Good insurance deals?

[nirakaro]

I'm looking for medical cover for a couple of months touring in France/Italy. Old bloke. Any current recommendations?

[simonhill]

I'm using Liverpool Victoria now I've reached the magic (decripid) threshold. My old insureandgo was no good for oldies and they also reduced all their annual each trip limit so would have ditched anyway.

Good cover, no helmet, I have annual multi, can't remember how long each trip but it must be 2 months cos that what I limit myself too nowadays.

I must declare an interest, I am a longstanding member of Liv Vic (until they sell it to the Americans,).

[Dingdong]

I'm looking for medical cover for a couple of months touring in France/Italy. Old bloke. Any current recommendations?

I would definitely recommend April insurance, their European cover is excellent and good value for money also.

[simonhill]

I'd recommend checking all the t&cs carefully, even if there are 50 pages. You can whizz through a fair bit, but check out sports type usage , etc. Make sure no exclusions. Just because it says cycling, doesn't always mean you can cycle tour. Also helmet use etc.

Furthermore, just cos one is recommended, the conditions can be changed and you may find it is different now as was the case with my insureandgo policy.

Lots of policies online and oft discussed on here if you search.

[Navrig]

I'd recommend checking all the t&cs carefully, even if there are 50 pages. You can whizz through a fair bit, but check out sports type usage , etc. Make sure no exclusions. Just because it says cycling, doesn't always mean you can cycle tour. Also helmet use etc.

Furthermore, just cos one is recommended, the conditions can be changed and you may find it is different now as was the case with my insureandgo policy.

Lots of policies online and oft discussed on here if you search.

I am reply to reiterate this. I took out Backpackers Insurance with the Post Office. Their web page promoted it for a variety of risky sports and long trip coverage. I then found in the 33 page booklet an exclusion for Cycling BMX & Touring. I am back searching for cover for a 3+month trip and trying to get my money back from the PO.

[ANTONISH]

I'd recommend checking all the t&cs carefully, even if there are 50 pages. You can whizz through a fair bit, but check out sports type usage , etc. Make sure no exclusions. Just because it says cycling, doesn't always mean you can cycle tour. Also helmet use etc.

Furthermore, just cos one is recommended, the conditions can be changed and you may find it is different now as was the case with my insureandgo policy.

Lots of policies online and oft discussed on here if you search.

I am reply to reiterate this. I took out Backpackers Insurance with the Post Office. Their web page promoted it for a variety of risky sports and long trip coverage. I then found in the 33 page booklet an exclusion for Cycling BMX & Touring. I am back searching for cover for a 3+month trip and trying to get my money back from the PO.

That's interesting and disturbing - my partner is insured with the PO.
IMO one only finds out if an insurance deal is good when one submits a claim - I've been fortunate in never having to make a claim so far.

[Jdsk]

..
IMO one only finds out if an insurance deal is good when one submits a claim - I've been fortunate in never having to make a claim so far.

It's a very asymmetric market (which is inherent when insuring against rare but expensive events). The smart response by consumers is to share experiences.

Jonathan

[Steve X]

I'm looking for medical cover for a couple of months touring in France/Italy. Old bloke. Any current recommendations?

I would suggest you think very carefully about what exactly you are trying to insure for. You have have said in your OP, medical cover, will your GHIC card not give you enough cover?

I have an annual policy with Sportscover direct, which covers cycle touring, and I have quite a complex medical history and Sportscover simply as have you had any medical issues in the past 2 years IIRC.

I am possibly about to make a claim for a lost item on the policy, which will be interesting, as it is only when making a claim that one discovers how good insurance actually is.

[Steve X]

Ps watch out for trip lengths. An annual policy does not cover you for a trip of a year most say trips unto 30 days, mine is unto 90 days.

[pal]

I had a very good experience recently when I had to claim with Snowcard (for a x-country ski-ing accident, but I also use them to cover my cycle touring trips). They paid all my medical expenses, and the extra expenses involved in getting home (as well as providing logistical support for the latter); the reimbursement of my out-of-pocket expenses was in my bank account within a couple of days of me submitting the claim.

They offer different levels of cover depending on the type of cycling you're doing (altitude, on or off road, etc), and you can do quite a lot of customising for other stuff too (e.g. how much baggage cover you need, or don't need). As far as I recall, they don't have any small print about helmet wearing either. I think their trip limit for the annual policy is 30 days per trip, but you can insure longer periods with a one-off policy.

[st599_uk]

I'm looking for medical cover for a couple of months touring in France/Italy. Old bloke. Any current recommendations?

I would suggest you think very carefully about what exactly you are trying to insure for. You have have said in your OP, medical cover, will your GHIC card not give you enough cover?

The GHIC may cover the healthcare portion of the requirement, but you also need repatriation cover as part of the EU entry requirements.

[Steve X]

I'm looking for medical cover for a couple of months touring in France/Italy. Old bloke. Any current recommendations?

but you also need repatriation cover as part of the EU entry requirements.

Do you, news to me, in fact I have never, anywhere when crossing a border, been asked to show my insurance details, but maybe I need to cross more borders.
Repatriation insurance though is a wise thing to have.

[ANTONISH]

I am reply to reiterate this. I took out Backpackers Insurance with the Post Office. Their web page promoted it for a variety of risky sports and long trip coverage. I then found in the 33 page booklet an exclusion for Cycling BMX & Touring. I am back searching for cover for a 3+month trip and trying to get my money back from the PO.

That's interesting and disturbing - my partner is insured with the PO.
IMO one only finds out if an insurance deal is good when one submits a claim - I've been fortunate in never having to make a claim so far.

Just checked my partner's PO insurance - it does indeed exclude cycing (BMX and touring)
We will now have to find alternative cover - there is an amzing amount of small print to trawl through to find the exclusions.
IMO exclusions should be shown much more prominently.

[st599_uk]

but you also need repatriation cover as part of the EU entry requirements.

Do you, news to me, in fact I have never, anywhere when crossing a border, been asked to show my insurance details, but maybe I need to cross more borders.
Repatriation insurance though is a wise thing to have.

It's a condition of entry for 3rd country nationals in to the EU. I've had mine checked on a couple of recent work trips to Germany, along with the required funding.

Still nowhere near as annoying as crossing in to Malawi. Three different NHS clinics had sworn blind that a) Yellow Fever cards were not needed on the proposed trip we asked about and b) refused to prescribe them so couldn't even pay for them. Couldn't enter Malawi and couldn't re-enter Zambia.

[Steve X]

It's a condition of entry for 3rd country nationals in to the EU. I've had mine checked on a couple of recent work trips to Germany, along with the required funding.

Interesting. It does make sense TBH.