Medical cover essential for travel outside EU

UK holidaymakers travelling outside western Europe need to ensure that they have proper medical cover.

Travel Insurance News - 18/08/2008

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Travellers are being advised that insurance for medical expenses that may be incurred while abroad is an important component of their overall travel cover.

Malcolm Tarling, speaking on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), commented that traveller risk differs by the destination country.

He explained that in Africa or Asia, there is a statistically greater potential for becoming ill, so medical cover is important when travelling to those parts of the world. For travel to the US, hospital treatment is so expensive that having adequate cover is important even for a short stay.

Tarling added: “The further afield you travel – i.e. outside Western Europe – the more important medical expenses cover is…especially if travelling to Africa and Asia.”

The spokesman continued: “And of course, with the danger of very expensive medical bills, having adequate medical expenses cover is vital when travelling to [the] USA.”

Other cover that is also important, according to the spokesman for the ABI, is protection against theft of valuables, which are the most frequent targets of pickpockets – often found in popular tourist areas and transportation centres.

Sainsbury’s Bank conducted research recently that shows more than 13 million UK travellers leave on trips abroad without travel insurance.

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