The cost of an air ambulance from Europe to the United Kingdom is approximately €20,000. From the States, the cost of medical repatriation is significantly higher and is in the region of $100,000. Neither price includes the cost of triage, medical examinations, treatment, surgery, aftercare or hospital stays.
Now we have your attention, lets discuss your holiday activities.
There is a lot to consider when planning a holiday, and whilst most people will have a rough idea of how they are going to spend their days abroad others enjoy a more spontaneous adventure. Both are perfectly fine, given you have the right travel insurance in place.
What many travellers do not realise is travel insurance, whilst it will cover emergency medical expenses, does not cover certain activities as standard. Jet skiing, rock climbing, cycling, surfing and skiing are just a few of the activities that require an additional expense to be paid – these are usually referred to as activity packs. Adding an activity pack onto the policy will ensure that, as long as the activity you are participating in meets the stated restrictions i.e. height, depth, guides etc you will be covered should anything happen. This includes those eyewatering costs we mentioned at the beginning for repatriation back to the UK if medically necessary.
The cover will also extend should you need to stay abroad for longer than planned whilst you recover. For example, if you have sustained a broken bone, you will need to remain abroad until swelling has reduced and, in some cases, depending on the severity, the bone has begun to reset. Some policies will also cover the costs for someone to fly out and take care of you; however, please check the policy wording if this is something you would require.
For the spontaneous amongst us, most travel insurers will allow you to add on cover for an activity and pay the additional costs whilst you are abroad, as long as you haven’t already taken part in the activity. It is also worth noting, activities do not need to be added for everyone on the policy – only those that are taking part.
Without the right cover in place, you will be left to pay any associated costs should the worst happen so it is definitely worth checking your policy wording carefully. As always, if you have any questions regarding your travel insurance cover please do not hesitate to get in touch and a member of the Travel Insurance Explained team will happily help: hello@travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk