John H
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Earlier this year we spent three months in south-east Asia and used "Insure and Go" - they charged about £150 for the two of us and that included two pre-existing medical conditions for Jenny. However, we spend a lot of time each year in Europe and only ever rely on the EHIC card (free) within the European Union.
DRoader
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AA Travel insurance is exceptionally good. I know from personal experience outside europe. Try this - https://www.theaa.com/travel-insurance-paid/search-single.jsp?advertid=65066
alanval
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We just had 6 months with Staysure... cost under £200 for us both,,more this yr as Alan is over the 70 mark now ...
masie
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My OH got took into hospital in Spain with suspected heart attack bout 4 yrs ago on our way home, i produced the EHIC free card , I thought the insurance had ran out by 2 days but luckily it hadn't and we was still covered through the bank and he got transferred to a private hospital but before i left i was ask for £250 euro for one night,
Not the first time we have been charged with this socalled free card through the years once in portugal stitches in my hand and another time my daughter had a fall and had an x ray and medication and we got charged on both occasions, so what we have experienced it is not free treatment,
I think it is best to have European insurance because like my OH he was in 12 days in private hospital and the insurance insisted he be brought home air ambulance. and put me in an hotel for 12days right next to the hospital,
Northerner
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The EHIC card is not, and never has been, a card to give you free medical treatment in other European countries. What it does is give you the same benefits as a citizen of those other countries. In many EU states residents have to make a contribution to their medical care and I believe that many actually take out a form of private health insurance to cover the charges that they will have to make.
I and my my wife have experienced emergency accident surgery in France and Portugal and in both cases we had to pay a modest amount towards the costs. The larger of the two charges was in France and was only 100 Euro. However, in both cases I submitted the invoices to the DHSS in Newcastle and the money was refunded in full straight into my bank account.
As the member above has discovered going abroad with just the EHIC for cover is foolish in the extreme. All it does is cover normal medical bills. Anyone severely injured in an accident or suffering a damaging illness that requires repatriation to the U.K. is not covered, and stories of people having to pay thousands and even tens of thousands of pounds for repatriation costs are legion. An air ambulance from Greece or Spain for instance can cost up to £25,000. These usually involve not just the air ambulance but attendant medical staff and, depending on the nature and severity of your condition and the country in which it happened, can be financially crippling for many people.
Another very important reason for having travel insurance is that the the insurer will arrange everything for you. Just imagine if your spouse has had a serious accident or a life-threatening illness and needs to be repatriated to the U.K. You are in a foreign country, may not speak the language and you have to arrange hotels whilst he or she is being treated and then organise an air ambulance. It has to be much better to make one phone call to your insurer and leave it all in their hands.
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I and my my wife have experienced emergency accident surgery in France and Portugal and in both cases we had to pay a modest amount towards the costs. The larger of the two charges was in France and was only 100 Euro. However, in both cases I submitted the invoices to the DHSS in Newcastle and the money was refunded in full straight into my bank account.
As the member above has discovered going abroad with just the EHIC for cover is foolish in the extreme. All it does is cover normal medical bills. Anyone severely injured in an accident or suffering a damaging illness that requires repatriation to the U.K. is not covered, and stories of people having to pay thousands and even tens of thousands of pounds for repatriation costs are legion. An air ambulance from Greece or Spain for instance can cost up to £25,000. These usually involve not just the air ambulance but attendant medical staff and, depending on the nature and severity of your condition and the country in which it happened, can be financially crippling for many people.
Another very important reason for having travel insurance is that the the insurer will arrange everything for you. Just imagine if your spouse has had a serious accident or a life-threatening illness and needs to be repatriated to the U.K. You are in a foreign country, may not speak the language and you have to arrange hotels whilst he or she is being treated and then organise an air ambulance. It has to be much better to make one phone call to your insurer and leave it all in their hands.
Repatriation Insurance | Buy Best Online Medical Travel Insurance | Holidaysafe
Travel Insurance Advice | Travel Insurance Tips
Northerner
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Try changing your bank account. I am with Nationwide and I get free travel insurance for up to 31 days for any number of trips in a year. I rang to extend it to six weeks and was charged just £20. If memory serves two months was only £25 and I can't see three months being a vast amount more. Of course there are age limitations and, if you're over seventy, you may not be covered by Nationwide's policy.
If you continue to have problems getting cover and are under 70 and want to consider using Nationwide let me know and I'm very happy to give the insurer a ring and ask them what an extension to three months would cost.
I would also add that Nationwide is by far the best bank that I have dealt with and I rate it very highly. And for the pedants I know that it's not a bank and is in fact a building society!
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masie
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When i have had to pay for treatment i have never claimed it back thought it might be a faffing about so never bothered these minor accidents happend on flying on holidays years ago,
since then we realised we could be in dire straits without being fully insured be it in a van for months or a few weeks package holidays we needed to get fully covered most of the time we had insurance but had to pay access and it wasnt worth claiming so we paid up for minor accidents which was less then the access,
And although we thought the insurance had expired on the last incident we were lucky it hadn't the total which the insurance paid out was £31000 and would have fallen on our heads if the cover had ended,
Today i have covered my OH and myself with barclays again as we are going for a jolly round Europe £8.50 month for up to 31 days at anyone time for both of us to cover everything and i have had 2 major surgeries one being 5months ago and my OH having a triple heart bypass 6months after being brought from Spain 4years ago,
I did have to pay extra £185 because we want to be away for at least 3 months but think this is very good considering the medical procedures we both have had and still taking medication which of course we have declared
since then we realised we could be in dire straits without being fully insured be it in a van for months or a few weeks package holidays we needed to get fully covered most of the time we had insurance but had to pay access and it wasnt worth claiming so we paid up for minor accidents which was less then the access,
And although we thought the insurance had expired on the last incident we were lucky it hadn't the total which the insurance paid out was £31000 and would have fallen on our heads if the cover had ended,
Today i have covered my OH and myself with barclays again as we are going for a jolly round Europe £8.50 month for up to 31 days at anyone time for both of us to cover everything and i have had 2 major surgeries one being 5months ago and my OH having a triple heart bypass 6months after being brought from Spain 4years ago,
I did have to pay extra £185 because we want to be away for at least 3 months but think this is very good considering the medical procedures we both have had and still taking medication which of course we have declared
masie
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BTW northerner your right in what you say about repatriation to the UK,
And here's a story to make people worried it certainly made me think,
While my OH was in this hospital one couple lived in Spain and the ladies husband was very poorly but they wasnt insured she told me as i went to ask her if she would like a drink as she was very upset that they may loose there home has the medical bill was into thousands already and this poor lady didn't know when he would be getting out he had already been in this hospital 18days ,
I know they should have had insurance but they are like a lot of people who think it wont happen to them, very sad,
And here's a story to make people worried it certainly made me think,
While my OH was in this hospital one couple lived in Spain and the ladies husband was very poorly but they wasnt insured she told me as i went to ask her if she would like a drink as she was very upset that they may loose there home has the medical bill was into thousands already and this poor lady didn't know when he would be getting out he had already been in this hospital 18days ,
I know they should have had insurance but they are like a lot of people who think it wont happen to them, very sad,
bob72
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Just got a 6momth quote for euro cover from the c&cc club for a few quid over £200 for both of us.
John H
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As Northerner has said, the EHIC card does not entitle you to free treatment but to the level of treatment that the participating country would extend to its own citizens. The "free" bit is what it costs you to obtain the card. Thus in France we have had to make a small payment but in Spain, where Jenny had an extensive course of treatment over three months, it cost us nothing. The cost you were charged in Spain seems to relate to the fact that you were transferrd to a private hospital for part of the treatment. Jenny's treatment was in a public hospital and was excellent. As for repatriation costs, then you may find that you already have cover with certain credit cards - and we too, like most long-terming motorhomers in Europe, have a Nationwide account with free travel insurance. Finally, our motorhome insurance policy (Safeguard) includes as standard providing a driver to bring the van back home in the event of the sole driver (or both drivers) being incapacitated for medical reasons. We, therefore, have no need to pay for additional insurance when travelling in the EU.
masie
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Yes maybe your right that it was part of the private treatment im not sure about that, we too have been motor homing in Europe for around 30 years mostly from 2 to 6 months at a time and fortunately had only one incident while in the van though it was a serious one at the , Nice to know though people can use this card if they find themselves in a predicament needing medical treatment while traveling with no insurance bit silly though if they had to be brought home air ambulance,
We was with Nationwide for many years we closed our accounts few years ago but that's another story,
And if you were traveling long term you would not be covered as nationwide is only 31days max at any one time so if you was out long terming in Europe yes you would need extra cover,
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champstar
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Best quote I have had is from LV at around £170 for 2 peeps for 11 months slightly less for just 3 months
Northerner
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You're probably not interested but I'll mention it anyway as it may be of interest to other members and your query got me thinking as well. I've just phoned Nationwide Insurance who've told me that a travel insurance upgrade to a trip length of 90 days is £90. That's for for twelve months so you can go away twice or even three times if you wish.
As I mentioned the normal free insurance is for 31 days and to upgrade it to six weeks cost just £20 but I suppose the risk goes up quite a bit for much longer trips.
John H
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If you check the cover that comes with your credit cards etc etc you may find that you are sufficiently covered - or not, depending on whose cards you have. Our free Nationwide cover is only part of our story. Many people do not realise how well they are insured.
John H
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Obviously, it depends on the terms, conditions and benefits of the policy but in general terms that sounds like a fair deal to me.
masie
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Northerner, does this extra cover price from NationWide include any existing medical problems if not it could cost a loads more
Northerner
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Like with many insurers it depends on the affliction. No one's going to give you full cover if you have cancer or a heart condition for instance, but some minor problems can be covered. I'm not too worried about existing illnesses such as my wife's thyroid problem, as the EHIC card will cover her for hospital treatment, should she need it. I'm more worried about repatriation in case of an accident or heart attack. I think that my cover with NW for £20 a year for trips up to six weeks is a superb deal and of course NW's debit and credit cards are good ones for use abroad and give excellent exchange rates.
Nationwide Insurance's phone number is 0845 246 1692 if you want to pursue it a bit more. They're always happy to talk to you and give advice and quotes.
masie
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Yes this is our worry repatriation to the UK as we have already experianced we would not dare go without full cover,
And if you look at my past post on this thread you will see what I paid and this covers my husbands heart complaint and the problems I have had and we both take meds,
So people with these problems can get full cover.
And if you look at my past post on this thread you will see what I paid and this covers my husbands heart complaint and the problems I have had and we both take meds,
So people with these problems can get full cover.
Northerner
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You're right of course. I was talking about the kind of free cover that you get with the likes of Nationwide and I'd be surprised if they'd cover existing serious conditions, but anything is available at a price I suppose. Your Barclays' insurance seems quite good value at only £8.50 a month but as you say, it's for a maximum of 31 days. It would be interesting to know what they'd charge for much longer trips.