“The ambulance alone was $12k”: How travel insurance saved one Aussie from a $40k hospital bill
No one expects for things to go wrong while abroad, but when they do, the costs can be unfathomable.
That was the situation one Aussie found herself in when she fell severely ill in Mallorca at 19 weeks pregnant and was rushed to hospital by ambulance.
"It was frightening enough being seriously unwell, pregnant and thousands of kilometres from home – before I even let myself think about what it was all going to cost," she said.
The final bill came to more than $40,000, with the ambulance alone accounting for $12,000. The rest went to hospital admission, tests and treatment.
But because she had taken out travel insurance before her trip, her policy covered the full amount. Her only out-of-pocket cost was the $250 excess.
"What could have been a financial catastrophe on top of a medical emergency ended up costing me basically nothing," she said.
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Why Aussies are still travelling unprotected
Finder research shows 2 in 3 Australians (64%) have travelled overseas without travel insurance, leaving them exposed if something goes wrong.
Almost 1 in 3 (31%) admit they've skipped cover because it was too expensive, which works out to be an estimated 6.48 million people who dropped insurance to save money.
One in 10 (11%) didn't take out a policy because they didn't think anything bad would happen to them, while 10% didn't know what travel insurance covers and 7% said it was too complicated to organise.
In this particular case, the emergency was exactly the kind of event no one plans for.
"Pancreatitis wasn't on my radar, and neither was an overseas hospital admission halfway through a pregnancy," she said. "That's exactly the point – you take out travel insurance for the emergency you don't see coming."
What to check before you fly
If you're heading overseas, a few minutes of homework before you book can save you thousands:
- Confirm you're actually covered. Don't assume a credit card policy is enough. Check the limits, exclusions and what activities are included in your policy.
- Declare pre-existing conditions and pregnancy. Pregnancy cover often comes with age or gestation limits, so read the fine print before you fly.
- Check the medical and evacuation limits. Emergency medical treatment and repatriation are where costs blow out fastest, so ensure your policy offers sufficient cover.
You can compare travel insurance policies from leading brands on Finder. Take our quick quiz and get a quote today.
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