British Consul

The Foreign Office has launched a new awareness campaign today aimed at travellers visiting family and friends overseas, especially in the USA. You can play a part in spreading the word as, very often, family and friends don't take out travel insurance when visiting because they feel safer when staying with you. So what would you rather have them bring? A box of teabags or a travel insurance policy that covers them in the event of an accident?

You can read the campaign message, watch our You-tube video here, read my blog on the Foreign Office website (please feel free to leave a comment!), or read the article in the Independent.

As ever, I'll be interested to hear what you think.

Thanks

Dean

Duncan Roberts

It's a good message. A friend of mine went to Miami 18 months or so ago in the middle of summer. The humidity got to him badly and he had trouble breathing so went to the hospital. They wouldn't admit him until he gave them a credit card because it was deemed non-urgent and he ended up with a bill for a couple of thousand pounds. For him, and most people, an annual policy is less than a night out and would have saved my friend the emotional and financial issues. They aren't perfect but they are a massive safety net if you are in a situation where you need some sort of medical care. I know when I used to visit here I would book my tickets and them immediately check to see if my annual travel insurance had expired, if it had I would renew it. I make sure my family do the same when they visit. That doesn't even touch on lost passports, money, luggage, etc. All of which can cost you a lot of time, money and stress.

lyonsden1193

Great message!! Have had several people visit and they have found that buying insurance was a good idea. I work in in a medical office and part of my duties as business mgr is to make sure the money gets collected. I have seen many tourists over the years get a nasty suprise with Doctor bills and Emergency room charges. I hate insurance companies with a passion because I have to deal with them on a daily basis... BUT holiday insurance is a good thing!

zargof

It really depends on the type of teabags.

Mummy in the foothills

Good campaign

Lorna at Vicenza

Nobody gets into my house without teabags AND good bacon.

I'd never go to the USA without medical cover but myself and my family are happy to travel between Italy and the UK without it - because we're covered by our health cards. Yes I know we're lucky.

Squirrel

It wouldn't cover you if you had to be airlifted back to the UK. I would never rely on just a European Health Card.

Lorna at Vicenza

Well I'll do what the Italians do then - touch metal and my balls for good luck.

Out of interest - why would we need to be airlifted to the UK?

Squirrel

If you broke your leg for example. I don't know if staying in Italy for 6 weeks would be an option, it would cost a lot for most people going for a normal holiday of 1 or 2 weeks (extra hotel costs, maybe extra kennel costs for pets? etc). And I don't know if the local healthcare would provide all aspects of cover. Plus with the EHIC you are restricted to 'state' hospitals, with health insurance you won't get stung if the ambulance happens to take you to the nearest hospital and that's private! Also, don't know about Italy, but for France, I don't think ambulance costs are covered by the EHIC which can be quite a lot. There are many associated expenses if someone is hospitalised and for the cost of a few quid for insurance I don't think it is worth the risk.

Lorna at Vicenza

I didn't think about the costs of somebody not being able to return home - but the healthcare side of things would be covered in Italy .... not that I'm going to break my sister's leg the next time she is here to put them to the test.

Bob

Both tbh, it's not like travel insurance takes up much suitcase space.

Plus only a complete numpty would even think to travel to the US without travel insurance, so for the sake of the gene pool, it's probably a good thing something were to happen to them

Bob

That's a point, helicopter search and rescue in Austria wouldn't be covered and when my brother went off the side of a mountain, he was lucky to have been still on the clock so work paid for it, but it a 10K bill for the airlift for initial hospital and then another one when they transported him to a specialist hospital as he had broken his back. He was in rehab for 6 months before being allowed out of hospital, which was all covered by work insurance, don't know how someone would deal with that if they were on holiday.

The E card is only really any good for quick emergencies, breaking your leg kind of thing, doesn't help with repatriation for anything long term...but insurance is as cheap as chips for Europe.