Insurance interrogation

[trophywench]

Well I always think this. We only go to Europe these days and if I need to consult a doctor then I've either had a complete accident or I am having a diabetes event which would be a 999 call in the UK anyway - both of which are covered under the EHIC arrangements where we are likely to go. yes admittedly eg in France it costs €25-30 to consult a GP and you have to 'co-pay' for any drugs needed - no drugs are wholly free even if you're French and the EHIC only covers what a 'local' would be entitled to - which wouldn't be a prob for either of us.

However of course if we ever have something mega serious we require 'medical repatriation' then it just might be a prob. However with the various things I have and the only thing Pete's had - it makes medical insurance so expensive we couldn't justify adding it to the cost of a holiday - hence we take our chances with it - but I would never never recommend doing that to anyone else. If you were me and asked for advice - I'd tell you to cough up in excess of £1,000 and just take less holidays.

 

[HOBIE]

Being Type 1 certainly used to put the premium up. When I got my first car in 1989 it was before the internet with meerkats and comparison sites and it meant a phone call to a broker. I'd got myself an old 950cc Fiesta and wanted third party fire and theft. I phoned a local broker and went through all my details and the lady gave me a price for the premium of around £85. Great I'll take that. She then said there were a few more questions - any medical conditions/restricted licence? Yes I said, Type 1 (or IDDM as it was then) with a 3 year licence. After presumably tapping into her computer she said oh, that's changed the premium and it's now £125. 😡 Didn't have much choice other than to cough up.

I think it all changed due to disability equality legislation where they couldn't charge you more because of a medical condition even though you might be a greater risk. The comparison sites online don't even ask about medical conditions now. As already said if the DVLA let you have a licence then you're fit to drive.

A 950 Matt ? The sheer power ? Sorry Matt 😉

 

[trophywench]

By 1979/80 that must have been banned though Matt - since I've never come across it. Didn't actually take lessons 'seriously' and pass my test until 1985 though I kept my provisional - or was it 86? LOL

 

[Matt Cycle]

A 950 Matt ? The sheer power ? Sorry Matt 😉

The 950cc - 4 gears and I once got up to 85mph on the motorway and the whole thing was vibrating. Couldn't hear the radio the noise was that loud.

By 1979/80 that must have been banned though Matt

Do you mean the insurance? It's definitely what the lady said on the phone. I didn't know any different and just accepted it at the time. It was a local broker in Sheffield - long gone now. Passed my test in 1987 (*cough*, first time ) whilst a student but didn't get a car until 1989.

 

[HOBIE]

You had a Radio ? That's flash 😱 Supperb

 

[trophywench]

Yes the insurance premium. Every insurer I've ever approached has said 'Oh that's OK, we don't need to know, as long as you have the licence you've said you have'. I've always been quite impressed by the fact that none of them did discriminate. And pleased of course!

Later I was also a driver on husband's Motor Trade policy so I could drive a customer's car on his behalf (well I was the labourer that was asked to 'Just come and pump the brakes while I bleed them, please' etcetera (mask the windscreen up, check the oil, finish undoing these wheel nuts, clean the seats ...... etc - but there again I didn't actually want to drive any of them TBH, imagine just finishing mending and spraying a car and some stupid woman drives it into the gatepost on the way out of the workshop! LOL)

It's simply never been the slightest problem to me.