If you ever think you don’t need Travel insurance…..

Pukmeister

Pukmeister

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I have created a fresh thread for this post, as it’s a timely reminder.

Richard


Just to….. state the need for travel insurance, we’ve been in Thailand for two weeks with our daughter and our 8 month old Grandson (daughters fella is Thai).
Grandson got a bit crook with flu but seemed to be doing okay on calpol right up until we got through passport control for the flight home. He then projectile vomitted, went floppy and delirious and we called for a doctor. He’s now in a Thai children’s hospital in Bangkok tonight, covered by insurance up to £10 million. Wife and I are flying home as planned, daughter & her partner and baby will follow once the baby is deemed fit to fly. I’ve chucked £3500 into my daughter’s Monzo account just in case, but the insurance cover is priceless.


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I went abroad two years ago whilst listed for an operation. My travel insurance company who I have cover with on a twelve monthly basis were consulted.
I explained in fine detail what my condition entailed and answered all questions asked. They said I'll be charged a £105 supplement which I duly paid. Peace of mind is everything when in lands afar.
Some may say the Global Health Insurance Card which replaced the E111 is sufficient.
This card may get you treated in a hospital but that's as far as it goes.
Eg, If you suffered a major injury or illness and was in hospital several days and given the required treatment (surgery etc), there is no after care after this.
The aftercare and repatriation can cost more than the treatment.
This is when your insurance kicks in. I wouldn't just rely on flashing a GHIC.
 
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Bloke I cycle with had a cardiac arrest whilst cycling in Benidorm about ten days ago. Three days in critical care, still in hospital in Alicanté. That will be some vets bill !
 
Certainly agree with a lot of the comments previously stated. I never go abroad without insurance. Couple of years ago had a heart attack in Menorca whilst on holiday, I was airlifted to Majorca for treatment (stent fitted) and kept in for a week. Ghic was presented and accepted. At the end of the week i was discharged, when i asked about getting back to Menorca was informed not their problem (which I must admit I agreed with considering the excellent care i received). Luckily I had my credit card and was able to fund my return back. Nationwide Insurance was very good and paid up for all my incurred costs, extra medication and money for each night I spent in the hospital.
Travel Insurance - don't leave home without it. If you decide to travel and don't have it then expect someone else to pay if something happens via gofundme then as far as I'm concerned gfy.
My Insurance costs have risen substantially but still won't travel without it. Apologies for the rambling reply.
 
JJH said:
What’s the standard health service like in Thailand? JJH
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Youngest daughter/gap year/Thailand had serious tooth ache. She found it a doddle to find a dentist who sorted her tooth out and gave a her antibiotics, all for a few quid (she had full insurance but the cost of treatment was so small that she didn't bother claiming) Tooth still fine 8 years later.
 
It’s not the emergency treatment bit that I buy insurance for - that’s covered with GHIC mostly - it’s the costs of recuperation/ ongoing treatment until fit to travel, and possible repatriation costs. It could be weeks or months of treatment Neil you can travel again. If you can’t ride/ drive you are likely gonna need a plane home but if you can’t also hobble onto a plane they ain’t gonna let you on. Expensive ambulances or even air ambulances may be needed.
 
RedRick Esq. said:
I tend to take the approach that if I have it I wont need it but if I don't I will
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Pukmeister said:
I have created a fresh thread for this post, as it’s a timely reminder.

Richard


Just to….. state the need for travel insurance, we’ve been in Thailand for two weeks with our daughter and our 8 month old Grandson (daughters fella is Thai).
Grandson got a bit crook with flu but seemed to be doing okay on calpol right up until we got through passport control for the flight home. He then projectile vomitted, went floppy and delirious and we called for a doctor. He’s now in a Thai children’s hospital in Bangkok tonight, covered by insurance up to £10 million. Wife and I are flying home as planned, daughter & her partner and baby will follow once the baby is deemed fit to fly. I’ve chucked £3500 into my daughter’s Monzo account just in case, but the insurance cover is priceless.


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Click to expand...
Well worth having.
Badly broke my leg whilst skiing in Austria a few years back. Major operation and I. M. Nail fitted to my tibia then a week in hospital. Health care was covered by the EHIC card but the helicopter off the mountain was €5000.
Holiday health insurance covered the lot. Well pleased.
DB
 
Buying the travel insurance policy is one thing, buying the correct policy for the trip and specific activities you’ll be partaking in, is another.
 
Just got home minus daughter, her partner and baby. They are receiving excellent care in Bangkok and their insurers have now got into gear and started sorting things, baby is doing okay, he initially improved at hospital then developed another fever of 40.7 and spewed up his meds. He’s stable today and that’s all that matters. Hats off to the airport medical responders and the Thai hospital staff.

Hopefully they get him fixed up and he can fly home soon, he wouldn’t have made the 12 hour flight last night, I’m 100% sure the pilot would have had to call a medical emergency and divert so a good shout not to fly by my daughter. Arsey could probably shed more light on that stuff being an airline pilot.

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Arrived at Heathrow to find we have my daughter’s suitcase due to a mix up when offloading bags. The check in clerk put the wrong luggage label on the wrong suitcase. Now sending daughters stuff back to Bangkok and awaiting ours to arrive, again no biggie but daughter has no clean clothes or baby stuff.

Top tip when checking bags in as a group, make sure your labels match their case owners just in case you need to offload or lose a bag in transit etc.
 
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dirtybiker said:
Well worth having.
Badly broke my leg whilst skiing in Austria a few years back. Major operation and I. M. Nail fitted to my tibia then a week in hospital. Health care was covered by the EHIC card but the helicopter off the mountain was €5000.
Holiday health insurance covered the lot. Well pleased.
DB
Click to expand...
SWMBO broke her wrist in France skiing, and luckily that didn't require hospital treatment but the bill for the clinic and the associated expenses was covered by our travel insurance. The year before one of the parties teenage sons twisted a bollock on the slopes. That required a transfer to Geneva hospital for emergency treatment and like you although all costs inside the hospital were covered by the then EHIC card everything else wasn't so for belt and braces purooses you really need both and the EHIC's replacement, just like the original is free otherwise your injury could be the least of your problems
 
brut33 said:
I went abroad two years ago whilst listed for an operation. My travel insurance company who I have cover with on a twelve monthly basis were consulted.
I explained in fine detail what my condition entailed and answered all questions asked. They said I'll be charged a £105 supplement which I duly paid. Peace of mind is everything when in lands afar.
Some may say the Global Health Insurance Card which replaced the E111 is sufficient.
This card may get you treated in a hospital but that's as far as it goes.
Eg, If you suffered a major injury or illness and was in hospital several days and given the required treatment (surgery etc), there is no after care after this.
The aftercare and repatriation can cost more than the treatment.
This is when your insurance kicks in. I wouldn't just rely on flashing a GHIC.
Click to expand...
brut33 said:
I went abroad two years ago whilst listed for an operation. My travel insurance company who I have cover with on a twelve monthly basis were consulted.
I explained in fine detail what my condition entailed and answered all questions asked. They said I'll be charged a £105 supplement which I duly paid. Peace of mind is everything when in lands afar.
Some may say the Global Health Insurance Card which replaced the E111 is sufficient.
This card may get you treated in a hospital but that's as far as it goes.
Eg, If you suffered a major injury or illness and was in hospital several days and given the required treatment (surgery etc), there is no after care after this.
The aftercare and repatriation can cost more than the treatment.
This is when your insurance kicks in. I wouldn't just rely on flashing a GHIC.
Click to expand...
Global Health Insurance Card seems to be a bit of a misnomer.

According to this, and it makes sense as it replaces the EHIC) it’s only valid on the EEA. And even then you may have to pay up front and claim back costs.

www.nhs.uk

Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC)

Find out if you're eligible to apply for a new UK EHIC or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk
 
Berin said:
Global Health Insurance Card seems to be a bit of a misnomer.

According to this, and it makes sense as it replaces the EHIC) it’s only valid on the EEA. And even then you may have to pay up front and claim back costs.

www.nhs.uk

Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC)

Find out if you're eligible to apply for a new UK EHIC or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk
Click to expand...
I was making reference about a trip to Spain so should have mentioned this when I posted.
 
I say it again, thank god they have travel insurance.

Just chatted on WhatsApp to my daughter. Baby looks better but now has a rash all over, a chest X-ray has revealed a lung infection, looks like they will be there for another week under medical care. Hospital family room is £200/day alone. God knows what the care costs will be.

A shout out to Thai Airways who have been fantastic, the missing suitcase has now been delivered back to them at the hospital (the next day from Heathrow) and she has downloaded and used the “Grab” app in Thailand (like deliveroo) to get food, toiletries and nappies etc by scooter delivery to her which saves money on taxis and precious time trying to find shops.
 
Things are slowly progressing.

Hopefully baby will be discharged today following a week of treatment including some pretty rough handling to liberate the mucus from his lungs, they beat the crap out of him by hand and machine, he now cries when he sees anybody dressed in scrubs as it means pain. The chest massage is the same as for a Cystic Fibrosis patient, bear in mind he is only 8 months old.

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If discharged they will need to remain in a hotel in Bangkok for a week and then baby have a chest X-ray next Wednesday and if his lungs are clear, fly home next Thursday.

Fingers crossed
 
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