Holiday Insurance!!

[KWC]

After booking my holiday insurance, I was asked the usual questions like have you had a lung transplant, brain swop, etc, I mentioned I was put on tablets for a slight rise in my blood pressure.

Ah say the lady on the other end (i'm sure I heard the money till pinging when I said that) you'll have to be deferred to our Medical Screening associate company.  but it only slightly high I protested!!

Anyhow talks to the Expert on slightly high blood pressure and after going through yet more questions about my health, sex life and what type of car do I drive, do I have any/many mistresses and other important issues, I was asked for yet more money.  This I paid and thought that would be that.

Nooo. My mate has a big argument with another insurance company due to him not declaring a very simple medication, So I thought I better phone my medical clearance Co back up again to tell them I sometimes, and I mean sometimes, like once every 2-3 months take a tablet for Acid re-flux or Heartburn to you and I.

Guess what? yep more money to hand over.  Traveling is getting more difficult by the year.  Or is it because Im falling to bits 

[Spike On Q]

What does Woe think of holiday insurance

[Paddster]

Guaranteed a sarcastic response 

[Can the Man]

Jaysus Kenny man you sound like your fcuked 

[fifi]

Jaysus Kenny man you sound like your fcuked 

How much extra did they charge you Kenny out of curiosity?

[KWC]

Jaysus Kenny man you sound like your fcuked 

Lol
Thanks Can, you know how to cheer up a man in dispair and in need of uplifting comments. 

[KWC]

quote]

Only £21 for the medics fifi. Not a lot for peace of mind I suppose. My moan (as you do!) was some policies ignore heartburn, as I call it.

Any how I'm over the shock of the cost that could have gave me a heart attack. And they would have wanted even more money after that wouldn't they. 

[Spike On Q]

Now the title of the thread has changed my comment re. Woe is irrelevant

The EHIC card covers most of the health issues - except repatriation. There has been lots of discussion on that subject previously

[fuerte crazy]

I use www.flexidirect.co.uk.  I have to pay an extra premium every year as I've had DVT and Blood clot on my lung and I also have a condition which makes my blood clot quicker than most people!!  I always try to shop about but year on year renew with Flexi direct as they are always the most reasonable and the cover is comprehensive enough for what I need.
FC

[Can the Man]

quote]

Only £21 for the medics fifi. Not a lot for peace of mind I suppose. My moan (as you do!) was some policies ignore heartburn, as I call it.

Any how I'm over the shock of the cost that could have gave me a heart attack. And they would have wanted even more money after that wouldn't they. 

Kenny you need to tell them the heart burn is from eating hot curries and chillie, not a medical condition.

£21 extra was not so bad though, and as you say peace of mind. I remember a few years back when I got a dart from kidney stones while over there on holidays, going to the doctor every day for injections (they love the injections on Fuerte  ) in the butt. Cost over 400 euro, insurance paid for it all, and no levies the next year.

My travel insurance is with 123.ie, not sure if they offer insurance to people living outside of ireland.

[Spike On Q]

I have Health and Travel insurance when I go outside the E.U., the USA in particular. I don't have Health insurance when travelling within the E.U., i.e when I go to the UK or Italy, etc. as I rely on the EHIC card to cover my costs.

Can someone explain the benefit of Health and Travel insurance when travelling within the E.U. - I'm back in the UK in two weeks and I don't want to get caught short!

[zedzedeleven]

There isn`t much point in comparing premium costs, the value of your policy will only become apparent once you have registered a claim. I warned forumites to be wary of Columbus, I think a few real instances of shoddy treatment from our members would be of real value, as would those that have had exemplary service from their insurance company when things have gone wrong. (If any !).

[SheilaW]

I have Health and Travel insurance when I go outside the E.U., the USA in particular. I don't have Health insurance when travelling within the E.U., i.e when I go to the UK or Italy, etc. as I rely on the EHIC card to cover my costs.

Can someone explain the benefit of Health and Travel insurance when travelling within the E.U. - I'm back in the UK in two weeks and I don't want to get caught short!

I think about it each time I travel within the EU, Spike. But I've never seen the need. As my own home/car insurer said last time I raised the question, if you book with a bank card you get automatic cover for major medical emergencies i.e. someone flying out to look after you, repatriation, transfer of the body... and that's all you really need in addition to the EHIC for Europe. If my flight gets cancelled so I have to spend a night in a hotel, if I lose my luggage, if I need crutches and I have to pay for them...well, I'm a big girl now and I can take care of it. If I'd bought insurance to cover little things like that over the last 20 years since I left the UK, I'd be well out of pocket. AFAIC, repatriation by air ambulance is the only important one (can't imagine being stuck in the UK rather than here ), and it's always covered by your card. If I'm dead, I'm dead!

BTW, said insurance agent said he knew of occasions when people had 2 or 3 lots of cover for a particular risk already, and still paid for another! Only one will ever pay out (and then only if they can't squirm out of it). It's that old story of insurance companies making profits out of people who don't understand what they're buying.

[Spike On Q]

Root canal treatment in Miami - Stay Sure [very cheap] paid out the maximum covered for dental treatment, £230.00 - so very happy

[Spike On Q]

If you're dead Sheila can you get a refund from RyanAir?

[SheilaW]

If you're dead Sheila can you get a refund from RyanAir?

You know they don't give refunds for little problems like that, Spike. Their terms and conditions give them more "wriggle room" than you'll have in your coffin.

[IsThisForumStillGoingWow]

Root canal treatment in Miami - Stay Sure [very cheap] paid out the maximum covered for dental treatment, £230.00 - so very happy

We have annual insurance with StaySure..they only cover over 50's and are very reasonable. I have type 2 diabetes and everything there is covered. They did a big tv advertising campaign not long ago which is how I found them.

[hairybiker]

I use Marks & Spencer Premium Club for my annual world-wide travel insurance. I had a stroke 10 years ago, but there's a huge list of existing conditions which ARE covered and do not have to be declared if there's been no re-occurance in the last 5 years. You must be under 70 at the start of the trip

You need to have a M&S credit card.  The Premium Club is £15 a month, but you also get vouchers fora free hot drink each week, a few £10 vouchers each year, extra points on your M&S purchases, special offers and a cream tea for two on your birthday!!

My previous insurer (Freedom) wanted £250 for Europe cover and it was increasing by around 10% each year. So I'm saving at least £70 a year and getting a triple expresso every week!!

[Keith Dean]

We take out annual insurance and was with a company for some years. Although I have had spine surgery, a stroke and the last, I hope, triple heart bypass, was looked after by them until I reached 65!!!!!!!!!!     IT ALL CHANGED THEN. I had never made a claim, but they politely told me to go away because " I WAS TO OLD ".
As I was now in the position of having an insurance company refusing me their product, I had to declare this to other companies. I was then told to try AGE UK. Rang them up and subsequently called into their local office, most English towns have an office. A very helpful lady asked questions, filled in a form and then made a phone call to a medical expert. I then spoke to this person, answering all the questions and was then told I had been accepted.
The price, cheaper than what I had been paying and covering more, a win win situation.
You are all wondering what company we are now insured with, am I right?
It's the same company who had refused to cover me in the first instance, but have a special deal with AGE UK.
Some years on, still being insured by the same firm and still using AGE UK as the agent.

Hope this is will be of help to you old ones, like me.

[Spike On Q]

Is it only Sheila and me that travel in the E.U. without insurance??

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

And me - I book flights with my credit card and then rely on my EHIC for medical care.

[sugarbabe]

RE: EHIC CARD - I have read all through this topic and the UK EHIC Site so I pretty much know what benefits you have with the EHIC card - BUT where are the doctors you can use?? There is supposed to be a medical centre in Rosario where you can get free or reduced cost medical care with the EHIC card, but where exactly is this medical centre and does anyone have the phone number to book an appointment??

My Holiday Insurance states that I MUST use one of these doctors, but I can't find the above information anywhere!! Please help. Ta!

[glenys]

Hairybiker, I have the M&S insurance too and it's great for me as I also travel to visit my son who lives outside the EU. We made a claim with them when we were stuck in Liverpool because of snow and they paid us in a few days. Great service and their card is brilliant too.

[SheilaW]

BUT where are the doctors you can use?? There is supposed to be a medical centre in Rosario where you can get free or reduced cost medical care with the EHIC card, but where exactly is this medical centre and does anyone have the phone number to book an appointment??

I'm afraid I can't help with details of the Puerto "Centre de Salud", but there's certainly the state hospital there. The doctors that you have to see are simply the 'normal' ones - the equivalent of NHS doctors in the UK. If you go to private doctors, they will charge you - as they would in the UK.

In Corralejo, should you be interested, the 'Centro de Salud' is in Avenue (or Calle? not sure) Juan Carlos - the main road that goes around the edge of the town down to the harbour. It's more or less next door to the bus station. It's quite a big and modern place, with a casualty department. Go there with your EHIC card and your passport and you'll get free treatment. Don't go to a 'Clinico' - I believe the term is synonymous with private, but I may be wrong there.

[fifi]

RE: EHIC CARD - I have read all through this topic and the UK EHIC Site so I pretty much know what benefits you have with the EHIC card - BUT where are the doctors you can use?? There is supposed to be a medical centre in Rosario where you can get free or reduced cost medical care with the EHIC card, but where exactly is this medical centre and does anyone have the phone number to book an appointment??

My Holiday Insurance states that I MUST use one of these doctors, but I can't find the above information anywhere!! Please help. Ta!

Hi Sugarbabe, it sounds like your insurance company are only providing what you would get free anyway by using your EHIC.  With the EHIC you can use the hospitals A&E department or any of the Centro de Saluds on the Island. They can be found on this website and addresses can be found by clicking on the flags. http://www2.gobiernodecanarias.org/sanidad/scs/mapa.jsp?idDocument=70f99e5b-b1e1-11e0-8086-e35e241032d3&idCarpeta=b23ce4c7-aa7a-11dd-b41b-89eb02602ac7

[sugarbabe]

Thank you - you are both total stars. I have tried for the last 3 years to find out this info. Okay, just to make sure I have it right - in Rosario (We have an apartment in Caleta.) it is the Centro de Salud we want - as opposed to the others pinpointed on the map, ie.  Consultorio Local - yes?  I know where the hospital is, was thinking more of non-urgent problems. My insurance covers all the other usual stuff like luggage (and all the camera equipment etc. we bring for our son who lives in Fuerte.), money, delay etc., but is really cheap because if you use the right doctors they don't have to pay so much but just cover any other things like prescriptions which can be expensive. Thanks again Sheila & fifi!

[fifi]

 I am posting the British Embassies message here again just in case some of the members have not seen it. I have highlighted some interesting points in red.

30.06.2013


Are you playing the host with the most this summer? Tell your visitors to get a health card and travel insurance.
As British expatriates in Spain prepare for their annual influx of summer visitors, the British Embassy is urging people who are expecting friends and family to remind them to bring an often-forgotten essential – a European Health Insurance Card. "If you're having family or friends to stay this summer, they'll be asking you what they need to bring. Item number one on their checklist should be the European Health Insurance Card - also known as an EHIC" says a British Embassy spokesman.


"This simple piece of plastic entitles the holder to all medically-necessary treatment during a temporary stay in Spain.  It's easy to get – check out www.ehic.org.uk - and it costs nothing.  Although most people's trips are trouble-free, things can go wrong.  An EHIC will provide peace of mind in case someone needs to see the doctor. It'll help to ensure they don't take home a big hospital bill should they need medical care."

Comprehensive travel insurance is the second vital item on a visitor's packing list.  It covers all the extras that an EHIC doesn't provide, such as repatriation in the case of medical emergency.  If a visiting friend or family member is taken into hospital, an EHIC is enough to cover someone until they are well enough to travel home.

If someone who is taking out travel insurance has a pre-existing medical condition, then do remind them to declare it. If they don't, the insurer may well invalidate their policy.  "You won't fool them but they may make a fool of you", says an Embassy spokesman.  Every year consular staff in Spain are asked to assist hundreds of Britons who have failed to take out travel insurance or who have invalidated their policies, and who have ended up facing huge bills when attending a private clinic or hospital.

However, visitors to Spain should be aware that they do not have to provide travel insurance as payment for medically necessary treatment in a public or state healthcare facility.  They should insist that their EHIC is accepted.  Anyone asked to sign a form or disclaimer in a state hospital should check that they are not forfeiting the right to be treated under an EHIC.

If someone's EHIC is refused or for other concerns about using an EHIC whilst in Spain, call the Department of Health team at the British Consulate on 902 109 356.

A visitor who needs to see a doctor and doesn't have an EHIC with them can also get a Provisional Replacement Certificate from the Overseas Healthcare Team in Newcastle, on +44 191 218 1999.

To apply for an EHIC go to www.ehic.org.uk and for more information on EHIC entitlements, visit www.healthcareinspain.eu.

[fifi]

Thank you - you are both total stars. I have tried for the last 3 years to find out this info. Okay, just to make sure I have it right - in Rosario (We have an apartment in Caleta.) it is the Centro de Salud we want - as opposed to the others pinpointed on the map, ie.  Consultorio Local - yes?  I know where the hospital is, was thinking more of non-urgent problems. My insurance covers all the other usual stuff like luggage (and all the camera equipment etc. we bring for our son who lives in Fuerte.), money, delay etc., but is really cheap because if you use the right doctors they don't have to pay so much but just cover any other things like prescriptions which can be expensive. Thanks again Sheila & fifi!

Hi Sugarbabe. I have used A&E twice instead of going to the Centro de Salud. You would be covered for the Centros de salud in Rosario. The flags with CS are the Centros de salud. To be honest I am not sure if the EHIC covers the other health centres on the map which I have provided or not. I dont really know what they are.

Perhaps someone else will know.


I am guessing that they just dont want you to be using private clinics such as the Brisamar which are very expensive.

[fifi]

Hi Sugarbabe, I dont know if you saw this post before about the emergency app for phones but I think it sounds pretty amazing. You might be interested in it, It even translates your texts into Spanish for you. Have a look. 

http://www.fuerteventura-forum.com/index.php?topic=16197.0

[Spike On Q]

To my knowledge [which is limited]

24 Hour Health Centres for emergency treatment are in:

Moro Jable
Gran Tarajal
Corralejo

The main hospital A&E is in Puerto

Road signs are in place in Gran Tarajal and Puerto to my knowledge

Check into Reception with your EHIC card and passport. There will be no problems

I suggest you approach a hotel reception for local directions   or maybe Admin will put a Google Map on Fuerteventura.com