Holidaymakers are being urged to take out travel insurance before major trips, especially to the US, where medical claims average £15,000 and can easily grow to a monster £90,000.
The peak holiday booking season runs from December to February, according to ATOL’s traveler protection programme.
However, should a holidaymaker be unlucky enough to require medical attention abroad, some destinations are much 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 who go on a winter sports holiday never buy travel cover
The highest US claim Multitrip.com saw in 2022 was a femur fracture, which cost £87,629.
But even repairing a broken toe cost £8,000, as did treating a bout of vertigo.
Christian Bennett, head of travel and mobility at Multitrip, said: ‘Unfortunately, things can 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 they travel, but they do, especially as we have seen a significant increase in the cost of overseas medical expenses in recent years.
‘For example, a visit to a hospital in the US can cost thousands of euros per day, even before any additional treatments or operations are involved.’
Meanwhile, 1.5 million Britons will have taken a winter sports trip this season, according to insurer Aviva.
Winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling carry a higher risk of injury than your typical vacation activity.
Looking at the most common winter sports claims, Aviva said a broken leg tops the list of the most expensive injuries, costing an average of £7,500.
This is almost double that of other common winter sports claims, including dislocation, a broken collarbone or broken wrists, each costing an average of £4,000 for treatment.
| Injury | Average treatment costs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Disruption | £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 widely from country to country, with Aviva data showing the US as the most expensive country for treating winter sports injuries, with an average claim of £6,877.
Although the average claim during the winter sports season is £2,200, research from Aviva shows that one in nine holidaymakers never take out travel insurance.
This type of insurance usually not only reimburses medical costs abroad, but also the risk of a trip being canceled.
With the average planned spend on a winter sports holiday this year being £1,837, travelers risk being left hundreds of pounds short if they have to cancel their holiday.
Travel insurance is sold through various channels. It can be purchased directly from insurers, or through brokers and price comparison websites.
Some customers have difficulty getting 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 coverage by using the find a broker tool run by the trade body British Insurance Brokers’ Association.
Aviva director of travel claims Kelly Whittington said: ‘Sports holidays in the snow – and the après-ski environment – can be great fun, but it can also be a little more dangerous than a standard beach holiday.
‘That’s why it’s really important to check your policy documents and make sure you have the right cover for where you’re going and the type of activities you have planned. In some cases you may need to take out ‘winter sports cover’, which, in addition to medical treatment, offers extra protection against issues such as theft, slope closure and avalanche delay.’
What coverage do I need for a trip to the US?
First, make sure the travel insurance you buy specifically covers the US.
Garry Nelson, head of corporate affairs at AllClear Travel Insurance, said: “Many providers, including ourselves, have two variants for our global annual multi-trip policies with the US as a possible destination.
‘They are; Worldwide including the US (including Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico) and worldwide excluding the US (including Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico).”
The reason insurers have two versions is because of the high medical bills charged in the US.
Nelson added: ‘For UK residents who are used to the free NHS available, it is essential that they take out comprehensive travel insurance cover when traveling to the United States.
‘While a one-night stay in a private facility is likely to cost around $10,000 per night, for longer stays the bills can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds and sometimes more than £1 million.
“We encourage people visiting North America to ensure they have a generous limit on medical expenses if the trip takes people to the US, Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico.”
Travelers to the US must also report any medical conditions they may have.
This is because if you don’t declare something that you need to make a claim for later in your trip, the insurer may reject all or part of the claim, leaving you with the bill.
Nelson added: ‘People visiting the US should also make sure their policy provides adequate cancellation and curtailment coverage, especially if they are going on a high-value trip such as a cruise.
‘These benefit levels can range from less than £1,000 to £25,000 per passenger and some policies even exclude cancellation cover altogether. So make sure you check cancellation cover levels to ensure your trip can still be covered in the worst-case scenario.”
Helen Phipps, director of Compare the Market, said: ‘If you travel to the US you will need to take out global travel cover.
‘A standard policy will usually provide cover for emergency treatment, tests, hospital stays and the costs of repatriation if you need to return to Britain for further medical attention.
‘A standard policy usually does not cover you for injuries caused by winter sports or extreme sports, such as skiing or surfing. In addition, Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) holders are not covered for their visit, so purchasing travel insurance is advisable.”
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on it, we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow a commercial relationship to compromise our editorial independence.