried a specialist broker for insurance?

Quality of life is really important. My parent had terminal cancer and really wanted one last trip to Europe. Both the planning of the trip and the trip itself brought them a huge amount of joy. They were uninsurable and this was pre-Brexit. We discussed in detail what this meant and they went ahead with the trip with an EHIC but no insurance. We knew that the worst case scenario would be medical repatriation (much more expensive than repatriating a corpse) and ensured we had researched hospitals near where we were travelling and got information regarding their medical history and medications in the local language (as well as copies of prescriptions and a doctor's letter) as well as having details of companies offering medical repatriation. We were fortunate to have a relative who was willing and able to cover medical repatriation costs if necessary, and even more fortunate that none of our research was needed and the trip went very well.

It’s Ireland but what’s the worse that can happen?

An acquaintance of mine broke his hip on holiday, and ended up having to pay £80k for medical evacuation. He had insurance, and got almost all the money back, but had to pay up front.

That was further afield than Ireland but not anywhere especially obscure.

The worst that can happen, from a financial point of view, isn't dying. It's extended illness or illness that requires specialist transport. Someone who's had a recent stroke is at increased risk of another - and that could well fit one or both of these scenarios

Our health system is better than the NHS

That wouldn't be difficult.
🤣

It's Ireland, not Eire, and they speak English there and have fully qualified doctors, nurses, and a full panoply of other HCPs there, and hospitals with hot and cold running water.

So this £80k problem didn't happen in Ireland?

Yes but how much would it cost is the issue

There is a reciprocal arrangement between the UK and Ireland for medical treatment.

Eire is the official name of the Republic of Ireland according to article 4 of the Constitution of Ireland, so it's correct.

It's Eire or Ireland, according to the Irish Constitution.

No, it's Éire.

Eire is the Irish word for burden.

Congratulations! you have won Fada Monitor of the Year award. What an achievement!!!!

It’s getting home that could be the main issue cost wise. UK citizens are entitled to the same hospital care as Irish citizens.