Health insurance....

[boatmike]

Having decided to spend at least 6 months of each year on the boat in the Med, the question of personal health insurance comes to mind. Here in the UK the majority of schemes only cover you for treatment in the UK and the good old NHS (that gets a lot of stick but is actually pretty good if you have something serious like a heart attack) is there as a back stop. Overseas though I have had holiday insurance that only covers about 45 days at a time and have carried the E111. As I will be within the EU most of the time in the Med, what should I have? Will the E111 cover most eventualities (I think not) and where do I go for what I need? What do other livaboards do please?

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[jhr]

E111 will give you access to whatever health cover is available in the state you're visiting. NB however that this may mean, in France, for example, that only a percentage of your costs will be reimbursed (many French peeps take out additional "mutuelles" cover to bridge the gap). It varies country by country but it's worth having a look at the DSS site, which has downloads of most of the relevant booklets.

Worth thinking what you might want to do if you become seriously ill. Would you want to be repatriated to the UK? In which case, comprehensive insurance is a must. A friend's father was flown back to the UK by air ambulance from Spain a few weeks ago - £25,000.00 /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif. BUPA have an International Healthcare scheme which might meet your needs, though most such policies are tailored to the needs of employers with overseas staff, rather than individuals.

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[Sea Devil]

I think this is the biggest problem of long distance sailing and after a few years of it still have not got an honest answer... The E111 and shortly there will be a special card issued in lots of languages is probably enough for all EEC countries.... The French system will charge you about 25% or the total cost.... I live here and have cover for hospitals and operations but carry the risk for Doctors and Drugs 25% myself.

the problem you have hit on is that the maximum travel health insurance you can get runs for 90 days - 3 months in any one trip - provided you come home every 3 months for 24 hours you are ok again for the next 'trip'. this sort of insurance will air ambulance you home etc and costs around £200 a year - shop around - the catch is to get the 90 days....

It is possible to get annual cover for world wide trave via bupa etc but the cost is thousands... none of them really want to insure someone away from home for more than a holiday - if your work takes you abroad for an extended period then either you get a BuPA type policy or get local insurance...

I got admitted to hospital in Phuket - Thailand on new years eve - thank goodness I had just had a quick trip back to the UK leaving the boat in Malaya, so was in fact covered. With an emergency op there was no question of getting on a jet plane home - I was under the knife that night! Stopped me being blase about mecical insurance -

If anyone has a solution to the problem I would love to hear about it as well

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[Talbot]

Posted on this some time ago. The E111 has been phased out in favour of an EU wide system, that of course has not yet been introduced, Therefore to maiontain your cover until this new system is introduced, you have to apply for a replacement for the E111. Dont get caught out!

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[Richard_Woods]

As I wrote in my series in PBO I use Pantaenius for my medical cover (and also for my 3rd party cover on my Eclipse catamaran)

I have a "single trip" policy. Geographic cover is the world and it is for 12 months. Cost is GBP275 a year. I have a GBP50 excess. Cover is good for GBP5,000,000.

So far I haven't had to use it, but I do know that Pantaenius have a good record of paying out promptly no questions asked.

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[scarlett]

I don't know about the system to be introduced but the E111 system is limited. I understand you must be a British resident to use it and you lose this status if away for more than 6 months. If this is crucial check please as my memory of this dates a few years back.

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[Sea Devil]

What is a single trip?

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[Sea Devil]

As far as I am aware you have to make a declaration that you are non resident - does not happen just cos you are away for 6 months or more. There are tax advantages with being non resident so you are not going to get that without asking.

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[cliffb]

Bambola, If you can only get cover for 90 days, what about going with two insurers... each with 90 days....or more insurers if you intend to be away longer.? Do you think this mght work?
On the other hand...I guess one could lie about when one left the UK...or do they want proof about when you left?

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[jhr]

I'd guess that they won't want proof when you take out the insurance, but that the loss adjuster might well ask some searching questions - and conduct further research - in the event of a claim.

Insurers are not stupid, hate parting with their money, and have a well-developed sense of suspicion. They will have had other claimants try a scam like this before and will also have developed ways of detecting when they are being taken for a ride. Much though I hate the way in which insurers help themselves to large amounts of our money, I'd get proper health cover if I were you - anything else could well prove to be a false economy.

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[cruisingsam]

the E111 system is restrrcted to EU Residents. In other words it covers EU residents temporallily (sp) outside their normal residency.
The new system is just the same except it is not "trip" dependant...
posted this on scuttlebutt in response to the same question....
It's the new European Health Insurance Card. Ireland is the first country to have it, not sure when the rest of the EU will get it.
I got mine in August 2004 & it is valid until end of May 2006.
The idea is to get rid of the yearly forms & replace with credit card sized magnetic ones.
Don't know about the cost but as it means I don't need a new E111 every time I go abroad it has to be good.

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[Sea Devil]

No. I am pleased to say that they did not ask for proof of when I last left the UK...

Up to that point I had always regarded my credit cards as a fast, first class if necessasary, ticket back to a UK hospital but faced with urgent surgery it was not on.


The annual fees for 90 days at a time are around £200 - it is not bad value as I found I was doing a trip back once every 6 months or so.... so properly covered half the time!

Not sure how 2 insurances would help as the question asked is_ ' When did you arrive in this country?' (the country you are seeking medical health in.) If asked in this way if is frequently possible to truthfully answer xxx as that was the time you sailed in..... This is not the solution and I would not reccomend it.

This is of course not the right solution - I am going to check out the Pantaeneus web site and see what their health insurance is. If anyone finds a solution please let me know - really difficult problem..

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[RichardPerou]

Try Endersley

http://www.endsleigh.co.uk/scripts/...age=served/policies/travel/holiday/index.html

but make sure they know that yachting is involved

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[Sea Devil]

Richard thank you,

I put in the 2 of us for world wide health cover for 12 months and got a premium rate of £465 - would need to go further to see if they limit any one trip to 90 days... will give them a bell later

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