Travel insurance that actually pays out!??

[BVJen]

Hi everyone.. been researching travel insurance for the states... no issues getting cover ( hubby had bypass surgery 11 years ago)... But on reading the reviews of everything....can anyone actually recommend a company that pays out if needed... don't care about lost bags or missed flights but don't want to need emergency medical help and be refused...any recommendations great appreciated

[happyrosie1]

I haven’t claimed on that sort of thing so I don’t know. But what I DO know is that you must ensure everything is declared on your application - as I’m sure you have!

Insurers are there to help out in an emergency and there’s no reason to think yours wouldn’t.

[Lowerfield_no_more]

I'll second ensuring that you have declared everything. Then check the small print on your Ts and Cs, preferably before you sign up. From past reading on here it seems some insurance providers are better than others regarding claims and some providers subcontract their claims management to another company. And in particular Staysure have been mentioned in the past as reluctant to pay out. Others may have better experiences to tell. Hope this helps.

[BVJen in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thankyou! Yes..it all seems to be a bit of a minefield...I've started to look to see who the underwriters are and then reading those reviews too....not encouraging reading!

[devonian186 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Staysure use a third party who were very slow (typically "We will respond to your message within 28 days) etc. They kept on going over old ground and repeating their already dealt with requests. Others might have had a better experience of course

[Brunchbunny in reply to devonian186]

Hi, Exactly the same experience I had, until after ages one team member sorted it. I'd avoid staysure and actually ask the sales team questions about who actually deals with claims. Even after the final settlement they took around £ 120 excess from the total payment! Awful experience...

[BVJen in reply to Brunchbunny]

It's so frustrating...and definitely hassle we could all do without

[Drawforaliving]

I'm with Staysure. I have travelled extensively around Europe / Cyprus/turkey I have been totally honest on my forms and I will continue to travel and enjoy it as long as I can. However I looked to extend my medical cover to cover the states. I like you became very nervous. That is more to do with how they operate their medical system rather than the insurance though. I decided to keep the US off my travel list ultimately. It's a shame but their savages when it comes to billing for medical care and I jut don't feel comfortable with the risk.

[BVJen in reply to Drawforaliving]

Yes I'm feeling a little twitchy about it!

[Thanksnhs in reply to Drawforaliving]

I stick to Europe now because of medical costs in the states, I would really have liked to go back but I would worry too much about getting ill there.

[BVJen in reply to Thanksnhs]

Yea I can understand that...and it would probably spoil your holiday!

[Sb1171]

I personally use Nationwide’s packaged account (£18 a month) and then pay the additional premium for my medical conditions. For me this works out a lot cheaper than a separate annual policy that covers the USA (but I can get European cover cheaper). This policy is underwritten by Aviva and is Defaqto 5 star rated. Aviva’s claim settlement rate (CSR) is 98.75% which is very good. You should be able to Google CSR % for a company you are interested in. A Defaqto 5 star rating is an independent assessment of the comprehensive quality of the product.

[BVJen in reply to Sb1171]

Ooh....thanks for this!

[30912]

I've used Staysure in the past. We had to make a claim for travel delay in 2023 which was handled efficiently so no complaints.

[BVJen in reply to 30912]

Good to know that! Thankyou,!

[aardvark68]

A few years ago I was with a group visiting Japan when one of the men had a heart attack. He was taken to the big teaching hospital, given stents and then spent two weeks there before being medi evacuated back to the U.K. by air ambulance accompanied by medical personnel.

Fortunately he had declared everything, such as his high blood pressure and cholesterol, to All Clear insurers and they covered everything. Including the additional costs of English speaking nurses and his wife’s extra fortnight in a hotel.

I dread to think what it would have cost them if they hadn’t been fully covered!

Recently another friend had to have emergency orthopaedic surgeries in the USA and wasn’t fully insured so he had to contribute $80,000.

As others have mentioned, make sure you declare everything and use a reputable insurance provider.

[BVJen in reply to aardvark68]

That's good to know....I have spoken to all clear a couple of times and they've given a reasonably competitive price....thanks for this!

[Lexi72]

saga annual insurance cancelled my cover last year when I was referred for surgery (still waiting). I was not willing to go on holiday without cover and claimed several 9000 back. I was worried that they might try and wriggle out of it but had been very careful disclosing everything and updating them for every development each time I had a check up. Still annoyed with them about the cancelled holiday but they did pay out. - quite a complex process you need a doctors letter and I needed to provide a chronology of booking dates and check ups. Oddly they did not cancel my insurance when I was referred for an ablation about a year ago

[BVJen in reply to Lexi72]

Saga online wouldn't give us a quote for annual ! Which quite surprised me....

[Lexi72 in reply to BVJen]

Saga would not quote for European annual but would for worldwide excluding USA for me. I did not understand why? Algorithms said no??

[BVJen in reply to Lexi72]

Obviously all to do with risk.. really frustrating

[Anon2023 in reply to BVJen]

Saga did the same to me. They quoted me in December but in January when I went to buy the cover they wouldn't insure me (no birthdays etc or additional conditions). Very strange.

[joesmith123456]

Insurance companies are always eager and efficient at taking your premiums but even more eager to find ways not to pay out claims. Reviews on insurance companies are usually totally useless as the vast majority of them are written at the time of taking out insurance and very few on how the claim process actually went.Absolutely essential for health insurance for your trip to the USA. Personally, I would simply go with a known company from a price comparison site and ensure that you declare all known conditions and there really shouldn't be anything to worry about. Enjoy your holiday.

[BVJen in reply to joesmith123456]

Thanks for this...yes agree that most are glowing and mainly about the selling process....and those who have had a positive experience tend to do a review of that!

[HenryTudor]

As with a number of replies before mine, I’ve taken the USA off my list of holiday destinations. I’ve heard way too many scare stories, mostly first hand.

My great niece worked at one of the summer camps in the US in summer 2023. She had an asthma attack and had to attend A&E. She left with a bill for $10,000. Because she has CF I’d advised her and her father to be 100% certain she was fully covered. I don’t know if they followed my advice, but young Erin ended up being chased for an unpaid amount of $3,000 and flew home without paying and knowing that it’s unlikely she’ll be let back in.

I stick with an annual Europe only policy through Sainsbury’s Bank.

[BVJen in reply to HenryTudor]

That's dreadful...

[HenryTudor]

It is, but it’s not the worst first hand story I’ve been told. Too many people think insurance is a scam and cut corners.

Medical repatriation is mega expensive. One of my nieces wanted to go with my sister to visit her daughter in Australia. Just before Christmas my sister was in hospital when she had a stroke (she had bypass surgery some years ago, is diabetic and has been through breast cancer). It seemed crazy that she expected her mother to fly to Australia in February a couple of months after a stroke. She showed me an insurance quote for £800, so I said that’s less than I pay for Europe only and was clearly inadequate. She stopped talking to me!

[BVJen]

Oh dear!!

[HenryTudor]

My worst first hand account:

I ran my own accountancy practice way back. I had a client who’d lived in Miami for many years. His mother wanted to visit him. He said ok but make sure you take out full travel and medical insurance. She assured him she had, so he took her word for it.

She had a HA whilst staying with him and before he could say “Jack Robinson” had a hospital bill for $250,000. Needless to say his mother had bought a basic travel policy that didn’t cover much at all.

Apparently, his only way out (to cut a long story short) was to flee the country.

[BVJen]

Heavens!

[tonylongman]

My experience of travel insurance has reflected a worsening approach in recent years to paying out claims, currently dealing with Multitrip.com who outsource their claims and am still chasing re a modest claim from August!

Of particular note are recent changes re Europe, most travel insurers now require the insured to obtain a GHIC and to only use public hospitals and the GHIC, given the nature of cardiac events I have no idea whether cover would be honoured if an ambulance took one to a private hospital post HA or CA or if the public hospital refused to accept the GHIC (which I believe is common in some european countries)!

Not very positive and despite my best efforts I haven't found a really comprehensive policy that gives me confidence (though it hasn't stopped me travelling).

[Ilovedogs12 in reply to tonylongman]

In Spain I was taken to hospital by paramedics for a suspected heart attack and my GHIC covered everything. I was told they would fly me to a specialist hospital by helicopter if necessary.

It wasn't a heart attack but they were excellent. This was post Brexit.

I also had full insurance but it wasn't needed. They just asked for my GHIC card, took details, I signed, and that was it. Very simple and straightforward.

[barryjcooke]

I’m going through a claim right now since May. Having been healthy all my life I was hit by a heart attack and had to have a bypass in Malta.

I have since learnt that although medical bills were paid my out of pocket expenses like finding somewhere to stay before we could fly home. Feeding ourselves. Buying medical expenses taxi etc are hit and miss when it comes to claiming.

This is now in the hands of the financial ombudsman but I’m not holding out for payment I think I’m owed.

It’s really put me off with insurance companies and going abroad again.

[readyabout]

I always use 'Which?' for insurance, and go for their best buy, they check out 'small print' and so on.