Travel insurance recommendation?

Beaglehound
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by Beaglehound »

goodandbadjapan wrote: Wed Jun 21, 2023 4:44 am
adamu wrote: Wed Jun 21, 2023 3:54 am
goodandbadjapan wrote: Wed Jun 21, 2023 2:33 am I thought there was a rule about still being able to use the NHS if you had visited the UK annually, but I can't find that anywhere now and it seems unless you are resident in the UK you are not entitled to use NHS.
It is still available in Scotland in some cases.

Visiting the UK, eligibility for NHS treatment
Thanks. That's what I was thinking of. I am from Scotland but haven't been back for over two years, but my employer (me!) does give me permission to go back whenever I want, so wonder where I stand!

Reading the PDF, it seems to suggest that anybody can get free emergency care in Scotland! That's really all I'd be worried about.
That’s true about emergency care, but this (from Citizen’s Advice) would give me pause about relying on that:

If your treatment is urgent

If you’re not entitled to free NHS hospital treatment, you'll still get medical treatment that stabilises a life-threatening condition, like renal failure. You’ll get treatment to deal with the emergency, but you’ll have to return home to complete the treatment once the emergency is over.


I am not sure about the ‘emergency is over’ part. I can imagine a scenario where it might be medically best to continue treatment in the U.K. instead of flying back here, but that may be chargeable. I’m in the same position as you and think I would prefer to have insurance to be on the safe side.
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by goodandbadjapan »

Beaglehound wrote: Wed Jun 21, 2023 5:12 am
goodandbadjapan wrote: Wed Jun 21, 2023 4:44 am
adamu wrote: Wed Jun 21, 2023 3:54 am

It is still available in Scotland in some cases.

Visiting the UK, eligibility for NHS treatment
Thanks. That's what I was thinking of. I am from Scotland but haven't been back for over two years, but my employer (me!) does give me permission to go back whenever I want, so wonder where I stand!

Reading the PDF, it seems to suggest that anybody can get free emergency care in Scotland! That's really all I'd be worried about.
That’s true about emergency care, but this (from Citizen’s Advice) would give me pause about relying on that:

If your treatment is urgent

If you’re not entitled to free NHS hospital treatment, you'll still get medical treatment that stabilises a life-threatening condition, like renal failure. You’ll get treatment to deal with the emergency, but you’ll have to return home to complete the treatment once the emergency is over.


I am not sure about the ‘emergency is over’ part. I can imagine a scenario where it might be medically best to continue treatment in the U.K. instead of flying back here, but that may be chargeable. I’m in the same position as you and think I would prefer to have insurance to be on the safe side.
Yes, I am fairly sure I will get coverage, but I will feel a bit more at ease knowing I can probably get treated anyway (esp if the insurance company turns out to be one of those ones that will find as many reasons as possible not to pay out!)
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

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I recently took out travel insurance for a brief (3 week) trip to Europe and the UK.

I would be covered by kokumin kenko hoken, and probably through one or more of my credit cards, but wanted to be sure, and the price for insurance was reasonable.

My understanding of the NHS is that you are not entitled to free treatment, but if you showed up at a hospital it would be somewhat unlikely that anyone would ask you about your residential status.
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by goodandbadjapan »

Hello - does anybody on here have any recommendations for a travel insurance company if you have pre-existing conditions? Last year, I had an issue which has largely cleared up but has the possibility of rearing its head again and I should probably declare it when getting insurance. Have usually just relied on credit card insurance but feel I'd better get something more comprehensive this time.
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Roger Van Zant
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by Roger Van Zant »

RetireJapan wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:11 am I recently took out travel insurance for a brief (3 week) trip to Europe and the UK.

I would be covered by kokumin kenko hoken, and probably through one or more of my credit cards, but wanted to be sure, and the price for insurance was reasonable.

My understanding of the NHS is that you are not entitled to free treatment, but if you showed up at a hospital it would be somewhat unlikely that anyone would ask you about your residential status.
Which company did you use and how much was it?
I am going back to the UK for a couple of weeks soon and am no longer entitled to free NHS care.
I am flying via Hong Kong, so need insurance which will cover me during my transit there as well as the UK.
Thanks.
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by RetireJapan »

Roger Van Zant wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:29 am
RetireJapan wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:11 am I recently took out travel insurance for a brief (3 week) trip to Europe and the UK.

I would be covered by kokumin kenko hoken, and probably through one or more of my credit cards, but wanted to be sure, and the price for insurance was reasonable.

My understanding of the NHS is that you are not entitled to free treatment, but if you showed up at a hospital it would be somewhat unlikely that anyone would ask you about your residential status.
Which company did you use and how much was it?
I am going back to the UK for a couple of weeks soon and am no longer entitled to free NHS care.
I am flying via Hong Kong, so need insurance which will cover me during my transit there as well as the UK.
Thanks.
I got the Tabiho Prime insurance (think it was recommended on here). Cost just under 12,000 yen for three weeks in Europe.
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Roger Van Zant
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by Roger Van Zant »

RetireJapan wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2023 1:06 am
Roger Van Zant wrote: Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:29 am
RetireJapan wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:11 am I recently took out travel insurance for a brief (3 week) trip to Europe and the UK.

I would be covered by kokumin kenko hoken, and probably through one or more of my credit cards, but wanted to be sure, and the price for insurance was reasonable.

My understanding of the NHS is that you are not entitled to free treatment, but if you showed up at a hospital it would be somewhat unlikely that anyone would ask you about your residential status.
Which company did you use and how much was it?
I am going back to the UK for a couple of weeks soon and am no longer entitled to free NHS care.
I am flying via Hong Kong, so need insurance which will cover me during my transit there as well as the UK.
Thanks.
I got the Tabiho Prime insurance (think it was recommended on here). Cost just under 12,000 yen for three weeks in Europe.
I'll look into it. Thank you.
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Roger Van Zant
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by Roger Van Zant »

RetireJapan wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:11 am I recently took out travel insurance for a brief (3 week) trip to Europe and the UK.

I would be covered by kokumin kenko hoken, and probably through one or more of my credit cards, but wanted to be sure, and the price for insurance was reasonable.

My understanding of the NHS is that you are not entitled to free treatment, but if you showed up at a hospital it would be somewhat unlikely that anyone would ask you about your residential status.
I think you would get rumbled when the hospital asks you who your regular GP is and which GP surgery you usually use.
"I don't have a GP" would probably raise a few red flags, and get them asking for your UK address etc., which would get you found out as a non-UK resident.
For the sake of 15,000 yen or however much travel insurance costs, it's just not a risk worth taking.
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JapHans
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by JapHans »

Haystack wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 6:26 am
Gareth wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 6:09 am
Rezz wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 4:46 am I'm going to two locations for 40 days in total. It seems Tabiho doesn't let you choose a holiday for more than 31 days. Other insurerers I've checked don't allow multiple locations.
I’ve used World Nomads for similar trips in the past. Never had to make a claim so can’t comment on that part of it, but it covered long trips travelling through different countries.
I have heard a lot of second and third hand horror stories about this company. However, I have not done the research myself.
My service experience with Nomads is good, while having a medical issue in Bali.
There are, however, quite expensive. Even with the standard policy, for 3 weeks Netherlands, you pay more than ¥20,000 per person.

I was hoping to be able to get a year-around multi-country travel insurance, for multiple home-country visits (Netherlands) and e.g. 1 or 2 additional destinations in e.g. SE Asia. No plans to go to the US. I used to have such an insurance, many years ago, when I still lived in the Netherlands. Does something like this still exist?
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Re: Travel insurance recommendation?

Post by zeroshiki »

My company uses the coverage on our corporate cards for our travel insurance so I assume if it's good enough for them it should be good enough for normal people. If you have a card that's gold or above and use it to buy a plane ticket or hotel reservation, you should be covered (sometimes you don't even need to use the card to be covered)
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