Insurance coverage warning for young tourists

17/6/14

By Will Roberts

Young holidaymakers are becoming urged to take out vacation insurance coverage or run the risk of a potentially insurmountable health-related bill.

Investigation from the Foreign & Commonwealth Workplace (FCO) and the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) shows that a lot more than a third of all young individuals in Britain do not feel it is required to take out travel insurance just before their holidays abroad.

Typically it is the families of those holidaymakers who are forced to pay for issues such as health-related bills in the case of accident or illness.

Often these bills can run into tens of thousands of pounds, potentially crippling those who have to fork out.

16-24s told to get proper travel cover

The FCO and ABTA are now urging holidaymakers aged 16-24 to pay for suitable travel insurance coverage to make sure they are covered.

Regardless of the potentially huge price of health-related bills abroad, virtually half of 16-24 year olds claim the purpose they never take out insurance is simply because they are prepared to take the danger.

The investigation also shows that 1 in 5 mistakenly feel that a European Well being Insurance coverage Card (EHIC) acts as a full insurance coverage policy when outside of the UK.

In truth, an EHIC only gives access to state health-related care in the European Economic Location.

Insurance expenses as small as £25 for annual policy

Other components of care such as transporting the person back to the UK are not covered by the card.

ABTA Head of Communications Victoria Bacon said: “Each and every year ABTA sees tragic instances of young folks who have had an accident or incident although on vacation overseas that calls for quite significant health-related help.

“In some of these instances parents are presented with enormous health-related bills simply because their young children went on holiday uninsured – and this is despite the expense of insurance coverage getting as little as £25 for an annual policy.

“In intense situations men and women have had to sell their house to cover the costs, or desperately try and get funds from their buddies and family. Acquiring sufficient travel insurance must be the best of every single holidaymaker’;s list.”

Treatment charges

The survey also located that 16% of young folks believe all of their therapy expenses would be covered by the UK government if they had an accident or fell ill while abroad.

Nevertheless it is the holidaymaker, or in some cases the loved ones, who would have to spend if the person is not covered.

Sums can range from £500 to treat a sprained ankle in someplace like Corfu, to £15,000 to £20,000 for a scheduled flight, stretcher and health-related escort from Australia.

Far more critical injuries which require in depth hospital remedy can price thousands of pounds a day.

Insurance coverage warning for young tourists