Holidaymakers are being urged to buy travel insurance before any big trips – especially to the US, where medical claims average £15,000 and can easily snowball into a monster £90,000.
The peak holiday booking season is from December through until February, according to the ATOL traveller protection scheme.
However, should a holidaymaker be unfortunate enough to need medical help overseas then some destinations are far more expensive than others.
Travel insurance broker Multitrip.com said the average claim for medical treatment made by visitors to the US last year was £14,690 – more than twelve times the European medical claim average of £1,201.
Snow joke: One in nine Brits heading off on winter sports holidays never buy travel cover
The highest US claim Multitrip.com saw in 2022 was a femur fracture, which cost £87,629.
But even a toe fracture claim cost £8,000 to set right, as did treating a spell of dizziness.
Christian Bennett, head of travel and mobility at Multitrip, said: ‘Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when people are away from home, and travel insurance is incredibly important.’
He adds: ‘Some people don’t think they need travel insurance when travelling, but they really do, particularly as we’ve seen a significant rise in the cost of overseas medical expenses in recent years.
‘A trip to a hospital in the US, for instance, can cost thousands a day even before additional treatment or surgery is added on.’
Meanwhile,1.5 million Britons will have taken a winter sports trip during this current season, insurer Aviva said.
Winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling carry a higher risk of injury than your typical holiday activity.
When looking at the most common winter sports claims, Aviva said a broken leg ranks top as the most expensive injury, costing an average £7,500.
This is almost double that of other common winter sports claims, including dislocation, a fractured collarbone or broken wrists, which each cost an average of £4,000 each for treatment.
| Injury | Average cost of treatment | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dislocation | £4,000 |
| 2. | Rib fractures | £3,150 |
| 3. | Broken collarbone | £4,000 |
| 4. | Broken leg | £7,500 |
| 5. | Broken wrist | £4,000 |
| Source: Aviva data | ||
Costs also vary greatly from country to country, with Aviva data revealing that the US is the most expensive country for treatment of winter sports injuries, with the average claim being £6,877.
Although the average claim during the winter sports season is £2,200, Aviva research shows that one in nine holidaymakers never buy travel insurance.
This sort of insurance typically not only pays for overseas medical expenses but also the risk of a trip being cancelled.
With the average planned spend on a winter sports holiday this year being £1,837, travellers could be risking being out of pocket by hundreds of pounds in the event they need to cancel their holiday.
Travel insurance is sold through several channels. It can be bought directly from insurers, or through brokers and price comparison websites.
Some customers struggle to buy travel insurance at a decent price, such as the elderly or those with certain medical conditions.
People in that situation may still be able to get good cover by using the find a Broker tool run by the British Insurance Brokers’ Association trade body.
Aviva director of travel claims Kelly Whittington said: ‘Snowy sports holidays – and the après ski environment – can be great fun, but it can also be a little more dangerous than your standard beach holiday.
‘This is why it’s really important to check your policy documents and make sure you have the right level of cover for where you’re going and the types of activities you have lined up. In some instances, you may need to take out ‘winter sports cover’ which provides additional protection against things like theft, piste closure and avalanche delay, on top of medical treatment.’
What cover do I need for a US trip?
Firstly, ensure the travel insurance insurance you buy specifically covers the US.
AllClear Travel Insurance head of corporate affairs Garry Nelson said: ‘Many providers, ourselves included, have two variations for our worldwide annual multi-trip policies where the USA is a possible destination.
‘They are; Worldwide including the USA (also Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico) and Worldwide excluding the USA (also Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico).’
The reason insurers have two versions is because of the high medical bills levied in the US.
Nelson added: ‘For UK residents being accustomed to the freely available NHS, it is essential that when travelling to the States they take out a comprehensive level of travel insurance cover.
‘With a one-night stay in a private facility likely to cost about $10,000 a night, extensive stays can see bills run into hundreds of thousands of pounds and occasionally over £1million.
‘We encourage people visiting North America to ensure that they have a generous emergency medical expense limit if the trip takes people to the USA, Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico.’
Travellers to the US should also declare all their medical conditions.
This is because if you do not declare something you later need to claim for on your trip, the insurer may decline some or all of the claim, leaving you to foot the bill.
Nelson added: ‘People visiting the US should also ensure their policy provides adequate levels of cancellation and curtailment costs, particularly if they are going on a high value trip such as a cruise.
‘These benefit levels can vary from less than £1000 up to £25,000 per passenger and some policies even exclude cancellation cover altogether. So make sure you check the cover levels for cancellation to make sure your trip can, if the worse happens, still be covered.’
Helen Phipps, director at Compare the Market, said: ‘When travelling to the US, you’ll need to take out worldwide travel cover.
‘A standard policy will typically provide cover for emergency treatment, tests, hospital stays, as well as the cost of repatriation if you need to return to the UK for further medical attention.
‘A standard policy also typically won’t cover you for injuries caused by winter or extreme sports, like skiing or surfing. In addition, holders of a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) won’t be covered for their visit, so taking out travel insurance is advisable.’
