Parent travelling for visit

Does anyone know what the NHS policy is for visitors?  Does my Mom need travel insurance?  Would an emergency room visit be covered?

Visitors to the UK are covered to go to A&E free of charge, however if they are admitted to hospital, they will need to pay out of pocket.

I'm not sure...I thought they could be charged for A&E too. 

At any rate, your mother definitely needs travel insurance.  There's no good reason not to have it, especially if there's a real risk she'll have health problems while she's here.

Visitors to the UK are eligible for free A&E treatment, however if they are admitted to hospital they will have to pay for any treatment they receive in hospital.


http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_074379

What do I have to pay for?

You will have to pay the full cost of all the treatment you receive, including emergency treatment, given by staff at a hospital or by staff employed by a hospital. However, there are some services that are free of charge to everyone:

Treatment given only in an Accident and Emergency (A&E) department or in a NHS Walk-in Centre providing services similar to those of an A&E department (excludes emergency treatment given elsewhere in the hospital);

Treatment for certain infectious diseases (excluding HIV/AIDS where it is only the first diagnosis and connected counselling sessions that are free to everyone);

Compulsory psychiatric treatment;

Family planning services.

Does she have health insurance in the US?  Before I visited the UK I called up my US health insurance company and was told that they would in fact cover any emergencies abroad.  It's worth checking rather than spending money on travel insurance.  I'm not sure if it's the norm for insurance companies to offer emergency coverage abroad, but mine did.  I think if she is not covered she should definitely get travel insurance though.  Medical bills can be expensive!