# European insurance - is it worth it?



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

Hi

What are your thoughts on travel insurance when travelling in Europe? Is it worth paying for? 

In the past, I have taken quite a lot of people to hospital, mainly coach passengers with injuries from a broken arm to severe cuts to the leg etc. Treatment has always been effected using EHIC/passport details. More recently, on the trip to Tenerife, one of the lads had fallen over and needed stitches in his arm. Again, passport and EHIC sufficed. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on not bothering with travel insurance in Europe? 

Russell


----------



## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

About 3 year back the Mrs was knocked off her motorbike by a French white van man on a roundabout. His fault. Although she thought she was OK at the time and told the van driver to go she later became unwell and ended up in Carcassonne Hospital for an overnight. There were three CT scans done and other tests because they found a broken rib and blood in her lung and they wanted to ensure that any bleeding had stopped before she was allowed to go. Their attention to detail was extensive and care given 100%. However they asked if I had any insurance because the EHIC card only covered 80% of the costs in France. I showed them a card from PPP which they accepted. In the event I ended up paying the outstanding bill after I returned home as I was not covered for this by PPP and this cost was less than any additional holiday insurance would have cost me. Had she been killed or needed air lifting back to the UK PPP would have covered these repatriation costs. So, its a consideration you have to make for yourself. Our biggest asset is that both of us are drivers and like this occasion I brought the Mrs back to the UK in one hit via the autoroutes so she could recover at home, 846 miles. Adrenaline works! Recovery took many months and she still suffers the coniquences of this incident today with a trapped nerve in her back and some lack of control of her left leg.
BUT
Life is for living, not just watching! And she still has her motorbike and still rides it. Especially in France.

C.


----------



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

CliveMott said:


> ....................Life is for living, not just watching! ....................
> 
> C.


I like that one C


----------



## haydon (Mar 2, 2008)

my wife fell of her bike in spain and required ambulance followed by ten days in hospitall getting the hip screwed together the insurance company then organised a nurse to fly out from england to take her home,two seats on the plane required plus another ambulance to get her to the house.the insurance cost me £112 for one year.they sent me two hundred pound for expensis ie taxi phone calls etc.it was the first time in forty odd year that i have ever made claim on a holliday ins.it must have cost a few thousand,the company was fortis ins.i would never even think about travelling without it now.the ride home in the camper was lonely.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Life's a gamble. Everything is a risk. Insurance is a very personal thing. 

I guess we all have to weigh up our personal technical abilities and attitude to health.

We choose to take a tool box and muddle by in French. But also carry an EHIC card outside France and our CC insurance covers any other trips.

Ray.


----------



## Pyranha (Jul 4, 2006)

As you say, in participating countries, you will get treatment as a local would with your EHIC - this often means that you have either up front costs to pay and reclaim, or there is an amount you cannot claim on the EHIC (eg in France, you get a proportion of the costs paid).

If you have normal travel insurance, then this would normally cover the costs not covered by EHIC. Commonly, insurance will not cover costs which an EHIC would cover, since there is a presumption that you minimise your loss before claiming.

The other thing normally covered by travel insurance is the costs associated with serious injury or illness - hotels and transport for those holidaying with you, repatriation costs. As mentioned above, repatriation can run into thousands, if you need a charter plane, or nursing assistance on the journey; you may also need your vehicle recovered to the UK if you can't drive it.

As we ski, we have Winter Sports cover, too, which includes rescue and treatment on the pistes on top of the usual stuff (and a few other bits specific to skiing/snowboarding).

Whether insurance is worth it is a balance between the cost of the insurance, and the cost to you if something happens. If you're retired, for instance, then your travel dates will be more flexible than for us 'wage slaves', but you may not be able to afford extra nights accommodation for your partner . . .


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Its always worth checking you bank account for perks such as travel insurance. For example my Lloyds TSB current account includes, basic breakdown cover, mobile phone insurance and travel insurance for both of us but I think its limited to 31 days per trip. I made a claim a couple of years ago for emergancy dental work in France for £300 and they coughed up no problem. As long as I keep my account in credit up to I think £2K these services are free.


----------



## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Insurance*

 Ciao Russell, reliance on just the EHIC can be a bit risky and expensive. A few years ago, driving to UK, somehow acquired a microfracture to my left knee. Leg swelled up, and very painful. Fortunately no. 3 son was with me for driving, but ended up in that big hospital on the Lille ring road. Ex rayed and patched up OK; but had to buy my own crutches and painkillers from a nearby shop. A few months later received an invoice from the hospital, the amount of which I paid - about €200. The procedure for claiming this back from National Health here is/was so cumbersome and complicated, I didn't bother.
A simple Euroassistance travel policy would have paid everything for me. :roll: 
saluti,
eddied


----------

