Medical Cover Abroad - Long Stay/Expat Options
Discussion
The position of medical insurance has cropped up in the 'Enjoying retirement' topic in the finance section. To prevent retirement discussion getting derailed I thought it might be useful to discuss options here.
I've got eyes on staying in Spain over winter within the 90/180 allowance and what medical cover is best. We've got annual travel insurance (I suspect there's a limit on number of days per trip), but comes at a cost with my wife's pre-existing conditions and I'm now questioning the GHIC card.
Within the EEA the GHIC gives you free medical treatment (if the locals get it or you pay the same fee as them), so why do I need medical insurance? If you're taken into a local hospital they won't release you until you are fit and therefore you can then deal with your own welfare at the point of release.
I know there's repatriation but this is presumably by invoking medical insurance for a medical flight etc and the hospital agrees to release under those terms. If you've no reason to rush to get home why not stay there and be treated until discharge?
Outside of the EEA is another matter.
I've got eyes on staying in Spain over winter within the 90/180 allowance and what medical cover is best. We've got annual travel insurance (I suspect there's a limit on number of days per trip), but comes at a cost with my wife's pre-existing conditions and I'm now questioning the GHIC card.
Within the EEA the GHIC gives you free medical treatment (if the locals get it or you pay the same fee as them), so why do I need medical insurance? If you're taken into a local hospital they won't release you until you are fit and therefore you can then deal with your own welfare at the point of release.
I know there's repatriation but this is presumably by invoking medical insurance for a medical flight etc and the hospital agrees to release under those terms. If you've no reason to rush to get home why not stay there and be treated until discharge?
Outside of the EEA is another matter.
Good luck with GHIC
My missus had a nasty ankle sprain which she thought was a fracture in Spain a few years ago
We went to the local public hospital and showed them the GHIC after which they wanted her Credit Card and then charged her £500 for an xray and a crepe bandage
Happily our travel insurance coughed up when we returned home
Interesting, my wife had a heart attack in Spain several years ago (we were in the EU then) and I didn't have the EHIC card on me. Initially they wanted EUR70 but waived it when I confirmed card status. Triaged in A&E in 30 mins then within 2hrs into surgery for 3 x stents fitted. Released (at her insistence) in 2-days. Carried on with the rest of the holiday. First class treatment, couldn't be faulted. Hospital looked brand new.
numtumfutunch said:
Good luck with GHIC
My missus had a nasty ankle sprain which she thought was a fracture in Spain a few years ago
We went to the local public hospital and showed them the GHIC after which they wanted her Credit Card and then charged her £500 for an xray and a crepe bandage
Happily our travel insurance coughed up when we returned home
In contrast, I had a concern early on in a 2 month Interrail trip seen to in Barcelona just waving my GHIC card at them My missus had a nasty ankle sprain which she thought was a fracture in Spain a few years ago
We went to the local public hospital and showed them the GHIC after which they wanted her Credit Card and then charged her £500 for an xray and a crepe bandage
Happily our travel insurance coughed up when we returned home
Turned out to not be serious, so some strong painkillers were prescribed. Plus Nolotil…having never heard of that, so I googled it, and realised it would be very daft & dangerous for me (or any other Brit or Northern European!) to take it
Aside from that, service was exemplary - seen & done within an hour!
On the long term insurance: not sure.
We have had (& used) travel insurance with out Nationwide account…but that is changing - I need to call Aviva to ensure cover continues.
When we interrailed, the 2 months was fine with the cover. Maybe as important is checking your UK home insurance - many drop cover if house is unoccupied for over 30 days….
The fact Nationwide upped the cost to £18pcm does make us consider alternatives, although with that and breakdown cover (& indeed phone cover, not that we have ever claimed for that!), we may stick with it: I did a cursory look last autumn and £18 still looked good value for us.
mikeiow said:
We have had (& used) travel insurance with out Nationwide account…but that is changing - I need to call Aviva to ensure cover continues.
When we interrailed, the 2 months was fine with the cover. Maybe as important is checking your UK home insurance - many drop cover if house is unoccupied for over 30 days….
The fact Nationwide upped the cost to £18pcm does make us consider alternatives, although with that and breakdown cover (& indeed phone cover, not that we have ever claimed for that!), we may stick with it: I did a cursory look last autumn and £18 still looked good value for us.
I took out the Nationwide account specifically for the cover at what was £13pm. Then the following month it went up to £18pm When we interrailed, the 2 months was fine with the cover. Maybe as important is checking your UK home insurance - many drop cover if house is unoccupied for over 30 days….
The fact Nationwide upped the cost to £18pcm does make us consider alternatives, although with that and breakdown cover (& indeed phone cover, not that we have ever claimed for that!), we may stick with it: I did a cursory look last autumn and £18 still looked good value for us.
Whilst I have no issues for the health cover when you access the Aviva site from Nationwide and you plug in pre-existing conditons for my wife it would have been near £300pa extra AND some of the pre-existing conditions were EXCLUDED! The Nationwide package was (at £13pm) just over what I could get worldwide travel insurance and EU breakdown cover for. The phone insurance doesn't interest me.The bank 'inclusive' deals are all well and good but what some people don't realise it's not the bank that provides the cover but a mainstream insurer and pre-exisitng conditions must be declared on their linked website where they will take every opportunity to charge you for it. For me I checked beforehand and there was no uplift costs.
My wife got a StaySure policy but that was near £400 and is not worldwide! However I'm thinking GHIC cover for EU and then buy standalone cover for outside of EU
Armitage.Shanks said:
I took out the Nationwide account specifically for the cover at what was £13pm. Then the following month it went up to £18pm Whilst I have no issues for the health cover when you access the Aviva site from Nationwide and you plug in pre-existing conditons for my wife it would have been near £300pa extra AND some of the pre-existing conditions were EXCLUDED! The Nationwide package was (at £13pm) just over what I could get worldwide travel insurance and EU breakdown cover for. The phone insurance doesn't interest me.
The bank 'inclusive' deals are all well and good but what some people don't realise it's not the bank that provides the cover but a mainstream insurer and pre-exisitng conditions must be declared on their linked website where they will take every opportunity to charge you for it. For me I checked beforehand and there was no uplift costs.
My wife got a StaySure policy but that was near £400 and is not worldwide! However I'm thinking GHIC cover for EU and then buy standalone cover for outside of EU
Yeah, I pay an extra £40 for existing conditions. Whilst I have no issues for the health cover when you access the Aviva site from Nationwide and you plug in pre-existing conditons for my wife it would have been near £300pa extra AND some of the pre-existing conditions were EXCLUDED! The Nationwide package was (at £13pm) just over what I could get worldwide travel insurance and EU breakdown cover for. The phone insurance doesn't interest me.The bank 'inclusive' deals are all well and good but what some people don't realise it's not the bank that provides the cover but a mainstream insurer and pre-exisitng conditions must be declared on their linked website where they will take every opportunity to charge you for it. For me I checked beforehand and there was no uplift costs.
My wife got a StaySure policy but that was near £400 and is not worldwide! However I'm thinking GHIC cover for EU and then buy standalone cover for outside of EU
Surprised you were surprised by the price leap - that was announced several months ahead: hence we did some checking and decided to stick with it for now. Phone insurance didn’t interest me either, but is a nice to have.
It is a right old minefield….you could spend days sorting this stuff out, & still miss something vital…
In September 2023 a pal was staying here with me in France. He had a mild heart attack and was rushed to hospital where he had a stent fitted and a five night stay in hospital for observation.
The paramedics took his passport and GHIC card with them when they took him to hospital.
GHIC covered absolutely everything.
The paramedics took his passport and GHIC card with them when they took him to hospital.
GHIC covered absolutely everything.
Armitage.Shanks said:
My wife got a StaySure policy but that was near £400 and is not worldwide! However I'm thinking GHIC cover for EU and then buy standalone cover for outside of EU
Repatriation cost can be reasonable if you are able enough to walk out the hospital and jump on a plane yourself (or wheel yourself in a wheelchair in the case for my friend who broke his leg on a ski trip. His insurance paid out the repatriation cost for 3 seats to fly him home). I suspect the repatriation cost will be very different if one was discharged for recovery, but existing condition require them to remain static on a flat bed with various tubes attached to their arm! Personally, I wouldn't travel abroad withou insurance including repatriation cover, I just don't know what is going to happen!Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff