Health Insurance from EU-Based Company ?

[Kimmo]

Greetings

I wonder could anyone recommend a company in EU area (preferably UK one), providing health insurances. To explain myself a bit, we are leaving for a one year cruise staying in EU area. We have the European Health Insurance Card, which of course gives us the right to have the same healthcare, as the locals get. That is fine with us.

But what I'm specifically looking, is an insurance, that would cover the expenses of flying myself or my wife back to our home country, if we end up in a major accident and are confined to a hospital bed and unable to use ordinary commercial flights back to home.

I know there are these kind of health insurances available even where I live, but unfortunately any journey, that takes over 3 months, is not considered a "holiday" by the insurance company and thus it increases the payments to huge sums. It's the same with the boat insurance, which I took from a German company, which seems experienced and to be perfectly ok with longer cruises, where my native country insurance companies would have liked to charge 300% more insurance payment.

My wife sister used to travel for a year in Asia and in Australia backbagging and she got insurance from a UK company, which was affordable, but unfortunately she has forgotten the name of the company.

Any advices?

[boatman61]

Pantaenius... whom I always choose... has a policy but at GBP733/adult I guess you'd be as well hanging on to your money and keeping it in a 'Sicky Kitty' and making do with the Health Cards... one thing you will find in most countries is the health services and results are much quicker than the UK..
except A&E which is the same all over.. empty or overcrowded...
But the qualities good...

[Kimmo]

Thank you for your answer. It has a rather steep price it seems.

I'm sure we do fine with the EU health cards, but just thinking a major accident, which leaves us lying in a Spanish hospital for example. A bit depressing to think such an event, which hopefully never happens.

Also, I've understood that some Spanish and Portuguese marinas would require health/travel insurance? Any truth in that and if it is required, is the EU health card sufficient?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Kimmo

Thank you for your answer. It has a rather steep price it seems.

I'm sure we do fine with the EU health cards, but just thinking a major accident, which leaves us lying in a Spanish hospital for example. A bit depressing to think such an event, which hopefully never happens.

Also, I've understood that some Spanish and Portuguese marinas would require health/travel insurance? Any truth in that and if it is required, is the EU health card sufficient?

I've never ever been asked for health insurance antwhere... liability for the boat yes... but for me never...
Certainly not in Spain or Portugal... just turn up at the hospital with Health Card and Passport and few euro's and your fine...
Hospital X-rays, diagnosis of 3 broken ribs, prescriptions and med's came to under 40euro.... did not have the Health Card at the time....
Friend had food poisoning from shrimp in Almerimar... blood tests etc.. 24hrs observation in hospital... cost of taxi... she had a Card...lol
Minor stuff is usually dealt with in the Farmacia's by the staff who have all college training in basic GP medicine...

[Kimmo]

Thanks boatman. I guess we will skip the health insurance. I mean, if we are in such a bad shape, that we cannot anymore get out of hospital bed, it most likely means we will never sail again and can just sell the boat to buy a medical flight back home

Or, perhaps you can come and feed us at a Portuguese hospital