Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
12 August 2014 10:11
A third of people travel overseas without medical travel insurance, research shows.
Around one in three British people travel overseas lacking the right level of travel insurance, a survey shows.
And this is despite the average cost of medical treatment overseas totalling £747.
Some 34% of people who have been abroad on holiday, for business or for any other reason say they have travelled without insurance on at least one occasion.
Of these, 37% say they required medical treatment during their trips. The two most frequent health complaints among these people are broken bones and sickness bugs.
Most common health complaints abroad:
broken limbs and bones sickness bugs viral infections alcohol-related conditions/accidents dehydration
The remainder of the top five is made up of infections, accidents or conditions relating to alcohol and dehydration, according to the research by vouchercloud.com.
People who already suffer from an existing health condition can arrange medical travel insurance before jetting off. Policies are available for a wide range of conditions ranging from cancer to heart disease.
More than two-thirds (67%) of those surveyed who sought treatment while overseas while uninsured had broken limbs and 56% suffered a sickness bug. More than a third (34%) had a viral infection, 28% suffered alcohol-related conditions or accidents and 21% had dehydration.
The average amount paid out by these uninsured travellers was £747.
Matthew Wood of vouchercloud.com, says there needs to be more education and awareness around the cost of travel insurance.
He says that with some single-trip insurance costing as little as £15, this is a price worth paying for the peace of mind that can be provided by medical travel insurance.
He adds that the unexpected can happen at any time to anyone, so travelling without insurance in order to save just a few pounds is not worth the risk.
The survey was made up of 1,700 adults who had been on holiday at least once in the last year.
19 May 2018
A recent study in Taiwan has revealed that heart attacks occur more frequently in cold weather - with the figure increasing "dramatically" when the temperature drops below 15C (59F).
[more...]
18 May 2018
A team of scientists have managed to successfully conduct a "memory transplant" between snails by transferring RNA, a form of genetic information, from one snail to another.
17 May 2018
A new study has found that certain types of exercise do not prevent the onset or worsening of dementia and may even contribute to further cognitive impairment.
16 May 2018
The average British child has visited four European cities and been on three long-haul holidays as well as skiing twice - all before their 10th birthday.
15 May 2018
Ethiopian Airlines has unveiled a new "landmark" route from Manchester Airport to the north African city of Ethiopia.
12 May 2018
Health experts have expressed concern at recent outbreaks of measles across England.
Cinema drinks contain "unacceptable" levels of bacteria
10 May 2018
The HPV vaccine offered to teenage girls has proved to be safe and effective in preventing the virus that causes cervical cancer, an independent review has revealed.
09 May 2018
A new blood test for detecting peanut allergies is said to be more cost-efficient and less risky than previously-used methods.
A recent study suggests that women with a high weekly fast food consumption and who don't eat enough fruit are more likely to have trouble conceiving.
04 May 2018
One of the main treatments prescribed for eczema in children has proven to be ineffective as treatment of the condition, a study has found.
03 May 2018
Ninety percent of councils have cut funding for weight management, sexual health and addiction services in a bid to reduce spending, new research has revealed.