[Closed] What happens if you get Covid in the EU without insurance?

There are a few insurers now that are covering Covid, albeit the medical expenses/repatriation while on holiday rather than cancellation. If BMC can't cover it, consider placing the cover else where.

There will be no changes to healthcare access for UK nationals visiting or living in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland before 31 December 2020.

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-ehic-european-health-insurance-card/

I wonder what happens if you have to self isolate for 14 days towards the end of your trip or the area that you are in goes into localised lock down or you exhibit some symptoms and so can't go on the train? All unanswered questions we had when thinking of a trip...

There are a few insurers now that are covering Covid, albeit the medical expenses/repatriation while on holiday rather than cancellation. If BMC can’t cover it, consider placing the cover else where.

My wife and I already have good (and expensive) cover via BMC for anything that is likely to be super expensive (falling off on a multi pitch rock climb, or mtbing into a tree). So not keen to double insure (which causes more issues).

I'm guessing that if I get Covid, it'll come on over a couple of days and won't require a helicopter rescue! So worse case it'd be to cover the treatment we receive in Briancon general - I thought that EHIC would cover that?

I wonder what happens if you have to self isolate for 14 days towards the end of your trip or the area that you are in goes into localised lock down or you exhibit some symptoms and so can’t go on the train? All unanswered questions we had when thinking of a trip…

Drive to barndard castle for an eyetest? I guess, in that situation, we find another air bnb?

You get healthcare in the same way locals get it and pay the same amount under EU reciprocal arrangements - for now. So free to very cheap healthcare. You wouldn't be repatriated anyway - you have to isolate. if isolation means missing your flights tho then travel insurance might be a good idea

There will be no changes to healthcare access for UK nationals visiting or living in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland before 31 December 2020.

Hmmmm. That's the theory, but be aware that in practice it doesn't always work on the ground.

We've been shafted twice by health providers, both times on Austria. Complete refusal to progress things via EHIC. Then lying about that refusal when we complained to the regulator. escalations etc got nowhere. In the end it was our word against the Saalbach medical practice and of course the Austrian Krankenauslanderafenamt believed them over us. The wife was livid

Hmmmm. That’s the theory, but be aware that in practice it doesn’t always work on the ground.

We’ve been shafted twice by health providers, both times on Austria. Complete refusal to progress things via EHIC. escalations etc got nowhere. In the end it was our word against the Saalbach medical practice and of course the Austrian Krankenauslanderafenamt believed them over us. The wife was livid

This is my concern. The EHIC should provide all that is required in theory, but theory and practice are different things IME.

In Spain if you present your European healthcard you will be get treatment as if you were a local.

we were shafted in france by EHIC care also.

Basically they stopped him Dying but then held out there open hand for insurance details and then payment as the insurance said the would only deal with the insured - who was in coma...... refusing to do any further work without payment.

And regardless of what the book says in that situation - you pay up quickly to ensure the necessary happens as time is generally of the essence.

@Sandwicheater

There are a few insurers now that are covering Covid, albeit the medical expenses/repatriation while on holiday rather than cancellation.

I'm interested in this, can you share your list?

You get healthcare in the same way locals get it and pay the same amount under EU reciprocal arrangements – for now.

Yeah - now we are taking back control that all stops.

Surely there must be a temptation for someone who starts feeling a bit flu'ish to try to make it back home and avoid local medical costs, thus endangering loads of people on the plane etc? Some sort of reciprocal agreement explicitly accounting for CV19 would be sensible to avoid this risk.

You will often have to provide insurance details, even though the insurance company doesn't have to pay anything... the hospital then knows that they can get a UK insurance company to chase up any problems with UK authorities rather than having the hassle of having to do so themselves. It's always been this way for us Brits in many hospitals in EU countries.

But, this year, it's not the medical care that you need to worry about, it's the cost of either having to stay longer than planned in the country you are visiting, or the cost of repatriation, because of the medical emergency... especially changes to your trip forced on you by ether the local government or ours, rather than because you have become ill.

But, this year, it’s not the medical care that you need to worry about, it’s the cost of either having to stay longer than planned in the country you are visiting, or the cost of repatriation, because of the medical emergency… especially changes to your trip forced on you by ether the local government or ours, rather than because you have become ill.

Cost of repatriation is hopefully low, as we'd be stuck in france until we got the all clear - we have frequent traveler tickets, so can just move the eurotunnel with two days notice.

It's not so much the cost of the longer stay, it's finding somewhere that will take us. I guess we'd try and extend our air bnb to start with, and if not, well duno. Find another air bnb or a hotel I guess?

You’d find somewhere, but might not be cheap, and now is unlikely to be covered by any new insurance you take out.

You’d find somewhere, but might not be cheap, and now is unlikely to be covered by any new insurance you take out.

Yes, realise i'd have to suck that up. Figure maybe a grand worse case.

Finding somewhere that will accept you if displaying symptoms might be difficult too

Indeed. I guess i would find a place that has a lock box key and lie.

The Scilly Isles UK have stated that if you get Covid you will be expected to self isolate the party for 14 days in the accommodation that you have booked at your own expense

Coming round off 70 days on a ventilator to find you weren't insured wouldn't be great would it. I mean its not going to be great anyway

Even if your symptoms are mild, you could face finding another 2 weeks accommodation (good luck, with the property owner wanting sanitisation costs covering), then new travel arrangements home.

The post office are providing insurance that covers the medical side for covid - but not cancellation. We'll probably take out a single trip policy for the trip we're doing as our annual policy won't cover covid.

I'm not sure how much it covers, e.g. accommodation costs if you were stuck out there, we are staying with family so less relevant but it does cover repatriation.

Having investigated my annual policy, it would appear i'm covered.

I don't think I would be covered if they trip gets cancelled, but that is fine. Once i'm there, it seems i'm covered for medical and for being stuck in hospital / quarantine / additional accommodation. Slightly sceptical on that, and will clarify with the insurers before we go.

They did send out a message to annual policy holders that said that this exclusion clause will apply (which is part of the disrupted travel section):

Circumstances known to You before You purchased this insurance or at the time of booking any Trip which could reasonably have been expected to lead to a claim under this section.

But that doesn't seem to apply to the medical side of things.