Travel Cover: More Complex Repatriations Pose a Challenge For Insurers

Repatriation after a medical event can often be a slow, and time-consuming process. That is bound to have a knock on effect in the Travel insurance sector;

The growing number of travel insurance customers setting off abroad with multiple health conditions is increasing the demand for and complexity of medical repatriations, reports Charles Taylor Assistance. 

Charles Taylor Assistance, providers of global repatriation, medical assistance and travel insurance claims management, has seen demand for medical repatriations almost double in the last year. It attributes this to more people travelling with comorbidities or undiagnosed medical conditions.

The pressure on hospital beds in the UK and mainland Europe is adding to repatriation complexities, reveals Charles Taylor Assistance, with more sick policyholders being discharged from European hospitals for ongoing medical treatment in the UK, as soon as they are stable enough to fly.

Dr Lynn Gordon, chief medical officer at Charles Taylor Assistance, comments: “We’re seeing a sicker demographic of travellers, with more older people travelling, often to destinations with limited medical facilities. The knock on effect of NHS waiting times means that more people are travelling with unstable conditions whilst waiting for health problems to be diagnosed.

“In this context, it’s more important than ever for repatriation providers to offer joined up medical and logistical expertise to overcome repatriation challenges that can range from managing patients’ complex medical conditions in the air, to securing hard-to-find hospital beds in the UK and negotiating space for disability aids on cramped budget airlines.

“The right training, the right staff and the right equipment enable repatriation risks to be mitigated and every stage of a repatriation prepared for. Here at Charles Taylor Assistance, our repatriation teams undergo intensive training that includes multi-disciplinary study days for medical and logistics staff and mandatory induction and refresher training for medical escorts in a simulated aircraft cabin.”