Health insurance required for EU entry

[barryd]

There are stories of Travel insurance being more of a hinder than a help. Firstly they don't cover existing conditions. Michelle ended up in Hospital twice with "lodged" Kidney stones. Once in Italy which involved two hospitals and two ambulances one of which I had to chase through the Italian Alps in August in Hank. and then again in France a few years later. Insurance wouldn't have covered this but the EHIC card did and it never cost us a penny. Another occasion in Germany we got nocked off the scooter. Took ourselves to hospital for Xrays (Michelle again). I bet they wouldn't have covered that either. EHIC card did and FOC.

So what happens if the hospital ask you if you have insurance and you say yes so you get treat by a private hospital or the hospital claims on your insurance and they then try and wriggle out of it because of some clause or other because it was a pre known condition or some "dangerous" sport (Motorcycles)? I have heard of this happening and we all know what insurance companies are like.

The only thing I can think of which it might be useful for is repatriation if you die or need sending back to the UK. Its not exactly the other side of the world so I would just pay for it myself in the unlikely event that it was required.

 

[YeoBlade]

I've just requested a quote for this year. The prices range from £2,500 to £19,006.38

Blackpool looks appealing

 

[Fisherman]

There are stories of Travel insurance being more of a hinder than a help. Firstly they don't cover existing conditions. Michelle ended up in Hospital twice with "lodged" Kidney stones. Once in Italy which involved two hospitals and two ambulances one of which I had to chase through the Italian Alps in August in Hank. and then again in France a few years later. Insurance wouldn't have covered this but the EHIC card did and it never cost us a penny. Another occasion in Germany we got nocked off the scooter. Took ourselves to hospital for Xrays (Michelle again). I bet they wouldn't have covered that either. EHIC card did and FOC.

So what happens if the hospital ask you if you have insurance and you say yes so you get treat by a private hospital or the hospital claims on your insurance and they then try and wriggle out of it because of some clause or other because it was a pre known condition or some "dangerous" sport (Motorcycles)? I have heard of this happening and we all know what insurance companies are like.

The only thing I can think of which it might be useful for is repatriation if you die or need sending back to the UK. Its not exactly the other side of the world so I would just pay for it myself in the unlikely event that it was required.

Sorry Barry but travel insurance can cover existing conditions, many on non reportable, and some are reportable. My Bank of Scotland cover lists dozens of non reportable medical issues. Some of which I was surprised to see. I had to report one condition which was listed as reportable an operation I had last September. I only had to report it as I was heading abroad less than six months after the op and there was no additional premium required. Not all reportable conditions mean higher premiums, but most do, and you do have the option of making them non claimable.
We are much more fortunate than both you and Michelle and have no reportable conditions. I pay £22 a month, that gives us worldwide insurance inc sports, breakdown recovery for both my car and my van, and insurance for my phone. My neighbour had a minor heart attack several years ago he’s 72 now and he pays £34 a month for him and his wife with the BOS also.
Whilst in Australia visiting his daughter a friend discovered he had bladder cancer. The doctors said he needed surgery urgently. He was operated and received chemo, and received after care for three months before returning home to continue his treatment on the NHS.
Our friends father took a heart attack whilst in Greece, the nearest state hospital was 25 miles away, but a private hospital was only a few hundred yards away. He was rushed to the private hospital and survived, if he did not have insurance his bill would have been several thousand pounds. It’s reckoned had the ambulance taken him to the state hospital he would not have survived.
If only travelling to Europe travel insurance is a lot cheaper than worldwide cover, also if you don’t require sports cover that also lowers the costs. You can also agree a high excess on any claims to reduce costs.
Forgot to mention BOS cover is valid until age 80.
It’s their platinum vantage account, other banks run similar schemes.

Obviously it’s a personal decision, but whereas some look for reasons not to be insured, I do the exact opposite. When travelling abroad I want to enjoy what I am doing, and not worry about not being insured. I have a sister who travels to Turkey on holiday with no travel insurance, she has reportable conditions, there are thousands out there just like her. In my honest opinion she should not be allowed to travel outwith countries without EHIC cover without insurance. This whole situation needs to be looked into.

BOS - Internet Banking - Unavailable

www.bankofscotland.co.uk

 

[colinm]

There are stories of Travel insurance being more of a hinder than a help. Firstly they don't cover existing conditions. Michelle ended up in Hospital twice with "lodged" Kidney stones. Once in Italy which involved two hospitals and two ambulances one of which I had to chase through the Italian Alps in August in Hank. and then again in France a few years later. Insurance wouldn't have covered this but the EHIC card did and it never cost us a penny. Another occasion in Germany we got nocked off the scooter. Took ourselves to hospital for Xrays (Michelle again). I bet they wouldn't have covered that either. EHIC card did and FOC.

So what happens if the hospital ask you if you have insurance and you say yes so you get treat by a private hospital or the hospital claims on your insurance and they then try and wriggle out of it because of some clause or other because it was a pre known condition or some "dangerous" sport (Motorcycles)? I have heard of this happening and we all know what insurance companies are like.

The only thing I can think of which it might be useful for is repatriation if you die or need sending back to the UK. Its not exactly the other side of the world so I would just pay for it myself in the unlikely event that it was required.

Both myself and gf have had travel insurance which covers pre existing conditions, I've also had travel insurance which covers dangerous sports. The stories you might have heard may well have been those who try and do it on the cheap.

 

[alcam]

Sorry Barry but travel insurance can cover existing conditions, many on non reportable, and some are reportable. My Bank of Scotland cover lists dozens of non reportable medical issues. Some of which I was surprised to see. I had to report one condition which was listed as reportable an operation I had last September. I only had to report it as I was heading abroad less than six months after the op and there was no additional premium required. Not all reportable conditions mean higher premiums, but most do, and you do have the option of making them non claimable.
We are much more fortunate than both you and Michelle and have no reportable conditions. I pay £22 a month, that gives us worldwide insurance inc sports, breakdown recovery for both my car and my van, and insurance for my phone. My neighbour had a minor heart attack several years ago he’s 72 now and he pays £34 a month for him and his wife with the BOS also.
Whilst in Australia visiting his daughter a friend discovered he had bladder cancer. The doctors said he needed surgery urgently. He was operated and received chemo, and received after care for three months before returning home to continue his treatment on the NHS.
Our friends father took a heart attack whilst in Greece, the nearest state hospital was 25 miles away, but a private hospital was only a few hundred yards away. He was rushed to the private hospital and survived, if he did not have insurance his bill would have been several thousand pounds. It’s reckoned had the ambulance taken him to the state hospital he would not have survived.
If only travelling to Europe travel insurance is a lot cheaper than worldwide cover, also if you don’t require sports cover that also lowers the costs. You can also agree a high excess on any claims to reduce costs.
Forgot to mention BOS cover is valid until age 80.
It’s their platinum vantage account, other banks run similar schemes.
Obviously it’s a personal decision, but whereas some look for reasons not to be insured, I do the exact opposite. When travelling abroad I want to enjoy what I am doing, and not worry about not being insured. I have a sister who travels to Turkey on holiday with no travel insurance, she has reportable conditions, there are thousands out there just like her. In my honest opinion she should not be allowed to travel outwith countries without EHIC cover without insurance. This whole situation needs to be looked into.

BOS - Internet Banking - Unavailable

www.bankofscotland.co.uk

Yes I'm with coop bank . Was £15pm think it has gone up . Don't like bank accounts that charge you but nobody would insure me for that price .

 

[jann]

It's easy to think you don't need it .Anyone who has had major problems knows that you do.

 

[barryd]

Ok. I stand to be corrected on the pre conditions but I still won't bother. Being a Rock God if anything happens to me you fans will all have a whip round to get me home anyway.

 

[TeamRienza]

In the words of Kylie, "you should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky. " Not.

Davy

 

[r4dent]

Ok. I stand to be corrected on the pre conditions but I still won't bother. Being a Rock God if anything happens to me you fans will all have a whip round to get me home anyway.

I am thinking of organising a whip round to keep you over there.

Seriously the annual glut of news stories about people who had no insurance and then expect those of use who do have insurance to chip in to pay their expenses makes me very angry.
Not having Insurance is like gambling. If you win you save the premium, if you lose don't ask me to pay your bills.

 

[Fisherman]

I am thinking of organising a whip round to keep you over there.

Seriously the annual glut of news stories about people who had no insurance and then expect those of use who do have insurance to chip in to pay their expenses makes me very angry.
Not having Insurance is like gambling. If you win you save the premium, if you lose don't ask me to pay your bills.

There was a case last year with an elderly man with a heart condition having to go into a Turkish hospital and he had no insurance. The son was on the TV stating that the £30,000 being charged by the hospital was extortion. He started a fund raiser online but failed to raise the money. He was blaming everyone apart from his dad, the Turkish Government, Turkish. Hospital who saved his dad’s life. I don’t know what the final outcome was but I suspect the hospital he was bad mouthing would not have received full payment.
At least Barry is travelling within the EU and can use his card, but as I stated before governments should look seriously at making people take out insurance if the EHIC card is not accepted where they are travelling to.

 

[barryd]

Well stuff you lot then! Never fear. There are thousands of Rock God groupies on YouTube etc that will chip in to get me home! Or maybe if I fall off an alp and get splatted they will just be a shrine there for me and they can all do some kind of annual Pilgrimage. "Here lies (Whats left of him) the artist formally known as Rock God Baz.

 

[Fisherman]

Well stuff you lot then! Never fear. There are thousands of Rock God groupies on YouTube etc that will chip in to get me home! Or maybe if I fall off an alp and get splatted they will just be a shrine there for me and they can all do some kind of annual Pilgrimage. "Here lies (Whats left of him) the artist formally known as Rock God Baz.

I always reckoned that rock gods lived on a different planet, you don’t live on a different planet Barry, you live in a different universe.

 

[guerdeval]

My wife and I disagree on this every year, she’s for and I’m against extra insurance,she always wins of course but my argument is I have no pre existing conditions, my rationale is I’ve had a quadruple heart bypass so I no longer have a heart condition, likewise I’ve had an aortic aneurism repair so why should I declare it as a condition if I’m repaired? But to answer the question,we used ‘total travel protection’ for £130

 

[r4dent]

My wife and I disagree on this every year, she’s for and I’m against extra insurance,she always wins of course but my argument is I have no pre existing conditions, my rationale is I’ve had a quadruple heart bypass so I no longer have a heart condition, likewise I’ve had an aortic aneurism repair so why should I declare it as a condition if I’m repaired? But to answer the question,we used ‘total travel protection’ for £130

If you have a "condition" that they require declaring and you don't declare it they can refuse to pay out even if the problem is nowt to do with the "condition".

My wife has to declare her hip replacement even though the replace will last longer than the organic one on tthe other side.

It is a personal decision. But if someone choses to save money by not having suitable cover they shouldn't expect me to help pay the bills.

 

[guerdeval]

If you have a "condition" that they require declaring and you don't declare it they can refuse to pay out even if the problem is nowt to do with the "condition".

My wife has to declare her hip replacement even though the replace will last longer than the organic one on tthe other side.

It is a personal decision. But if someone choses to save money by not having suitable cover they shouldn't expect me to help pay the bills.

How are you “expected to pay their bills”?, run me through that thought process ?

 

[marchie]

How are you “expected to pay their bills”?, run me through that thought process ?

Usually a Post starting with details of an illness/accident in France or Spain, a quick explanation of the absence of insurance to cover such events, and a link to a GoFundMe Page for donations ... 'While I'm donating, let me add £30 towards your next diesel refill ...' [not]

Steve

 

[Fisherman]

How are you “expected to pay their bills”?, run me through that thought process ?

I gave an example where a son reckoned his father’s care in Turkey should have been taken care of by anyone apart from his father who traveled to Turkey with a heart condition, and no insurance. He started a GoFundMe page looking for donations.

But nearer home I remember several years ago a flooding incident were some had house insurance and were covered for the damage, whilst those who were not insured reckoned the tax payers should pick up the tab. It’s quite common some don’t want to take responsibility for their actions, reckoning that someone else should pick up the tab because they decided not to insure themselves.

 

[r4dent]

How are you “expected to pay their bills”?, run me through that thought process ?

They put the story on the internet and set up a fund for people to contribute to paying the debts they incurred by not having insurance.

 

[alcam]

They put the story on the internet and set up a fund for people to contribute to paying the debts they incurred by not having insurance.

Doubt they 'expect' payment , just chancing it .
Can't remember when I first heard of 'go fund me' .
Probably for a child requiring expensive treatment abroad ?
Did think then that some people would try and abuse the idea

 

[Sharon the Cat]

I gave an example where a son reckoned his father’s care in Turkey should have been taken care of by anyone apart from his father who traveled to Turkey with a heart condition, and no insurance. He started a GoFundMe page looking for donations.

But nearer home I remember several years ago a flooding incident were some had house insurance and were covered for the damage, whilst those who were not insured reckoned the tax payers should pick up the tab. It’s quite common some don’t want to take responsibility for their actions, reckoning that someone else should pick up the tab because they decided not to insure themselves.

We got flooded last November, a foot deep throughout, and were not insured for flood. I changed our insurance to get more than 30 days unoccupied cover.
At the last minute an exclusion for flooding popped up, so I thought if we get flooded I'll just have to pay for it - and I did.
We're not all the same.