Medical tourists should double check travel insurance

The Post Office warned that there is a risk of huge financial losses for thousands of Britons who travel overseas for availing cheap medical and cosmetic surgery.
The figures quoted by Post Office Travel Services (POTS) show that during the last year, about 70000 British Nationals travelled out of the country for obtaining treatment related to elective or cosmetic medical surgery. These show the growing trend of medical tourism among the British public to cheaper countries.
A Post Office conducted poll concluded that 36% of the respondents had not bothered to check if their travel insurance covered them in case of an accident. This, in spite of the well known fact that the standard travel insurance does not take care of pre-planned surgical treatment.
The head of POTS, Helen Warburton also warned all the travellers to check what exactly their specific insurance covers besides medical treatment. For example, it may not cover delayed flights, possibility of lost baggage or cancellation of flights, for which travel insurance will be required.
He stressed on the need for travelers to go through the travel documents in a thorough manner, especially the fine print, to be aware of the extent of the insurance cover provided to them in order to avoid problems and disappointments in the future.
In a poll, 20% of those who did not check their cover beforehand said that they simply forgot to do so, while 16% were sure that they would be covered.