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TV money-saving expert Martin Lewis has encouraged people booking their summer holidays this January to act now on travel insurance and avoid common mistakes.
Writing in his latest Money Savings Expert subscriber newsletter, the personal finance guru emphasized the importance of getting your insurance sorted early and not leaving it to the last minute or allowing it to be neglected altogether.
“Every spring without fail, someone asks me a heartbreaking question,” he told his readers. “They’re usually diagnosed with cancer or another serious condition that requires long-term treatment, and they won’t be able to go on summer vacation.
“But the airline will not refund them – within their rights as the ticket is not faulty.
“I say, ‘That’s what travel insurance is for’. Sometimes, however, they tell me they still have no chance of getting it.
“My heart sinks because I have to tell them that I have no trust. Half the point of cover is to protect you if things happen that stop you going, so get it ASAB – As Soon as Booked.”
He also advised his followers to make sure they have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or replace the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), before they leave, as these permits entitle you to medical treatment in state hospitals and GPs. practices across Europe at the same price as local.
The GHIC was a last-minute feature of the Brexit trade deal to continue reciprocal healthcare between the UK and the EU.
The measure includes medically necessary treatment such as kidney dialysis, oxygen therapy and chemotherapy – allowing people with chronic conditions to continue to travel.
But rather than continued membership of the Ehic scheme, the UK’s elective exit from the European Union means that British travelers will only have access to free or reduced-rate medical treatment in the EU27 – not in the associated countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and of Switzerland.
A separate agreement was reached with Norway.
Anyone with a valid Ehic does not need to apply for the new card, as the European document will remain valid until the expiry date. Both cards will provide equivalent protection for emergency and medical care required while in the EU on a temporary stay, including holiday, study and business travel.
The card is available free of charge by phone (0300 330 1350) or from nhs.uk/Ghic.
After a Christmas break after hitting the top of the festive charts with a charity single he recorded with LadBaby, Martin Lewis is back on his usual media blitz, recently advising his audience on various platforms how to raise money save on cinema tickets, broadband and water.
