Think you can afford to travel without being covered? Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) has revealed the 10 most costly travel insurance claims made by Australians travelling overseas in 2024 totalled almost $2.5 million with one claim alone costing more than $672,000.
The 10 most costly travel insurance claims made by Aussies on international trips ranged from unexpected illnesses to poolside accidents, leading to expensive emergency medical care and repatriation.
It comes as Aussies are overwhelming prioritising international coverage for peace of mind, particulary around illness.
The top three destinations for SCTI insurance claims in 2024 were Indonesia (17.8%), Thailand (8%) and the US (7.6%) with Indonesia netting the highest total cost of claims at $1,868,124 last year.
Top 10 most costly travel insurance claims in 2024
SCTI’s most costly international travel insurance claim was for $672,630 and involved a 76-year-old woman who had a stroke in Albania and required an air ambulance back to Australia.
The next most expensive claim, $362,034, was paid to an 80-year-old Aussie woman who suffered a collapsed lung, urinary tract infection and ruptured oesophagus on holiday in Thailand, necessitating a two-month hospital stay before being air ambulanced home.
Several other high-value claims on the most costly travel insurance claims list were due to injuries relating to slips and trips, seizures and a brain aneurysm, all of which occurred while travelling.
A 78-year-old man slipped while getting out of a pool in Thailand, resulting in a $282,754 claim after brain surgery, while another poolside spill in Indonesia saw a 44-year-old Aussie claim $187,868 after multiple surgeries.
An unlucky slip at a brunch in Indonesia also saw an 84-year-old female require spinal surgery and an air ambulance home – a total claim of $166,858.
An 18-year-old woman who suffered a seizure after having gastro in Indonesia netted a $198,349 claim for an air ambulance service back to Australia and a 49-year-old woman holidaying in the US also had a seizure requiring brain surgery (a $157,935 claim).
Meanwhile, other most costly travel insurance claims included a 57-year-old woman who had a brain aneurysm and surgery in Austria, requiring a nurse escort home ($182,286 claim paid) and a 53-year-old female who had a heart attack in Indonesia – a claim of $161,194.
Rounding out the top 10 most costly insurance claims in 2024 was a claim for $119,000, which resulted from an acute infection following stomach pains in Fiji with the 74-year-old patient spending time in intensive care before being flown back to Australia.
The importance of travel insurance
SCTI Chief Customer Officer Jess Strange said the most costly travel insurance claims highlighted the importance of travel insurance, especially as medical costs increase.
“Last year’s most expensive claim is 259 per cent higher than our most expensive claim in 2023,” she said.
“Ongoing global medical cost inflation means we’re seeing claim costs increase with our top five claims from 2024 costing more than the leading claim from 2023.
“It’s also important to remember that insurance also provides a high level of support for patients and families by ensuring people access the right level of medical care.
“In some instances, family members are flown out to support customers who are receiving medical care on their own, and in other cases, we fly our customer home with a medical team,” she said.
