Medical events accounted for the majority of local claims in 2024 says Cover-More, which paid out nearly one million dollars to a Kiwi traveller after they required medical attention in the US.
In fact, all of its top 10 most expensive claims in 2024 were medical related, with six figure claims also coming in from travellers in Nepal, Singapore, Canada, Japan, and the UK. Cover-More New Zealand’s Will Ashcroft says while the US remains the most expensive destination for medical emergencies (with hospital stays up to $16,000 a night) that the pricey claims to other destinations highlights the importance of medical cover, regardless of the destination. “Excluding additional medical condition premiums, the average travel insurance premium in 2024 cost $317, and our highest medical claim in 2024 exceeded $900,000,” says Ashcroft.
. . . The Claims
Around 40% of Cover-More New Zealand’s claims paid out in 2024 were related to medical incidents, ranging from animal bites, food poisoning and pneumonia to altitude sickness, fractured body parts and cellulitis. Highlighting how quickly costs can climb, Cover-More points out that an emergency room visit in major cities like New York or Los Angeles can also reach up to $5000 for the initial consultation and admission alone—while an ICU stay in the US can cost upwards of $80,000 per week. And the insurer says things aren’t much cheaper in Asia, where emergency surgery for issues such as appendicitis can cost $30,000 or more in countries like Thailand or Malaysia; while serious conditions such as heart attacks that require medical evacuation results in claims of $160,000 in countries such as Borneo. In Bali something like a broken leg can easily cost travellers $12,000 or more, it cautions, while those heading to Fiji risk having to fork out up to $4000 if they require hospital treatment for a stomach bug.
