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12 August 2014

ONE IN THREE OLDER PEOPLE TRAVELLING ABROAD THIS SUMMER HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH AN AVERAGE MEDICAL EMERGENCY CLAIM IN EUROPE COSTS, WARNS SPECIALIST TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDER ALLCLEAR – AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF OLDER HOLIDAYMAKERS THINK PROVIDERS ARE AGEIST WHEN IT COMES TO SETTING PREMIUMS

 

EXCLUSIVE research by specialist travel insurance company AllClear has revealed that nearly a third of people aged between 66 and 70 years old who are preparing to travel abroad this summer are clueless when it comes to the cost of a medical emergency when on holiday.

 

The research shows that 38.40% of people between the ages of 66-70 have no idea how much the average travel medical emergency in Europe costs.

 

Just 7 per cent of respondents within that age group guessed that the typical cost of a medical emergency claim in Europe would be between £5,000 and £6,000.

 

AllClear’s latest data shows that the average medical emergency claim in Spain – the most popular summer destination for UK travelers – is around £6,500, with France, the second most popular, coming in at £2,600 (see research Note 2 below).

 

And when the net was widened to respondents from age 45 to 70, only 10.5 per cent were on target, guessing that an average claim would be between £5,000 and £6,000.

 

“It can be very expensive to fall ill abroad, and our new research demonstrates that the vast majority of people planning on taking a summer break this year have no real idea of how much it could cost if they are unfortunate enough to have a medical emergency,” said AllClear’s Garry Nelson.

 

 

The research also showed that the majority of travellers in the 66 – 70 year old age group believe travel insurance firms are ageist in their attitudes to older travellers.

 

When asked if they thought travel insurance providers are ageist in their attitudes to older travellers, 93 per cent of those in the 66 – 70 age group said yes, with just 7 per cent disagreeing.

 

“It is a pretty damning conclusion,” said Garry Nelson. “More and more people in older age groups look forward to travelling abroad, and it is a shame that they believe insurers discriminate against them on the grounds of their age.

 

“People travelling with medical conditions get a hard time from insurance companies, and many insurers will not even quote for certain conditions. It is always wise to get a quote in the first instance from a specialist firm like AllClear,” he said.

 

ALLCLEAR TRAVEL INSURANCE RESEARCH SURVEY MAY 2014 – SNAPSHOT OF KEY QUESTIONS:

 

Q1. How far do you agree with the following statement? I think travel insurance providers are ageist in their attitudes to older travelers?

Only 7% of people aged between 66-70 did not believe travel insurance providers are ageist

49.10% of all people questioned strongly agreed with the statement

Only 2.50% strongly disagreed with the statement

51.20% of people who plan on travelling in the next 6 months, strongly agree with the statement

Q2. How much do you think the average travel medical emergency claim in Europe costs?

38.40% of people between the ages of 66-70 have no idea how much the average travel medical emergency in Europe costs.

From all people asked, 13.60% believed the cost would be between £500.00 - £1,000.00

14.10% of people travelling in the next 6 months believe the cost will be between £500.00 - £1,000.00

Market research based on a male & female sample of 560 respondents drawn from throughout the UK aged 45 – 70: research carried out in May 2014

 

 

 

 

 

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