Health care - Page 2

Travel insurance doesn't just cover emergency health cover! Everyone should take out travel insurance in case their flights are cancelled or their luggage gets lost. Even if the EHIC covers emergency health, what happens to your partner if you are taken into hospital? He or she would more than likely have to pay for additional accommodation etc. and then there are the travel expenses between the accommodation and the hospital. Most people never plan for these eventualities and then find themselves worried about their sick partner, while they also maybe have to look after their children and get to and fro from the hospital not knowing if or when their partner will be well enough to travel. I worked in the Canary Islands for several years as a holiday rep back in the 1980's and know from personal experience what can happen to people who thought that they didn't need travel insurance and ended up having to pay a fortune to repatriate the body of their partner after he or she died unexpectedly whilst on holiday. For a small amount of money, having total peace of mind, is worth every penny!

Yes Mags

I agree but I have told my wife not to bother with repatriation, if I'm dead that's it cremation ASAP, I have it in my will  Direct Cremation then go and have a drink on me.

I cannot stand funerals where someone who never knew you says how good you where, recounting what they were told a few minutes before and does the same thing day after day.

The cost comes when you cannot get back without expensive transport, we drive down, and both drive we can take longer if that is required.

So it will most likely only be something like a stroke or heat attach in out case but better have travel insurance that covers you.

If you add up all the premiums you would pay over the years, and estimate the possibilities of needing to claim, you may decide that if the worst happens you simply pay for it....

My late then father in law never took out any house insurance, and calculated that the real risk of a serious fire etc were so low and that he could always simply pay for the damage repair he would not bother. In his eighty years of life he must have saved tens of thousands!

Oh I 100% agree with you there! I've told my husband that if I pop off first, I'd like an instant cremation in a cardboard box and then my ashes sprinkled somewhere bright and sunny with a nice view. If people want to hold a party afterwards, then they can do it without me!

I received this today from Gov.uk.  No details yet on how to apply for a GHIC.

If you are travelling to the EU, you can apply for a free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you already have an EHIC it will still be valid as long as it remains in date. A GHIC or EHIC gives you the right to access emergency state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in those countries.

Check for the latest information on GHIC or EHIC online, or by phone on 0300 330 1350.

Remember that a GHIC or 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. EHIC is not valid on cruises.

Bob's post sums it up quite nicely.  It used to be the case that if your local NHS could not provide the service in a reasonable time frame you could go to Europe , e.g. Lithuania,  for a new hip and the hospital that did it could claim the money back from the UK NHS.  The cost was about £7,000.   It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Already there is a directive that the EHIC will be PHASED out and any person with a current EHIC it will be honoured until the expiry date on the EHIC and at that time you apply for a GHIC yes something new full situation not known as yet . BUT THE EHIC DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY END ON 31st december