The amount paid out by British travel insurers on medical expenses claims has more than tripled over the last six years, The Telegraph has reported.
According to figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), claims for overseas medical treatment in 2010 amounted to £275 million, compared to £74 million in 2004.
The number of claims also rose dramatically, from 120,000 in 2004 to 337,000 in 2010.
ABI spokesman Malcolm Tarling put the increase down to the rise in older travellers, commenting, “People are living longer and travelling further afield but the sad fact is the older you are, the more likely you are to fall ill.”
Graeme Trudgill of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) also agreed, stating, “Increased travel by older people to destinations outside the European Union means claims costs are much higher as there is no access to free medical care through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).”
Travelinsurance.co.uk can offer policies to travellers up to and including the age of 75.