Health Insurance Medical insurance for a stay abroad

M

music

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Dear all, I am hoping someone can advise me.
My daughter ( a teenager under 18) might be going to Europe for about 7 months. I rang our provider VHI to see what we could as we would like her to be covered ideally if she goes abroad, under our one family plan.

It was an unsatisfactory conversation. Firstly VHI said that she would need separate cover, as her stay is longer than 6 months. They they implied that this cover must be purchased from them in their international division. She would apparently be deemed absent from the normal family plan cover during her time away, and they strongly implied that not to cover with an expensive international VHI plan would mean that she is not entitled to re join our family plan on her return. I found the conversation very off putting and it had a not so latent threat underlying it. There seemed to be no choice in the matter i.e. The option of taking insurance from another health insurer for my daughter.

I am not much the wiser about options. surely with gap years that students take, this must be a common occurrence. Are travel insurance plans any good. They seem to be limited to a certain period too. Could anyone please advise me. Thank you.
 
I have spent a few years abroad, when I was backpacking I took out a general annual travel insurance package from USIT I think, However on return I had to start my waiting period for health insurance again. Not a huge problem at the time. The last time I lived abroad I took out the VHI package. It meant that I satisfied the insurance requirement in the country for a lot less than friends standard policies and also on return did not have to restart my waiting period for pre existing conditions. The VHI policy wasn't available when I first went away years ago. I'm not sure it suits a backpacker but living in a country with insurance requirements it seemed to do satisfy the criteria . As far as I know VHI are the only company in Ireland with this type of policy. If it is for less than a year and you just want standard insurance for peace of mind then look at a backpacker policy
 
If she'll be travelling within the EU the EHIC would probably cover most of what she needs, wouldn't it? I would just make sure she checks the requirements in the countries she visits to make sure she doesn't need to have insurance there if she is resident (even temporarily). In Germany, for example, the rules on what health insurances are acceptable are quite complicated (although if she is planning on being in Germany, you/she could do worse than checking out the forums at toytowngermany, for example, this thread on the topic). That thread actually might be a good idea to give you an idea of some of the other providers around for international health insurance anyway.
 
I am also looking for something similar for my son who will spend 9 months in Italy. VHI International health policy will cost 500+ for their lowest level of cover but he is also included on our family policy (laya) so this seems like double cover. The family cover doesn't cover repatriation - is there any cover for students that covers this but allows our family policy to cover the rest?
 
My research this morning has thrown up a potential solution - as he is already covered on our family health policy, but our family travel insurance will not cover repatriation, there is a backpacker policy that covers longer trips including emergency medical and repatriation - I think this is what we will consider, hope this helps anyone else in this situation. (Note they appear to be for over 18's only so may not suit the OP's daughter).
 
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