Spain holidaymakers are being urged to be careful when it comes to buying travel insurance. Certain insurers have been accused of dodgy practices which allegedly see holidaymakers misled on what they get for their money. The Spanish Association of Private Hospitals made the claim in a Madrid press conference on Monday. They said that some insurers were selling cover with emergency medical assistance without clarifying that customers would only be entitled to treatment at state-run clinics.
If these policyholders are treated in a private facility they will still have to fork out for a large medical bill.
However, Britons can already benefit from free medical treatment at these state-run clinics thanks to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
In short, holidaymakers might think that they are paying for private healthcare but this is not, in fact, guaranteed in some cases.
The group of Spanish private hospitals have said that up to 800 Britons a day are seeking medical treatment at private facilities only to find their policies – which have medical payout limits of up to £15 million – won’t cover it, reported The Times.
The policyholders will then have to pay an average of €4,000 for treatment or be transferred to a public clinic, the association claimed.
“Thousands of British tourists will again be held hostage to these bad practices,” the Spanish Association of Private Hospitals said in a statement yesterday.
They added: “This situation puts the health of British travellers at serious risk.
“The insurer forces the private hospital to refer them to a public one as soon as possible, sometimes even in cases where a transfer puts the patient’s health at risk.”
They have said British insurers should detail what is excluded as well as included in their policies.
Holidaymakers buying travel insurance should also be sure they’re choosing a policy that best meets their needs.
A spokesman for Association of British Insurers (ABI) told Express.co.uk: “This is a stark reminder of the importance of checking the travel cover before you buy, and not just going for something cheap.
“It really pays to read through the cover to make sure it meets your needs.
“Travel insurance that provides emergency medical treatment cover is very competitively priced anyway.”
ABI advise against cutting back on medical cover and recommend travellers to call their insurer’s 24-hour claims line as soon as possible if something happens so they can advise on where best to seek help and treatment.
When buying travel insurance, Britons should also look out for one key piece of terminology, claim experts from Travel Insurance Explained, which is ‘Force majeure’.
The term is used by travel insurers in relation to natural disasters or catastrophic events such as hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
“Force majeure is typically an add-on to a travel insurance policy, so while it is not always included as standard, it is a very crucial part of the cover,” said experts from Travel Insurance Explained.
“Depending on the travel insurer, force majeure cover may also be referred to as natural disaster cover or catastrophic events.”