Travellers generally know very well what it costs to stay overnight in a destination, to buy a cup of coffee, to travel by means of transport and to enjoy a dinner with a glass of wine there. But can you guess what medical care costs in foreign countries much loved by Estonians?

Last year, 1,837 travel insurance events were registered at Seesam and the first place in this table was held by indemnities for cancelled or extended travel due to illness.

“If an average medical loss amounts to about 400 euros, then every couple of months there are also extremely serious cases that require several times higher indemnities. In rare cases, even an insurance cover of 100,000 euros is not enough,” Marit Raag, Travel Insurance Product Manager at Seesam, said.

Stomach problems in Türkiye and Egypt, scooter accidents in Thailand

According to the insurer, most accidents happen and most hospital bills related thereto are to be paid in Türkiye and Egypt, which are holiday destinations popular among Estonians. Foodborne and waterborne health problems as well as sunburns and heat strokes top the list of losses there. Bills even in the case of a seemingly simple health problem amount to a couple of thousand euros in these destinations.

One of the more distant destinations popular among Estonians is Thailand where the accidents most often occurring are scooter accidents caused by both unusual traffic management and involvement in accidents caused by other drivers.

“A scooter accident usually ends in either a broken arm or leg, and the person may also need to undergo treatment in hospital for a couple of days. Such a seemingly fortunate accident may cost a tourist in an otherwise inexpensive country a few dozen thousand euros. At the same time, we are currently dealing with a case where a person who fell off a scooter in such an unfortunate way that the insured person needs several surgeries to recover and the treatment will take several months. The losses of this case may eventually amount to 100,000 euros,” Raag gave an example of the cost of scooter accidents.

Another popular more distant winter destination is Bali, which is an affordable country to travel to but, according to the insurer, the same cannot be said about medical care. Even in the case of a cough and runny nose that seem simple, the losses may amount to 500 euros there.

Helicopters are indispensable on ski slopes

At this time of the year, it is also appropriate to talk about ski trips, which often lead to accidents both in nearby countries and further afield. “While on a ski slope, you can be sure of your own skills, but you also have to take into account the other parts of the equation, i.e. the daredevil skiers whose speeds may be similar to those of a passenger car on the road. One wrong move and... Recently, a daredevil skier rode onto a beginner skier who was practising with an instructor by the track. The beginner skier had to go home with crutches and the loss increased to a couple of thousand euros. However, should it happen that the injured party also needs to be transported by plane or helicopter, this will make the amount of loss increase even faster and a person without travel insurance will have to find money for a huge expenditure themselves,” Raag said.

“People think that a city break, especially in neighbouring countries, is fast and safe, but unfortunately our statistics do not support this belief. The most frequent cases occurring during city breaks are falls, allergies as well as food poisoning. A seemingly safe tourist activity is cycling, where even a non-bone-breaking fall can cost between 600 and 7,000 euros in nearby countries. However, an unexpected appendectomy in Finland just across the Gulf costs one client nearly 1,000 euros,” Raag said, listing the potential losses from a city break.

America is the most expensive country to fall ill in

The most expensive losses are related to health disorders or accidents. Outside Europe, such losses start from 50,000 euros and can amount to hundreds of thousands, especially if hospital bills are accompanied by repatriation costs. “However, if air transport is not indicated for the client and the only way to get home is by land transport, the cost of a doctor travelling with the patient is also added to the loss,” Raag explained.

The most expensive cases are related to trips to America. For example, there was an event with a man who was first affected by respiratory problems during his trip to America and then, shortly afterwards, also by intestinal inflammation, due to which the man needed treatment in the case of altogether two events and the final treatment cost amounted to 150,000 euros. In the case of another accident, however, the costs in America amounted to as much as 3,000,000 euros.

“The most expensive medical care is in America, where even appendectomy costs more than 10,000 euros. In the European Union, on the other hand, hospital bills can be lower, especially if the injured party has a European health insurance card. The latter entitles the traveller to medical care on equal terms with locals, which means that, depending on the country, the traveller will have to pay for the transport to the hospital, the appointment fee and inpatient fee,” the Product Manager explained.

Whether it is a trip to a ski slope or to a tropical island, in order to travel care-free, the insurer recommends that you enter into an insurance contract immediately after buying your trip, choose the insurance cover according to your destination and decide whether the activities you plan to engage in on your holiday also require an additional cover for a risky hobby.