We all have a travel hotspot wish list. And while Indonesia, Thailand, USA, Philippines and New Zealand are favourite destinations of many jet setters they are also among the top locations where travellers contract gastro.
No one wants to think about it but some of your favourite holiday spots present the perfect breeding ground for an upset stomach and can leave you spending your precious vacation days in the bathroom rather than on the beach.
Last year Cover-More customers notched up 1457 reported cases of gastro, costing almost $2 million in emergency expenses. While travel insurance usually has the bill covered and medical assistance sorted, for the sake of your holiday and health gastro is something you want to steer clear of.
Cover-More’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Stephen Rashford has five simple tips:
To find out more about what Bali Belly is and how to avoid it, check out this blog.
Country | Amount of Cover-More Claims |
---|---|
Indonesia | 875 |
Thailand | 722 |
USA | 325 |
South West Pacific | 159 |
Singapore | 148 |
Fiji | 142 |
Vietnam | 131 |
New Zealand | 123 |
Philippines | 85 |
Cambodia & Canada | 79 |
Surprisingly, despite the horror stories, the chances of needing to claim medical expenses due to getting gastroenteritis in Indonesia isn’t actually that high. You’re actually more likely to get sick in other countries.
Cover-More’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Stephen Rashford explains: “While these statistics may make it look like Indonesia is a place that you’ll get really sick, these high claim figures are in part because of the sheer volume of travellers to this country.
“An interesting fact, you’re actually four times more likely to make a claim on a gastroenteritis related illness when travelling in Peru. Peru is consistently rated as the most likely country to get a gastroenteritis illness, with two percent of travellers on average every year making a case claim.”
It’s the cost of contracting the stomach bug is the real pain in the guts.
Out of the top ten most expensive gastroenteritis claims across the world, those contracted in the United States made up almost half.
We’re talking claims ranging from $60,000 to in excess of $100,000.
The most expensive claim ever for gastroenteritis on Cover-More’s books was in September 2015 when a customer on holiday in the USA thanked their lucky stars that they didn’t have to fork out a whopping $105,886.21 for their tummy bug.
Given the cost for health care in the United States, it’s no wonder that of the Top 10 most expensive gastro claims ever made with Cover-More, four of those were from the USA.
Country | Registered | Claim Cost |
---|---|---|
United States | 2015 | $105,886.21 |
China | 2016 | $99,985.26 |
Indonesia | 2015 | $97,589.22 |
United States | 2014 | $76,757.24 |
Fiji | 2013 | $75,855.47 |
Indonesia | 2014 | $73,744.76 |
United States | 2013 | $72,864.20 |
United States | 2015 | $72,415.29 |
Other | 2015 | $67,546.54 |
Singapore | 2016 | $60,861.46 |
Make sure your next trip is covered and get a quote today!