Medical cover essential for travel outside EU
Travellers are being advised that insurance for medical expenses that may be needed while abroad is an important part of their overall travel cover. Traveller risk differs by the destination and country. In Africa or Asia, there is a much higher chance of becoming ill, so medical cover is important when travelling to places like this in the world. For travel to the US, hospital treatment is so expensive that having adequate cover is important even for a short stay. The further you travel outside Europe, the more important medical expenses cover is, especially if you are travelling to Africa or Asia.
Other cover that is also important is protection against theft of valuables, which are the most frequent targets of pickpockets, and often found in popular tourist areas and transportation centres.
Sainsbury's Bank research shows that more than 13 million UK travellers leave on trips abroad without travel insurance.