Do you think holiday insurance is a necessity or a luxury?

[faithfultoGeorgeMichael]

Where I live there are an increasing number of crowd funders every year for people who have an accident on holiday and have no insurance. I have always thought this was a minority of people willing to accept this risk but yesterday I spoke to a younger colleague (I am 51, she is 32) who said that no one she knows ever buys insurance and it is seen as a foolish waste of money to her and her friends.

She is off to Indonesia for a month in August with her children - with no insurance!

YABU: I would go abroad without insurance
YANBU I would only go abroad if I had insurance

Absolute necessity. Idiotic to go without it for most people unless wealthy enough to pay for care.

Necessity. I don't think people should be allowed to travel without it.

I would never go on holiday without insurance.

You 1000% should I have insurance but I assume with some of those with crowdfunders, people didn't realise that certain things aren't covered (e.g., scooter riding). When I went to Bali it cost me £150 (one person, 31, no health conditions) to ensure that I was covered for everything including water sports etc.

An annual policy does not cost much and it means you are covered for small uk trips too. Also if you hospitalised before you are covered.

If you can’t afford insurance you can’t afford the holiday.

I’ve only had to use my insurance once (missed flight) but it is worth every penny imo, I can afford a small amount each month or each holiday but could not afford medical treatment abroad

Do you think age is a factor?
She said "that's boomer mentality" which I found baffling, but not as baffling as taking 2 under 6's to Indonesia for a month with no insurance.

Necessity and everyone that I’ve ever discussed with has agreed no matter what age. I think drilled in by parents or seeing what has happened to friends or family who didn’t including during Covid.

Necessity. People shouldn't be allowed to travel without it. Totally irresponsible, even worse taking children away without cover.
If you can't afford the insurance, you can't afford the holiday.

Mine is annual and very reasonable, and covers most sports. I once had a serious medical emergency in San Fransisco, it would have ruined the rest of my life financially not to have insurance. The costs of treatment was over $100K(!!!!!) (thank god for the NHS!)

Not just hospital care: also cost of repatriation if you need special care or a double seat on the plane home, and hotel bills for anyone accompanying you.

Necessity. People who don’t get insurance are lazy and stupid.

No itll be cultural/how they were raised not age. I’m a millennial who had it drilled into me I needed insurance from the first time I went abroad on my own at 18. I will be drilling it into my Gen Alpha kids!

I think there are a lot of people who don’t understand the importance of having insurance as soon as you book though, I’m constantly having to remind my brother to do that.

Utter stupidity not to have full coverage holiday insurance.

Don't think its an age thing as im in my 30s and consider it a necessity, I find her attitude very irresponsible especially travelling with young children.

Abta is telling me British people are the worst for this as we have 'free' healthcare so forget about the costs abroad. Apparently 20-44% of people travel with NO insurance!!

https://www.abta.com/news/one-four-holidaymakers-put-themselves-risk-travelling-abroad-without-insurance

I doubt it. I expect intelligence is the main factor. I can’t see my DS and DSIL taking a similar risk.

Does she have a plan for what happens if one of her children gets appendicitis?

I don’t ever contribute to those go fund mes. Why should I give you my money when you didn’t care enough to pay that same money to protect yourself. I pay £20 a month through my bank and that includes travel insurance, my mobile phone insurance and AA cover for two people. It’s insane people can justify a holiday but not such a minor expense.

Don't forget to apply for your free UK GHIC card too - this will cover you for treatment in Europe.

I really struggle to feel sorry for people who ask for help after not getting travel insurance.

It's a necessity for holidays abroad - which is why many of us with complex health circumstances are now priced out of leaving these shores for the rest of our days.

However, it's a luxury (and I'd venture a waste of money) for UK citizens going on a holiday elsewhere in the UK. I never know why providers push and 'strongly recommend' it when you book a UK holiday; I'm guessing they either are assuming that holidaymakers are coming from abroad and they don't distinguish, or they're otherwise just on the make from people who automatically buy every insurance that's offered them without stopping to think whether it's worth it. I was once offered 'peace of mind' insurance in Argos on a toaster that cost less than a tenner!!

Necessity. I know someone who was injured without insurance in Thailand; getting him home was a financial nightmare. My insurance excludes the US and Canada but is otherwise just a small yearly payment. If you can’t afford that, then don’t go on holiday.

Our travel insurance is ruinously expensive due to DH's cancer, but we'd still never go abroad without it. We factor in the cost of insurance alongside cost of flights/accommodation, etc., and if we can't afford it, or don't regard the total cost as "value for money" depending on where we're going, then we simply won't go.

No way on Earth would we go without full insurance cover.

But because of his cancer, we are also very picky about which countries we go to as we check there are good local hospitals in case something bad happens with his cancer, i.e. we never go to little Med islands anymore as they won't have cancer specialist hospitals, so have tended to go to larger European countries/cities since his diagnosis.

When you have a major medical condition, you simply can't glibly go where you like anymore, nor risk not having insurance. I cringe when I see in the media people with multiple medical conditions who've gone abroad without insurance, even worse to places where "local" hospitals and medical care isn't particularly good meaning expensive evacuation to the next nearest country/city with adequate hospitals.

I had this convo with DP when we went to Asia. His logic was that if he loses anything or needs new flights he will just pay for it, I reminded him that if he’s in an accident he doesn’t have tens of thousands in cash to pay for medical bills.

He agreed and got insurance but I think lots of people just don’t realise that you have to pay more than a nominal fee for medical treatment in most places (he’s not even British!)