In a surprise move, in front of a packed public gallery, Liberal Vannin leader Peter Karran won unanimous backing for leave to introduce his Private Members' Bill.

And in a separate move, Health Minister Eddie Teare announced he is drawing up plans for a safety net scheme for those unable to obtain or afford private travel insurance when the reciprocal health deal ends in April.

During a debate broadcast live on the radio, Mr Karran said his scheme, the would provide cover for medical expenses and repatriation at a cost of £1.70 per person per trip, was 'simple and universal'.

He said there would be little or no administration costs involved with the levy included in air and harbour fees.

When Mr Karran first mooted his travel levy scheme in October, he could not even find a seconder.

But with public anger growing at the ending of the reciprocal deal, MHKs were queuing up to support his scheme today.

Earlier, Mr Teare said he would bring forward to the March Tynwald proposals for a safety net.

He explained: 'I do recognise there will be some who will be unable to obtain cover at an affordable cost or indeed obtain cover at all.

'As promised we have taken action and as a result of considerable work by my department, I intend to bring forward a proposal to the March sitting of Tynwald which, if approved, would ensure that no person would be denied travel cover whilst they are enjoying a short trip in the UK.'

The DHSS will be sending out leaflets to all households within the next 14 days outlining who will exempt for heathcare charges in the UK and listing companies that will provide insurance.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Send your comments to newsviews@newsiom.co.im

YOUR COMMENTS

So those who have gone ahead and purchased travel insurance as advised to do so earlier will end up paying again and again every time they travel? Another add-on to already exorbitant travel costs to and from the island. When will it ever stop?
ANNOYED, Onchan

It's a case of Dammed if you do and Dammed if you don't, you can never please everyone all of the time. It's a shame that it has taken so long for all the other MHK's to stand with Mr Karran and get this moving. I am assuming that this travel levy will be on all pasengers and therfore cover vistitors traveling to the Isle of Man?
NG

Good. Let's hope they can get something sorted. I'm sure there are many areas yet to be resolved. But, it's good to see it hasn't been completely abandoned as a way forward. As for Mr Annoyed from Onchan – it's 1.70 each way! Maybe don't buy a cup of coffee on the ferry or at the Airport!
COLIN.

Perhaps I'm not fully up to speed on this, but don't we pay a 'Departure tax' when traveling by air? If we do, then what does the government do with it's share of this at present?
Yours,
||5150||

Just when you think travel to and from this island can't get any more expensive! I have a question, I have travel insurance all year round that I pay for through my bank, will I be exempt from this £1.70 levy as I don't require it? Also does the £1.70 fee cover just the insurance or does it cover the Steam Packets / Flybe's administration fee's for collecting this levy or will that just be added to the price of the ticket??
SCOTTYDOGG

Whilst I agree that something needs to be done for those who do not qualify for medical cover themselves, I do not think it fair to levy a charge on all travellers to and from the Island. I will still have to obtain my own cover for the period that I am over there marshalling - is it fair that I should then have to pay again?
LESLEY MASON

Kudos to Peter Karran for at least trying to improve the situation and look at alternatives. His efforts certainly brings to light the stance taken by the other MHKs over this. Once they have a free vote then things get done, every vote should be a free vote and only then will MHKs become more accountable to their constituents and no longer rely on patronage of the Chief Minister. I'm sure all those who have travel insurance already, like myself, won't mind paying the little extra as I can imagine it taking more hassle than its worth to get it back. My one concern is the little or no administration costs he envisages. Remember this is the IOM Government we are dealing with and I can see a whole new department being created to deal with the £1.70 surcharge. This will probably end up costing more than the £1.70 to administer for each ticket. So perhaps it is a good time to look at the efficiencies at the airport and perhaps cut costs and try and make the airport profitable.
AR, Douglas

Another joke of an idea, increasing travel costs to the Island even further and making people with travel insurance pay double. Anyone with even a bit of common sense could see that there are plenty of ways to cover the travel insurance for all. Flymaybe for example, charges for various payment methods, Visa Electron – Free – Debit Card - £12.00 premium, Credit Card - £17.00 premium, Steam Racket are similar. These rip off fees need to looked at by trading standards and abolished or if not, levy the £1.70 from these undue profits. Mr Shimmin wasted £3000 the other day on his jolly, this would equate to 1765 trips of £1.70 in itself, plenty of room for savings internally within government, forget coming to the people. The public will be getting additional levies very soon away in the form of increased tax rates, 10% and 18% are history.
DB

People who are too ill to obtain reasonably priced health insurance shouldn't travel in the first instance. The increased stresses of the travel will probably induce a worsening of their underlying condition and they will end up hospitalised for months on end in UK hospitals where any relatives will be unable to visit them. On the fairness of everyone paying for a minority, who are already a burden on the Government Coffers, through self-confessed ill health, at the very least, those who are covered by health insurance, and therefore do not even avail of the DHSS's services on the Island should be able to claim this against their tax returns.
ANON, Laxey

£1.70!!! For goodness sake, STOP MOANING. This is the first time this government has stopped trying to get one over on each other and actually united to do something for the good of the people of the Isle of Man. I never thought it would happen.
RC

I seriously cant believe that there are people here complaining about £3.40 at the cost of your health!! What a hideous complaint! I commend Mr Karran for finding this affordable alternative and pushing for it despite no backing originally. For those complaining they already pay insurance clearly have enough money to travel alot anyway. I dont think the issue raised regarding passengers travelling to the island being covered should be raised however WELL DONE Mr Karran for being proactive - a well deserved election to your post. As a person starting a young family will be happy to pay this small amount to cover my family when travelling. ANON FROM LAXEY how god damn ignorant and rude!! You assume that people who may not get cover easily due to age heriditary illness etc are nothing more than a burden and shouldnt travel anyway due to stress, I only hope that any member of any generation of your family do not suffer demobilising or serious ill health though no fault of lifestyle or accident.
EMMA

Emma is right, its amazing that people are complaining, what a bunch of 'I'm all right jacks' what would happen if they develop an illness (or reach the age of 75) which effects their ability to get travel insurance. What a lot of people also don't seem realise is that standard travel insurance may not cover you in many instances, most don't provide any cover if not staying in a hotel for at least 2 nights (that means camping or staying with friends may not be covered), or staying in the UK for less than 2 days, if you've visited a doctor in the last 12 months you'd better let them know, riding motorcycle over 125cc, you're probably not covered, your children probably aren't covered if not travelling with you, there's usually a whole bunch of exclusions hidden away in the policy, how many people carefully check these and are certain they understand them? There needs to be something in place which covers everyone or we'll have an unfair system, whether its this or something else, it needs sorting.
IAN

So now we see the "I'm alright, Jack"s come out of the woodwork - the happy people that could get travel insurance. If you're so enamoured of a system that discriminates freedoms based upon the ability to pay, why not start arguing for the abolition of universal free health-care at the point of delivery, because health insurance is available to all those who deserve to have the care (yes, ANON from Laxey, that's you I'm pointing at). I'm with those who support Peter Karran on this one. Quite why the other MHKs couldn't bring themselves to support it last Autumn is quite beyond me. 1.70 is such a small surcharge few people will even notice it's there, especially compared to the unfair and increasingly hidden charges the airlines and steam racket seem to arbitrarily be able to add to our travel bills. At least this small charge will be going to help everyone travelling to and from the UK, not just some Australian bankers.
BEN, Douglas

Emma, while £3.40 may not seem like much (and don't forget that there have been plenty of complaints about the fuel surcharge staying at the same level while fuel prices fell), your comment about people having paid for travel insurance clearly having enough money to travel a lot anyway is *way* off the mark. I, and many others that go over to the Island to support its economy once a year already pay ridiculous fees to get there, now *we* will have to pay our own travel insurance costs as well in order to receive anything other than basic emergency care. Add that to all the other costs that visitors to the Island may have to incur, it is wrong that those off the Island should be expected to pay for Islanders to be able to travel. Will the revenue raised actually generate enough income should you have some long-term hospital stays plus re-patriation costs to the island? If not, what then – increase the surcharge for both visitors and Islanders again? You may argue that as I can only afford to visit once a year, £3.40 isn't a lot, but in my mind that is not the point. If I am lucky enough to go to a non-EU country (because of family working there, not because I can afford a fancy holiday) I am not expected to pay towards that country's (non-reciprocal) health costs. Also, something that I have not heard mention of as yet – what about the costs of medical treatment for Manx residents receiving treatment at specialist units on the mainland now that the reciprocal agreement has been withdrawn? How is that going to work?
LESLEY MASON

I make approx 10 to 12 return trips a year off the island which is why I have been buying a yearly travel insurance for years. I also have Private health care cover. Why should I pay an extra £1.70 per trip (is this a return trip price or single?) to cover other people who want a free ride all the time. My husband is of a certain age and has an illness. Some insurance companies won't cover him, so I looked around till I found a company that would cover him (it doesn't cover his current illness but will cover anything else, we wouldn't travel if his current illness was effecting him – who would!). Heartless I might seem but if we have coped for years paying insurance why can't everyone else – would you go abroad without it ? I would hope that if this is brought in you will be able to tick a box on your online booking form to state you have adequate travel insurance and won't be charged this fee.
MAK

Emma. Why do you think I should subsidise you and your children to travel to the UK? Don't I do enough paying over inflated child benefit to keep you going? When the tax base on the Island collapses, you will realise what you are going to have to live on when return to being "Fishers and Farmers". " Dip and Herrings" because you won't be able to afford the "National Dish" "Chips, Cheese and Gravy"!
ANON, Laxey

For those of you complaining about the "exorbitant cost" of the £1.70 levy, spare a thought for those who can't afford standard health insurance. And before you go on, saying that ill people shouldn't travel - you ought to inform yourselves. I, for instance, suffered a life threatening illness last year - which I recovered from. Totally and completely. But insurance companies will not insure me, even though there is no more chance of getting ill than anyone else. But apparently, I should just never leave the Isle of Man.
JC

Having just had a bad experience with so called Travel Insurance I shall be delighted to have an insurance which will cover me 'no matter what'. I spent 6 months trying to get an insurance company to pay out £1700 for a bona fide claim for medical treatment. They squirmed and wriggled to get out of paying, initially saying they were going to decline the claim. Only when threatened with further action did they reluctantly agree to reconsider. Bear in mind that I was out of pocket for six months. If this had been a substantial claim for hundreds of thousands I'd have been in real trouble. What is needed is medical cover that will be paid for, no matter what, directly by the insurance company (or whoever), removing all the worry and giving peace of mind that should you fall ill or have an accident you are covered. The ones that are complaining about a small charge are very short sighted. There may well come the time when these same people find themselves in the position where they can't get cover; they'll be sorry then. I'd willing pay much more than £1.70 to get this kind of cover in the knowledge that I wasn't going to lose my house trying to pay for health care or fighting an insurance company to get my money back. There must be hundreds of Manx residents who are going to find themselves isolated. Unable to go to the UK to visit friends or relatives or just go shopping or to a football game. It is imperative that the IoM Government comes up with a solution, the sooner the better, and I for one don't mind paying for it.
IVAN

Am i right in thinking that this levy is designed to avoid the need for people to get travel insurance???? People living on the iom can go to the uk and people coming to the iom from the uk will be covered financially for their health needs! Sounds a damn cheaper than travel insurance for someone who is fit, well and young to me. I think this is the first time Tynwald have actually considered the needs of the the iom and its tourism industry seriously. Its a no-brainer to me. If your stupid enough to have sorted out insurance already (before the current deal has come to an end and formalities finalised) perhaps you can beg for a refund. May i ask people from the iom with annual travel insurance does it cover you outside of uk waters only, hence you need to pay a token levy to cover yourselves in the uk. Peter Karran gets my vote!!! To those who are moaning, remember you are getting older and old age comes with health complications which equate to expensive insurance premiums!
PETER KARRAN SUPPORTER

It seems you cannot please some of the people any of the time. In my view any system that guarantees that the IOM Government picks up the bills, is infinitely better than any private insurance cover. I do not want to be checking the small print of my insurance and paying cash up front in the hope that it will be refunded. Maybe the Government can look into cutting costs at both the harbour and airport to absorb the extra tax? ( My opinion of Peter Karren have reversed.)
MANX ALAN

1.70 each way and the majority are still moaning. Put the price of beer wines spirits and cigarettes up though and they just adjust and pay it. Not a big fan of the elected buffoons we have at the moment but at least they have got this right. 10 out of 10 for effort on this one. At least the old and people with long term problems can travel in safety now. As for the rest of you whingers, nip down to Tesco's and buy a life.
PEEJAY

2010 = £1.70 (? - 2011 = £1.90, 2012 = £2.20, 2013 = £2.50 etc.
I'll remind of this post in 3 or 4 years time.
LAMIA

Lesley Mason - if you're cross about the fact that you'll need insurance to come here then take it up with your MP, after all, it's the British Government's decision to end the reciprocal health agreement not the Isle of Man's, if you want to feel annoyed at anyone, get annoyed with Andy Burnham and his cronies.
N

Well done Peter Karran. It goes without saying, you can't please all of the people, all of the time!!!
LAC

In response to some comments made here (Peter Karran Supporter for one, 'N' for another), it would seem to me that some people have not fully read or understood what is written in the article above. On paragraph states ' And in a separate move, Health Minister Eddie Teare announced he is drawing up plans for a safety net scheme for those unable to obtain or afford private travel insurance when the reciprocal health deal ends in April' - surely that means that should you be able to obtain or afford your own cover, then you will be able to take advantage of the proposed scheme, and not as a free-for-all for every person travelling over to the mainland to not take out cover because the reciprocal agreement will have ended. Another paragraph states 'As promised we have taken action and as a result of considerable work by my department, I intend to bring forward a proposal to the March sitting of Tynwald which, if approved, would ensure that no person would be denied travel cover whilst they are enjoying a short trip in the UK' – surely that means that only Manx residents visiting the mainland will be eligible for the cover offered, and not that people visiting from the mainland to the Island will be eligible. And for clarification, 'N', I am not cross at having to obtain my own insurance as my current health situation and age means that I can (a) obtain cover and (b) get it at a reasonable cost. What I do object to is myself and other travellers having to fund cover for Islanders as well….
LESLEY MASON

Go check your policies, most of you will find that you aren't covered unless you are staying in a hotel or similar so if you are taken ill while staying with Aunty Nelly in her house then you will be footing the medical bill yourself and your policy won't be worth the paper it's written on. Well done to Peter Karran I am all for the Travel Levy and I agree with EMMA, shame on ANON FROM LAXEY.
MAC

Firstly, I feel I should address ANON from LAXEY again, FYI I pay my own taxes therefore contribute to the state child benefit, but living in the private sector my rent is in excess of £10k a year, I dont travel often with or without my children therefore I feel the charge of £1.70 for HEALTH insurance to travel is fantastic irregardless of weather my children come with me or not.I must say the best thing about this Levy bill is its non predjudice - something your degoritory comments insinuate you know nothing about. LESLEY i apologise for my typo, I think the cover for those travelling from the UK and paying the charge SHOULD be addressed and considered, but unltimatley its a question that MP Burnham should have considered, maybe he did but didnt care so much about his own constituants. Also my comment regarding those who pay travel insureance must travel regualrly i was refering to the likes of 'SCOTTYDOGG' who pays monthly - therefore I assume travels regularly, or MAK, its a shame about your husband's ill health - which I am sure has contributed to you having to spend more for a desire to have private insurance and health care. IVAN and others are right in the 'small print' and loopholes and delayed reaction from most insurance companies when a claim is made should be thought about before people whine about this. I understand the traditional 'tightfist' of us Manx people HOWEVER is there really a warrented complaint for the cover of HEALTH care at the cost of £1.70 when it really could be a matter or life or death? Im sure all those who pay thier own ins/health care etc begrudge paying for us poor common folk however I'm sure not every family member or friend of yours may have the same luxuries as you.
EMMA

To those quoting Eddie Teare's proposals. Why go for the safety net style instead of a simple across-the-board surcharge. The safety net would probably incur far most costs in determining who should benefit and who should not (under whatever perverse set of rules the DHSS comes up with). A universal, everyone pays 1.70 is by far the simpler solution. Go for it Peter K!
BEN, Douglas

Those people with existing travel insurance should look very carefully at their policies, or get specific written confirmation from the insurance provider that they will be covered for health care in the UK and Repatriation to the Isle of Man. Most travel insurance policies provide cover outside the UK. Unfortunately when you read the Glossary provided with the policy the UK is defined as including the Isle of Man. Just a cautionary point.
MRC, Douglas