Southern Cross Travel Insurance has warned against travelling without cover after revealing last year’s most expensive claim cost 259% more than the 2023 record-holder.  

The claim produced a $672,630 payout for a 76-year-old woman who suffered a stroke while holidaying in Albania. She required an air ambulance back to Australia, and this alone cost more than $500,000.

The second-highest payout was $362,034 for a woman who spent more than two months recovering from a collapsed lung, urinary tract infection and ruptured oesophagus in Thailand. She also needed an air ambulance home.  

Another Thailand traveller received $282,754 after needing brain surgery following a pool slip.  

Southern Cross chief customer officer Jess Strange says medical expenses have soared, and five claims last year cost more than 2023’s top payout.  

“It just goes to show why it is so important to make sure you’re covered for the unexpected, otherwise you could be left with a hefty medical bill,” she said.  

“It’s also important to remember that insurance doesn’t just protect people from the financial burden of medical expenses. It also provides a high level of support for patients and families by ensuring people access the right level of medical care.

“In some instances, family members are flown out to support customers who are receiving medical care on their own, and in other cases we fly our customer home with a medical team.”  

By country, Indonesia accounted for the most Southern Cross claims last year at 17.8% of the total (costing about $1.87 million), followed by Thailand at 8% and the US at 7.6%.