Travel insurance and EHIC

[arwyn]

I have just booked a holiday today to Menorca. I have a valid EHIC and bought their £22 Travel insurance.

I then had to pay £303 extra as I have pre- existing medical conditions. I came home and went on the internet to discover this was a bargain as for a similar cover it was £450.

I have now read that with my EHIC card I can get everything in a state hospital, the only thing I wont be covered for is Repatriation which I'm sure the £22 travel insurance will cover (I will check).

So was I conned and if so should I cancel as I have 14 days to do so ?.

[boxtops]

No, not conned. The EHIC only covers basic medical healthcare - this is from the EHIC website.

"The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical healthcare or costs such as mountain rescue in ski resorts, being flown back to the UK, or lost or stolen property. Therefore, it is important to have both an EHIC and a valid private travel insurance policy. Some insurers now insist you hold an EHIC and many will waive the excess if you have one. For more information read our advice on travel insurance."

[arwyn]

Yes I am covered for Repatriation.

[boxtops]

...but not for everything else a travel policy covers you for - loss of luggage, loss of cash, etc.

[arwyn]

Thank boxtops I read that link, I'm covered for all that in the £22. Should I have had to also pay £303. Menorca has state hospitals the same as us and I would not go private in the U.K (cant afford it).

[boxtops]

This is what's covered by EHIC in Spanish territories http://www.nhs.uk/NHS...ealthcareinSpain.aspx

You may have to pay up front for medical treatment and claim it back, whereas some insurance companies for travel policies will settle direct with the hospitals.

[Prudie]

Anyway when and where are you going arwyn? I'm off in July, go to Menorca every year,
I thought the EHIC allows you GP access without paying up front but anything you need in hospital will require confirmation of proper insurance before they'll treat you.

[dzug2]

Well that assumes you can get to a state hospital (if you are unconscious you may not get a choice anyway) and that that state hospital is set up to treat your preexisting condition if that's the cause of your hospitalisation

And I'm sure the £22 policy will not cover repatriation related to the preexisting condition - and may not offer any cover at all.

So no - I don't think you were conned as such.

[arwyn]

Thank you boxtops..

[munchie63]

always worth paying for travel ins...not just on the medical side, but luggage delays etc too.
My son had an ear infection in menorca. The hotel were happy to help call a local doctor for us who came to the room (prob got a little referall fee from the doc for doing it). Cost me 90 Euro's for the call-out and medicine, inc a repeat visit a few days later to check he was ok to fly home.
My point is that the nearest state hospital was some distance away. I would have still had to pay for cabs etc and the prescription too, so for an English speaking doc to come to our hotel room I figured it was ok.
And I claimed the fees back (less £25 excess) from my travel ins when we got home.
EHIC's are useful, but it really depends where you're staying and what the illness/problem is.

[arwyn]

Sorry prudie, dzug and munchie I have just noticed your replies.

Prudie Arenel d'en castell 29th june, will it be hot saying your a regular ha ha.

dzug and munchie I think I am just annoyed as 2 years ago it was a lot less.

Thanks all of you..

[Prudie]

We're going 2 July but over the other side (Ciutadella areaa). Always go first 2 weeks of July and may have had the odd rare rainy day but otherwise about 30 every day - sun's too hot to sit in for long. It's the most beautiful island.

[arwyn]

prudie thanks for that, I'm excited now, now I'm over the bl00dy shock of what I had to pay ha ha.

We always go to Greece and have been to most of the main Islands.

But we have always fancied Menorca. :)

[twix123]

Ordinary Travel Insurance will not cover a pre-existing condition and will likely to be 'voided' should you try to make a claim in respect of that condition. The insurers could also possibly refuse to pay out in respect of any claim for cancellation, delays or lost baggage should they find out that you had an undeclared illness. It is possible to get cheaper policies that cover everything other than the declared illness should you wish to take a chance on not requiring treatment for your illness.

[theshedman]

Hi arwyn, as twix123 says if you don't declare any condition then the insurance will be void and it wont pay out for anything including getting you home. I have pre-existing conditions and always get my insurance off someone other than the travel agents as they always seem to be a lot higher.

[arwyn]

Twix thanks for your reply, I guess I'll just have to grin and bare the cost ha ha.

Theshedman I tried loads of companies when I got home as I have 14 days to cancel it, I could not find any that came close to it, the nearest was £450.
Can I ask who you use?

[theshedman]

Hi, I have used Endsleigh travel insurance the last couple of times and using it again next month. The link for it is below. I don't know your age but if like my parents who are in their 70s and 80s they use All Clear travel insurance which is a lot cheaper than other places they used in the past.

http://www.endsleigh....travel-insurance.aspx

http://www.allcleartr...+msdweb01+msdw009+alc

[237SJ]

Avanti insurance are good for covering medical conditions. They were a hell of a lot cheaper than others when I got coverage for my Mum a while ago.

[arwyn]

theshedman I turn the big 50 while I'm on the mentioned holiday :(

237sj thanks for your reply also.

I'll try both of your recommendations tomorrow and I'll let you know the results..

[arwyn]

theshedman, while doing a search for Endsleigh I came across some reveiws for them, they are really bad at not paying out if you make a claim. So I never got a quote but thanks again for your reply..

237sj, Avanti were in a comparison site I tried today and they were'nt in the top 7.

So the nearest I can get is £450, so £303 is a bargain after all :)

Thanks to everyone again..