Top travel insurance claims over the European summer season

Medibank has revealed its top travel insurance claim payouts over last year’s European summer, with the most expensive claim totalling $67,000.

The European country where Medibank travel insurance customers made the most claims - from June to August 2023 - was Italy followed by the United Kingdom, Greece, France and Spain.

The most common benefits claimed were medical and hospital, luggage and personal effects, additional expenses (i.e. accommodation or travel expenses), delayed luggage allowance and cancellations/amendments.

Medibank Chief Customer Officer Milosh Milisavljevic encouraged everyone planning a European summer getaway to get travel insurance before they hop on the plane.

“We know Australians love to travel, especially at this time of year to escape our winter, so it’s important to have travel insurance to cover you for the unexpected,” said Mr Milisavljevic.

Unfortunately, things can sometimes go wrong on holidays, but your travel insurance policy could help cover you for things like lost luggage and cancelled flights, right through to medical coverage in international hospitals.

“Our most expensive claim payout during last year’s European summer period was $67,000, however the average was around $1,500, which shows the value of travel insurance on smaller inconveniences, in addition to more serious medical claims.”

Examples of recent travel insurance claims in Europe:

Claim #1

• Claim Type: Medical
• Location: Italy
• Paid Benefit: $67,000
• What happened: Customer had concerns about pneumonia. A CT scan showed minimal pneumonia, treatable with antibiotics. However, it found a non-cancerous lymphoma requiring chemotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, an issue occurred during treatment requiring surgery and hospitalisation.

Claim #2

• Claim Type: Medical
• Location: Italy
• Paid Benefit: $42,000
• What happened: Customer was in the square outside St Mark's Basilica and taking photographs when they lost their balance and broke their leg. Customer was transported to a hospital in Venice requiring surgery on the broken leg. After surgery, the customer and partner were repatriated to Australia.

Claim #3

• Claim Type: Luggage and Personal Effects/ Theft of Cash
• Location: France
• Paid Benefit: $980
• What happened: While walking through the markets, customer had wallet pickpocketed from their shoulder bag.

Medibank Private Limited, ABN 47 080 890 259, an Authorised Representative, AR 286089, of Travel Insurance Partners Pty Limited, ABN 73 144 049 230 AFSL 360138 arranges the insurance on behalf of the insurer. The insurer is Zurich Australian Insurance Limited ABN 13 000 296 640, AFSL 232507. Please consider your own needs and the Combined FSG/PDS to decide if this product is right for you. For information on the Target Market and Target Market Determinations , visit medibank.com.au/travel-insurance/help/