Top 10 most expensive travel insurance claims in 2022

The most expensive international travel insurance claim in 2022 is a whopping $135,375, paid to a 65-year-old traveller who had a heart condition and fluid in the lungs while on holiday in Greece and was hospitalised for around three weeks. He had to fly back to Australia on a business class flight when he was finally fit to fly.

It was followed by a $109,725 claim paid to a 95-year-old man who contracted pneumonia while travelling to Greece and was admitted to the hospital for three weeks. He had to fly back to Australia on a business class flight with two registered nurse escorts when his condition did not improve. Meanwhile, the third most expensive international travel claim is $79,277, paid to a 22-year-old who suffered a collapsed lung and fractured rib following a scooter accident in Indonesia.

The rest of the list includes:

An 85-year-old returned early from Greece after fracturing a hip when falling while getting out of a car (claim paid: $46,075);
A 28-year-old with a heart condition was admitted to the hospital while on holiday in America (claim paid: $44,175);
A 64-year-old woman fractured her ankle after slipping in the shower while on holiday in Switzerland (claim paid: $37,525);
A 17-year-old returned early from America after sustaining a serious fracture while skiing (claim paid: $36,575);
A 46-year-old sought emergency treatment after a tear formed in the blood vessel in the heart while on holiday in Canada (claim paid: $34,675);
An 88-year-old had to return early from Portugal after falling off an e-bike (claim paid: $33,725); and
An 85-year-old had to return early from Indonesia after suffering a heart attack (claim paid: $33,934).

Travel insurance perspective post-COVID-19

Three in four Australians have become more concerned about their health and safety when travelling in the next two years than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic began – with 80% considering travel insurance a high priority for international travel and 65% seeing domestic travel insurance a high priority.

SCTI CEO Jo McCauley has reminded Australian travellers to prepare for the unexpected when travelling domestically or internationally.

“Following COVID-19, we know there has been an increased appetite for travel. Research we conducted earlier this year showed 92% of Aussies are planning to travel in the next two years. We’ve also seen people travelling for longer, up by an average of 25%, from 20 days to 25 days,” McCauley said.

“Understandably, Aussie travellers have been preoccupied with what would happen if they caught COVID-19 while travelling. But while COVID-19 still remains a reality, our largest claims relate to the same types of accidents and medical events that we were witnessing prior to the pandemic.”