Allclear warns against travel insurance uncertainty

Specialist travel insurer AllClear has warned that many holidaymakers are travelling with inadequate travel insurance.

The primary cause for concern revolves around the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which does provide coverage should an individual fall ill overseas.

However, the unfortunate holidaymaker may still be lumbered with paying for expensive drugs, contributing towards treatment and the cost of being returned home.

A worst case scenario (financially) could include a skiing accident requiring a £3,000 per hour helicopter rescue, which is likely to leave the individual’s wallet significantly lighter as it is not covered by the EHIC.

Allclear’s Product Development chief, Chris Blackman, has warned those who think just having the EHIC is sufficient that they are mistaken.

Allclear does recommend the EHIC, but as a bare minimum.

The EHIC does not cover every country, some such as Monaco and Andorra are not covered at all, and in others coverage can be patchy, with daily care in Greece and elsewhere not covered.

It does not guarantee free healthcare, with the aim being that an EHIC holder is treated more like a national, so that if the country in question has a more privatised system the EHIC holder may well have to pay for their care.

Although premiums can seem high for those with pre-existing conditions, the costs of falling ill abroad without insurance can be astronomical.

Even within British territory travel insurance is more necessary than many people think. A few days ago changes to the healthcare relationship between the UK mainland and the Channel Islands meant that travel insurance is now required when visiting the Channel Islands as free healthcare will not be provided.