Long stay insurance cover

[calmdown]

Hi, Thanks to everyone for the great advice I have received in conection to my 1st trip to Hua Hin. can anyone out there give me any info on were I can get reasonable long stay travel insurance. I have tried a few places on the net but lots have a 31 day limit on stay with their anual cover & the backpacker cover I have tried has an age limit of 39, never thought at 48 I would be too old for cover. So if anyone can let me know where I could get travel insurance cover for a stay of up to 92 days I would greatly appreciate it.
Cheers Alan.

[Big Boy]

I've exceeded the 30/31 day limit a few times. If you contact the provider, they will quote you for any period. I normally arrange ours through Nat West because they are the only ones we've found that don't gave unacceptable exclusions written in to their small print.

[calmdown]

Thanks Ian, I will look into that in the next day or so.

regards Alan.

[Big Boy]

Thanks Ian

[kendo]

Big Boy,Natwest insurance is poor, i know everyone has there own storys to tell, but read mine from the house insurance thread.

[margaretcarnes]

Isn't there any local provision available in HH? I thought the Observer Group used to do it? Could do to look at the same myself for 90 days.

[Big Boy]

Big Boy,Natwest insurance is poor, i know everyone has there own storys to tell, but read mine from the house insurance thread.

Kendo, each to his own, and we can only talk from personal experience?

Let me start by asking you a question - have you ever had to use your holiday insurance for serious illness?

I've written on this forum several times about the bout of mental illness my wife suffered whilst in Thailand. The first time it occurred just happened to be the first time I had switched from NatWest. I thought we were fine because I read what was covered, and all policies were comparable - I thought I was getting the same cover for a hell of a lot less money.

In my numerous calls to the insurance company in the UK (which they were kind enough to pay for), they referred me to the exclusions section. Basically, it said you were covered for (can't remember the exact figures) unless you had a severe illness - oh dear. we were not covered. Thank the lord for the Credit Card! That was a very fast learning curve.

They gradually brought my wife's condition under control (she'll never be cured) over a period of 2 years experimenting with various cocktails of medication. Providing she takes her medicine, she is now fine.

When it came to the next holiday (and I had the necessary documentation saying that she was fit to travel) I started looking for holiday insurance. They all looked great, until you read the exclusions - same old story, they will provide millions of pounds worth of cover .......... unless you were ill.

The only policy that I could find that met our needs was NatWest.

We have had cause to use the policy a couple of times since. I'll quote one example. We had just returned from holiday, so money was tight. We got that dreaded 'middle of the night' phone call - her father had been diagnosed with liver problems and only had days to live.

After much discussion, we decided it made sense for Mrs BB to visit alone (we had taken a lot of factors into consideration eg money, time off work, time off school etc). Before she left the UK, we discussed the situation with her psychiatrist and GP - although they were more than happy for her to travel, they repeatedly warned her against touching her father because he could be very contagious.

Well, to cut a long story very short, it all became too much for her, she became very ill, and went walkabout. I started getting strange phone calls from her through the night from various parts of Thailand. She eventually ended up in a hotel that we both knew in Pattaya. She didn't have a clue what she was doing, or where she really was. Fortunately we had some friends in Pattaya who kept an eye on her after I had phoned them.

I contacted the insurance company, and they said if I could get her to a hospital, they would do the rest and have her escorted back to the UK. It wasn't going to be that easy - she hates Thai doctors/hospitals and refused to go.

I got back on to the insurance and they said they would pay all of my expenses if I could go and collect her - that is what we did, and they paid every penny that I claimed, which included flights, taxis, hotels food (including the occasional beer ).

As I said, each to his own. I've told you why NatWest are good. I'd be interested to hear why NatWest Travel Insurance is poor.

[margaretcarnes]

Hi Calmdown - I asked at my bank yesterday (Lloyds) and appear to be automatically covered for 45 days only with my platinum account. We are still waiting for a reply to my query on whether further insurance can be obtained locally in HH. I'd be very surprised if it isn't.
Have also asked for insurance details from a solicitor in Hull (Stamps) who specialise, but they will ONLY insure for the period covered by my present flight dates. As we hope to extend the stay while there that still wouldn't be enough cover, and similar will apply with the Lloyds cover - ie lost luggage on the way out only.
It sounds as if you are doing the same as us - going out on a 60 day visa with option for a 30 day extension and change the return flight date. Its much cheaper than getting an open return. If you need contact details etc for the Hull consul just pm me (is actually now in Hessle.)
BTW we lived in HH for a few years, and to be honest I never bothered with health insurance then. I don't know if you've been out to Thailand before, but the biggest risk IMO is broken bones! Travel light and avoid taking expensive equipment, so if luggage IS lost it won't be a disaster.
Cheers, Mags

[margaretcarnes]

Sorry - that was meant to be a PM! D'oh

[Big Boy]

I guess that the

NatWest insurance is poor

quote was either unsubstantiated, based on cost or based on a third party report.

Since writing my response yesterday, I've been wondering how many people travel thinking they are secure because they have purchased insurance.

How many of those actually know what they are and are not insured for?

How many feel smug because they saved 50 pence when purchasing their cover?

Believe me, I have been there - its not nice when your wife is in hospital in a foreign country, and you are told that you are not covered. Home seems an awful long way away. Its a feeling that I wouldn't wish upon anybody. It was fortunate we were paying Thai prices and not for example, USA prices.

You don't plan illness or accidents. All you can do is ensure that if the unexpected should happen, the protection you have purchased will cover you. In our example, we felt pretty smug with the cost of our policy - we would have been as well off having no cover at all.

I urge all of you travelling on holiday to check the exclusions at the back of your policy. Think of all eventualities, and be satisfied the policy gives you the full protection you require. Don't forget, it's not what is included in the policy that counts, its the exclusions!

[kendo]

Big Boy thank god Natwest come good for you in a very difficult situation i fully feel for your situation it must of been hell.
my original rant was on the house insurance thread, basically i tryed to clame a small amount of money back for changing my travel dates after my father passed away suddenly, i provided a copy of his death cert with cause of death (heart attack) and that was not enough proof for them they wanted to contact our family doctor to look into if there was any pre-existing conditions. The stress and the emotional heartbreak was very hard to deal with, so for the sake of a small amount of money original clame £200 pounds i needed closure. I was originaly told "no problem go on holiday, and we can deal with this on your return" thing is i got a different attitude from them when i went to clame.

[Big Boy]

I think a lot has to do with the person you are dealing with at the other end. In the example I used, they didn't even ask for a medical examination/certificate. I must have been fortunate to get the right person answering my calls.

In a totally unrelated insurance claim where my car had been damaged by the garage, they tried to tell me that the assessor had said that it wasn't an accident. After much arguing, and referral to supervisors they changed their mind. I used the argument that if it he was saying it wasn't an accident, could they please provide his report because he must have been inferring the garage had caused the damage deliberately ......................... it was a pretty swift about turn.

The point I am trying to make is that although the first couple of agents were adamant that I wasn't getting a penny, when I eventually spoke to somebody who was empowered to make decisions, and who could see reason, the decision was immediately reversed and I had a cheque within 2 days.