Travel Insurance

[Rob Roy]

What are your thoughts on taking out travel insurance if visiting relatives in France? My M-in-L is coming over for her annual visit in September and usually takes out travel insurance which costs her as much, if not more than, her air fare (this year it will go up again as she will be just over 79). My thoughts are that she has her EHIC and we are resident here, so if she is ill she can be treated, claim back on her EHIC and if necessary stay with us until fit to travel. She pays for her flights over the internet by credit card, so presumably has some 'insurance' in that respect anyway.

Have I over simplified the situation, or does anyone else think it is a waste of money?

 

[Baz]

[quote user="Rob Roy"]

 She pays for her flights over the internet by credit card, so presumably has some 'insurance' in that respect anyway.

[/quote]

I assume you are referring to Travel and Health Insurance provided by a number of Gold card companies. You need to read the small print as you will almost certainly find that Health if not Travel cover ceases at age 70. It might be worth looking at either "Help the Aged" or "Saga" policies whose premiums are very competitive.

Baz

[suein56]

Hi

Flexicover.co.uk will cover  travellers up to 85 years old. They are quoting approx £62 - £79 online for a person of your MIL's age - for 4 weeks duration - depending on the level of cover required of course.

We have used them regularly in the past - though we have not needed to make a claim as yet. My OH had an angioplasty some years ago and this was a problem for some travel insurance companies but not for Flexicover.

Sue

 

 

 

[andyh4]

I seriously recommend that anyone travelling have health care insurance.  Your European Health (EHIC) care is very limited and does not cover for all sorts of things you might think/hope it does.

Friends of ours had a bill of several thousand euros after the mother suffered a serious stroke.  Only the immediate emergency care was covered under the former E111 rules.  All subsequent nursing and care was deemed non-emergency and were not covered.

 

Second experience is that an EHIC card could not be read by the French macines and full costs had to be paid - OK you claim back later, but you could be seriously out of pocket for a couple of months.  Insurnaces usually pay up within a couple of weeks if you push them.

 

 

[Jc]

Many credit card companies offer some form of travel insurance free with their cards(I'm not talking the Super-duper credit card companies where you have to pay  to have an account)just your standard card but the cover is restricted to what you pay for;ie.if you used it to buy a ferry ticket,then your travel insurance is only valid while you are on the ferry but if you bought a whole inclusive holiday with your card,then you would be covered.

[saddie]

My inlaws who are in their early eighties use saga and find it reasonable. It is not sufficient to have cover just for medical needs. The brother of my father in law died while holidaying at his son's home in Dubai. Sorry to mention the thought but it cost the family a lot of money and anguish for the repatreation.

[opas]

Perhaps I realy have not read the smallest of small print, but i have twice booked Ryanair ins for my 80 year old dad, and as a strange coincidence have just booked him a return trip for October. I have just looked at basic ins on Ryanir....£.8.95  though I did book a gold insurance last year at about £12.00.  I did email the ins company last year, repatriation of a body was included, sorry to say that that was my main worry. He has EHIC and a few medical problems (Diabetic and takes warfarin for  2 previous thromboses)

[Jc]

I injured myself in France a few years ago,was hospitalized for two days-my insurance company organized a taxi to the airport,flights for myself and my wife and a car at theUK airport to get us home and a driver to bring our own car home.However if I died in France,I do not think I would want to be re-patriated-I would be happy for my body to remain there for the rest of time.

[Jc]

Ryanair charge an excess when you exceed 65 years of age and considerably reduce benefits when you exceed 70 years of age.There are much better policies available for us seniors.

[Rob Roy]

[quote user="andyh4"]

I seriously recommend that anyone travelling have health care insurance.  Your European Health (EHIC) care is very limited and does not cover for all sorts of things you might think/hope it does.

Friends of ours had a bill of several thousand euros after the mother suffered a serious stroke.  Only the immediate emergency care was covered under the former E111 rules.  All subsequent nursing and care was deemed non-emergency and were not covered.

 

Second experience is that an EHIC card could not be read by the French macines and full costs had to be paid - OK you claim back later, but you could be seriously out of pocket for a couple of months.  Insurnaces usually pay up within a couple of weeks if you push them.

 

 

[/quote]

Thanks to everyone, but especially Andyh4 for the above information - it is just the kind of thing I was wondering about. I think I might suggest to her that she tries Saga for her insurance.

[Tony F Dordogne]

I've just helped with a number of repatriations - £3,500 per body, needed to be paid in advance of insurance claims being settled - hence 2 families with bills of £7,000 each and no settlement in sight from holiday insurance or accident/life cover.  Good thing is that there are specialist companies doing repartraition, can be contacted through the various Consulates and they understand the UK insurance systems.

If it ever came to that of course ...............