Has anyone claimed on their medical/health insurance?

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typhooncaro

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Hi everyone. We are about to embark on a world trip and will be livaboards for two/three years atleast. We are investigating health/medical insurance. Quotes vary in price but exact coverage is hard to determine. Has anyone actually used their insurance? Any reccommendations?
 
typhooncaro said:
Hi everyone. We are about to embark on a world trip and will be livaboards for two/three years atleast. We are investigating health/medical insurance. Quotes vary in price but exact coverage is hard to determine. Has anyone actually used their insurance? Any reccommendations?
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We lived on the boat for 19 years and, after costing available health insurance schemes, we decided not to bother and to self insure. The cost over the years was a tiny percentage of what we would have paid on insurance. Our E 111, as it was known then, was a bit of emergency security and even saw SWMBO through intensive care after a severe angina attack. Your call, how fit are you and how lucky do you feel ?
 
Frankie-H said:
We lived on the boat for 19 years and, after costing available health insurance schemes, we decided not to bother and to self insure. The cost over the years was a tiny percentage of what we would have paid on insurance. Our E 111, as it was known then, was a bit of emergency security and even saw SWMBO through intensive care after a severe angina attack. Your call, how fit are you and how lucky do you feel ?
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Thanks Frankie,
Yes your answer is part of the equation at the mo!However whilst I feel secure in european waters, with the ehic cover, I'm wary of what might happen when we venture beyond! Having read Geoff Holt's book and then a few others' experiences on the forum, I'd still like some idea of what is on offer and, if the insurances were used, were people truly covered?!
 
TQA said:
I had a heart attack while in the USA. 50 mile helicopter ambulance flight.. 2 ops. 3 stents, week in hospital and follow up care with pricey prescription meds.

I was insured through Endsleigh on their gap year program and they covered EVERYTHING without a single quibble.
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I'm sorry to hear that but glad that you were well looked after by Endsleigh. Hopefully you're enjoying life aboard again!
Do you still use them, do they cover you for blue water cruising?
 
When I spent 4 days in a private hospital in Turkey, I ran up a bill of 3.500 Euros. I was with Pantaenius who were underwritten by Allianz Worldwide based in Ireland, which all my correspondence was with. At first they refused to pay as they thought it was alcohol-related which it wasn't, but in the end they did. Paperwork was sloppy, they asked the same questions over and over again, even to the point that when it was all settled they kept on asking me questions about things that they had already dealt with. But with all insurance I take the view that you are insured up till the point when something goes t1ts up, then the battle begins.
 
A few weeks ago I was skiing in Spain when my friend got injured. His insurance was underwritten by Mapfre Assistance who are based in Ireland and Spain and they REALLY didn't want to pay, insisting that the EHIC would cover him. As has been reported recently, the Spanish hospitals are trying not to accept the EHIC and are insisting on insurance. Eventually, he was repatriated after paying the hospital the excess of EU250 but only after signing a document that indemnifies the insurance company if they find a get out clause which could leave him with a bill of several thousand mazoolas.

Saying that, the EHIC people in Newcastle refunded his excess without quibble and said they are aware of the "Spanish practices" and would refund him for any further costs.
 
Carmel2 said:
When I spent 4 days in a private hospital in Turkey, I ran up a bill of 3.500 Euros. I was with Pantaenius who were underwritten by Allianz Worldwide based in Ireland, which all my correspondence was with. At first they refused to pay as they thought it was alcohol-related which it wasn't, but in the end they did. Paperwork was sloppy, they asked the same questions over and over again, even to the point that when it was all settled they kept on asking me questions about things that they had already dealt with. But with all insurance I take the view that you are insured up till the point when something goes t1ts up, then the battle begins.
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Hi, thanks for the post. The first negative information I have heard about re Pantaenius! mm it's not an easy one, is it?!
I'd post a confused smiley if I knew how, still getting used to using the forum!
 
Off thread,but just got back from the Marsden in London visiting my brother who has stage 4 cancer but is responding well to chemo.He is in there(in a private room)with the top consultants at hand,having had a fall and broken a rib.
All paid for by BUPA..Probably in excess of £50k this year.
BUPA + ZILLIONS
 
Mad Pad said:
Off thread,but just got back from the Marsden in London visiting my brother who has stage 4 cancer but is responding well to chemo.He is in there(in a private room)with the top consultants at hand,having had a fall and broken a rib.
All paid for by BUPA..Probably in excess of £50k this year.
BUPA + ZILLIONS
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Thank you for your reply. All best wishes for your brother.
 
They know Im sailing and work offshore - my health and travel insurance is paid by the company I work for and is apparently the top cover available, as we work in some pretty barren and remote areas of the world ,with little if any medical services available, my last trip we had a guy with tooth ache - they sent him home via helicopter to shore and a flight back to Norway - all on insurance - not heard any bad reports on Bupa from work mates.
 
ribrage said:
They know Im sailing and work offshore - my health and travel insurance is paid by the company I work for and is apparently the top cover available, as we work in some pretty barren and remote areas of the world ,with little if any medical services available, my last trip we had a guy with tooth ache - they sent him home via helicopter to shore and a flight back to Norway - all on insurance - not heard any bad reports on Bupa from work mates.
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Thanks, I will investigate Bupa today but I've an awful feeling it'll be too expensive!
Great Blog by the way!
 
typhooncaro said:
I'm sorry to hear that but glad that you were well looked after by Endsleigh. Hopefully you're enjoying life aboard again!
Do you still use them, do they cover you for blue water cruising?
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I was very well treated and according to the stress test I made it almost all the way back although there was heart damage. If you are going to have a heart attack have it in Phoenix Arizona, the wrinkley capital of the world.

They will no longer cover me due to age.

This pic taken about a 6 weeks after my heli ride.
 
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