Kiwis are becoming increasingly adventurous and travelling further afield than ever, according to recent data from Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI). However, many may be unaware of the range of experiences they might encounter when they are taken ill overseas, and how care practices may differ from their home country.
Looking at policies taken out with SCTI, families’ top destinations include countries as far afield as Singapore, France, Thailand and the UK. According to SCTI chief customer officer Jo McCauley, the list of things that can go wrong varies hugely, and travellers may be caught off-guard by different or unfamiliar norms.
“Customers may assume the level of care they’ll receive overseas is the same as that offered in New Zealand or Australia,” says McCauley. “Countries such as Australia, the United States and Canada may feel similar, but in Europe and some Asian countries you can have a range of different experiences. The care from nurses in some European countries doesn’t extend to making beds or providing food, and some may not provide towels or toiletries to hospital patients. Local people rely on their families to provide this care when in hospital, and these are the moments when the insurer can assist.
“Some countries also have different views and support around pain,” McCauley continues. “In New Zealand pain relief is readily available, both over the counter in pharmacies and from health professionals. But in other countries, there is a greater level of stoicism. Japan is one such country, and Denmark is another – in the latter case it is very hard to find pain relief available for purchase in a pharmacy.”
McCauley says that things like language are also a barrier for customers when trying to express their symptoms and get the level of care that they need. This situation can often be very confronting and confusing, and SCTI’s travel insurance can provide access to an emergency assistance team who will arrange additional support.
“A lot of providers offer fairly limited budget medical cover whereas ours is completely comprehensive, and we medically underwrite customers with medical conditions,” she explains. “We have our emergency assistance lines, which customers can call 24 hours a day. We would encourage them to call if they have a medical emergency, we have a team of doctors, nurses and specialists in air ambulances that can get out and help customers wherever they might be.”
