Medical insurance claims soar

Travel insurers in UK dealt with a record number of claims from people who needed emergency medical treatment while they were abroad last year, according to figures just released.

The industry paid out £274 million during the year to people who fell ill or had an accident while they were on holiday, the equivalent of £5.3 million a week, according to the Association of British Insurers.

The group said the figure was the highest since it first began collecting data on travel insurance claims in 2000, and came despite a 15 per cent in the number of trips abroad people made during the year.

The group said the cost of claims for medical expenses soared by 270 per cent in the past five years, with medical treatment now accounting for 60 per cent of all claims paid by travel insurers, up from 33 per cent five years ago.