travel insurance for 33 weeks pregnant

[Stu]

We're in exactly the same situation - my wife will be 35 weeks pregnant when we return from the Alps this August.

Have you any advice?

Stuart

stu - i suppose "don't go" isn't the right advice?
you might end up bringing excess baggage home...

Message withdrawn

but, bloss, did you look into how much it might have cost to have the baby as an emergency abroad? and what if it turned into a caesarian or something? pots of money i suspect...and if you had no medical records would they insist on having them before they touched you???

big decision i think...

Agree with Janh, even a simple op can cost £15k or so. But unles I'm mistaken, isn't there a reciprocal agreement between the NHS and other EU health authorities?

I don't think they will stop you from having your baby if you are in labour... but make sure you bring your notes with you obviously.
As for the reciprocal agreement - I wouldn't rely too much on them. Which country are you going to ?
Maybe the department of health or the ambassy can help.
My cousin had her baby in Guernsey at 31 weeks.... she has had 2 more kids since then but won't travel after 30 weeks as she hated having the baby far away from friends and relatives.

pupuce, i'd like to see them try to stop somebody!!!

stu said alps, didn't he - hope it isn't switzerland - not EU and you can probably add another nought to the figure you first think of.

For reciprocal health care in EU countries you need a form E111, available from post offices. You fill it in with details of all family members and the PO stamp validates it. However, I'm not sure if pregnancy and birth are covered. The form is attached to a leaflet which should tell you all the relevant info. Good luck!

Mooma,
I have heard time and again that we should not rely on that form as it really doesn't cover much. I heard this from watchdogs and the Government.
Have you ever used it ?

Fair point, Pupuce. Last year on holiday in France I had to consult a doctor and obtain prescription medicine. The doctor was happy that the E111 covered the cost of visiting him, BUT I had to pay up front, about £20 for the doctor's fee and another £7-8 for the medicine. He said I would have to go to the area office to claim a refund. It was miles away and we were due to return home the next day, so of course it wasn't worth the hassle. Also, I was able to understand the instruction because I could speak the language, but that might not have been the case. Surely there should be written instructions available in English, so that people aren't left wondering how to go about getting refunds.
If you search for form E111 on Yahoo there are many links which give lots of info. One states that E111 is for if you become ill or have an accident, so that would seem to rule out going into labour!

it's always worth getting an E111 but on top of holiday insurance (if you aren't over the preg limit so can't have medical cover) not instead. the holiday insurance usually has an excess, though you can sometimes pay a bit extra to remove the excess and then you can claim the cost of any prescriptions etc. when you get home. (which magazine is v good on travel insurance and usually covers it in about april.)

the E111 will cover you if someone is taken seriously ill or has an accident. don't leave the country without one!

I know this is an old thread, but I found it whilst searching for insurance, so maybe this information will still be of use to someone.... I'm in the process of getting travel insurance from a Danish company (via a company in the UK) that will insure up to 36 weeks for full pregnancy cover worldwide - seems to be a very reasonable price so far. They can be contacted via www.annualpolicy.com / telephone 0870 7700 943. Hope this helps.