Travel Insurance and Health

I've already taken out insurance that doesn't cover any of my health conditions but on seeing a link on the AUK site I thought I'd check out a quote. Having declared everything my quote came through at about £445. That's half the ticket price for the flight.

Does anyone else just chance that things will be ok or do you pay for specialist insurance?

I had an acue attack last time and it was all dealt with for free at A&E. And even if I had to use a gp most is reclaimable though medicare in Australia.

Jen

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I don't think I would recommend ""chancing it"", although an insurance cost of over £400 is certainly very steep.

Even though many medical costs can be recovered, if you end up in hospital and miss your return flight (for example), then you've got no way of claiming back the cost of your unused return ticket, or the cost of buying another ticket home. If that were to happen, ~£400 might not seem such a bad deal!

[KateMoss]

I have brittle asthma and don't touch the specialist medical insurance with a barge pole. They insure a small number of people and high prices to absorb the costs that may be incured by a claim.

I can get adequate insurance with the Post Office with a medical premium.

For a World wide policy exluding US & Candana for 2 weeks costs around £140.

I claimed last time though I don't think it amounted to that much as the RAF just transfered my ticket to the next flight.....5 days later!

Bigger companies can absorb the cost more efficiently and you can get a better price. The underwriter for the PO is Fortis so any insurnace company that has them will probably be OK. One recomended one is the BMC travel (BMC - british mountaineering council, though you have to join at a round £20 a year!)

Be careful how you answer the medical screening Q's but be honest.

I will always pay for good insurance which covers asthma!! Please don't travel without it!!! Every country is different!

When I travel to the Falklands health care is free ( Reciprocal aggreement with the UK) but I need to ensure that I am covered for up to £10,000,000 medevac if needed!

Hope this helps

Kate

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I would never risk it, esp as I have a sudden birttle asthma attack on a flight to the Maldives, in all with flying a doc out to escort us home etc the insurance bill came to around £10 K !!! luckily I declaired everything as they tried to wriggle out of it but couldnt!

Always worth it...

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I have always used Direct Line Travel Insurance. You have to declare individual medical conditions and pay an extra premium. Even so, their prices are very reasonable. Mine was under £100 last time and I had been in hospital in the three months before travelling, which pushed the premium up a little bit more.

I had to claim from them when I cancelled my holiday to Budapest as I was admitted to hospital. They were very helpful and friendly and sorted things out very efficiently.

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I've just re-read Jen's original post. If you've taken out an insurance policy but not declared your medical conditions, the company you've taken it out with would be within their rights to refuse to pay on ANY claim, regardless of what it was for and why it came about.

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Peaksteve - I declared my medical conditions I'm just not covered for them. So if I have a car crash etc. then it's cool.

In Australia it's more to do with going to gp's. My treatment at A&E for my asthma at Christmas was free except for having to pay for the antibiotics which my dad paid for (we could have claimed a bit back through medicare but it would have meant registering and for the cost of the pills it wasn't worth it). I wasn't covered for my medical conditions for the last trip either (or for the 2 before that either). We're away for over 31 days which also bumps the price up. As far as I am aware in-patient care is free if you go into a hospital that only charges medicare rates.

I wouldn't go to America though without coverage for everything.

Jen