Which countries are most expensive to fall ill in?

Getting medical treatment abroad could cost tens or hundreds of times more than the price of travel insurance.

A fall in Spain, which ends up with you getting stitches, would cost £500 on average, according to insurer Admiral.

In comparison, the average paid by travel insurance customers we surveyed in March was £40 for a single-trip policy, or £96 for an annual policy (for those without pre-existing medical conditions).

Once you go outside Europe, the costs get much higher, particularly for more serious injuries.

Stitches in the USA will set you back £1,800 – and an ambulance call-out is £2,500.

In this article we compare insurance and medical prices to reveal the potential cost of not getting covered.

Which countries charge you the most if you fall ill?

Where you choose to go will have a huge impact on the size of any potential medical bills. 

Average costs across popular destinations

Admiral's research also found that it could cost up to £1,000 for treatment if you break your arm skiing in France, up to £230,000 for suffering a heart attack in the USA, and up to £12,000 if you're stung by a jellyfish in Australia. 

If you take out a travel insurance policy, these costs could be covered by your insurer. 

Find out more:

How travel insurance covers medical conditions

Cover for medical treatment abroad should be your number one priority when buying travel insurance.

In terms of how much cover you need, we recommend at least £5m cover for medical costs and repatriation.

Anyone planning to do winter sports or extreme sports should check these are covered by your insurer.

If you need medical treatment abroad, call your insurer on its emergency phone number. Ideally you'd do this before getting treatment, as insurers may insist on certain conditions, but don't delay emergency treatment.

You may have to pay an excess, depending on the policy you took out. This is sometimes waived if you hold an Ehic or Ghic and are claiming in Europe.

What else does your travel insurance cover?

Medical cover isn't the only reason to take out insurance. Depending on your policy, it could include:

Cancellation or missed departure

Lost or delayed baggage

Lost or damaged items, including your passport

Personal injury and cover for accidents or damage caused by you.

To help you make the right choice for you, we've rated hundreds of policies, scrutinising more than 60 areas of cover in each one.  

Find out more:Travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions

If you have a pre-existing medical condition (PEMC) it can make it tougher to find an affordable insurance policy. 

Of the customers we surveyed, those with a PEMC paid more for single-trip policies (£75 vs £40) and annual policies (£150 vs £96).

But it's crucial you declare any medical conditions to your insurer before you pay for your policy. Failure to do so could result in your policy becoming null and void, and your name could be marked, meaning you might struggle to get any type of insurance in the future. 

If you can't find reasonable quotes from regular travel insurers, get quotes from specialists.

When we surveyed 2,458 policyholders with a medical condition or a history of one in March 2023, 36% reported problems buying cover because of the condition(s) – most commonly around expensive premiums. 

Find out more:

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source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/which-countries-are-most-expensive-to-fall-ill-in-a0jCR3A3vNWG