Does anyone know of any good deals on UK only travel insurance which covers business use for a year? I have been to the usual websites and can only see Europe bundled in with the UK and I'm sure this must be more expensive as it covers foreign health costs, repatriation etc etc.
many thanks
Craig
So what risks do you actually want to insure against ?
It isnt too difficult to book hotels that are refundable or leave bookings until late so that minimises the risk of losing money there.
In message , Miss L. Toe writes
plane being cancelled, flights delayed, lost baggage, taxi not turning up, bad weather, strikes, emergency accommodation, having to cancel due to family emergency, unable to fly due to bad health etc.
Some of those are the responsibility of the airline, eg if the flight is cancelled, emergency accomodation/meals due to delay/cancellation, if they lose your luggage etc. You may find your house insurance covers you for lost baggage elsewhere.
I travel abroad a lot and I no longer bother with travel insurance - most risks are either covered by other insurances, are the legal responsibility of someone else (eg the airline), and the remaining risks are too trivial to insure against (eg ill health cancellation).
IMO insurance is only worthwhile to prevent major financial disaster, eg your house burning down or medical costs in the US, not for trivial things like the cost of a flight/hotel/holiday. Over a lifetime you'll almost certainly be better off self insuring for low value risks, then you aren't subsidising insurance companies' overheads, profits, and fradulent claims.
Andy, on the one hand you say that you do not bother with holiday insurance but then go on to say insurance is only worthwhile to prevent major financial disaster eg medical costs in US - So do you take out insurance or not? IMO You would have to be very very lucky or pretty stupid not to take out insurance when travelling. An air ambulance to repatriate you would set you back at least 20,000 - now if you have this sort of money to waste no problem - but I think 99.9% of us don't. You might be perfectly healthy but all you need is an idiot with a motor vehicle to knock you down!
In message , Eric Jones writes
From my point of view, I'm travelling in a plane about 80 days a year, so the annual policies probably make more sense.
My company medical plan covers all medical costs abroad. Even if it didn't, I wouldn't bother with medical insurance if I was travelling in most countries covered by the EHIC. I would agree that you'd be daft not to have medical cover if you're travelling to a country not covered by the EHIC.
Unless you're in a country with poor medical facilities (not many in western Europe that are worse than the UK!), or in some remote region, why would you want repatriating? If I had an accident in France I'd much rather recover in a French hospital than some grotty NHS one, until I was well enough to travel home by normal means.
Yes you will get emergency treatment but you will be expected to pay for anything else. I know there is the E1 11 or whatever the equivalent is now but there is no way I would rely on that to cover for treatment.
Eric Jones writes
Or go on a skiing holiday. A colleague at work was an experienced skier and did a controlled fall on an off-piste slope, to stop himself quickly as the slope increased. Unfortunately there was a rock under the surface just at that spot, and he badly injured his knee. He was flown home by air ambulance.
The EHIC entitles you to the same state treatment as locals.
On the same basis as locals. I think some countries charge fees, like in the UK
- NHS dentist fees and prescription fees which foreigners with EHIC would have to pay.
My daughter had an accident in Sweden and got free treatment - on the E111 as it was then. So it does work.
Andy I think we will have to agree to disagree. You keep on taking the chances and I'll keep on buying the insurance.
Have you ever tried claiming on the insurance ?
Q. Have you drunk any alcohol in the previous 24 hours ?
A. - Yes, sorry claim denied you were under the influence of drugs.....
But that had nothing to do with the earthquake that caused the ceiling to fall on my leg whilst I was asleep.
Tough !
Q. Did you say it was a terrorist bomb that caused you to have that 20k operation and 3 weeks in hospital ?
A. - Yes, sorry claim denied - terrorism is specifically excluded.
BeanSmart website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.