Don’t have travel insurance? An air ambulance could cost you over $200,000.

Depending upon where you are travelling to, we can tailor your insurance to reflect the nature of your trip. For example, sunbathing on a beach in Europe could need different travel insurance from a thrill-seeking adventure to an exotic destination in Asia.

European healthcare

If you are a UK resident you can apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) and a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), but the British GHIC is not accepted in the EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), the Isle of Man, Jersey, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican. These cards allow you access to free of charge or reduced cost public healthcare services in EU countries and Switzerland. According to figures provides by the NHS, 5.3 million EHIC cards are due to expire in 2023¹. If you have one of these cards and it is due to expire, you will need to apply for a GHIC card.

We would still recommend taking out travel insurance for medical cover, even if you are staying within Europe and have a GHIC card, as the GHIC card only covers the use of state hospitals. Travel insurers are not necessarily going to pay for private medical treatment if a state hospital is available. However, should you have no choice in an emergency but to use a private hospital as the nearest state hospital is either too far away or inaccessible, your travel insurance will usually cover you. The GHIC card only gives you access to reduced cost care in some medical centres and the EHIC card provides cover for the medical facilities that local residents use, making effective and appropriate travel insurance usually the most reliable option.

When taking out travel insurance, the most expensive option generally is for Worldwide cover. It can be cheaper to exclude the USA, Canada and the Caribbean as these countries typically carry the highest medical costs.

Do you know how much treating an open wound in the U.S could cost?

The average cost of a doctor’s visit in the US is $200 – $300; that is before any medications or treatment². If you need to go to the Emergency Room (our equivalent of A&E), it will cost about $2,168. In addition, the average cost of a sprain or strain is just under $2,000, and for open wounds $1,650. Ambulance costs start at $400 and can be more than $1,200. The cost of an air ambulance starts at $2,000 and can reach over $200,000³.

The US has some of the highest healthcare costings in the world, and if you do not have effective travel insurance you could have to pay thousands of dollars for a sprained ankle, or an ambulance to take you to hospital.

Canadian healthcare costs

Canada can be perceived as having cheap healthcare. While some U.S. residents travel to Canada for healthcare and surgical procedures (Canadian medical-related costs are often cheaper than the U.S), healthcare fees can be costly compared to many European countries⁴. As a visitor to Canada you can visit and stay in any hospital, but you will have to pay the costs, which is why having the appropriate travel insurance in place is crucial.

To give you an idea of how much you would have to pay for medical treatment as a visitor to Canada, here is a short overview:

• Daytime doctor’s visit: $100 – $600 (visits exclude treatment and medications).
• Night-time visits from a doctor could cost double the cost of the daytime visit.
• An overnight stay in a hospital for overseas visitors can cost around $3,000 – $4,000.
• Intensive care can cost up to $8,500 a day.
• Ambulance fees vary between regions: in Ontario it costs around $240 for a transfer and in Nova Scotia just under $2,000⁵.

Healthcare in the Caribbean and French Caribbean

The Caribbean, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Barbados, and the Cayman Islands provide good healthcare with high tech facilities in the English-speaking areas where many of the expatriates live. However, this is usually private medical care and you may have to pay for it. St. Barts, St. Martin, and Martinique offer the best healthcare services within the French Caribbean and equal those found on mainland France. The GHIC and EHIC cards do not cover the cost of healthcare in St. Bart’s for example, which means you will need adequate travel health insurance for medical treatment and repatriation. Diseases, and unsanitary water and food are some of the main causes of illness for visitors to the Caribbean⁶. Dengue fever and malaria can result in serious illness due to the high number of mosquitos and bugs in this area. Tap water, ice cubes and street foods are often considered to be unsafe to consume and could cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

If you require a tailored policy for a round-the-world trip, travel to far-flung and exotic destinations, or simply have more complicated needs, we take the time to understand your needs and provide appropriate advice.

What matters to you, matters to us

1.https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/free-ehic-card/#:~:text=Past%20Emails%20Unsubscribe-,Got%20an%20EHIC%3F,due%20to%20expire%20in%202023

2-3.https://visaguide.world/international-health-insurance/us/healthcare-costs-visitors-expats/

4.https://wise.com/gb/blog/healthcare-system-in-mexico

5.https://www.tourguidecanada.com/travel-medical-insurance-canada.html#:~:text=As%20a%20visitor%20to%20Canada,night%2C%20the%20costs%20might%20double.

6.https://www.medical-air-service.com/blog/medical-emergency-during-your-holidays-in-the-caribbean-how-to-get-back-to-the-us_7891.html

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