With the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that as many as 500 Brits are leaving their homeland every day to live abroad, American Express has issued a warning to those who do not have adequate health cover for the move.
Both travellers and prospective expatriates were urged to remember that health cover abroad would not necessarily be free and extensive, with the American Express International Healthcare Plan recommended for those wishing to prepare for health complications.
Available to expatriates and their families and offering medical insurance in the event of accident or illness, American Express promises to take care of all administrative procedures and leaving the path free for patients to relax and benefit from healthcare.
The figures for emigration from the UK are now higher than at any time since 1991, with the resultant swathes of British expatriates spread across many a country requiring adequate health-care packages to ensure treatment can be received immediately wherever they are.
A key cause of unexpected health costs for travellers or ex-pats is accidents at ski resorts – a Post Office report from 2006 claimed that a third of travel insurance claims made by ski and winter sports partakers are for medical bills.
Holiday-makers and emigrants from the UK are among the most numerous jetting around Europe, so companies like American Express are urging people to take the necessary travel health precautions, whether embarking on riskier ski trips or merely settling down to a quiet life abroad.
Talk to one of our qualified doctors now about travel health on 0906 665 8002. Calls cost £1.50 per minute from a BT landline. 24 hrs 7 days a week. Callers must have bill payer's permission and be over 18. All calls are recorded but you do not have to give your name. All Doctors are GMC registered and either fully qualified GPs or post membership hospital specialists. Not for emergency use, diagnosis or prognosis. Not designed to replace a face to face consultation with a medical professional, and any callers taking such advice in isolation do so at their own risk. In the case of a medical emergency, dial 999. Calls last a maximum of 20 minutes.
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