Countries where you never want to get sick

Australians eyeing an overseas holiday this year are being urged to check which countries will help them with the cost of essential medical treatment - or risk being left with huge bills. File picture: Valeriu Campan Source: Leader

AUSTRALIANS eyeing an overseas holiday this year are being urged to check which countries will help them with the cost of essential medical treatment - or risk being left with huge bills.

Travellers who get sick or injured in popular destinations such as the US and Canada will be left high and dry, while those who visit less frequented spots like Malta and Slovenia are taken care of.

Our government has reciprocal health care agreements with eleven countries, which means Australian residents can get help with medical costs.

They include New Zealand, the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Italy and Norway.

But there is no agreement with Commonwealth member countries Canada or Singapore, or tourist hot spots such as Indonesia, Thailand or Fiji.

A Department of Health and Ageing spokesman said agreements were negotiated with countries with a health system of a similar standard to Australia's, and where a roughly equal numbers of visitors travel between Australia and the partner country.

"Entitlements usually include access to public hospital treatment, out-of-hospital consultations and pharmaceuticals, on the same terms as apply to residents of that country,'' he said.

"Depending on the country, certain types of treatment are free but in some cases treatment is subsidised and will involve patient co-payments.''

Insurance Council of Australia spokesman Campbell Fuller said it was important to take out private travel insurance regardless of whether the country you are visiting does or doesn't have a reciprocal health agreement.

"For travel insurance to take effect you have to have suffered a financial loss so countries where there's a reciprocal health arrangement there may be less of a financial loss,'' he said.

"But even if there is an agreement in place you may be incurring other costs relating to an injury including things like cancellation, third party treatments and ambulance transfers, which may form part of a potential claim.''

Cover-More Travel Insurance spokesman Zach Brookes said the type of help travellers get from reciprocal agreements varies from country to country.

"If you are hospitalised in Italy you will be taken care of in the public health system but the nursing staff there are a bit different to what you expect in Australia,'' he said.

"Here nurses take care of things like feeding you and changing bed linen - in Italy family members take care of those kind of duties.

"They're the kind of things the 24 hour emergency team help with when you buy travel insurance.''

John Kan and Rachel Evans, from Willoughby in Sydney, faced a hospital bill of up to $1 million after Ms Evans went into premature labour in Canada at 26 weeks and found her travel insurance didn't cover the labour or the baby Piper's hospital care.

The couple was charged $8120 a day for the 90 days Piper spent in the neonatal ward, not including doctors and specialist fees.

Ms Evans said she was surprised Canada was not covered by a reciprocal health agreement.

"Had she been born in Slovenia or the United Kingdom we would have been covered,'' she said.

"You should check agreements between countries and check the fine print on travel insurance policies.''

Mr Fuller recommended travellers visit the website findaninsurer.com.au to find the right product for their needs and the country they are visiting.

COUNTRIES AUSTRALIA HAS RECIPROCAL HEALTH AGREEMENTS WITH

• New Zealand
• United Kingdom
• Republic of Ireland
• Sweden
• The Netherlands
• Finland
• Italy
• Belgium
• Malta
• Slovenia
• Norway

COUNTRIES AUSTRALIA DOESN'T HAVE RECIPROCAL HEALTH AGREEMENTS WITH

• Canada
• United States
• Fiji
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• China
• Singapore
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• Germany

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