meelie

Can anyone recommend a UK travel insurance company that I can use. My elderly parents aged 65 and 72 (ok 65 is not elderly) are visiting for 2 months and I cant find any quotes for longer than one month. Any ideas please.

Buzzy--Bee

Hi, my dad visits for 3 months at a time (he is 83) I will ask who he uses.

However I would ask what will the insurance be for? It may be cheaper to self-insure, as your parents would probably be covered by Medicare reciprocal agreement and the cost of insuring against luggage loss might be greater than the value of the luggage!

BB

meelie

Thanks for the speedy reply, my mum has a pacemaker so its just in case she needs any medical assistance. She would be arranging the insurance for herself and my stepdad. whats the medicare reciprocal agreement?

meelie

I've just googled the medicare reciprocal agreement and now I think I understand. Does this mean my parents don't actually need travel insurance, as they aren't worried about insuring luggage etc? It was just because my mum and dad are 65 and 72 and I thought they would need health travel insurance.

Buzzy--Bee

Assuming they are British citizens they will have access to medicare under the reciprocal agreement. That will cover them as well as the NHS would in the UK, although they would have to pay as an Australian would for some things, what it will of course not cover is repatriation, however you may wish to take a risk on that and self fund it in the unlikely event it was needed.

BB

meelie

Thanks for your help Buzzy-Bee. Will not be taking out insurance then, like to take the occasional risk LOL.

Jerseygirl

I used All Clear Travel Insurance for my 84 yr old MIL last year. She has numerous health problems including cardiac problems, DVT and diabetes. The policy included repatriation for her and my SIL who was accompanying her. I found it quite difficult to get travel insurance because of her age rather than health issues.

I'm in the US and have no idea about the UK/Aus agreement Buzzy mentioned.

Hebe

My Inlaws did the same this year. However, I was a little uneasy about the actual travelling bit. I know someone who got an appendicitis on board an aircraft and ended up in hospital in Dubai having emergency surgery.

As with regards to luggage - they may want to check their own contents insurance as mine was always covered by this and so when I travelled I never used to have luggage cover.

lesleys

They really should have medical insurance for the journey. They could end up almost anywhere if taken ill on the flight. It's not just actual medical costs but things like having to reschedule flights or unplanned hotel bills.
Do a search on here as this topic has come up a few times before.

moocow

you should not need cover while they are here as they are covered by medicare. you would only need cover if you wanted to get them home if something happened while here.

of course it wont happen but if one of them died while here what would you do?

can you look at getting to single trip covers for just the flying dates? you need to have cover while in transit, if the planes needs to make an emergency landing you need to pay for it.

galba

www.deltainsurance.co.uk
www.travel-insurance.net

meelie

Thanks for those 2, have just got a quote from delta and nearly spilled my tea!! 549 pounds!! (no pound sign on my aussie keyboard) That was for the duration of the stay. 130 pounds for the flight here only for both of them! This travelling business is blimmin expensive! Oh well I shall keep searching and probably go with the insurance to cover their travel dates. And theres life in my parents yet moocow so I don't think they will be popping their clogs yet LOL! Anyway once they are here it will be fine cos hubby and I are both nurses.

Buzzy--Bee

Good luck with that! If you find some please let me know as most travel insurance companies demand a return date and then charge you the whole time in between.

My Dad btw says he gets the insurance through the NatWest bank as he has an Advantage Gold Account with them. But he says it gets harder as you get older (he is 83).

BB

Sunshine7

I think most banks have advantage accounts which, amongst other benefits, offer annual travel insurance up to the age of 80 for a monthly fee of around £15 - covering the account holder AND partner. It would probably work out much, much cheaper than a one-off policy.

meelie

Thanks for the advice, have suggested this to my mum and will see what she says.