Hi folks,
As some will know / or maybe not by my previous posts that I'm going on holiday and have bought insurance for pre existing medical conditions.
At my rehab session on Wednesday a fellow "inmate" told me that I didn't need it as I'm going to an EEC country and get medical care for free.
I can think of a couple of things that it wont cover but do you think I've wasted my money some what? Also have I done the right thing as it was pretty expensive.
Thanks .
I wouldn't travel without insurance. Here is some reading from the Guardian:
theguardian.com/money/2010/...
If you travel to an EU or EEA Country with your EHIC you will get the same treatment as citizens of the Country you will be visiting. It is never free, but it is usually at a low cost. But standards of care vary wildly by Country. And, of course, if you need to be repratriated after a severe illness then you do need medical insurance for that. As mrsmummy suggests, never travel uninsured.
I travel frequently in Europe but never have insurance. I have severe COPD & have been on oxygen for years and have always been fine - BUT - my travel tends to be at reasonably short notice, usually booking flights aprox 3 or 4 weeks ahead so I know at the time if I am in good shape or not. I would never travel on the day if I had the least suspicion that I felt unwell, and I always take emergency meds with me just in case I should start an exacerbation while away - although this has never happened. I was meant to be traveling Sept. to a conference in Milan but have declined the invitation as I have had some edema lately so common sense tells me not to chance it. But certainly I will continue to travel in Europe without insurance - not just because of EHIC but because it's only a short flight/ eurorail trip home should I start feeling unwell. The way I see it, even if I get sick at home the advice is usually to increase inhaler use / start meds and even then we only usually see a doc a few days later if things aren't getting better - so in that time I'd be home anyway.
You can probably deal with your lung problem ok, but what if you had something more serious and needed repatriation? The general travel advice is to take EHIC card but add top up travel insurance. I think you are quite courageous!
Thanks everyone. I don't suppose it would be too important if my health wasn't too bad but unfortunately it is. Apart from emphysema which is a recent illness I have suffered with heart failure for quite a few years so weighing things up, I'm best to have good insurance in place. I'm used to paying high premiums for non EEC countries, but was uncertain about the ones that are, ie Spain. Next time I'll do more research before I go, because I think I've paid over the odds this time.😥
Last travel insurance I bought was £250 for two weeks on a med cruise!
Normally mine is £500-£600ish. This year it was £641. I was just wondering if that type of insurance was neccessary with EHIC card.Some companies wont insure me by the way.
Thanks Phil.
Just out of interest, who covered you? I'd like to have one more go at getting some sunshine😎
TIA Phil
Hi Phil,
I go online with "medical travel compared .com"
For pre existing medical conditions. They gave me several quotes from differerent companies and chose the cheapest one obviously lol. I chose OKtotravel.com.As you say some wont entertain me soI have to bite the bullet.
Cheers.
I have to pay a lot for my insurance too but I'd never risk going without it. No matter how short the flight if something went wrong then it could be very expensive - if you have no insurance or haven't declared something upfront then the insurance company could refuse to pay out. The EHIC card will cover you for some medical treatment however if you were hospitalised then it would not cover your partner to stay in the country with you while you recovered. Nor does it cover you for loss or theft of personal possessions, missed flights etc. To me it is definatly worth paying for piece of mind. Enjoy your holiday 😎
Absolutely agree with others, never travel without insurance....my son did and through no fault of his he ended up in serious situation and had to be flown home with nurses in attendance, it cost a fortune and 11 yes on we are still paying back the loan we took out.
Every trip since with insurance in place it hasn't been needed but you never know when it will be.
Happy holidays.
Consider yourself lucky to get insurance, I have IPF and noone will cover me. As for the EH1C that will provide you with the same cover as a local. So you may have to pay something but not more than a local.
Last time I used mine a painkiller injection and 3 pills cost me £80
So always get the insurance, enjoy your trip 😎
I have IPF ,emphysema and a heart attack several months ago,and a broken shoulder a few months ago,I managed to get insured with Fish and travelled to the USA in April,I did have a hefty excess of £900 pounds and paid About £ 460 for insurance but that did also cover my husband.I may have trouble getting insured again as I have just been diagnosed with bowel cancer,seeing consultant next week as with IPF I am high risk for operation.Keep trying you will get cover but it won't come cheap.Sooki.
Thanks Phil, I think that I've done the tight thing
Cheers.
Grayjay
Depends on the country you visit, many clinics in the canaries won't recognize the little green card and insist on cash/card payment and then leave you to recover the monies from the insurer. Not a bad thing to have double indemnity tho'.
IKeith
No you haven't wasted your money.
Recently near Marseille I needed 15 stitches to a wound. I showed doctors and follow daily nurse care my EU med card & they had no idea what it was!
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