Irish travellers ‘gambling with their healthcare’

Only 57% of Irish people travelling abroad for leisure purposes in the past 12 months took out travel insurance, according to research findings issued today by Vhi Healthcare.

While the situation has improved slightly since last year when 54% of the population had travel insurance, a large proportion of travellers (43%) are "gambling with their healthcare", according to the insurance company.

The research was conducted by TNS MRBI on behalf of Multi Trip from Vhi Healthcare in April 2007 and saw more than 1,000 adults nationwide quizzed about their travel habits and plans.

Vhi Healthcare also found that 2,338 individuals required emergency treatment while abroad last year, incurring costs of €8,712,239.

The total cost of transporting Vhi Healthcare members back to Ireland following emergency medical treatment totalled

€1.5m in 2006.

“Many products on the market do not cover for such eventualities and our research demonstrated that 68% of those surveyed felt that cover for illnesses arising from a pre-existing medical condition was an important element to have covered by their travel insurance policy,” said Vhi Healthcare director of marketing and business development Declan Moran.

“Our research also demonstrated that only 44% of travel insurance holders were aware that their policy covered them for pre-existing conditions therefore this is clearly an area which needs to be highlighted.”

Some other key findings from the research included:

* 93% of those purchasing travel insurance felt that cover for medical emergencies and illnesses was an important factor in a travel insurance policy.

* Other important factors included cover for lost passports (73%), cover for holiday cancellation or curtailment (61%) cover for personal luggage (57%), cover business equipment (41% of those who travel for business purposes) and cover travel delays (32%).

* Of those with travel insurance, 52% hold an annual multi trip policy and 47% have cover for a single trip.

* 69% of those interviewed having travelled abroad for leisure purposes in the past 12 months.

* 21% had travelled abroad three or more times, 20% had travelled abroad twice in the past 12 months and 28% had made one trip.

* When asked about their last trip for leisure purposes abroad 56% travelled within the EU (excl Great Britain), 23% travelled to the UK and 10% travelled to North America.

* Higher than average travel is seen among those aged 25-34 years, ABC1's and those with health insurance.

Launched in February 2004, Multi Trip from Vhi Healthcare has a market share of approximately 32% in this area and more than 300,000 policyholders.