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

[MrsSid]

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.

[Suew]

Some years ago an old work colleague had an asthma attack up a Swiss mountain and had to be airlifted to hospital. For some reason he hadn't insurance to cover this but was able to purchase Swiss Health Insurance of some sort which covered him in retrospect.

I can't remember all the details but it may be worth contacting the embassy of the country you are planning to travel to and explaining your circumstances and seeing if you can buy into their health system for the period of time you plan to be away.

It will almost certainly be more expensive than travel insurance but not as expensive as a bill if your wife has to have c-section as someone mentioned.

The other thing to consider if travel insurance co's won't cover you for the pregnancy is the other benefits of travel insurance - it should cover for other non-pregnancy-related accidents and medical expenses, as well as repatriation of (sorry not nice) your body to the UK if the worst should happen - I understand this is quite an expnsive business.

There's also the cover you get for travel delays but your own possessions are often covered on your house contents if you have all risks cover. If you do have this cover, then the travel ins co probably won't pick up the bill - they will bounce it onto your home contents insurer and that may count as a claim against you when you want to renew home contents the following year and you may lose any no claims discount you had.

Have you tried contacting a good broker who could put togethersomething tailor-made? Searching on Google, I came up with these sites which might help:

Insurance Village

Insurance Broker Directory

I also did a search on 'UK tailored travel insurance' but it seems my idea of tailored and thiers don't agree - their idea of tailoring is shifting the number of days of your policy, adding ski cover etc! Perhaps I am using the wrong word.

BTW, I have never worked in insurance (well, I sold travel ins policies briefly for a high street bank). I do have a friend who used to be an insurance underwriter but she is on hols ATM otherwise I'd ask her to come and comment. She could also correct anything I've got badly wrong above!

Good luck.

[Janh]

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!

[Mooma]

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!

[Pupuce]

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 ?

[Mooma]

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!

[Janh]

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.

[Janh]

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

[Pupuce]

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.

[Croppy]

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?

[Janh]

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...

[Bloss]

Message withdrawn

[Janh]

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