How much it costs to travel without insurance

Kiwi.com, a leading travel-tech company, is on a mission to make travel accessible to everyone, everywhere. However, as much as we like to think about traveling as a perfect experience, accidents can happen at any time, so the company partnered with AXA travel insurance to enable getting insured when buying tickets. For a small cost, travelers everywhere get to save a small fortune in the long-run.

Travelers using Kiwi.com now have the option to buy AXA travel insurance together with their plane tickets. Two bundles are available: Basic, which covers medical expenses (including COVID-19), trip cancellation due to illness, accident or death, and assistance services, while Plus also covers lost luggage, air travel insurance and liability.

According to Kiwi.com data, the most popular destinations among Romanians are cities in Italy, the UK, Spain, Germany and France, but there is also an increased interest in destinations such as Portugal, the UAE, Thailand, Turkey and the Philippines. According to AXA Partners CEE, the countries with the most expensive healthcare are the UK, Switzerland, remote islands belonging to Greece, Spain or Turkey, where usually there is only private care available, as well as in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

According to AXA Partners CEE, the most common injuries when traveling are scrapes on the arms and legs and broken arms. In the summer, most common health issues are tonsillitis, allergies, gastroenteritis or other stomach issues, while in the winter, the most common are broken arms and strained or torn ligaments.

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Different health issues come with different costs, from the most minor, to more complicated ones, but all come with hefty costs that can cost more than the vacation itself without travel insurance.  

Ambulatory care

In the EU, costs for outpatient treatments range from 100 to 250 euros, while in the UAE or Turkey, expect to pay between 800 and 1500 dollars. Travelers to the US will pay 800 to 1500 dollars for ambulatory care, and visitors to the Philippines or Thailand could pay up to 1500 dollars. In Egypt, costs are similar to Europe, ranging from 80 to 250 euros.

Hospitalization

Should the need for hospitalization arise, costs per day in the EU start from 15 euros, but could rise to 15.000 per day if the traveler needs intensive care, as in the case of accidents or appendicitis. In the USA, a day in the hospital costs upwards of 2500 dollars, while in the rest of the world costs range from 300 to 3500 dollars per day.

Air ambulance/Helicopter intervention

If while traveling, accidents require the intervention of a helicopter, this can cost between 1000 and 5000 euros in the EU, between 5000 and 15000 dollars in the US. Travelers to the Philippines or Thailand that require an intervention by helicopter should expect to pay between 750 and 5000 dollars.

The cost of treating a ski accident

Accidents on the slopes are frequent, and skiing usually requires traveling. In the unfortunate case of an accident that causes a bone fracture, costs can reach up to 70000 euros, depending on the gravity of the accident and the interventions required. A breakdown of the costs looks like this: helicopter intervention – 1000 to 5000 euros; hospitalization for 2 weeks, including treatment, surgery, X-rays – 12500 euros; transportation back home in an ambulance (terrestrial) ranges from 3000 to 5000 euros, whereas transportation in an air ambulance costs between 10000 and 50000 euros.