New Zealand’s largest online travel insurer Southern Cross Travel Insurance recently released its highest-value claims paid for 2014 – and this is them:
- $405,000 – surgery required for cancer in the USA.
- $365,000 – air evacuation after a brain bleed and heart attack in North America.
- $285,000 – blood clot while travelling caused a cardiac arrest on a plane, admitted to hospital in the US.
- $236,000 – a tourist visiting New Zealand suffered a stroke requiring extensive hospitalisation and rehabilitation and transport to home country by air ambulance.
- $193,000 – suffered a stroke in Europe, required air ambulance.
- $177,000 – fell from a roof and fractured several leg bones in the USA.
- $122,000 – family member of an international student diagnosed with cancer.
- $120,000 – hit by a motorcycle in South East Asia.
- $112,000 – heart attack while visiting New Zealand, required surgery and rehabilitation.
- $105,000 – accidental fall resulting in broken bones in Europe.
They are all medically related but for the first time they are not all attributed to New Zealanders travelling overseas.
SCTI’s other travel insurance policies which cater for international students, those visiting New Zealand and those living here but not a resident make up three of the large claims.