The worst places not to have travel insurance
Our analysis of the top 20 destinations for Australian travellers shows it's far cheaper to pay for travel insurance than to spend a night in hospital.
Our analysis of the top 20 destinations for Australian travellers shows it's far cheaper to pay for travel insurance than to spend a night in hospital.Of the top 20 most popular destinations for Aussie travellers, there are only six where the cost of a single night's hospital bed is cheaper than a travel insurance policy for that destination. When you factor in diagnostics, treatment and medications, travel insurance could end up saving you a bundle.
For full details of how we calculated these figures, plus information on the quality of hospitals and healthcare, check out our comprehensive analysis.
Where are the most expensive places to spend a night in a hospital bed?
The worst place to get caught out is Singapore, where a single night in a hospital bed will run you almost $900. That is over 12 times the cost of an average Singapore travel insurance policy.
Unsurprisingly, the good ol' US of A was also near the top of the list. A night in a hospital bed costs over $750, more than seven times the cost of the average policy for the US.
Here's what you'll pay in all 20 of those destinations:
| Destination | Cost of a hospital bed | Cost of travel insurance | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States of America | $751.06 | $102.57 | $648.49 |
| Indonesia | $39.64 | $68.55 | -$28.91 |
| United Kingdom | $564.34 | $79.42 | $484.92 |
| Thailand | $91.89 | $72.89 | $19.00 |
| New Zealand | $390.95 | $57.84 | $333.11 |
| Canada | $603.99 | $99.64 | $504.35 |
| Italy | $482.87 | $82.09 | $400.78 |
| Vietnam | $25.66 | $72.89 | -$47.23 |
| Singapore | $893.34 | $72.89 | $820.45 |
| France | $517.35 | $82.09 | $435.26 |
| Japan | $507.49 | $79.06 | $428.43 |
| Fiji | $47.15 | $59.34 | -$12.19 |
| China | $66.00 | $74.76 | -$8.76 |
| Germany | $561.44 | $82.09 | $479.35 |
| Spain | $486.55 | $82.09 | $404.46 |
| Malaysia | $179.81 | $72.44 | $107.37 |
| Philippines | $34.01 | $72.89 | -$38.88 |
| India | $27.30 | $73.83 | -$46.53 |
| *Hong Kong | $721.53 | $74.76 | $646.77 |
| Netherlands | $671.13 | $82.99 | $588.14 |
*Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China was not included in the WHO Department of Health Systems Financing (2011) estimates. Cost for hospital bed was sourced from the Hospital Authority (HA)
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More about international travel insurance
- ALSO READ: Full analysis of top 20 destinations for Australian travellers
- ALSO READ: Travel insurance for the USA
- ALSO READ: Travel insurance for Singapore
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A travel ban is in place for all Australians effective 25 March 2020. Most travel insurance brands will not cover you if you travel against a government warning. If you already have a policy, please contact your insurer directly for more information. We are currently updating our site to reflect the Australian government’s advice. Some travel insurance policies will be temporarily unavailable.
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