Two fifths of travellers have had medical issues abroad
Many travellers are going abroad without travel insurance – and no clear idea of how to pay for any medical costs
Travel insurer World Nomads has reported that 40% of travellers have experienced medical issues while travelling abroad.
The figure came from a survey of 2,000 UK adults carried out by Opinium Research on behalf of World Nomads between 16 and 19 August.
Despite this, 28% of those surveyed said that they “only sometimes” purchase travel insurance, while 5% admitted to never doing so.
Taking risks without insurance
Of those respondents who admitted to travelling abroad without insurance, a quarter (25%) said that they would pay out-of-pocket for treatment with a local doctor or hospital if they became injured. A further 17% said that they simply hoped to avoid incurring any costs completely.
Almost a fifth (19%) of those respondents said they would cover their costs using the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) – a UK-specific alternative to the European Union’s (EU) European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) introduced after Brexit. But, despite the name, this does not provide health insurance coverage – instead, it entitles UK travellers to treatment under a series of reciprocal agreements with other countries.
Waiting until they get home to receive treatment
Additionally, 19% said that they would wait until returning home to receive medical care, 13% said that they would turn to friends and family for financial support, while a further 5% said they would seek help through online crowdfunding.
“The reliance on out-of-pocket expenses, limited coverage options like the GHIC, or simply hoping for the best or relying on others can lead to risky financial and health consequences for all parties involved,” said Jonathan Frankham, General Manager UK and Europe at World Nomads.
“What’s more, these approaches often fail to cover the full scope of costs, such as repatriation or additional family expenses, which can quickly add up to thousands of pounds. We advise travellers to take out travel insurance before their journey,” he added.
World Nomads partnered with Collinson to enhance its travel insurance offering for UK and Ireland earlier this year.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor for Voyageur Group, joining in 2021. He writes for both ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision and air medical transportation. He also serves as Title Editor of the Assistance & Repatriation Reviews. Oliver holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University, as well as a BA in English with Creative Writing from Falmouth University.