Counting costs
InsureandGo, an Australian online travel insurance provider, has been tallying up some of its claims from the last year, and has calculated its biggest payout.
A Sydney woman who had a serious skiing accident cashed in the most. The woman was travelling in Canada when she sustained multiple injuries and had to be repatriated, costing InsureandGo AU$256,000 (US$198,000) altogether. InsureandGo points out that this is double the average house deposit in Sydney.
“Travellers are often surprised at how quickly the fees for medical procedures can rack up,” said Victor Quiroz, head of implementations and operations at InsureandGo. The company say its second biggest claim saw a payout of AU$200,000 to a man who suffered Guillain-Barre syndrome while holidaying in Hawaii, while an extreme blood clot in Bali requiring emergency bypass surgery costing $114,000 rounded out the top three.
“It’s not surprising that one of the biggest claims comes from the US, which consistently ranks as one of the most expensive countries for medical assistance,” Quiroz added. “We want every traveller to have the safest trip possible, but in the event something does go wrong, it’s important that they’re protected.”