The top 30 highest travel insurance claims made by people under 30 totalled nearly half a million dollars from October 2021 to October 2022, according to global travel insurance and assistance provider Allianz Partners.
The insurer said the travel insurance claims it received ranged from $6,000 to nearly $50,000, with the largest claims for medical treatment, ambulances, air evacuations, and hospitalisation. Among the claims, four out of five of the most expensive made by people under 30 resulted from illness or injuries incurred while travelling to Europe.
“Nobody plans for things to go wrong when they travel, and many don’t consider the cost of medical cover in the country they visit,” said Damien Arthur, executive head of travel at Allianz Partners.
“Countries like the USA, for example, appeal to young travellers because it’s English speaking and may be considered safe, but a hospital stay can cost a staggering amount of money as they do not have a public health system like Australia.”
Among the largest claims that Allianz Partners received last year was from a young traveller who presented with a migraine, but, once examined, also had a kidney infection. Another traveller had a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection that escalated and required hospitalisation. Of the highest claims, only one related to lost luggage or personal effects.
“While people will readily consider insuring their luggage for loss or damage, more thought needs to be given to the unexpected consequences and costs of simply becoming ill while travelling overseas,” Arthur said.
“We regularly see cases for what we in Australia consider minor sickness or accidents that have resulted in claims of tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars due to medical and other associated costs. For a young person without insurance, this puts them in a very challenging financial position.”
Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) recently released a report on the 10 most expensive international travel claims from Australian travellers in 2022 – covering everything from unexpected illnesses to accidents while exploring on a trip.
The most expensive claim totalled $135,375, paid to a 65-year-old traveller who had a heart condition and fluid in the lungs while on holiday in Greece and was hospitalised for around three weeks.
Another report by SCTI, released last year, found that three in four Australians have become more concerned about their health and safety when travelling in the next two years than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic began – with 80% of the respondents considering travel insurance a high priority for international travel, and 65% seeing domestic travel insurance as a high priority.
