Requirement for Travel Insurance?

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rlynch
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Requirement for Travel Insurance?

Post by rlynch » Sun Jun 27, 2010 5:05 pm

Does anyone know definitively what degree of travel/personal insurance is required for paddling in Europe?

I've previously got insurance to go paddling abroad in Europe – in case of needing emergency rescue, etc. – but didn't bother this year. It doesn't seem likely to me that a European citizen would be charged for genuine emergency services. But that's pure hypothesis on my part.

Would it depend on the degree of perceived risk?

Does anyone actually know? Does it vary from country to country?

Ross
We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded!

tiernan
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Re: Requirement for Travel Insurance?

Post by tiernan » Sun Jun 27, 2010 10:03 pm

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categ ... broad/e111

Impotant Bits (IMHO)
If you are an EU/EEA national and are travelling or staying temporarily in another state of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you are entitled to receive medical care if you become ill or have an accident.
Public health care systems vary from country to country, and few countries pay the full cost of health care for holders of the Card, so there may be some element of co-payment for the services you receive.
The term 'necessary care' was defined under decision 194 of 2003 by the Administrative Commission on Social Security for Migrant Workers (pdf). That decision defines necessary care as benefits granted with a view to preventing an insured person from being forced to return home to their home member state and enabling them to continue their temporary stay in another member state under safe medical conditions. The decision specifically states that it does not cover persons who travel within Europe in order to obtain treatment in a country other than that in which they are insured.
I think medically speaking you'll have emergency situations looked at and thats fine. I would want personal medical insurance for a kayaking holiday because if you injure yourself there may be follow up costs like dental work, physio, plastic surgery (in the event of a cut to the face for example). These things would be covered by your travel insurance. Not by your medical insurance at home if you were kayaking at the time in a foreign country and if you wanted to go the public route of getting this treatment you could be waiting a while.

Also there is the non medical reasons for it, eg. broken/stolen gear, missed flights, etc. (not to mention getting flown off a mountain in the event of needing to be picked up by a helicopter at a river).

Aquilla
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Re: Requirement for Travel Insurance?

Post by Aquilla » Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:00 pm

Hi Kernel...

EU countries will look after you however should you require it, repatriation will not be covered and an air ambulance ride from France / Norway to Ireland can be pretty expensive.

It's worth the 10 to 50 quid and from memory, you need level two or three cover. Just send them an email to ensure that White Water Kayaking is covered under their policy. :)

seanmc
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Re: Requirement for Travel Insurance?

Post by seanmc » Tue Jun 29, 2010 11:17 pm

Some people think insurance cover is expensive, and there's not many things you pay for and hope not to use, but it's far more expensive if you need insurance cover and can't use it.

I think it's USIT who say "if you can't afford insurance, you can't afford to go".

I think for the sake of it you'd be stupid not to take out some form of insurance.

Seán Mc

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rlynch
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Re: Requirement for Travel Insurance?

Post by rlynch » Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 pm

I guess this kind of answers my question.

On reflection, it was probably fairly stupid to do without.

Ross
We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded!

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Seanie
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Re: Requirement for Travel Insurance?

Post by Seanie » Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:30 pm

But if you didn't have cover would they charge you? I don't think they would.

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