Health Insurance

[Deleted member 967]

I have been trying to locate sensible health/repatriation insurance should anything go wrong on our trip to Spain starting in November to May.

I got a quote through the C&CC of £100 each which we paid but we had to then contact their Medical Screening line.

After I gave them my medical history they wanted another £537.97 for me because I have Hypertension (well controlled) and COPD (controlled by inhalers) and the trip was to last 6 months. I didn't bother giving them Joans medical history.

Does anyone know of a repartiation/medical cover at a reasonable price or do people just risk going without this cover.

Does EHIC cover for treatment in Spain. Our cards expire October 2011

John

 

[AndyC]

You'll need to do some serious searching/research to get travel insurance at a reasonable price if you have pre-existing conditions. Google for 'travel insurance pre existing conditions' and you'll get plenty of places to try.

The EHIC card gives you the right to the same treatment, in any EU country, that nationals of that country are entitled to.

AndyC

 

[vwalan]

get a new card . you will find most long term travellers take the risk. its one of those things thats cheap for a quick break but too expensive for long term. just renewd my card .hope i dont need it, did use it last year after having a tooth out near denia got really bad and went to a clinic in mazeron and got injections for free but had to buy the prescription later just like here . cheers alan.

 

[sagart]

My wife is seriously disabled by Rheumatoid arthritis.
We spent 8 weeks in Oregon at our daughter's having to take a sufficient supply of all her drugs.
The cheapest insurance we found was through the Coop and that covered her from door to door, full hospital cover in the US., contact with her consultant in Scotland to liaise with a US. doctor or hospital, transfer to a specialist unit near Inverness if required and an automatic extension of our tourist visas beyond the 90 days if necessary.
Maybe over the top for you, but they might be worth a try

 

[Deleted member 967]

My wife is seriously disabled by Rheumatoid arthritis.
We spent 8 weeks in Oregon at our daughter's having to take a sufficient supply of all her drugs.
The cheapest insurance we found was through the Coop and that covered her from door to door, full hospital cover in the US., contact with her consultant in Scotland to liaise with a US. doctor or hospital, transfer to a specialist unit near Inverness if required and an automatic extension of our tourist visas beyond the 90 days if necessary.
Maybe over the top for you, but they might be worth a try

Hi Sagart

Getting cover for 30, 60 , 90 or even 100 days is available on line at reasonable rates but we are going to be out of the UK for 6 months with 4 months in Spain.

So far I have found no company willing to cover for that length of time other than the C&CC which is totally prohibitive.

John

 

[vwalan]

i have charcot marie tooth and cancer cant even get a very expensive quote . go with out life is too short to worry . bury me in the country i die i wont mind .ha ha cheers alan.

 

[Kontiki]

I've searched in the past as I also have quite a long list of pre-existing conditions (all of them under reasonable control) like you I found the cost ridiculous so in the end just rely on the EHICC. In all our years of travelling we have never needed to see a doctor only medical treatment has been for the odd injury, cold, etc...... Just have to take a chance, our plan is if one of us falls ill the other one drives them home. If it's a real emergency we will just have to rely on the local public health treatment.

 

[Poco Loco]

EHIC in Spain

Does EHIC cover for treatment in Spain. Our cards expire October 2011

John

Hi John having been in Spain for a few years now I can safely say you can use your EHIC card without problem. You will probably need your passport as proof that it is your EHIC card. I would advise you to have plenty of time on your card incase you are delayed or take ill. The card will cover you for emergency treatment and treatment to help you with anything that is causing you pain or discomfort and will be treated to help you with your time on holiday. If you do take ill you must ensure you go to a Surgery or Hospital that is NOT private. sounds like a daft comment but in the heat of the moment it might be the last thing on your mind and the ambulance driver will take you anywhere. You may have to pay for a translator as they may not speak English. As for medical cover, Having previous medical problems I'm in the same boat as you for insurance and its a tuff call. It'll never be cheap for that piece of mind, assuming they pay out of course. you can always hope that if you take ill you will be well enough to at least get on a plane and get home, leaving the motorhome at a secure carpark and then finding a willing volunteer to drive it home. Sorry there's no easy answer, but if you have anymore questions I'll do my best to help. Regards Poco Loco

 

[Deleted member 967]

Thanks everyone.

John

 

[Kontiki]

I wonder which is the best country to fall ill regarding treatment Here is a link to the Country-by-country guide for treatment under the EHICC card.
Often in Europe you are no more than half a days drive from another country, it might then be beneficial to travel somewhere else for treatment (this is assuming it isn't a real emergency)

If you read the small print of most insurance companies they tell you that you should use your EHICC to receive treatment before relying on the insurance they want you to pay the high costs but not use the insurance if your ill.

When we were in Portugal a couple of years ago wildcamping, a dutch woman parked by us was unwell (turned out she was having a stroke) her husband spoke virtually no English but asked for help. In the end my wife called the ambulance, we were impressed at how quickly they got there (we were in a small village miles from any big city) they were with the woman for about half an hour before they took her to hospital. We were lucky that while the ambulance was there another Dutch motorhome came & the woman was a retired nurse, they went with the couple to hospital (her in the ambulance & her husband went with the distressed husband in the MH) this was a better solution as it was really difficult for us to communicate with them. She was kept in hospital for a couple of days & although we left before they returned we heard from another couple that it was only a mini stroke & she wasn't too bad.

 

[John H]

Hi,
Insurance is must for every one's life. Any kind of insurance helps a lot. Health insurance keep us safe in every kind of bad condition.

Maybe but, as others have pointed out above, you do not necessarily need any more insurance than that you have paid for through your taxes and which is supplied in the EU by the reciprocal EHICC system. My wife has needed hospital treatment while we have been in Spain and got efficient, quick and caring treatment for free under the system. We have a friend in England who has a similar eye condition and she is still waiting!

Make sure you are covered but that doesn't necessarily mean paying for private insurance on top of what you have already paid. It is personal choice, of course, but we only take out insurance cover when we go outside Europe. And we spend at least half the year in Europe.

 

[tommywelly]

I have been trying to locate sensible health/repatriation insurance should anything go wrong on our trip to Spain starting in November to May.

I got a quote through the C&CC of £100 each which we paid but we had to then contact their Medical Screening line.

After I gave them my medical history they wanted another £537.97 for me because I have Hypertension (well controlled) and COPD (controlled by inhalers) and the trip was to last 6 months. I didn't bother giving them Joans medical history.

Does anyone know of a repartiation/medical cover at a reasonable price or do people just risk going without this cover.

Does EHIC cover for treatment in Spain. Our cards expire October 2011

John

Have you tried your credit card travel insurance, I have pre existing problems and I use my NATWEST travel insurance and I am covered for my declared conditions, I am 73 and it cost me £230 for year with 60 day cover for year, my wife is also covered.
Tommywelly

 

[jann]

It is easy to say don't take insurance. You may regret it one day.

We have always had insurance, with Caravan Club( I know they are not the cheapest).

Several years ago my husband fell in Germany, resulting in 3 weeks in hospital( I think the health card would have covered the treatment, but not the bed).

That part might not be too expensive, not sure about paying for several seats on the plane because he was on a stretcher. Also the cost of an English nurse to fly back with him, because that is what the airline wanted, I drove the camper van back,that is not always an option if it is the only driver that is hurt.

Please try and find insurance it is worth it if you need to claim

 

[John H]

I don't think anyone was saying don't take out insurance - the EHIC is insurance (it stands for European Health INSURANCE Card). It is simply a matter of whether you deem it necessary to take out private insurance on top of that. The same applies whether you are in the UK or in Europe.

A couple of other points:
1. You may find your credit card includes repatriation insurance
2. You may find your Motorhome insurance includes paying for a replacement driver if the sole driver is taken ill abroad.

We are covered for all the points you make without taking out extra private insurance. I am not saying don't take it out - but I am saying check first whether you need it or you may be paying twice for the same thing.

 

[Firefox]

If you can afford the loss, insurance is waste of money.

You get far worse odds than at the bookies! You are much better off banking your premiums and saving them with interest for a rainy day.

The people who proclaim you should insure everything in sight (usually the staff writers on motorcaravan magazines!) should take a long serious look at how they are pouring their life's earnings down a very large plughole.

I bet those writers are the kinds of people who also take out those ultra rip off extended 3 year guarantees on electrical goods. Half the premiums in those go to commission for the store salesmen which is one of the reasons they are such poor value.

 

[John H]

If you can afford the loss, insurance is waste of money.

You get far worse odds than at the bookies! You are much better off banking your premiums and saving them with interest for a rainy day.

The people who proclaim you should insure everything in sight (usually the staff writers on motorcaravan magazines!) should take a long serious look at how they are pouring their life's earnings down a very large plughole.

I bet those writers are the kinds of people who also take out those ultra rip off extended 3 year guarantees on electrical goods. Half the premiums in those go to commission for the store salesmen which is one of the reasons they are such poor value.

I think I agree with all of that but this thread is specifically about HEALTH insurance and you would be wise when travelling abroad to make sure you have applied for (or renewed if necessary) the EHIC which is free and insures that you will be entitled to use the health service of the EU country you are visiting.