peebee Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 We are bringing my mother-in-law over for a weeks holiday to our cottage in October. She is 74 years and in good health for her age. My husband and I both have annual health insurance covering our visits to France and I am worrying about the fact that she seeems to be relying on an E111 to cover herself for the week. We are with Norwich Union and I rang them to see if I could add her to our policy for the week. They said 'no' she would have to have her own cover and after asking me details about her they quoted £36. I'm not sure if this is a reasonable quotation as I think it covers holiday cancellation etc. etc. which she doesn't need as she's accompanying us in the car and the price for the tunnel is the same, regardless of whether she comes or not. We just want basic health cover for the week. I do realise that the E111 only covers her for emergency treatment and will pay for her cover to give us all peace of mind.Has anyone out there had a better deal than the Norwich Union one?Many thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 I don't wish to be flippant, but if she is only there for a week she's hardly likely to contract a chronic condition, so emergency cover is what you need. I would have thought that the E111 would be fine, but that £36 for extra peace of mind is not a lot to pay if she is worried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 I think Dick is probably right, but if you want further quotes it might be worth looking at www.moneysavingexpert.com They have links that take you to lots of comparison sites.I have also heard that Age Concern policies are better value than Saga, but I think I read it on a web site or forum so please don't take just my word for it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 My MIL used to take her travel insurance through the Post Office. Don't know how much it was though. I always prefered her to take it as one just never knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punch Posted September 21, 2004 Share Posted September 21, 2004 Sorry Dick I can't agree!The length of stay is irrelevant in terms of what accident may happen. I would strongly advise you take extra cover whether the trip is for one day, let alone one week!I was recently in Hospital in Mayenne for an operation on my back and whilst there a British lady was admitted (whilst here for a one week visit). She had fallen off the kerb in the town and been hit by a lorry. The nurses asked if I would translate as they were concerned about how her follow up treatment was to be paid after the emergency E111. Even though this was an emergency, there were several incidental items that were not covered and therefore this is why it is absolutely ESSENTIAL to take out additional travel/health insurance no matter what length of stay or what age you are, (unless you have pots of dough and can afford thousands of pounds in hospital fees). Another point to mention is that some insurances cover you for third party injury and legal expenses - so for instance if the lorry driver had been injured or worse, due to her negligence, she would have been covered.Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebee Posted September 21, 2004 Author Share Posted September 21, 2004 Thanks all for the replies. I will contact the Post Office and check out their price. I will have peace of mind if I know everything is in order.....just in case. I may be morbid but I have heard of a case where someone needed bringing home by air ambulance after suffering health problems. God forbid, but one never knows.Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Dick - nothing serious in a week ?At end 99 Di & I went to Lanzarote on hols - on day 5 (or 6) I suffered a serious back problem - just getting out of bed - and spent the next 10 days in hospital in L and then 7 back in Ipswich (and that's another NHS horror story). My travel ins paid for everything inc the flight home on scheduled flights - with my travelling nurse this was 14 seats worth.So peebee - £36 is a pittance - pay up and look big.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 What about death? Does all these holiday insurances cover re-patriation of the body etc? I ask this question because this happened to some friends of ours two years ago when the wife who was under 70 and in good health,dropped down dead on the floor in front of the whole family for no apparent reason. What followed was horrendous in the fact that here, there is no PM but lots of red tape and then everything had to be arranged to get her back to the UK where it was obligatory to have a PM. This showed to be a rupture of the main vessel to the heart,something there is no indication or sign of and can happen to anyone at any time. It was very upsetting for the whole family and I've often wondered how much it cost them to sort the whole mess out. On the other note, my parents both in their mid-seventies just get their local insurance broker to ring round for the best policy to suit when they want to visit us and for less than £40 each last year they felt they had peace of mind should anything untoward happen and it wouldn't fall on us to end up paying. E111 certs are all good and handy but a lot of hospitals,clinics and doctors seem very suspicious of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 [quote]Dick - nothing serious in a week ? At end 99 Di & I went to Lanzarote on hols - on day 5 (or 6) I suffered a serious back problem - just getting out of bed - and spent the next 10 days in hospit...[/quote]It's playing the odds, really. I have fallen down stairs once in my entire life, but it was in France (we were there for a week). But I agree that £36 is a small price for peace of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jirac18 Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Ah the BIG WHAT IF question. What if an alien plummets from the sky and clonks you on the haed - blah blah blah. Quite simple really, either take the E111 as Dick suggests, which incidentally is what my parents do, or pay a fe w extra pounds for a private policy for the week. It won't cost much and you will have peace of mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jirac18 Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 Of course I meant HEAD not HAED - I must put the Brandy away! If future posts get worse you'll know I didn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebee Posted September 22, 2004 Author Share Posted September 22, 2004 Val, what an awful thing to happen to your friends. In today's Daily Mail there was an article about a woman who was left nearly £20,000 out of pocket after her mother had a heart attack in Tenerife.I will definately be sorting out cover for MIL before we go.Many thanks for all the feedbackPat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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