Going on holiday without travel insurance can be a hugely expensive mistake, according to the Foreign Office.
Britons can face medical bills running into tens of thousands of pounds if they have an accident abroad, it warns.
The stark cost of travelling without insurance is graphically illustrated in its video showing a group of young men enjoying whitewater rafting in the mountains. There’s a capsize and one breaks a leg.
As he’s rescued and airlifted to hospital, price tags keep a running tally of the charges he will have to pay.
On the back of an ambulance is stamped £826.
A road sign pointing to a faraway city says £640.
An emergency helicopter bears the price £2245.
A canister of oxygen is stencilled £200.
A stretcher is painted with the figure £200.
A nurse wears a name badge saying £300.
A doctor wears a security pass labelled £1,750.
Hospital doors swing open to show the cost £5,087.
A bedside monitor flicks up the fee £525 …
And as the injured young man lies miserably in his hospital bed, a nurse hands him a bill totalling a very painful £14,351.
The final slogan is: ‘No travel insurance. Can you afford it?’
Costs can escalate even more if it is a medical emergency in the United States, where charges are far higher than in Europe.
The Foreign Office advises travellers to take out holiday insurance when going abroad, whether it’s a rafting adventure, sedate city tour or family holiday. Adventurous sports such as whitewater rafting may require additional cover for Hazardous Activities at extra cost.
British consulates around the world can help Britons in trouble negotiate local bureaucracy, obtain medical help and organise repatriation to the UK, but they may not pick up the bill.
Cover benefits
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- Travel Insurance available for anyone up to the age of 74.
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- Great value family pricing.
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- 24-hour emergency line with all policies.
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- Scheduled Airline Failure Cover on all policies (except Budget Policy).
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No travel insurance? Can you afford it?
No travel insurance? Can you afford it?