The cost of travelling without insurance

Small medical costs for Australians travelling overseas could end up being a substantial out-of-pocket expense for those that do not have the appropriate travel insurance cover, according to InsureandGo.

InsureandGo recently looked into medical costs for destinations Australians travel to regularly, to demonstrate the importance of being covered with appropriate travel insurance.

Travellers to the US were top of the list, forking out on average AUD$1,700 for medical costs for small procedures.

InsureandGo, Commercial Manager, Jonathan Etkind said “in all the excitement of booking a trip, travel insurance is often the last thing people think about before they depart. However, it’s incredibly important travellers don’t forget about purchasing travel insurance before they leave.”

According to Etkind, InsureandGo has been able to assist thousands of customers that have experienced medical emergencies overseas by covering their medical expenses.

A few examples include a 12-year-old boy who was travelling in Hawaii with his family. The boy begun feeling abdominal pain and nausea, which ended up being appendicitis. He was rushed to surgery and the medical bills ended up costing AUD$20,000, which InsureandGo was able to cover.

Another case was in Spain, where a husband and wife were sightseeing when the wife became unwell with a headache and nausea. Sadly, she was diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage, incurring AUD$77,000 in medical costs for treatment.

A final example includes a 75-year-old woman who was travelling in America and tripped on a chair leg in her hotel room. As a result of this accident, she fractured her hip and needed a hip replacement surgery. This claim ended being over AUD$100,000, which was covered through her travel insurance with InsureandGo.

“Sickness or injuries happen to the best of us, and the cost of medical procedures overseas can be significant when compared to the costs you’d expect in Australia. We’re fortunate in Australia to have Medicare and reasonable medical costs for common health issues, however, something as innocuous as an upset tummy could set you back financially if you find yourself stranded on an overseas holiday without travel insurance.”

“Importantly, travellers must always declare any pre-existing medical conditions before they travel and check the product disclosure statement to ensure they will be properly covered by their travel insurer in the event anything goes wrong,” Etkind concluded.

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

insureandgo travel insurance