Travel insurance recommendation?

[adamu]

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)

This is not a safe assumption to make, you should definitely check the conditions.

Nobody mentioned travel insurance that come with credit cards? E.g. Rakuten credit card： https://www.rakuten-card.co.jp/overseas/insurance/

I never got insurance, because I was depending on the insurance that comes with the credit cards. Anybody any experience claiming with these types of insurances?

The insurance with Rakuten card only works if you book the trip through a registered travel agent, and pay with your card... With the Rakuten Premium card, it's more flexible, as the requirement is (weirdly) that you have to pay at least ¥1 for transport to your port of departure on the card.

[Roger Van Zant]

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.

Thanks for the tip.
I also opted for Tabiho Prime, with this coverage:

https://ibb.co/cYTHmw6
Total cost was 13,030 yen. I'm going to the UK for two weeks with a stop over in Hong Kong. I'm British but no longer entitled to free NHS care.
Not decided if I will leave the airport or not yet, but I clicked "Hong Kong" just in case.
It may have been a little cheaper if I had only selected "UK".

I paid 210 yen extra for "Flight Delay" insurance (a measly 20,000 yen, but still....), and 850 yen extra for "Trip Discontinuation Expenses".
The latter will pay out 300,000 yen in the case of : 被保険者等に対して官公署の命令、外国の出入国規制、感染症による隔離が発せられた場合
For 850 yen extra, I just thought "Why not?".

The plan I chose also allows up to 100,000 yen of emergency dental expenses, which is something important if visiting the UK (you'll be paying privately even if an NHS dentist accepts you).

One thing that sucks is the yen/usd exchange rate. All the coverage amounts are significantly lower than you would normally expect. Still....

[goodandbadjapan]

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.

Thanks for the tip.
I also opted for Tabiho Prime, with this coverage:

https://ibb.co/cYTHmw6
Total cost was 13,030 yen. I'm going to the UK for two weeks with a stop over in Hong Kong. I'm British but no longer entitled to free NHS care.
Not decided if I will leave the airport or not yet, but I clicked "Hong Kong" just in case.
It may have been a little cheaper if I had only selected "UK".

I paid 210 yen extra for "Flight Delay" insurance (a measly 20,000 yen, but still....), and 850 yen extra for "Trip Discontinuation Expenses".
The latter will pay out 300,000 yen in the case of : 被保険者等に対して官公署の命令、外国の出入国規制、感染症による隔離が発せられた場合
For 850 yen extra, I just thought "Why not?".

The plan I chose also allows up to 100,000 yen of emergency dental expenses, which is something important if visiting the UK (you'll be paying privately even if an NHS dentist accepts you).

One thing that sucks is the yen/usd exchange rate. All the coverage amounts are significantly lower than you would normally expect. Still....

Did you apply for it all online or did you phone them up? I had a quick look at the online page and didn't see anywhere to add preexisting conditions etc or will that come up as you go through the process? (Or do they not ask?) The bit i clicked through asked where I was going and for how log and how old I was and gave a rough estimate but that was all.

[Roger Van Zant]

I got the Tabiho Prime insurance (think it was recommended on here). Cost just under 12,000 yen for three weeks in Europe.

Thanks for the tip.
I also opted for Tabiho Prime, with this coverage:

https://ibb.co/cYTHmw6
Total cost was 13,030 yen. I'm going to the UK for two weeks with a stop over in Hong Kong. I'm British but no longer entitled to free NHS care.
Not decided if I will leave the airport or not yet, but I clicked "Hong Kong" just in case.
It may have been a little cheaper if I had only selected "UK".

I paid 210 yen extra for "Flight Delay" insurance (a measly 20,000 yen, but still....), and 850 yen extra for "Trip Discontinuation Expenses".
The latter will pay out 300,000 yen in the case of : 被保険者等に対して官公署の命令、外国の出入国規制、感染症による隔離が発せられた場合
For 850 yen extra, I just thought "Why not?".

The plan I chose also allows up to 100,000 yen of emergency dental expenses, which is something important if visiting the UK (you'll be paying privately even if an NHS dentist accepts you).

One thing that sucks is the yen/usd exchange rate. All the coverage amounts are significantly lower than you would normally expect. Still....

Did you apply for it all online or did you phone them up? I had a quick look at the online page and didn't see anywhere to add preexisting conditions etc or will that come up as you go through the process? (Or do they not ask?) The bit i clicked through asked where I was going and for how log and how old I was and gave a rough estimate but that was all.

I applied online.
Nothing came up about pre-exisiting conditions; maybe it was in the small print....

[goodandbadjapan]

Thanks for the tip.
I also opted for Tabiho Prime, with this coverage:

https://ibb.co/cYTHmw6
Total cost was 13,030 yen. I'm going to the UK for two weeks with a stop over in Hong Kong. I'm British but no longer entitled to free NHS care.
Not decided if I will leave the airport or not yet, but I clicked "Hong Kong" just in case.
It may have been a little cheaper if I had only selected "UK".

I paid 210 yen extra for "Flight Delay" insurance (a measly 20,000 yen, but still....), and 850 yen extra for "Trip Discontinuation Expenses".
The latter will pay out 300,000 yen in the case of : 被保険者等に対して官公署の命令、外国の出入国規制、感染症による隔離が発せられた場合
For 850 yen extra, I just thought "Why not?".

The plan I chose also allows up to 100,000 yen of emergency dental expenses, which is something important if visiting the UK (you'll be paying privately even if an NHS dentist accepts you).

One thing that sucks is the yen/usd exchange rate. All the coverage amounts are significantly lower than you would normally expect. Still....

Did you apply for it all online or did you phone them up? I had a quick look at the online page and didn't see anywhere to add preexisting conditions etc or will that come up as you go through the process? (Or do they not ask?) The bit i clicked through asked where I was going and for how log and how old I was and gave a rough estimate but that was all.

I applied online.
Nothing came up about pre-exisiting conditions; maybe it was in the small print....

Thanks. I did find this which seems to suggest it doesn't matter if it is just short trip:

Q: 持病で通院をしています。10日間の観光ですが申込みできますか？

回答
はい、お申込みいただけます。
31日以内の観光・その他、商用については、お申込みに際して健康状態に関する告知はございません。

[captainspoke]

...
Thanks. I did find this which seems to suggest it doesn't matter if it is just short trip:

Q: 持病で通院をしています。10日間の観光ですが申込みできますか？

回答
はい、お申込みいただけます。
31日以内の観光・その他、商用については、お申込みに際して健康状態に関する告知はございません。

As someone who arguably has a 'condition' or two, that's a great find! Thanks.

[Roger Van Zant]

Did you apply for it all online or did you phone them up? I had a quick look at the online page and didn't see anywhere to add preexisting conditions etc or will that come up as you go through the process? (Or do they not ask?) The bit i clicked through asked where I was going and for how log and how old I was and gave a rough estimate but that was all.

I applied online.
Nothing came up about pre-exisiting conditions; maybe it was in the small print....

Thanks. I did find this which seems to suggest it doesn't matter if it is just short trip:

Q: 持病で通院をしています。10日間の観光ですが申込みできますか？

回答
はい、お申込みいただけます。
31日以内の観光・その他、商用については、お申込みに際して健康状態に関する告知はございません。

Oh, nice find.
This is good to know for future trips out of Japan.

[northSaver]

I wonder if the more expensive policies cover cover cancellation fees due to illness prior to travel? Influenza is currently crazy in my town and as a teacher of children I'm afraid I might catch it just before I fly next Saturday (23rd). One company I'm looking at is H.S. Insurance and they're just under 7000 yen for 21 days in the UK. They cover the important things during your trip but specifically state that they don't cover illnesses that start before you leave Japan.

Is it worth paying extra for this I wonder? My airline charges 13k for a flight change (+ fare difference) and 26k for a cancellation.

[goodandbadjapan]

I wonder if the more expensive policies cover cover cancellation fees due to illness prior to travel? Influenza is currently crazy in my town and as a teacher of children I'm afraid I might catch it just before I fly next Saturday (23rd). One company I'm looking at is H.S. Insurance and they're just under 7000 yen for 21 days in the UK. They cover the important things during your trip but specifically state that they don't cover illnesses that start before you leave Japan.

Is it worth paying extra for this I wonder? My airline charges 13k for a flight change (+ fare difference) and 26k for a cancellation.

I just signed up with tabiho prime and it was about 13,000 for two weeks in UK but that covers me during transit in Dubai and gives quite a lot of cover. Not sure if it covers getting ill before flight because I am on an Emirates flight that allows free cancellations so wouldn't be out of pocket for the flight anyway. It's a legitimate worry, though. I would just look at what it would cost. If it is not much extra and considerably less than the 26k that you would have to pay for a cancellation, I'd go for it. But if it is a hefty increase, I'd probably just take my chances with what you have. Worst situation, you are down 26k (and a delayed trip home). Annoying, but not the end of the world.

[northSaver]

I just signed up with tabiho prime and it was about 13,000 for two weeks in UK but that covers me during transit in Dubai and gives quite a lot of cover. Not sure if it covers getting ill before flight because I am on an Emirates flight that allows free cancellations so wouldn't be out of pocket for the flight anyway. It's a legitimate worry, though. I would just look at what it would cost. If it is not much extra and considerably less than the 26k that you would have to pay for a cancellation, I'd go for it. But if it is a hefty increase, I'd probably just take my chances with what you have. Worst situation, you are down 26k (and a delayed trip home). Annoying, but not the end of the world.

Thanks for your information and advice. After some thought I've decided to pay less and take the risk. I haven't caught influenza yet despite most of the child students having it (but no adults so far strangely enough), so hopefully I can last another week. Also it would be a flight change to the spring or summer, so 13k fee rather than 26k.

By the way, my Mum says that Covid seems to be getting big again in the UK, at least where she lives. That might affect coming back to Japan... but at least the insurance will cover it Take care and have a nice trip.