Brits pay up to £4,725 for a hospital visit abroad
PA
British tourists are paying up to £4,725 for medical treatment abroad, Sainsbury's Travel Insurance has found.
The USA is the costliest place for a hospital visit, where tourists can expect to pay up to £4,725, but the average medical claim made by Britons who fall ill or have an accident in a foreign country is still high at £1,333.41.
The findings show how expensive holiday illnesses and accidents can be and how important it is to invest in travel insurance.
The least expensive country to require medical treatment in is Greece with the average cost being £422.
Sainsbury's Travel Insurance Manager Scott Gorman said: 'It has been widely reported that healthcare costs are rising far faster than the rate of inflation, not just in the UK but in other countries as well, so ensuring you have adequate cover and peace of mind while you travel abroad is more important than ever.'
'Simply having a European Health Insurance Card - which is not an alternative to travel insurance - will only provide you with the same state-provided healthcare as a resident of the country you're visiting. This means that should you require medical attention you may face huge medical bills.'
The insurance company's statistics also found that Spain was the country where most British holidaymakers seek medical help, followed by Turkey and Greece.
The most common reason for seeking medical assistance in 2010 was for ear infections, costing Brits an average of £320. Those suffering heart attacks abroad recieved the biggest medical bills at an average of £8,147.
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