Insurance company cancelling policy?

[metalmonkey]

Hi has anyone else had their health/accident Insurance policy cancelled by their UK Insurance company. My insurance company has recently decided that I am not entitled to their cover anymore as I now live in Spain. Tried to tell me that this was because of a change in the law..not true as Direct Line has allowed me to carry on with my UK policy as long as I don't miss any payments. I've been paying into this for nearly twenty years so not very happy.

[Mowser]

If you check your policy small print it will probably say "UK only (United Kingdom: Includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)."

(What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away)

[Mowser]

You could get in touch and ask if the policy could be transferred (if they have a Spanish sister company).

[Jool]

Yes we were told we could continue it for 3 years after moving it then it could not be renewed for a further year.

[Martin Page]

It realy beggars the question - WHY ?

I would have thought that a insurance policy is an insurance policy in any memeber state of the EU - but then the UK HAS TO BE DIFERENT !

[El Cid]

It realy beggars the question - WHY ?

I would have thought that a insurance policy is an insurance policy in any memeber state of the EU - but then the UK HAS TO BE DIFERENT !

It depends on the type of policy.

The OP described it as Health/Accident.

That could be private health insurance or travel insurance - in both cases there are almost certainly conditions about where you live.

Sid

[TerryC]

Immediately we moved here to Spain ten years ago we were politely informed that we couldn't continue to pay into our private pension schemes.

It makes you wonder what the benefit of being in the EU is to a private citizen. Ok there is free movement between countries of the EU if you can afford it or find a job, but things like social security, pensions, insurance are all wrapped up in so much red tape/small print. Even to the extent that we can't really watch British television legally and why should certain benefits be payable to a UK citizen living in the UK but not to a UK citizen living in Spain or any other EU country? We've all paid into the NI system for years so why shouldn't we get ALL the benefits. A lot of us here are pensioners and we all know how hard it is living on a fixed income when prices are continually rising and with very little if any income arising from savings and investments. The truth is we've been well and truly sh**ted by the banks, by the government and every big company in between.

I also wonder what the benefit to the UK as a whole is. It seems to me that it costs a lot to be in the club to give up so much of the Uk's sovereignty.

I apologise for going slightly off topic but the EU is a subject that causes me much angst.

[frank]

It realy beggars the question - WHY ?

I would have thought that a insurance policy is an insurance policy in any memeber state of the EU - but then the UK HAS TO BE DIFERENT !

Do you know that the UK is different? Are you sure all the other countries would cover you in another country? I very much doubt that they would. You're living in Spain, why not pay a Spanish insurance company to cover you?

[Mowser]

I was checking out funeral policies in Spain. The price seemed OK. I asked a simple question which was, "If I happened to die in the UK, would I be cremated there?" The answer was "no" as it is cheaper to fly my body back and cremate me in Spain. Weird.
I am currently uninsured for funeral plans.

[gerryh]

as it is cheaper to fly my body back and cremate me in Spain.

As pointed out on another thread, gas is cheaper in Spain

Cheers
Gerry

[julian]

"cheaper to fly my body back and cremate me in Spain"

I bet they wouldn´t use ryanair with their price per kg.

[scotty]

My reply as an insurance broker & a customer of a health insurance company................. Most ex pats that need medical investigation / treatment end up in private hospitals / clinics and are normally subjected to many tests etc etc (revenue driven) so the insurer cant keep control of costs. My own father was a perfect example of this and had many tests performed on his insuance company's tab in marbella during his 35 year stint in spain. If you read your terms and conditions it will be in there. I think most policies limit you to around 45 days per trip. My daughter is living in Australia and is currently insured by an Irish health insurer on a "global" policy.

[deb]

I had been paying my life insurance for alot of years, so when i was moving to spain i contacted the insurance company to tell them and ask if i could carry on with it. They said i could as long as the payments were made each month from a english bank account. They sent me a letter confirming that i was coverd while living in spain.

[scotty]

Deb..... Life assurance is different to health insurance.