Top 30 travel insurance claims by under 30s totaled nearly $500,000

The top 30 highest travel insurance claims made by people under 30 totaled nearly half a million dollars from October 2021 to October 2022, according to global travel insurance and assistance provider Allianz Partners.

The insurer said the travel insurance claims it received ranged from $6,000 to nearly $50,000, with the largest claims for medical treatment, ambulances, air evacuations, and hospitalization. Among the claims, four out of five of the most expensive made by people under 30 resulted from illness or injuries incurred while traveling to Europe.

“Nobody plans for things to go wrong when they travel, and many don’t consider the cost of medical cover in the country they visit,” said Damien Arthur, executive head of travel at Allianz Partners.

“Countries like the USA, for example, appeal to young travelers because it’s English spoken and may be considered safe, but a hospital stay can cost a staggering amount of money as they don’t have a public health system like Australia.”

Largest travel insurance claims at Allianz Partners in 2022

Among the largest claims that Allianz Partners received last year was from a young traveler who presented with a migraine, but, once examined, also had a kidney infection. Another traveler had an sore throat caused by a bacterial infection that escalated and required hospitalization. Of the highest claims, only one related to lost luggage or personal effects.

“While people will readily consider insuring their luggage for loss or damage, more thought needs to be given to the unexpected consequences and costs of simply becoming ill while traveling overseas,” Arthur said.

“We regularly see cases for what we in Australia consider minor sickness or accidents that have resulted in claims of tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars due to medical and other associated costs. For a young person without insurance, this puts them in a very challenging financial position.”

The most expensive claim totaled $135,375, paid to a 65-year-old traveler who had a heart condition and fluid in the lungs while on holiday in Greece and was hospitalized for around three weeks.

Another report by SCTI, released last year, found that three in four Australians have become more concerned about their health and safety when traveling in the next two years than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic began – with 80% of the respondents considering travel insurance a high priority for international travel, and 65% seeing domestic travel insurance as a high priority.