General Brexit discussion thread

[Borg Refinery]

uk tourist visiting the eu without travel insurance?

Read my posts dyno , the vast vast majority of uk tourists dont and never have relied on EHIC as they are strongly advised not to , and the few who "wing " it with the free lesser back up of the EHIC card still have to pay a lot of medical costs ( if something goes wrong) with the EHIC card as most eu countries to my knowledge dont have free health systems.

So if you want to "wing it"without travel insurance , then you can still do so , and all you are losing is a small buffer of the EHIC card which most folk are told never to rely on anyway?

its a nonsense argument to be honest.

I have been travelling to france for the best part of 30 years now , from wine and beer trips to calais and the city of europe , to ski ing in the alps , to taking the caravan over central and souther france , and i have never once relied on the EHIC card.

Fair enough, but as my link says, premiums for private insurance will inevitably rise, ergo it will become more expensive, it even states it could become prohibitively expensive for those with pre existing conditions/elderly/disabled etc. That's the main gist of my point.

[Thomas]

The loss of the EHIC system has added a big expense.

no it hasnt. The EHIC card is zero feck all nil zilch nada to do with private travel insurance.

dynamis link above says the costs may or may not rise after brexit but travel insurance companies just dont know yet and neither do you.

You say you take out private travel insurance above , so whis is what you rely on , not the EHIC card.

All you have lost if the free buffer of the ehic card which  doesnt and never has covered the FULL cost of any potential medical bills in france.

[Thomas]

(There is a currently a plan to let Brits get a French "citizenship" card to get around the problem caused by the loss of the EHIC card and other issues.)

link please?

You only have to live in france for 5 years anyway to apply for french citizenship.

[papasmurf]

pappy what extra cost are you talking about?

The extra cost of medical insurance. It is expensive per trip for people my age. (I used to get travel/repatriation included on my house insurance but shortly after the Brexit referendum insurance companies dropped that at the next renewal.) The loss of the EHIC system has added a big expense.

[papasmurf]

However, I'm sure given papa's incessant complaints, they would probably cave in and give him a free holiday and free insurance rather than hear for hours about how tourists are making life in cornwall a living nightmare. And the painful contortions involved in securing garlic sausage.

It isn't just me incessantly complaining about badly behaved tourists this year they have caused serious problems all over the UK not just Cornwall.

I think the French government will get big protests from people in France who depend on the income from the 15 million trips Brits make to France every year.
(There is a currently a plan to let Brits get a French "citizenship" card to get around the problem caused by the loss of the EHIC card and other issues.)

[Thomas]

Yeah that's pretty unfair rounding on papa for this, his travel insurance probably is very expensive given his conditions and this will inevitably raise prices for him and the millions in this country like him. I'm always one to give papa a hard time when he's talking nonsense but in fairness, he isn't being unreasonable here.

Try this:

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/12/holidays-after-brexit-without-ehic-holidaymakers-may-face-medical-bills-costing-thousands/

UK tourists visiting the EU without travel insurance after the Brexit transition ends face sky-high medical bills, new Which? Travel research reveals. The government has said that EHIC cards will expire on 31 December 2020 and, although Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU are ongoing, it's unclear whether a replacement scheme will be introduced even with a deal. The European Health Insurance Card allows UK residents to access healthcare at the same cost (often free) as local residents while on holiday. As things stand, after 31 December, UK nationals visiting EU countries will have to pay full price for any medical treatment. Which? has found this will be expensive. Hospital treatment for severe food poisoning can cost £2,000 in Portugal, for instance, while the cost of a heart attack in France can be £14,000. An estimated one in five UK holidaymakers don't take out travel insurance before going abroad, according to ABTA research from 2019, meaning millions of people are at risk of having to pay these medical fees out of their own pockets. Those who do take out insurance will find it is more expensive. The total cost of treating British citizens under the EHIC scheme is estimated at around £156m by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), so travel insurers will inevitably raise premiums to cope with the increased cost of medical claims. For some travellers, such as those with disabilities or pre-existing medical conditions, the cost of travel insurance may become prohibitive after Brexit, while travellers with some conditions may be unable to secure coverage.


Other sources:

https://www.co-opinsurance.co.uk/help/travel-insurance/faq/will-cost-travel-insurance-rise-result-brexit

https://www.consumerintelligence.com/articles/holidaymakers-brace-for-brexit-travel-insurance-price-rises

However, I'm sure given papa's incessant complaints, they would probably cave in and give him a free holiday and free insurance rather than hear for hours about how tourists are making life in cornwall a living nightmare. And the painful contortions involved in securing garlic sausage.

uk tourist visiting the eu without travel insurance?

Read my posts dyno , the vast vast majority of uk tourists dont and never have relied on EHIC as they are strongly advised not to , and the few who "wing " it with the free lesser back up of the EHIC card still have to pay a lot of medical costs ( if something goes wrong) with the EHIC card as most eu countries to my knowledge dont have free health systems.

So if you want to "wing it"without travel insurance , then you can still do so , and all you are losing is a small buffer of the EHIC card which most folk are told never to rely on anyway?

its a nonsense argument to be honest.

I have been travelling to france for the best part of 30 years now , from wine and beer trips to calais and the city of europe , to ski ing in the alps , to taking the caravan over central and souther france , and i have never once relied on the EHIC card.

[Thomas]

Franky the extra cost will effect millions of people.

pappy what extra cost are you talking about?

You say up  the page you take out private travel insurance anyway , so the cost will remain the same .

I take out private travel and repatriation insurance  anyway, .

All you are losing is the lesser back up of the free EHIC card which you are advised not to solely rely on as it doesnt cover all eventualities.

[Borg Refinery]

Yeah that's pretty unfair rounding on papa for this, his travel insurance probably is very expensive given his conditions and this will inevitably raise prices for him and the millions in this country like him. I'm always one to give papa a hard time when he's talking nonsense but in fairness, he isn't being unreasonable here.

Try this:

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/12/holidays-after-brexit-without-ehic-holidaymakers-may-face-medical-bills-costing-thousands/

UK tourists visiting the EU without travel insurance after the Brexit transition ends face sky-high medical bills, new Which? Travel research reveals. The government has said that EHIC cards will expire on 31 December 2020 and, although Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU are ongoing, it's unclear whether a replacement scheme will be introduced even with a deal. The European Health Insurance Card allows UK residents to access healthcare at the same cost (often free) as local residents while on holiday. As things stand, after 31 December, UK nationals visiting EU countries will have to pay full price for any medical treatment. Which? has found this will be expensive. Hospital treatment for severe food poisoning can cost £2,000 in Portugal, for instance, while the cost of a heart attack in France can be £14,000. An estimated one in five UK holidaymakers don't take out travel insurance before going abroad, according to ABTA research from 2019, meaning millions of people are at risk of having to pay these medical fees out of their own pockets. Those who do take out insurance will find it is more expensive. The total cost of treating British citizens under the EHIC scheme is estimated at around £156m by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), so travel insurers will inevitably raise premiums to cope with the increased cost of medical claims. For some travellers, such as those with disabilities or pre-existing medical conditions, the cost of travel insurance may become prohibitive after Brexit, while travellers with some conditions may be unable to secure coverage.


Other sources:

https://www.co-opinsurance.co.uk/help/travel-insurance/faq/will-cost-travel-insurance-rise-result-brexit

https://www.consumerintelligence.com/articles/holidaymakers-brace-for-brexit-travel-insurance-price-rises

However, I'm sure given papa's incessant complaints, they would probably cave in and give him a free holiday and free insurance rather than hear for hours about how tourists are making life in cornwall a living nightmare. And the painful contortions involved in securing garlic sausage.

[papasmurf]

I pay about £120 a year for 6 people world wide. Like someone already said, if you can afford the holiday you can afford the insurance.

Lucky you. It is far more expensive than that for two of us as we cannot get annual cover due to age.
Franky the extra cost will effect millions of people. At the times of year my wife and I travel the ferries are full of geriatrics and Zimmer frame pilots.

[Thomas]

I pay about £120 a year for 6 people world wide. Like someone already said, if you can afford the holiday you can afford the insurance.

not sure if im picking pappy up wrong here anyway nick ( i know i know) but is it me or is pappy under the impression the EHIC card allows pappy free at the point of use uk style nhs treatment in france ?

He seems to be insinuating before he didnt have to pay , and now does , or pay a lot more because of brexit?

If his medical condition has been the same over the last few years and he has declared it , he will pay the same  with inflation as he normally does to go to france?

The EHIC card entitles pappy to the same treatment as the french , and as we know the french have a hybrid system part private part like our nhs of which you need to pay anyway?

So im no really sure what his point is?

The vast majority take out travel insurance anyway , so what difference does it make? As i said  a storm in a teacup.

I dont travel as much as you nick , but we always have travel insurance in place , and when we take the van over to france we always take the red pennant caravan club insurance which is top notch insurance.

I think my brother in law ( lived in france 20 years) has to pay 40 euroes per visit to the doctor  , and recently had to pay 90 euroes for dental treatment. The french system isnt free ,and pappy having an EHIC card doesnt mean he will get treated for free if anything happens to him in brittany without travel insurance , which you have to pay for anyway.

If labour supported brexit , and the tories didnt and supported remain , you can bet your life we wouldnt hear a fecking cheep about brexit from pappy.

[Nick]

I pay about £120 a year for 6 people world wide. Like someone already said, if you can afford the holiday you can afford the insurance.

[Thomas]

And I see nothing wrong with that. Someone has to pay when people fall ill abroad, and that someone should be them.

fully agree.

[Thomas]

Because with the demise of the EHIC card I now have to pay for medical cover which is expensive.

thats rubbish anyway pappy , with the EHIC card  ,in France you will be liable for part of your medical care in the offchance anything goes wrong while you are there. You will have to pay 30% of medical fees same as the french and 20% of hospital costs.

If you have serious medical issues , i would say those costs with the EHIC card will be far more expensive than the cost of travel insurance , even if you underlying health means you pay more for travel insurance than others.

A good travel insurance policy will be expensive sure , but will eliminate those fees the EHIC card doesnt.

...and from what i have been told all the years i have went abroad , EHIC card isnt a replacement for travel insurance  , you must always take out insurance.

Do you still need travel insurance if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?

    With an EHIC (formerly E111) you get the same level of state-provided medical care as someone who lives in the country you're visiting. It's valid in all European Economic Area countries and Switzerland.
    The downside is that the local level of care might not be the same as what you'd get in the UK. You'll also need to pay for part of your bills, if that's how the local system works.
    EHIC won't cover the costs of repatriation – getting you back home – after a medical emergency on holiday could be very costly.
    If you use an EHIC to get medical care, some insurers won't ask you to pay the excess on your medical claims.
    While it's worth getting an EHIC, it's not enough on its own. You should still get travel insurance that includes medical and repatriation cover

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/do-you-need-travel-insurance


https://www.internations.org/go/moving-to-france/healthcare

[Barry]

no worries barry , but the uk isnt going to be held hostage so some 72 year old can get a free EHIC card that doesnt cover anywhere near the level travel insurance does.

For the vast majority who visit france , travel insurance cover will be the norm.

And I see nothing wrong with that. Someone has to pay when people fall ill abroad, and that someone should be them.

[Thomas]

Because with the demise of the EHIC card I now have to pay for medical cover which is expensive.

This isnt about you .

For the vast vast majority of people who visit france or any other eu country , this wont make a blind bit of difference.

For the tiny tiny minority who have underlying health issues , then they will do as they have done before , either go without travel insurance or pay .

In the grand scheme of things pappy , its an utter and total irrelevance.

If this is the best you can do to whip up a frenzy against brexit , i think you are in for yet another dissappointment .