Travel insurance increasingly offering 24/7 medical support

Access to 24/7 medical support is becoming increasingly common in travel insurance policies, with 17% of annual and single trip travel products now offering some form of round the clock medical support, according to new analysis by Defaqto.

The market intelligence firm revealed that 11% of annual and 10% of single trip travel insurance products offered phone or video consultations, while 6% offered clinic visits or hotel callouts.

Around 27.5% of travel policies also included provisions to waive medical expense excesses if a claim was made following advice from the provided doctor.

Defaqto’s analysis further found that travel insurance policies are increasingly offering add-ons, such as outpatient services like referrals, or the supply of UK prescriptions to local pharmacies.

Gap year travellers experienced the highest rate of medical access, Defaqto added, with 23% of these travel products including phone or video consultations and 12% including clinic visits or hotel callouts.

Increasing cover

Anna-Marie Duthie, insight consultant at Defaqto, said: “Being able to speak to a medical professional while abroad can be a huge reassurance for travellers, so it’s encouraging to see more providers offering general practitioner (GP) access.

“There is still a long way to go before this becomes a standard feature, but things seem to be heading in the right direction.

“With more people travelling year-round, including for gap years and remote work, medical access while abroad is becoming more relevant. Insurers [that] offer these services are providing real peace of mind for policyholders.”