Falling ill abroad can cost ‘the price of a house’
New figures released by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) suggest that while the average insurance claim pay-out in the UK is only around £700, an incident like a multiple fractured leg and artery tear in the US – with repatriation – can cost over £500,000 – whilst the average house price in the UK is currently £211,000.
The new data also highlights other claims that insurers have had to pay out on in the last year, including £300,000 for the treatment of multiple injuries following a fall from a waterfall in Thailand, and £92,000 for the treatment of a holidaymaker who suffered a heart attack whilst on a Caribbean cruise
“While most travellers enjoy trouble-free holidays,” said Mark Shepherd, the ABI’s general insurance manager. “Falling ill abroad can be very stressful without the added worry about how you will pay for potentially very expensive medical bills.”
Bupa Global has also commented on the new data released by the ABI, adding that the most expensive places for Brits to receive medical treatment are the US, Switzerland and Hong Kong. With the ABI also claiming that one in five travellers fail to purchase travel insurance before embarking on trips, Bupa Global’s director Michael McKaessar stressed: “It is critical that they [travellers] have adequate travel insurance in place, and know what they are covered for and where.”
Infogaphic courtesy of Bupa Global