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P J Hayman’s range of travel insurance solutions to cover high risks.
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Falling ill abroad and travelling in an air ambulance are not experiences most people would want to add to their holiday itinerary. Nonetheless, it’s wise to take out travel insurance that includes emergency medical treatment and repatriation cover after booking a trip.
You may already have an idea of what emergency medical treatment could include. However, are you aware that you might require an air ambulance to receive treatment if you’re in a remote location or on a cruise, far from the nearest hospital? You’ll also need to be transported home (repatriation) after treatment, once the treating medical team feel it is safe to discharge you. If you’re uninsured, you may risk your life savings (or house) if you need specialised transportation, and/or an attending medical chaperone, to return you to your home post-treatment. This is where repatriation cover can assist.
According to ABTA, 25% of travellers don’t have travel insurance in place. We’re here to share how our customers have benefited from taking out travel insurance, which includes repatriation cover. This includes the cost of an air ambulance and repatriation from popular holiday destinations after falling ill abroad.
Repatriation cover provides you with protection against the costs of transporting you (or an insured friend/family member) home post-medical treatment or after passing away when travelling abroad. You may be transported immediately back home via air ambulance if adequate treatment can’t be provided in the country you’re in, or if treatment can safely be delayed until you return home. Alternatively, you may be transported back to the UK for treatment, as it might be cheaper for you to receive it at home rather than abroad.
Repatriation cover includes:
Depending on the country you venture to, air ambulance fees for flying back home to the UK cost upwards of £20,000 (costs by AXA Assistance UK Ltd). There will also be a cost if you’re flown from your cruise ship to the nearest hospital in the USA, while on a cruise holiday around the Caribbean or the Americas. This is not an extra cost you want adding to your bill. The price of an air ambulance, emergency medical expenses and medical repatriation can make the most affluent travellers shudder…
We looked at our customer claims data and noted the average costs for medical expenses and medical repatriation between July 2024 and November 2025.
The claims figures range from £4,400 to £84,000.
The three highest figures included flights from the USA and Canada.
Sadly, the figure of £4,4000 below was the cost of transporting a deceased body home from Spain.
What’s important to note is that these figures are dependent on the country the traveller visited and the medical treatment received after falling ill abroad.
For instance, the further you are from home, the more expensive the repatriation costs (these costs will then be reflected in the price you pay for a travel insurance policy). You’re risking your life savings – or even potential bankruptcy – if you require repatriation from the USA, which is why travel insurance for trips to the USA is more expensive than other destinations.
You’ll also find that Africa and Asia are not the cheapest continents to visit in regard to medical and repatriation fees. In contrast, repatriation costs are generally less costly across Europe.
The first step is to take out a suitable travel insurance product as soon as you book a trip, because the cost of a policy is likely to be far less than the price of medical treatment abroad. Also, taking out a policy as soon as you book has the added benefit of providing you with cancellation cover if you can’t go on your trip due to accident or illness.
Furthermore, as the UK has a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the EU and some non-EU countries, you can reduce the price of emergency medical treatment from a state hospital by applying for a GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) before travelling. This has replaced the former EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). Today, the GHIC ensures you receive reciprocal healthcare around the globe in state hospitals. Also, it may mean your insurer will reduce or waive the excess you’re required to pay!
Below is some feedback from our customers who wisely took out travel insurance for their trip abroad. This was in place when they had to claim for overseas medical expenses.
We asked ‘Is there anything we can improve on?’
We hope we’ve provided you with a full understanding of repatriation cover, which is included with most standard travel insurance policies. Levels of cover will differ, depending on the product you require.
P J Hayman’s cruise-specific cruise products that include repatriation cover are:
Why not top up your existing travel insurance policy?
Top Up My Cancellation Cover will top up your existing policy, whoever the provider may be if you have at least £1,000 cancellation cover already. Provide cover for your luxury cruise holiday by sailing into the sunset with an overall maximum limit of £100,000 for additional cancellation cover per policy (£50,000 per person aged 75 and under, £15,000 per person aged 75-79, and £10,000 per person aged 80-85).
Discover how Top Up My Cover works.
Always remember, the importance of taking out travel insurance shouldn’t be overlooked. Especially when you require an air ambulance to transport you home after receiving emergency medical treatment abroad or at sea. If you’re in doubt about which policy you require, contact our friendly team of UK-based travel insurance specialists.
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