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

My dad travelled to the ROI when he was terminally ill with cancer and ended up being taken into St Vincent’s by ambulance, and staying there for a week.
This was before Brexit but we weren’t charged anything because of the E111. My dad was told that the medication they released him with would cost €100 if he had been Irish, but they have to honour the same conditions that an Irish person would receive under the NHS.

Don’t worry we all know what you meant.

I'm assuming you've tried Saga Insurance then?

Well she clearly means southern ireland because if it was the north there would no problem because it's britian unfortunately they are still ruled by two different governments.

I think RTFT because this has been discussed rather too much already!
(Southern Ireland is not the name of the country either.)

If it's any consolation, I was once pulled up for the same thing.
I'm nearly 66 and mistakenly thought that I was being respectful.

In tangental news, I sent a card with a wedding present in it addressed to a friend with the final line as Republic of Ireland.

The Royal Mail sent it to Poland.

She means Ireland.

Way back in the olde days when Ireland was newly independent (a Free State, degree of independence widely debated), British broadcasters and some politicians used to make a huge show of inability to pronounce the word Eire (can't do fadas on my phone, sorry). Eerie, Airy, Eeairy, Area, etc. It was done to emphasize how weird and foreign the Irish were, and how daft their language was.The word was used as a way to sneer. There are echoes of the same sentiment (weird, daft, unpronounceable) on MN's Baby Names board.

I agree. OP came here with a genuine question, if posters have no sensible answer maybe just keep quiet. Honestly, having a go at OP says much more about them than it does about OP.

Southern Ireland refers to a specific part of the country, eg the counties of wexford, cork, kerry etc. The country is called the Republic of Ireland or Éire but most people refer to it as Ireland. Éire is the name in Irish (Gaelige is the language) and then Northern Ireland is the other party of the island of Ireland governed by the UK.

Ireland will do just fine ☘️🇮🇪💚

Just to be clear the British press (and politicians ) did not use the word Éire. They used Eire and it was used as to avoid using the word Ireland or Republic of Ireland which they believed would imply a claim by Ireland to Northern Ireland. This term has not been used by the British press or politicians for over 20 years so people find it jarring. And some may even have forgotten the significance of its use. If in doubt use Ireland.

But yes, regardless, although she will receive similar medical care here I agree with others
that if she needed to be returned ill, this can be expensive and insurance is wise.

This. Which raises the question, what if the trip was instead going to Belfast and to see the Giants Causeway?

She's not leaving the UK but if she died repatriation would still be needed, so who would pay for that? Presumably
there's a cost?

Also if she ended up in hospital, she might need specialist transport when she's discharged.

Although if the cost is closer to the £4k mentioned instead of £80k she/her relatives might be happy to suck it up if either of these happened.

Honestly, I understand people don't always RTFT but in the OP I said clearly that I understand she will get full healthcare while she was there, and listed my concerns very clearly. None of them were in the slightest implying the Irish healthcare would be inferior. I was concerned about repatriation or an extended stay in hospital without nearby relatives to support. And still am.

Christ I think they might be better off not going, considering how uppity people seem to get about North/South and using correct terms. OP was being genuine.

Southern Ireland isn't a place.

Ireland
Or
Northern Ireland.

OP I would be worried if it was further afield but Ireland I would be less so. In the worst case scenario of an extended hospital stay you'd have to keep visiting Ireland but medical repatriation isn't always possible regardless of costs. I went through this exact dilemma last year re France but was already regularly commuting to my DM's home town for emergency hospital visits and France, though further and more expensive, wasn't really a different ballgame. DM had a flat there, which made a difference, and has reasonable French. Ultimately I didn't think repatriation would be essential.

Your situation is different, but similar. There's no language barrier. Worst case scenario they'll be stuck in Ireland being well cared for in hospital. They'll have to think what that would mean, and if it is worth the risk, but I think it's a wholly different prospect to being stuck on another continent with a language barrier etc.

Ignore the sarcasm. I know your intentions were well meant.

So what's so bad about that?

How is ring so bloody pedantic providing useful info to the OP. Honestly some people on here. About 2 sensible replies at 15 nitpicking

I would tell them that they either need insurance or shouldn’t go and that, if they go without insurance, on their head be it.
It’s selfish of them to go thinking someone else will sort it all out for them if something goes wrong.
I might sound harsh but they need to use some sense.
I don’t have a lot of patience for people that don’t think about consequences because they’re sure someone else will pick up the pieces.

Why would repatriation definitely be needed though if someone one dies? I spent months each year abroad ( much further than ireland) If I was to die while I'm away what good would it do me or anyone else lugging my body back to the UK?

Southern Ireland is not a country. Its called The Republic of Ireland.

I don't think it is definitely needed. I know a couple of people cremated abroad and who had a later funeral in the UK. Obviously none of this is nice to think about but insurance doesn't actually prevent horrible things happening, so you do have to decide if the insurable risks are worth the cost.

No it’s not. Éire is the official name of Ireland.