Massive bills for Kiwis’ ill-health while overseas

A range of hideous and horrible diseases and mishaps overseas have left New Zealanders with medical bills as high as $560,000 this year.

A traveller to Africa who contracted encephalitis, a sudden-onset brain inflammation, resulted in a $561,400 claim to Southern Cross Travel Insurance, the highest the firm received this year.

Other enormous bills suggested travellers often underestimated foreign medical treatment and repatriation costs, chief executive Craig Morrison said.

‘‘The amounts people think overseas medical treatment and repatriation will cost pale in comparison to some of the claims we receive every year.’’

The traveller who contracted encephalitis needed an air ambulance to get home, Southern Cross said, as did two others with claims in excess of $250,000.

Air ambulances were often specially configured Learjets which, if flying to New Zealand, had to stop several times to refuel, Morrison said.

It’s not just visitors to Africa who have had costly medical misadventures this year. Five of the top 10 claims emerged from accidents and illness in the United States.

Southern California was especially expensive for medical care, with even a broken ankle costing tens of thousands of dollars, Morrison said.

‘‘There’s nothing to stop the surgeon charging whatever he or she wants.’’

US ambulances often took injured Kiwis straight to private healthcare providers, rather than public hospitals where patients might rub shoulders with gunshot victims. ’’Generally speaking, tourists don’t end up in Cook County Hospital, South Chicago.’’

One Kiwi in the US was hospitalised for diverticulitis, an illness in which bulging sacs appear in the lining of the large intestine. That traveller needed an upgraded flight home, and lodged a claim of $374,000.

And a stay of only three days in an American hospital for gallstone complications cost another traveller $208,000.

Other claims over $200,000 this year stemmed from a car crash in China, an arterial haemorrhage in the US, and a person who fell off a cliff in Indonesia.

Although foreign illnesses such as Zika grabbed headlines this year, Morrison said the most common medical issues abroad involved pneumonia and influenza.

Morrison said a ‘‘persistent’’ group numbering about one-quarter of travellers still refused to get travel insurance.

‘‘We suspect, but can’t prove, that these are travellers going to Australia.’’

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said New Zealand citizens, and permanent residents with a returning residents visa, were entitled to free emergency treatment at Australian public hospitals under a reciprocal transtasman agreement.

But charges could be added for some services, such as ambulance transport.

The ministry advises New Zealanders to take out full, comprehensive medical insurance, including cover for hospitalisation and repatriation. - Fairfax NZ