Trip insurance for the Camino

[Ultreia_61]

Can anyone recommend a comprehensive walking holiday / trip insurance policy that would include cover for declared pre-existing medical conditions and cancellation, from a UK provider? Is there a go-to provider for the Camino? ¡Gracias!

 

[Former member 95219]

You are probably best getting several quotes and starting my using someone like moneysupermarket.com as costs of pre existing will vary by insurer. Also there is slight variance around health questions often in terms of the period
the questions relate to. If you only have pre diagnosed symtoms there should be plenty of choice depending on condition. It’s more tricky if you have undiagnosed symtoms.

I don’t know if walking a Camino means you need special insurance (ala mountain climbing!) but others will!

 

[C clearly]

Is there a go-to provider for the Camino?

No.

Walking is not a high hazard activity, so you shouldn't need any special coverage.

 

[Former member 95219]

No.

Walking is not a high hazard activity, so you shouldn't need any special coverage.

Thank you! I thought that and hadn’t sought any special coverage on my 3 caminos but wasn’t 100% sure!

 

[C clearly]

Well, I'm not an insurance person, but all accounts I've heard are consistent.

 

[Former member 95219]

I was probably too cavalier in the past and as long as I advised pre existing conditions I thought that was ‘job done’ But undiagnosed conditions are key, changes after policy bought are key too! And if you are a bit of nomadic traveller, residency is key too!

 

[Ant]

I've walked 5/6 caminos with a pre-existing condition. I never bothered with private health insurance and made sure my E11 card, or whatever it is called now, was up to date. I only ever had occasion to use it on one trip, after a bad fall just outside Valencia. I soldiered on for over 6 weeks with a constantly infected shin, stopping every 3/4 days at a local clinic (like the old cottage hospitals in the UK) to get it cleaned and re-dressed. Usually with a letter/note from the previous one, telling the next one, what they had done. I was amazed at how quick it all was and how fantastic the treatment was. Miles better than what would have happened in the UK. Names of insurance companies that do pre-existing conditions that I know of are Staysure, All Clear, Aventi & Puffin Insurance. Good luck

 

[daisy]

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/cheap-travel-insurance/

 

[Former member 95219]

I've walked 5/6 caminos with a pre-existing condition. I never bothered with private health insurance and made sure my E11 card, or whatever it is called now, was up to date. I only ever had occasion to use it on one trip, after a bad fall just outside Valencia. I soldiered on for over 6 weeks with a constantly infected shin, stopping every 3/4 days at a local clinic (like the old cottage hospitals in the UK) to get it cleaned and re-dressed. Usually with a letter/note from the previous one, telling the next one, what they had done. I was amazed at how quick it all was and how fantastic the treatment was. Miles better than what would have happened in the UK. Names of insurance companies that do pre-existing conditions that I know of are Staysure, All Clear, Aventi & Puffin Insurance. Good luck

Thanks Ant. Sounds reasonable. Yes I have pre existing (GHIC covers these) and have walked 3 Caminos without insurance. I had undiagnosed symptoms so become tricky / expensive. I would have got insurance otherwise as very cheap. Calculated risk in that the only things not covered are 1) repatriation (unlikely to need given top notch facilities in Spain), and 2) if you are taken to a private facility! Level of risk was reasonable to me,

I wouldn’t go anythere outside Europe without insurance unless we had reciprocal health insurance! I.e Australia.

 

[Ultreia_61]

You are probably best getting several quotes and starting my using someone like moneysupermarket.com as costs of pre existing will vary by insurer. Also there is slight variance around health questions often in terms of the period
the questions relate to. If you only have pre diagnosed symtoms there should be plenty of choice depending on condition. It’s more tricky if you have undiagnosed symtoms.

I don’t know if walking a Camino means you need special insurance (ala mountain climbing!) but others will!

Thanks for responding Chef66! I normally use payingtoomuch.com in the UK as they're great for leisure and business trips. However the last two times I've pulled up what seemed like a reasonable policy, buried in the small print about activities not covered (for example maximum elevation for a walk etc) is an exclusion for "self-guided" walking / hiking. I've contacted them about that and after describing what I was going to do they told me the Camino would probably be excluded from the policy as I was walking solo, their advice was not to chance it as it was at best ambiguous - that was their sales department too. So I've taken out a policy through a company called Campbell Irvine which does cover 'Trekking / Rambling / Hiking - under 5000m (recognised routes only)'. I found them through a walking holidays specialist agency (whom I'm not using). It's a bit more expensive than the original proposal and excludes pre-existing conditions but for those I've got a GHIC card which I reckon should be OK.

 

[Ultreia_61]

Thanks Ant. Sounds reasonable. Yes I have pre existing (GHIC covers these) and have walked 3 Caminos without insurance. I had undiagnosed symptoms so become tricky / expensive. I would have got insurance otherwise as very cheap. Calculated risk in that the only things not covered are 1) repatriation (unlikely to need given top notch facilities in Spain), and 2) if you are taken to a private facility! Level of risk was reasonable to me,

I wouldn’t go anythere outside Europe without insurance unless we had reciprocal health insurance! I.e Australia.

Thanks for this, as posted above I've opted for an insurance policy plus the GHIC Global Health Insurance Card. I get what you say about not having insurance but a family member had to be medevaced back to the UK from France a while ago and since then I've taken out cover. Personal preference I guess, based on indirect experience!

 

[Ultreia_61]

I've walked 5/6 caminos with a pre-existing condition. I never bothered with private health insurance and made sure my E11 card, or whatever it is called now, was up to date. I only ever had occasion to use it on one trip, after a bad fall just outside Valencia. I soldiered on for over 6 weeks with a constantly infected shin, stopping every 3/4 days at a local clinic (like the old cottage hospitals in the UK) to get it cleaned and re-dressed. Usually with a letter/note from the previous one, telling the next one, what they had done. I was amazed at how quick it all was and how fantastic the treatment was. Miles better than what would have happened in the UK. Names of insurance companies that do pre-existing conditions that I know of are Staysure, All Clear, Aventi & Puffin Insurance. Good luck

The Spanish health care system is really good in my experience. The GHIC is really handy although I've been seen by a GP in an urban clinic with just my passport - I doubt that work now after Brexit, GHIC would do the trick in most cases, easy to update and free.

 

[Former member 95219]

R

The Spanish health care system is really good in my experience. The GHIC is really handy although I've been seen by a GP in an urban clinic with just my passport - I doubt that work now after Brexit, GHIC would do the trick in most cases, easy to update and free.

Thank you! Good work! Sounds like a good plan! As you say GHIC is a real a fantastic thing to have and Spain has great health care. Small print you saw was interesting. May surprise a few folks… maybe I didn’t know! My challenge recently as well as medical was residency. Even though I class myself as a UK resident have been very nomadic over last two year SL and most insurance companies ask for a customer to have physically been in UK 6 of last 12 months!

 

[Scott Sweeney]

If you are of a retired age on the US, medicare will cover 80% of health care if needed. Never was concerned, perhaps I should have been. With that said I haven't a clue to a good provider.

 

[Ultreia_61]

You're welcome! I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't checked the exclusions when I was planning my first walk (didn't happen thanks to the "bicho" that is Covid). And your point about UK residence is important, it now seems very prominent on websites, I don't remember seeing it as much before. ¡Buen camino!

Thank you! Good work! Sounds like a good plan! As you say GHIC is a real a fantastic thing to have and Spain has great health care. Small print you saw was interesting. May surprise a few folks… maybe I didn’t know! My challenge recently as well as medical was residency. Even though I class myself as a UK resident have been very nomadic over last two year SL and most insurance companies ask for a customer to have physically been in UK 6 of last 12 months!

 

[LavanyaLea]

Yes I am so glad the only thing that changed after Brexit was the name from EHIC to GHIC. I had to renew mine as the previous EHIC had expired in 2021, and just a warning for future pilgrims from the UK: the admin can take some time!

I applied on 22nd April, got an email to say it’s approved on 29th April, and the letter with the card only arrived on 16th May! And the date on the letter was 29th April. Maybe it’s just a one off “oopst the letter was misplaced”, don’t know. But don’t leave it until late!

 

[Ultreia_61]

Yes I am so glad the only thing that changed after Brexit was the name from EHIC to GHIC. I had to renew mine as the previous EHIC had expired in 2021, and just a warning for future pilgrims from the UK: the admin can take some time!

I applied on 22nd April, got an email to say it’s approved on 29th April, and the letter with the card only arrived on 16th May! And the date on the letter was 29th April. Maybe it’s just a one off “oopst the letter was misplaced”, don’t know. But don’t leave it until late!

Great advice! I have enough time to get it. I hope....

 

[AZperegrino]

If you are of a retired age on the US, medicare will cover 80% of health care if needed. Never was concerned, perhaps I should have been. With that said I haven't a clue to a good provider.

Sorry, Medicare will not cover your overseas costs. There may be exceptions, but it's not clear what they are. In general, if you have Medicare, you're advised to get a separate overseas medical insurance policy.

However, the difficulty is finding a good one, i.e. one that will actually pay out on a claim, and in a reasonable time. I'm on Medicare and am looking for such medical insurance for my wife and I during our upcoming Camino in Portugal and Spain. Squaremouth shows lots of options, but the reviews (e.g. for Axa or Berkshire) are pretty bad. Lots of people reporting that they could not even get a response within a month or two, and I couldn't find any 'good' reviews that actually mentioned getting claims paid. Anyone with a good experience on your medical insurance provider, please speak up!

 

[Ultreia_61]

You are probably best getting several quotes and starting my using someone like moneysupermarket.com as costs of pre existing will vary by insurer. Also there is slight variance around health questions often in terms of the period
the questions relate to. If you only have pre diagnosed symtoms there should be plenty of choice depending on condition. It’s more tricky if you have undiagnosed symtoms.

I don’t know if walking a Camino means you need special insurance (ala mountain climbing!) but others will!

Thanks for getting back to me, and buen camino!

 

[Former member 49149]

I have recently needed to research insurance policies for seniors travelling from Ireland to Europe and also to USA. Those who are skilful at interpreting all the jargon can work with online dealings. I am a senior, and prefer to talk to a real person so that individual scenarios can be talked through. I have gone with two companies - one with our national health insurance, renewed annually, but the travel insurance is over and above that. The other is a policy with a different company to cover travel to USA. In both instances, I found a phone call - included in our regular phone package - gives best sense of secure information. The agents want customers, you must remember that.
After all of that, insurance is a risk. You may decide you are worth it, you may decide you are not! As a group, we do not have personal life insurance, as our organisation will bury us or cremate us, when the time comes.

 

[Mindfull]

Just throwing my experience on this. UK resident, mid 50's, one pre-existing condition. I have an annual Admiral multi-trip which works for up to 30-ish days. For my upcoming 6 to 7 week trip they have sold me a one-off extension for £30. Do your own research as they say but the best place to start might your existing provider.

 

[Mindfull]

Just throwing my experience on this. UK resident, mid 50's, one pre-existing condition. I have an annual Admiral multi-trip which works for up to 30-ish days. For my upcoming 6 to 7 week trip they have sold me a one-off extension for £30. Do your own research as they say but the best place to start might your existing provider.

PS I am wary of extending cover with another company in case of legal wrinkles from having two insurers, obligation to start from UK etc- you just don't know what they could find to make difficult.

 

[Former member 107885]

PS I am wary of extending cover with another company in case of legal wrinkles from having two insurers, obligation to start from UK etc- you just don't know what they could find to make difficult.

Absolutely right! It’s an absolute mindfield. Pre - existing, undiagnosed symptoms, obligation to notify changes in health post policy purchase, residency, where you start journeys. It’s an old thread but really check it out throroughly!

A UK resident can have the GHIC card which covers most things in France and Spain tho not reparation or services in private health facilities.