Travel insurance and medical evacuation reality check
EMBARGOED UNTIL 12.00 NOON SUNDAY 4 JANUARY 2003
Many Australian travellers face difficulties and delays getting access to medical attention or evacuation services in the event of a medical emergency when they travel overseas, despite having travel insurance, according to an article published in the current issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.
Dr Robert Grace, specialist anaesthetist/physician at the Vila Central Hospital in Vanuatu, and Darren Penny, paramedical officer, describe their experiences with the travel insurance and medical evacuation industry from 'the far side', in Vanuatu, a popular tropical island holiday destination, 2 hours and 45 minutes flying time from Brisbane.
Six case studies describe delays in planning an evacuation, difficulty accessing a 24-hour helpline, unprepared and poorly supplied evacuation staff, and poor availability of planes for evacuation. One 80-year-old woman, who had paid a surcharge for insurance for her Vanuatu holiday, was refused evacuation when she broke her leg.
"Travel insurers and medical evacuation companies have a responsibility to provide an efficient high-quality service to their clients," Dr Grace said.
"These companies often deliver a standard far short of best practice and far short of their promotional brochures - there is a wide gap between the brochure and the reality.
"Travellers must be given realistic advice about the risks of foreign travel and that healthcare resources at their destination may be very limited.
"There is a great divide between what is possible, what is reasonable, and what is in the insured person's best interest.
It is estimated that 30-50 per cent of travellers become ill or injured while abroad. In a study of travel insurance claims made by returning tourists, most claimants were older than 60 years.
"Uninsured travellers who experience major illness are a burden on foreign healthcare resources," Dr Grace said.
It has been argued that 'Utilising a valuable limited resource of a country that struggles to supply this resource is morally wrong when it could have been avoided by appropriate insurance'.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's brochure 'Travelling Overseas' says: 'If you can't afford travel insurance you can't afford to travel'.
"Ultimately you travel at your own risk," Dr Grace said.
CONTACT Dr Robert Grace 0011 678 22053 (available until 3 January 2003)
Judith Tokley, AMA 02 62705471 / 0408 824 306