AllClear research: Brits cutting corners on medical travel cover

LONDON, Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than two-thirds (69%) of people with medical conditions say they would not be able to afford the medical bills of popular holiday destinations without travel insurance – yet a smaller percentage would pay for comprehensive travel cover before they fly off – according to research from AllClear Travel Insurance.

AllClear asked a representative sample of over 2,000 British people what were the countries where they knew they would not be able to afford the medical bills if they fell ill or were hospitalised – and didn't have travel cover in place.

The countries where people with medical conditions say they would be unable to afford medical bills if they didn't have travel insurance that would cover the bills included: USA (53%), Canada (35%), Australia (34%), Thailand (31%), Jamaica (31%) and India (29%)

This research comes at a time when a growing number of people with medical conditions say they would travel abroad with no insurance cover. Nationally, 49% of people with medical conditions said they would happily travel to European countries with no cover, thinking it would be easy to get home if they were to fall ill. Looking at longer haul destinations, the need to prune costs for holidays resulted in 17% saying they felt pressured financially to buy the cheapest cover, with 10% travelling without any cover at all.

While a large percentage know medical costs are high in various countries, only between a fifth and half of survey respondents said they would pay more for travel insurance to get the best possible medical cover.

Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at AllClear Travel Insurance comments: "For older travellers – and many with medical conditions – autumn is a great time to head off on holiday: the resorts are less crowded, holidays are cheaper and there's still plenty of sunshine.

"Our latest data suggests that many people travelling abroad with medical conditions could be putting themselves at risk by not having the best medical cover for their trip. The costs of medical treatment abroad are widely understood, but some people still opt for budget travel policies.

The concern here is compounded by the fact that one in four British holidaymakers (25%) that have or will holiday abroad this year have a pre-existing medical condition. Failure to declare relevant medical information when buying travel insurance can invalidate the policy – and falling ill in some countries without travel cover could potentially cost a person their home. This is a seismic industry issue that needs to be tackled – and urgently."

Discover more about AllClear at: www.allcleartravel.co.uk