Travel Insurance for an Irishman Help!

[Daniel Crowe]

Hi everyone,

I've been writing in a lot lately, but everyone has been brilliant so far in what I've been asking!

This time around I'm looking for travel insurance. I'm flying from Ireland to Biarritz in September to do the Camino Del Norte. Can anyone advise specifically on what would be needed to include in the travel insurance? Or better yet, can anyone give a name of a place to look for good prices and coverage? Is single travel okay? Or should it be the "hiking package"? Just need a little clarity.

Thanks again!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi everyone,

I've been writing in a lot lately, but everyone has been brilliant so far in what I've been asking!

This time around I'm looking for travel insurance. I'm flying from Ireland to Biarritz in September to do the Camino Del Norte. Can anyone advise specifically on what would be needed to include in the travel insurance? Or better yet, can anyone give a name of a place to look for good prices and coverage? Is single travel okay? Or should it be the "hiking package"? Just need a little clarity.

Thanks again!

Hi, Daniel,
There are several threads, but the ones I can think of deal with insurance questions for those living in the US or in Canada. This is a very country-specific issue. If you are from Ireland, you should change the title of the tread to indicate that (Or I can do it for you if you can’t), because my advice about travel insurance (I live in the US) would be irrelevant for you in Ireland.

 

[Katia Taam]

I´ve been traveling to Europe all my life and I always use Allianz. They are all over Europe and they are extremely efficient. I needed help 2019 when I had a bad knee injurie walking the Portuguese way and they help me finding a doctor near were I was and also a magnetic resonance and, best of all, did not have to even know how much it all cost. They called me every day to see how I was , very personal and nice.

 

[Kathor1]

I agree with @peregrina2000 who suggested to change the thread title to make it clear that this is a question from a traveller from Ireland.

I am not familiar with the travel insurance market in Ireland, I guess it is similar to the one in the UK and what I mainly know is that the offers on the UK's market are quite different from the travel insurance markets in some countries in continental Europe where I am vaguely familiar with suitable offers.

My gut answer to @Daniel Crowe would be that he doesn't need a "hiking package" and that a "single travel" is enough but this is better answered by people from Ireland and, possibly, from the UK.

 

[RRat]

Hi everyone,

I've been writing in a lot lately, but everyone has been brilliant so far in what I've been asking!

This time around I'm looking for travel insurance. I'm flying from Ireland to Biarritz in September to do the Camino Del Norte. Can anyone advise specifically on what would be needed to include in the travel insurance? Or better yet, can anyone give a name of a place to look for good prices and coverage? Is single travel okay? Or should it be the "hiking package"? Just need a little clarity.

Thanks again!

I'm puzzled why anyone from Europe would need "Travel Insurance". The air fare is minimal, you have socialized health care that's recognized in Spain, and traveling with inexpensive luggage. I'm from the US. My fare is around $1000 and my healthcare policy would likely be troublesome in Europe. The travel insurance that covers healthcare that I can purchase will reimburse me after I pay out of pocket. Just hope I have a large enough credit limit to cover the immediate out of pocket cost. And emergency transportation home is at the mercy of the insurance company discretion.

 

[Kathor1]

I'm puzzled why anyone from Europe would need "Travel Insurance".

Ah, the mysterious ways of foreigners ... . I won't answer the question as I don't want to derail the thread but in order to get things going, I googled "single trip travel insurance" site:.ie, and since Allianz had been recommended already, I went for booking.allianz-assistance.ie and asked for a quote for a single traveller from Ireland, 55 years old, for three weeks in France and Spain. I didn't even look at the benefits included but you can find them on their website. Here are the results. Any advice for @Daniel Crowe?

 

[C clearly]

I'm puzzled why anyone from Europe would need "Travel Insurance"

I agree that the term "travel insurance" is too vague, but "need" is equally vague. People buy insurance to get services that are not included in their basic system, or to get the help and convenience of an insurance company handling the details in a foreign country.

Here is a cautionary tale of an experience with injuries and insurance.

 

[RRat]

I´ve been traveling to Europe all my life and I always use Allianz. They are all over Europe and they are extremely efficient. I needed help 2019 when I had a bad knee injurie walking the Portuguese way and they help me finding a doctor near were I was and also a magnetic resonance and, best of all, did not have to even know how much it all cost. They called me every day to see how I was , very personal and nice.

Assuming you're not from Europe, did you just present your Allianz insurance card and all your financial responsibilities went away or at least for the most part? In the US if I show up to an emergency room I just present my insurance card and they will bill me later for the balance if there is any. They assume they are going to get paid at least 80%.

 

[Mobilemejen]

Hi everyone,

I've been writing in a lot lately, but everyone has been brilliant so far in what I've been asking!

This time around I'm looking for travel insurance. I'm flying from Ireland to Biarritz in September to do the Camino Del Norte. Can anyone advise specifically on what would be needed to include in the travel insurance? Or better yet, can anyone give a name of a place to look for good prices and coverage? Is single travel okay? Or should it be the "hiking package"? Just need a little clarity.

Thanks again!

Also looking--have been alerted to specifically look for ones that do not provide evacuation insurance/displacement for pandemics/country shutdowns/COVID-19. I have used Tin-Leg in the past to compare what is available and have been very happy---but never had to use any. the information includes ratings which I believe are helpful.

 

[Kathor1]

I have used Tin-Leg in the past to compare what is available and have been very happy---but never had to use any. the information includes ratings which I believe are helpful.

I put my fictional data - 55 years old, three weeks in Spain, August/September, an Irish national and resident of Ireland - into the online form on the Tin-Leg website and the result was: No Tin Leg Policies Available. We apologize, you are not eligible for any Tin Leg policies.

Travel insurance policies are often tied to the residence of the insured person. Even when you get an insurance policy from a global insurer like Allianz, you often need to take the insurance package offered by them in your country of residence, and they don't always offer exactly the same package in every country where they operate.

 

[donalomahony]

Hi everyone,

I've been writing in a lot lately, but everyone has been brilliant so far in what I've been asking!

This time around I'm looking for travel insurance. I'm flying from Ireland to Biarritz in September to do the Camino Del Norte. Can anyone advise specifically on what would be needed to include in the travel insurance? Or better yet, can anyone give a name of a place to look for good prices and coverage? Is single travel okay? Or should it be the "hiking package"? Just need a little clarity.

Thanks again!

Daniel, check how long your policy covers you for being "out of the country" in one visit.

Mine was 30 days. I called insurance company and they made a note at no extra charge. I needed a policy for 37 days.

 

[mmmmartin]

Assuming you're not from Europe, did you just present your Allianz insurance card and all your financial responsibilities went away or at least for the most part?

All citizens of EU countries have equal access to the government healthcare system as the locals. The OP might be lucky enough to have an irish passport so he's an EU citizen, any travel insurance is likely to tell him to get healthcare from the Spanish system, it'll be free. (I post this as a non EU citizen and without a trace of jealousy....).
I'm flying out next week and pondering whether it's worth having travel insurance at all.

 

[Kathor1]

Since I don't live in the UK or in Ireland, I cannot say for sure but my impression is that the cheap and ready made "single trip travel insurance" that you can easily buy there include more than just sickness insurance.

Also, EU-Europeans who get or have travel insurance for trips within the EU are not worried about medical expenses that occur when you have a terrible blister or your knees or ankles hurt. You insure against the rare big events where you need to stay in hospital in Spain for many days if not weeks or months and/or would like to be transported home. The cautionary tale that happened in 2017 and is mentioned in an earlier post is such an example.

 

[trecile]

Assuming you're not from Europe, did you just present your Allianz insurance card and all your financial responsibilities went away or at least for the most part? In the US if I show up to an emergency room I just present my insurance card and they will bill me later for the balance if there is any. They assume they are going to get paid at least 80%.

That's not generally how it works with travel insurance in foreign countries. Firstly, I've never had an card issued to me from my travel insurer.
Twice, I've used medical services in Spain. The first time was at a public hospital, and they took my passport information, home and email addresses. They didn't have the ability to collect payment from me at time of service. Several months later they sent me the bill. I paid the bill in full, then filed with my regular health insurance company for reimbursement - they reimbursed me the majority of the bill.

The second time I went to a private hospital. They were able to take a credit card payment on the spot, and gave me the paperwork I needed to file a claim with my insurance. First I submitted to my regular health insurance, who paid 80%. Then I filed a claim for the balance with my travel insurance, who reimbursed me for the rest of the bill.

 

[Daniel Crowe]

Daniel, check how long your policy covers you for being "out of the country" in one visit.

Mine was 30 days. I called insurance company and they made a note at no extra charge. I needed a policy for 37 days.

I will do Donal, thanks for that. Judging by your name you're an Irishman??

 

[donalomahony]

I will do Donal, thanks for that. Judging by your name you're an Irishman??

Have the passport!

 

[SioCamino]

Hi @Daniel Crowe
I am resident in Ireland and generally would always travel with travel insurance arranged to cover my trip. I find its cheaper to get an annual policy - at least in the before times when i was generally travelling more than once a year! I shopped around a bit but generally didn't have any issues - I've used getcover in recent years. (pretty sure i had allainz in the past too)
Walking the camino is generally seen as a "normal" activity i.e. part of standard cover.

Things to watch out for :
Trip length for any single trip
Insurance must be taken out before the 1st trip starts
If you have private health insurance you may be eligible for a discount or be able to get cheaper cover directly from VHI/Irish life health etc etc (this very much depends on the level of cover you have)
Trip cancellation - watch out for this, its usually a € add on, probably not that important for a short haul trip like this (but for example i had flights booked for Colombia April 2020 and their cancellation was not covered by my insurance)
If buying online, make sure you declare any preexisting conditions - sometimes they need to talk to you about this.

Big caveat just now - i haven't looked for travel insurance post covid so can't advise on that.

P. S. Make sure you have your EHIC with you and within date. Once you have one it's very straight forward to renew. You hopefully won't need this or insurance but as they say, better to be looking at it than for it!!!

P. P. S.
On the general discussion on whether someone needs travel insurance when covered by the EHIC, yes the EHIC will cover your emergency treatment - but it won't cover repatriation. I broke my leg a few years ago in Galicia and my emergency hospital treatment was covered by the EHIC. My travel insurance covered the cost of extra hotel nights, taxis and the 4 new flight bookings needed - 3 seats for me with my leg cast and 1 for my friend who stayed on with me in Spain. So, it was worth taking out the insurance!

Hope this is of help

 

[Abigail Kelly]

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

Get healthcare in another EU or EEA state for free or at a reduced cost. Apply for or renew your EHIC at HSE.ie.

www2.hse.ie

Hi Daniel, copy the link above and apply online. This should cover you for any health issues

 

[Daniel Crowe]

Hi @Daniel Crowe
I am resident in Ireland and generally would always travel with travel insurance arranged to cover my trip. I find its cheaper to get an annual policy - at least in the before times when i was generally travelling more than once a year! I shopped around a bit but generally didn't have any issues - I've used getcover in recent years. (pretty sure i had allainz in the past too)
Walking the camino is generally seen as a "normal" activity i.e. part of standard cover.

Things to watch out for :
Trip length for any single trip
Insurance must be taken out before the 1st trip starts
If you have private health insurance you may be eligible for a discount or be able to get cheaper cover directly from VHI/Irish life health etc etc (this very much depends on the level of cover you have)
Trip cancellation - watch out for this, its usually a € add on, probably not that important for a short haul trip like this (but for example i had flights booked for Colombia April 2020 and their cancellation was not covered by my insurance)
If buying online, make sure you declare any preexisting conditions - sometimes they need to talk to you about this.

Big caveat just now - i haven't looked for travel insurance post covid so can't advise on that.

P. S. Make sure you have your EHIC with you and within date. Once you have one it's very straight forward to renew. You hopefully won't need this or insurance but as they say, better to be looking at it than for it!!!

P. P. S.
On the general discussion on whether someone needs travel insurance when covered by the EHIC, yes the EHIC will cover your emergency treatment - but it won't cover repatriation. I broke my leg a few years ago in Galicia and my emergency hospital treatment was covered by the EHIC. My travel insurance covered the cost of extra hotel nights, taxis and the 4 new flight bookings needed - 3 seats for me with my leg cast and 1 for my friend who stayed on with me in Spain. So, it was worth taking out the insurance!

Hope this is of help

Very thorough reply Sio, thanks for that!
What I went with in the end was a single trip policy that covered me for 60 days with Multitrip.com. I called them up and spoke to them and they covered every worry I have basically for €50. A "grade 2" policy - which is probably sales speak, but she got me!

Her advice to me was that the policy basically covers everything that you'd want it for on the trip, including any covid related issues that I have up to and including when I leave. If I travel to Spain while it's in a green or amber zone then if there's any covid issues they cover me. If I go when it's a red zone then the cover for injury, theft etc is still there, but there's NO covid cover at all.

I have the EHIC thankfully, it's in date until next year, so I think I should be okay! Hopefully now I don't need them at all! Thanks for the reply.

 

[Ciaran3434]

Hi @Daniel Crowe ,

I got the same travel insurance recently. One thing to note, you may have to opt-out of auto renew.

Cheers,
Ciaran

 

[wabana]

I bought Allianz as well it’s more expensive than the cheapest but it’s a first class company where you can reach a real human being quickly.

I mainly bought it in case I have a positive test trying to return to the US it’ll cover all my hotel bills for 10 or 14 days up to $6000 It also covers any emergency room visits or hospital stays to a large dollar amount. In the event I need an ambulance or medical evacuation all of that is covered as well. Those are the main reasons but there are additional coverages that I find valuable to me it’s a no-brainer

 

[trecile]

it’ll cover all my hotel bills for 10 or 14 days up to $6000

I'm sure that you won't get Covid, but if you do, make sure that you get it in a city with a Parador!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I bought Allianz as well it’s more expensive than the cheapest but it’s a first class company where you can reach a real human being quickly.

I mainly bought it in case I have a positive test trying to return to the US it’ll cover all my hotel bills for 10 or 14 days up to $6000 It also covers any emergency room visits or hospital stays to a large dollar amount. In the event I need an ambulance or medical evacuation all of that is covered as well. Those are the main reasons but there are additional coverages that I find valuable to me it’s a no-brainer

This is not my experience of this company. I would never use or recommend them.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

This is not my experience of this company. I would never use or recommend them.

I have used Allianz a couple of times for Caminos, but have never needed to make a claim, so have no idea on a potential outcome to be reimbursed. I did appreciate a speedy response when I called to get a few questions answered before choosing them, which helped me make a decision.

 

[camino07]

I used Alliance through my credit card in 2018 . I was impressed that I could get right through to a nurse in Australia. I needed to pay my hospital bill upfront but had 30 days on my return home to make the claim . I was refunded in a few days . Unfortunately Mastercard has now changed to Covermore who may not be so obliging. I will be 74 when I take my next trip in April so I will have to start researching soon.

 

[Former member 49149]

Sticking my nose in again, the company whose name starts with A is where my young friend worked. The first line of attack was: refuse. She found that so hard, as a coherent young woman. I have no idea how they function now. I do understand, rather than know, that the figures in the bottom line drive the process. Just be so careful before you go.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I was insured with Allianz in 2019. I became very ill and required urgent medical attention during my Camino about 6 kilometers past O Cebreiro.

I phoned Allianz as I was required to do under the terms of my policy. It was a weekend and during the night Australian time when I phoned. I didn't have much credit on my mobile phone and so I explained that I needed urgent attention and asked the customer service rep to call me back. No one ever called back.

A local person from a bar helped me and called an ambulance for me and I was taken to the emergency department at Lugo hospital.

Two days later when I had recovered enough to use my phone I emailed Allianz and told them that I was in hospital and needed their help.

I received a reply from them saying that they would not help me until I provided them with a copy of my medical records.

I explained that I was still recovering I was on oxygen and a drip and was unable to leave my bed and so it would be very difficult for me to do that.

I filled out the hospital forms and put Allianz down as my medical insurance company and gave the hospital permission to share my records with them.

Unknown to me, Allianz phoned the hospital to get a copy of my records and for some reason unknown to me my doctor refused to share my records with them, perhaps something to do with EU privacy laws. I was not party to that conversation and so I can only assume what was said on both sides.

In any case, as a result, they again pressured me to get a copy of my records for them and threatened to not cover me until I did so.

In desperation I asked my doctor to show me my records and while I had them I photographed them with my phone and then emailed the photos to Allianz, thinking that this would settle the matter. But no, there is more.

I then got a reply from Allianz saying that they needed the records translated into English because, of course, they were in Spanish. They again said that until I provided a certified English translation they would not consider my claim.

I asked how they thought that I was going to do that and asked if they had a local support person who could help with that and again was told that my claim would not be processed until I provided a certified English translation of my medical records.

At this point I decided to give up on Allianz for the time being and to concentrate on recovering and leave any claim until at least I could get out of the hospital bed.

Finally, the pièce de résistance. A couple of nights later around midnight, I was surprised when one of the nurses ran into the room and said that my "wife" was on the phone and he had brought a portable oxygen canister with him so that I could go to the nurses station and talk to her.

I was very puzzled by this but went with the nurse to talk to the person on the phone.

When I got there I discovered that the person calling was an Allianz employee who was fraudulently claiming to be my wife so that she could talk to the doctor on duty about my medical condition.

I was, of course, furious and I told the Allianz person that.

The next day I emailed a complaint to Allianz management and asked them if it was normal for their staff to phone hospitals claiming to be a close relative of insured parties so that they could collect confidential medical information.

I never heard from Allianz again. I guess that they paid my medical bill because I left my home address with the hospital and I have never had a bill from the hospital.

Of course, my experience of Allianz's non-service might be an outlier but certainly I will never do business with them again if I have any choice in the matter.

 

[MikeyC]

I was insured with Allianz in 2019. I became very ill and required urgent medical attention during my Camino about 6 kilometers past O Cebreiro.

I phoned Allianz as I was required to do under the terms of my policy. It was a weekend and during the night Australian time when I phoned. I didn't have much credit on my mobile phone and so I explained that I needed urgent attention and asked the customer service rep to call me back. No one ever called back.

A local person from a bar helped me and called an ambulance for me and I was taken to the emergency department at Lugo hospital.

Two days later when I had recovered enough to use my phone I emailed Allianz and told them that I was in hospital and needed their help.

I received a reply from them saying that they would not help me until I provided them with a copy of my medical records.

I explained that I was still recovering I was on oxygen and a drip and was unable to leave my bed and so it would be very difficult for me to do that.

I filled out the hospital forms and put Allianz down as my medical insurance company and gave the hospital permission to share my records with them.

Unknown to me, Allianz phoned the hospital to get a copy of my records and for some reason unknown to me my doctor refused to share my records with them, perhaps something to do with EU privacy laws. I was not party to that conversation and so I can only assume what was said on both sides.

In any case, as a result, they again pressured me to get a copy of my records for them and threatened to not cover me until I did so.

In desperation I asked my doctor to show me my records and while I had them I photographed them with my phone and then emailed the photos to Allianz, thinking that this would settle the matter. But no, there is more.

I then got a reply from Allianz saying that they needed the records translated into English because, of course, they were in Spanish. They again said that until I provided a certified English translation they would not consider my claim.

I asked how they thought that I was going to do that and asked if they had a local support person who could help with that and again was told that my claim would not be processed until I provided a certified English translation of my medical records.

At this point I decided to give up on Allianz for the time being and to concentrate on recovering and leave any claim until at least I could get out of the hospital bed.

Finally, the pièce de résistance. A couple of nights later around midnight, I was surprised when one of the nurses ran into the room and said that my "wife" was on the phone and he had brought a portable oxygen canister with him so that I could go to the nurses station and talk to her.

I was very puzzled by this but went with the nurse to talk to the person on the phone.

When I got there I discovered that the person calling was an Allianz employee who was fraudulently claiming to be my wife so that she could talk to the doctor on duty about my medical condition.

I was, of course, furious and I told the Allianz person that.

The next day I emailed a complaint to Allianz management and asked them if it was normal for their staff to phone hospitals claiming to be a close relative of insured parties so that they could collect confidential medical information.

I never heard from Allianz again. I guess that they paid my medical bill because I left my home address with the hospital and I have never had a bill from the hospital.

Of course, my experience of Allianz's non-service might be an outlier but certainly I will never do business with them again if I have any choice in the matter.

In similar circumstances I would have made sure my experience was communicated to the Financial or Insurance regulator. In the UK there is a general rule in the sector about "treating the customer fairly". and I cannot see a single instance of that in any of the actions you relate.

Mark me down as another potential customer who will not be using their services.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Mark me down as another potential customer who will not be using their services.

I'm a past customer who will no longer use them.