A record number of travellers needed medical aid while abroad in 2009, according to research conducted by Sainsburys Insurance .
The company revealed that £274 million was paid out by firms in the sector to cover such issues, with the most expensive country for holiday healthcare being the USA . During the past year, the average cost of hospital treatment while abroad has also risen, with the figure climbing to £2,040.
The insurer is urging customers to be sensible when heading out on holiday and take out travel insurance for any unforeseen medical expenses, otherwise they may end up paying for them out of their own pocket. The firm stated that the cheapest country to be in if a medical emergency strikes is Bulgaria, with the average visit to a hospital costing £500, compared to £6,000 in the USA.
Recently, Sainsburys Insurance published a study showing that five per cent of holidaymakers take more than one year to pay off their vacation from their credit cards .