Health insurance card not substitute for travel insurance, says AmEx

Thu, 26 Jan 2006

Nearly a third of all travel insurance claims are medical related, a leading travel insurance company warns.

American Express Travel Insurance said 30 per cent of holidaymakers have swapped sun beds for hospital beds after falling ill abroad.

The travel insurance company therefore warns travellers to invest in adequate travel insurance as well as familiarising themselves with the new European health insurance card in case of falling ill while on holiday.

This month will see the former E111 be replaced with the new European health insurance card, but American Express Travel Insurance warns that its title can be "misleading".

Britons with a new European health insurance card will be entitled to free or reduced cost health care, but the travel insurance company warns that it does not offer travel insurance protection.

"It is a great shame that the word insurance has been included in the name of this new card," says American Express Travel Insurance's marketing manager Joanne Field, adding that the European health insurance card is not a substitute for travel insurance.

Those involved in a serious accident abroad would discover "at the worst time possible" that the European health insurance card would not pay for repatriation to Britain or for the cost of a relative to join and remain with the injured party abroad, according to Ms Field.

Adequate travel insurance, however, should cover these costs, she concludes.

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