A new survey reveals that fewer than half of young Brits check that their travel insurance covers  "risky pursuits" despite four out of five admitting that they take part in more adventurous behaviour when on holiday.
Consulates across Spain in particular have first hand experience of the distress caused to young people who suffer accidents, only to find out that they can´t get home or they face a hefty medical bill because their insurance policy fails to cover dangerous sports!

Holidays in warm weather make Britons more confident, especially if they are on holiday with their peers and so are more inclined to try new things - this could also be party due to peer pressure.

Popular activity on the Costa Blanca

David Thomas, Consular Director for Spain said "Most Brits will think that hiring a quad bike for the afternoon or going out on a jet ski for an hour is not a risky pursuit - but their insurance company probably does. That´s why it´s so important that holidaymakers check their insurance policy before they buy and make sure they have full cover for everything they´re planning to do. We will do all we can to support anyone needs help, but we cannot pay medical bills or fly people home. We deal with hundreds os cases every year where an already distressing accident or injury is made worse by having to worry about large uninsured costs as well"

When taking part in any of these type of sports and activities you always have to sign a disclaimer from the company stating that they are not liable for any accidents or injury sustained during the hire period. The average claim for a personal accident is seven and a half thousand pounds according to a survey carried out by the Post Office, so it´s all the more important to get the right cover for a trip, including adventurous activities.

You MUST present both

As well as travel insurance, the Foreign Office and The Travel Association ABTA also want to holidaymakers to ensure they can get basic medical care. A European Health Insuance Card - EHIC, and available FREE of charge from the NHS covers all medically necessary care in a STATE hospital during a temporary stay in Spain. But it does not provide for private care or services such as medical repatriation by ambulance which can be very expensive.

If needing to use your EHIC card you must either go to the Centro de Salud (Health Centre) or the Hospital Marina Baixa in Villa Joyosa - the cards will NOT be accepted at either of the two private hospitals in Benidorm - Hospital Clinica Benidorm or IMED Levante. You only had to watch the cases turning up on the Channel 5 programme "Benidorm ER" which followed unfortunate Brits who had been injured whilst on holiday here. If you need to use your EHIC remember that you have to produce the actual card and your passport together - they will not accept one without the other.

Card machine at the Rincon de Loix health centre

Yes in an emergency you will obviously be treated but then presented with a bill. For those that turn up without an EHIC card you will be charged for a consultation, which is in excess of 100 euros and they do not accept cash so make sure that your card has plenty of credit on it! Every health centre in the region has had a card machine installed in an attempt to stop those not entitled to care milking the system. Over 130 million euros is still owed to the Spanish Government from last year for emergency health care accessed by non Spanish residents.

Another very important point to remember about private travel insurance is that they will NOT cover you if they find out that you were intoxicated (drunk) when the accident happened. Many young Brits drink to excess, especially as the alcohol is so much cheaper here than back in the UK and do silly things, egged on by their friends. Yes by all means enjoy and have a good time but be careful!

Comments