Travel Question: Do we need costly medical insurance?

Q We are UK pensioners and spend 180 days a year in Spain. It seems impossible to get travel insurance. We have EHIC cover so we know we’d get the same care as in UK (Brexit willing) but we are slightly concerned if one of us needs medical repatriation cover. Any suggestions?

Name withheld

A Being able to spend almost half the year in Spain is an enviable position. At present you are able to benefit from the reciprocal medical care provided by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This allows British visitors to qualify for medical treatment on the same basis as local citizens.

From a travel insurer’s perspective, I am afraid you would be categorised as high-risk individuals because of your age – however healthy you may be. Travel insurers are very cautious about providing extended cover for such people. But I’m puzzled why you say you might “need” medical repatriation. My limited experience of the Spanish public health service suggests that it is excellent, and that has been confirmed by reports I have heard. So I am not sure why you would require to be flow home? If you are prepared to do without an air ambulance, then you can rationally opt for no insurance.

No one knows what will happen after Brexit on 29 March 2019. The UK government has said it intends to continue a reciprocal health scheme for holidaymakers. But it is not at all clear how “holidaymaker” will be defined; it could be, for example, stays of up to three months. In that case, travel insurance will be both more necessary and more expensive.

You might want to adjust your travel plans to fit in with whatever new measures are implemented. But both pre- and post-Brexit, insurance that includes medical repatriation is likely to be extremely expensive – especially for old travellers.

The Independent will continue to do all it can to keep readers informed about the travel implications of Brexit.

Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder