Medical Insurance

[stranded]

We will be setting off to warmer waters in the Spring. When we get further afield I think we will definitely want the security of medical insurance, but for the first couple of years in the Med I am torn between insuring or carrying the risk, at least so long as our EHIC works. Would be interested to know what others do, and from those who do insure, any policy recommendations?

 

[jamiepyoung]

Hope everything is OK. Insurance is too expensive. That's what we do.

 

[PlanB]

We self insured (and tucked the money away), as the premiums seemed too high. For the first ten years we had minimal expenses and were well ahead of the game. Then cancer struck both of us. We were lucky enough to be able to afford private treatment in Spain, which is a lot cheaper than the UK (and far faster than the NHS).
We only used the EHIC once, in an emergency.
Someone we know managed to claim part of the cost of an emergency private heart stent back from the NHS (they were on holiday in Spain).
If you can, keep an address in the UK and keep registered with a doctor, just in case.

 

[stranded]

We self insured (and tucked the money away), as the premiums seemed too high. For the first ten years we had minimal expenses and were well ahead of the game. Then cancer struck both of us. We were lucky enough to be able to afford private treatment in Spain, which is a lot cheaper than the UK (and far faster than the NHS).
We only used the EHIC once, in an emergency.
Someone we know managed to claim part of the cost of an emergency private heart stent back from the NHS (they were on holiday in Spain).
If you can, keep an address in the UK and keep registered with a doctor, just in case.

Thanks - that is very helpful. Yes, we have bought a house which we will mostly holiday let while we are away, the plan being to come back and live there every few months as necessary to maintain residence here. So long as that works the ideal cover would be just for emergency treatment and repatriation expenses, rather than major illness, so probably a few hundreds of thousands rather than many millions. Whether we can get only that, I will have to investigate. If not, we'll probably take a chance, in Europe at least.

 

[GrahamM376]

Thanks - that is very helpful. Yes, we have bought a house which we will mostly holiday let while we are away, the plan being to come back and live there every few months as necessary to maintain residence here. So long as that works the ideal cover would be just for emergency treatment and repatriation expenses, rather than major illness, so probably a few hundreds of thousands rather than many millions. Whether we can get only that, I will have to investigate. If not, we'll probably take a chance, in Europe at least.

Premiums will depend mainly on age. We used to use Insure & Go Long Stay policy, mainly for the repatriation and slight possibility of being too far from a state hospital so unable to use EHIC. Premium used to be around £170 for both of us for 9 months on board until I got to 67 when it rocketed. Now self insure.

 

[stranded]

We self insured (and tucked the money away), as the premiums seemed too high. For the first ten years we had minimal expenses and were well ahead of the game. Then cancer struck both of us. We were lucky enough to be able to afford private treatment in Spain, which is a lot cheaper than the UK (and far faster than the NHS).
We only used the EHIC once, in an emergency.
Someone we know managed to claim part of the cost of an emergency private heart stent back from the NHS (they were on holiday in Spain).
If you can, keep an address in the UK and keep registered with a doctor, just in case.

Interestingly, having done some more Googling, Including finding a lot of argument on here in the past, the NHS guidance on the residence test is (now) clear that people in our situation need not be much concerned about the 3 month test which in the past has caused much consternation. That is reassuring, although we will still be doing as you suggest.

 

[macd]

Just by way of clarification for anyone to whom it might apply, EHIC is an EEA, rather than EU, measure. So it's conceivable, although probably unlikely, that its eligibility for UK residents will survive Brexit. Like many other things it depends on the precise terms of post-exit arrangements

 

[stranded]

Just by way of clarification for anyone to whom it might apply, EHIC is an EEA, rather than EU, measure. So it's conceivable, although probably unlikely, that its eligibility for UK residents will survive Brexit. Like many other things it depends on the precise terms of post-exit arrangements

Yes - and I am a bit more optimistic in that I think it rather more likely than not that it will survive.

 

[Fluvial66]

I only insure 3 things;
The house
The car
The boat

I have never insured myself, (I am of depreciating value), and in over 40 years of world wide travel
have never regretted it.
Just think of the cost in premiums that I have saved.

 

[duncan99210]

The EHIC will cover most things in Europe, so we don't bother with insurance. If we were going across the Atlantic however we would take out insurance as costs are much higher there with no reciprocal agreements at all. The cost of insurance would then feature in the decision making process and might be a show stopper if costs were either too high or cover unattainable.

 

[temptress]

Hope everything is OK. Insurance is too expensive. That's what we do.

Same here, plus a credit card to get home in an emergency medical service is not that expensive as long as you keep away from the USA.

 

[temptress]

I only insure 3 things;
The house
The car
The boat

I have never insured myself, (I am of depreciating value), and in over 40 years of world wide travel
have never regretted it.
Just think of the cost in premiums that I have saved.

+1 although we no longer have a car
..

 

[stranded]

+1 although we no longer have a car
..

Thanks all - that has cemented my view that we're best to self insure in the Med and just make sure we have access to the wherewithal to get back to England by whatever means necessary if something serious comes up. A bit more beer money - lovely!

 

[lindsay]

Good idea to compare repatriation costs from the Med to UK with my present medical insurance.

Just asked that question on couple of sites but they said it would depend on the state of the patient. Can understand that, but does anyone know what it would actually cost? At least a range? Ie for a broken leg to a spinal injury

 

[Tin Tin]

The EHIC will cover most things in Europe, so we don't bother with insurance. If we were going across the Atlantic however we would take out insurance as costs are much higher there with no reciprocal agreements at all. The cost of insurance would then feature in the decision making process and might be a show stopper if costs were either too high or cover unattainable.

Slight thread drift:
Aren't Martinique and Guadeloupe overseas departments of France - and part of the EU?
Would your EHIC card not be valid there?

 

[macd]

Aren't Martinique and Guadeloupe overseas departments of France - and part of the EU?
Would your EHIC card not be valid there?

They're certainly both of those things, and EHIC does indeed extend to them: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/countryguide/Pages/healthcareinFrance.aspx

Notwithstanding EHIC, the UK also has reciprocal healthcare agreements with several other countries: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Health...e/NonEEAcountries/Pages/Non-EEAcountries.aspx
Some of these are quite limited and should be checked individually. The agreement with Barbados was terminated this year.

 

[Jeannius]

We will be setting off to warmer waters in the Spring. When we get further afield I think we will definitely want the security of medical insurance, but for the first couple of years in the Med I am torn between insuring or carrying the risk, at least so long as our EHIC works. Would be interested to know what others do, and from those who do insure, any policy recommendations?

Used Topsail ( http://www.topsailinsurance.com/ ) when doing a rtw. Never had to claim so don't actually know how good they are but policies were reasonably priced but we were only mid 50s at the time. Worth getting in touch with them.

 

[PlanB]

We looked into this three or four years ago for an ailing fellow boater. Malaga to london was 20k for the plane plus cost of accompanying medical staff.

Good idea to compare repatriation costs from the Med to UK with my present medical insurance.

Just asked that question on couple of sites but they said it would depend on the state of the patient. Can understand that, but does anyone know what it would actually cost? At least a range? Ie for a broken leg to a spinal injury

 

[Laurin]

We looked into this three or four years ago for an ailing fellow boater. Malaga to london was 20k for the plane plus cost of accompanying medical staff.

Sounds about right. A colleague's mother had a stroke in either Spain or Canaries (can't remember which) and she said it cost about£30,000.

 

[charles_reed]

I've never had private health insurance in the UK or abroad.
I've found the EHIC more than adequate, having used it in France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Finland and Greece.
My experience is that French health facilities are superior to what you'd find in the UK, Finland, Spain and Croatia comparable, Greece and Italy facilities definitely more "rugged".
In all the countries I've found the medics as good or better than in the UK.
One thing one must realise is in many European countries "nursing", as we know it is non-existent, you'll be fed and looked after medically, but your family is expected to fetch and carry for you. That was my experience in Spain and Greece and I believe it extends to all except the N European countries.
My visits have been occasioned by fairly severe, acute illnesses - including genera non-existentl septicaemia, double pneumonia, RTAs and a stroke amongst other more minor ailments.
I'm of an age and with chronic conditions where health insurance is unavailable.
So have the distinct impression, over about 25 years that health insurance is totally unnecessary and a waste of money.