Personal Insurance for Overseas Travel

[dipsticks]

We are thinking about doing some overseas travel again next year so need to consider Personal health insurance again.

Although quite fit we have a rather lenthy list of tablets taken daily so are concerned that the premiums may be prohibitive.

We would be grateful for any hints and tips or recommendations anyone might have to research this subject.

Thank you in anticipation.

[peterjl]

Hi. You have to do the boring bit of filling out quote forms for a variety of insurers however, make sure you know what each of your tablets is for plus your exact diagnosis for each condition.

I had a cardiac arrest during London triathlon a few years back and they put me on standards meds however when it comes to answering questions about number of medications for high blood pressure the answer was not straightforward since I never ever had high blood pressure BUT some of the meds were for high blood pressure. Sooooo you need to know purpose of meds so you can give an accurate answer. If in doubt write to your Gp and ask what they are for and why you are on them. 

I keep a file of medical issues just so I can get accurate insurance quotes.

[bounty hunter]

AXA Schengen insurance charge by the day with no questions. Two levels of cover 30000 euros or 100000 euros. Had their insurance when my wife fell and broke her femur in Spain and were willing to step in but Vinaros hospital accepted EHIC card so weren't needed

https://www.axa-schengen.com/en/schengen-travel-insurance/uk

John

[laimeduck]

We use the Nationwide cover that comes with their current account. Also gives you vehicle breakdown cover plus a load of other stuff. £13.00 per month. Have to pay extra to extend cover over 30 days and there may be an age extra.

Jeremy

[Derek Uzzell]

There is an over-age-70 'age extension' (£65) required where Nationwide's FlexPlus travel insurance is concerned.

Details here

https://www.nationwide.co.uk/current-accounts/flexplus/travel-insurance/ 

Pre-existing medical conditions may also need to be declared and can bump up the premium significantly.

[colin]

Just like other types of insurance you can go to the comparison sites to get quotes, who will insure you, and how much they charge will depend on your personal circumstances, aside from the usual ones you might also want to try 'insurance surgery'.

[hallii]

If you travel on Eurotunnel they do insurance, simply have to be able to say you are fit to travel.  All conditions covered, no questions asked.  

 

[crocs]

The 'Packaged Account' cover from your bank is usually very good but, by the time you add on the Age and Pre-existing Medical extensions, they are very often not good value. Comparison sites will get you a number of quotes with the advantage that you can also quickly compare Single Trip versus Annual Policies.

[Basil]

We use NFOP insurance, annual multi trip, no medical questions, just mustn't have been told not to travel by a doctor. Very competitive price for a block policy.

However you have to be under 74 at inception, although once a member provided you continue to renew no age limit. You also have to have been an NFOP member for six months before you can apply which means joining now would enable insurance from mid April beginning of May. 

The insurance covers world-wide and cruises, which a lot of others don't without paying for an extension.

Bas

[webby1]

Just found out what NFOP stands for and I'm going to give them a try for insurance.Do you know if they allow 90 day trips.

[thebishbus]

Another recommendation for NFOP. Their insurance company  spent a lot of money rescuing me after a serious skiing accident in Andorra  2 years ago. To qualify you or your partner have to have an occupational  pension. The  insurance company they are using at the moment  CSiS.

                                  Brian B.

[laimeduck]

We investigated  NFOP about a year or so ago but they were not taking on any new members so we didn't progress it.

No idea if this has changed?

[Robinhood]

I don't think they stopped taking on new members. At one point they implemented a "qualification period" whereby you had to be a NFOP member for some months before you could take out travel insurance. This was then extended to a significantly longer qualifying period.

Reading the Ts&Cs now (albeit somewhat quickly) I can see no current reference to this (but the continuing practice wouldn't surprise me).

[dipsticks]

Thank you very much indeed for all the suggestions I am very grateful and will report back when we have made our decision.

 

Kind regards.

[webby1]

Gave them a call and they no longer have the qualifying period.Flat rate travel insurance is I think £399 for a couple.But only 65 days per trip.It only runs from March to March so you lose out if you take it out part year.

Only medical is that you have not been advised not to travel  and I understand this can carry on if you take it out before age 74

[Derek Uzzell]

This link is to the NFOP website

https://www.nfop.org.uk/

and this link to the NFOP Travel Insurance website

https://nfoptravelinsurance.org.uk/#

[ColinM50]

The NFOP policy seems OK, however we're both diabetic (70 &73) so additional premiums apply and in Oct 23 took out an annual policy with Virgin Money at £145 for us both.

[Basil]

There are no additional premiums for the NFOP insurance irrespective of your prior conditions.

Bas

[webby1]

We get a good multi policy from LV but I guess that will start to climb up now I'm past 70.The NFOP looks as though it might keep to a steady inflation type increase beyond 74.

If you have conditions it seems even better value.I understand as we get older no matter what as long as the doctor does not tell you not to travel ( when presumably you wouldn't want to anyway)the flat rate remains "steady" It's now £399 a couple

[Fred Duck]

Finding a good deal is one thing but more important is what happens when you need your insurers. We relied on a Lloyds Bank packaged deal with our bank account for many years but in 2022, when my Wife was admitted to hospital on Crete with an asthma attack she only just survived, the insurer Lloyds use, Allianz, was found to be wanting in the extreme. It took 9 months, two formal complaints to Lloyds, two formal complaints to Allianz (the second of which they still have not even acknowledged) and, finally, a complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman (who were excellent in every way) before we got payment for the costs we'd incurred. 

The NFOP scheme sounds excellent but do they pay out in a proper manner when/if the time comes?

FD

[thebishbus]

Well, their insurance company certainly paid out on me after a serious skiing accident in Andorra. Medical costs for me in Andorra , private Lear Jet home, with two Doctors that stayed with me to my room in the Q E Hospital B/Ham. Separate flight home and expenses for my wife. Total cost about £26,000 pounds. We have been with them 5 years, started paying £375 now pay £395.

                                 Brian B.

[thebishbus]

Me again, perhaps I should have mentioned our age, I am 83 and my wife 81. It's been 6 years not 5. And no increase in premium when renewed in March after my accident in February 2022.

                                Brian B.

Edited December 3, 2023 by thebishbus
to add March.

[Deneb]

On 03/12/2023 at 08:14, thebishbus said:

Me again, perhaps I should have mentioned our age, I am 83 and my wife 81. It's been 6 years not 5. And no increase in premium when renewed in March after my accident in February 2022.

                                Brian B.

There shouldn't be any claims related increases to individual premiums with the NFOP scheme, as the premium is a set rate applied consistently to all scheme members.

[laimeduck]

I have just phoned the NFOP Travel insurance people to clarify a couple of points with them. The scheme is administered by the Civil Service Insurance Society CSIS, based in Maidstone. 

I am 74 in February 2024, but my wife is 64. I currently use the Nationwide travel insurance on their Joint Flex account. Overall with trip length extension, age extension, cruise extension it costs me about £300. But it does include vehicle breakdown for any vehicle registered in my name - including our 3850Kg Benimar. In total therefore I get breakdown for 5 vehicles! (including my daughter's vehicles)

It is perhaps worth noting a few points about NFOP Travel insurance.

• Applicants must be members of the NFOP which is an annual cost of £25.80 for an individual £36.60 Joint membership. This is in addition to the Premium for the travel insurance policy.
• Applicants must have signed up before their 75th birthday . ie up to and including 74 years of age.
• In a joint membership, if one partner is older than their 85th birthday, then they cannot join the scheme.
• Once in the scheme, age is immaterial.
• The insurance runs from March to March. (So if you join in e.g. December you pay £395 for 4 months, then £395 again the next March. There is no pro-rata payment). 

So for me, NFOP works out more expensive than Nationwide by about £150-200 pa. (depending on breakdown cover costs?)

With Nationwide, I have to pay additional amounts  for different covers and they could be withdrawn of go up in price steeply. No point in joining NFOP now until March, but I may just take the financial hit then for the peace of mind?

So ....... I may well go for it in March 2024 as once in, you are in. and the cover seems pretty good with few questions asked. 

Jeremy

[TeamRienza]

We have been with NFOP for a few years now. My take on travel insurance is that,

1. The simplicity of the policy together with the fairly generous cover is to my mind reassuring compared to the small print and scope for exclusion with many companies offerings.

2. I believe that as we get older and accumulate more issues that impact on premium levels, we have future proofed our insurance cover premiums to the annually adjusted group premium.

until recently our premiums have been more expensive with NFOP than other company offerings, but now the tide is beginning to turn in our favour. I also frequently on forums read of posters finding it almost impossible to obtain cover beyond 80. 

As an aside, for curiosity I did a quick quote on a comparison site. 0 of 28 insurers were prepared to offer cover to a 70 year old male and 67 female with non life threatening conditions. 

Davy