TENS of thousands of holidaymakers taking short breaks to cities in Europe are failing to take out travel insurance each year — leaving themselves open to costly medical bills. Travel insurance companies say that as many as four in ten weekend break travellers are neglecting to buy insurance, with many under the mistaken understanding that E111 forms, which offer free or reduced cost treatment at European Union countries, will cover all medical requirements.

The problem comes when people are treated at private medical centres in an emergency, say insurers, who point out that E111 forms do not cover private care. Nor do the forms — which are currently being replaced by the European Health Insurance Card — offer financial cover for the cost of repatriating people who need to be returned to the UK for specialist treatment.

The cost of repatriation, often accompanied by a nurse in the business class section of a plane, can be as much as £7,000 on its own — while insurers say that final bills, with private medical treatment overseas thrown in, regularly rise to £20,000.

“It’s all down to the budget airlines. People jump on them for a weekend without really feeling as though they’re going abroad,” said Derek Ketteridge, director of Getaway Travel Insurance, an insurance broker based in Brighton. “People don’t associate these trips with ‘proper holidays’, so they will let the insurance side slip. They think ‘Oh, I’ll be OK with the E111’ or ‘We’re only visiting part of Europe’, or they simply don’t think about it at all. They’re taking a big risk.”

Michael Mills, managing director of MRL Insurance Direct, which specialises in annual policies, says: “It’s the people who are buying low-cost flights and accommodation separately on the internet who are simply neglecting the insurance side. They’ve got their cheap deal, and off they go.

“Many think that E111 forms are enough, but if you have an accident are you likely to tell an ambulance to go away because it’s connected to a private medical centre?” Research by the Association of British Travel Agents found that 43 per cent of people who take short breaks fail to buy travel insurance. The figure for all holidays is 13 per cent.

Its members sell more than 18 million policies a year, but a spokesman advised that many people “don’t think it’s important” to mention medical conditions when they take out cover. “People have to be honest.It might seem unimportant, but it could cost you a lot later on.”

He said that people should also declare whether any close members of their family have medical conditions, as they would not be covered should they have to cancel or curtail a trip to be in the UK with them in the case of an emergency.

With the popularity of budget flights increasing, insurers say that it makes sense to take out an annual policy. These cover multiple trips and cost from about £50 depending on the level of cover. Anyone considering taking part in a “hazardous activity” should ask their insurer if they will be covered.

Insurers still recommend taking E111 forms because they will cover medical treatment at public health centres at the 25 EU countries, plus Switzerland, that are signed up to the scheme. The forms are currently being replaced by European Health Insurance Cards — the same system under a different name, with neater credit card-sized identification. The Department of Health website (www.dh.gov.uk) has information on the changeover, and how to apply for the new cards. But for full details, see our feature opposite.

• Medical Treatment in the EEC
• European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) Advice
• Why Do I Need Travel Insurance?
• Apply for your European Health Insurance card

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