A broken ankle in Orlando could cost $45,000US during a March Break family trip

Toronto, ON March 5, 2019

Unexpected costs beyond medical care could be financially devastating without travel insurance:

  • A broken ankle requiring surgery in Orlando, Florida could cost upwards of $45,000US 
  • In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a broken arm requiring surgery and a two-day hospital stay could average $32,800US 
  • Family member accompanying injured or ill loved one could face extra costs on hotels and rebooking flights 
  • March Break is not a flexible travel period as kids are off school for just one week, so trip cancellation insurance is an important consideration. 

Imagine spending $45-thousand U.S. on just one person during a family March Break trip to Florida. That would be what it would cost for medical care if a family member breaks their ankle and requires surgery while on vacation and you don’t have travel insurance, according to Allianz Global Assistance Canada.

 A similar broken ankle in The Bahamas averages $11,470US with a hospital stay of 2.5 days. In Cuba, the average cost of a broken leg is $3,835US with a hospital stay of 8 days. A hip fracture in the Dominican Republic could also be financially devastating, with an average cost of $43,500US. * 

These, warns Dan Keon, Vice President, Market Management, Allianz Global Assistance Canada, are just a few examples of the potential devastating costs of vacationing without medical travel insurance. The federal government recently advised all Canadians travelling during March Break to purchase travel insurance.

“It’s not just the straight medical costs that people need to be aware of,” says Keon. “It’s also the additional expenses that may be unavoidable if a family member has to stay in the destination longer with a loved one who has been hospitalized or can’t immediately travel due to an injury.” 

“Extra nights in a hotel for the accompanying family member, additional meals, and having to rebook flights are expenses most people don’t consider,” explains Keon. “These, and other out-of-pocket expenses may be covered by medical, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and help to offset significant financial losses,” adds Keon. 

With the kids off school for a week, winter weary Canadians often take advantage of March Break by travelling with the family. Since March Break is a holiday dependent on the kids being out of school, there is often no flexibility on the dates, so trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance can be equally as important as having travel medical insurance. 

“If an unexpected, covered event happens to your you or a travel companion that forces you to cancel plans before heading out, trip cancellation insurance becomes a needed benefit for everyone, particularly for March Break which is a set vacation period,” says Keon. “Canadians spend an average of $2,573 on vacations each year, which makes travel one of the single largest annual purchases for an average household. Adding unexpected medical expenses, extra hotel nights, unplanned meals and rebooked flights to that, can be financially devastating. It just makes sense to budget the relatively inexpensive cost of insurance into your vacation plans. We recommend travellers speak with their travel advisor or insurance broker to understand the full range of benefits travel insurance can offer, even for a short March Break getaway.” 

Allianz Global Assistance (Canada)

Depuis 30 ans, Allianz Global Assistance offre son soutien aux voyageurs canadiens lorsqu’ils en ont le plus besoin en leur offrant des services d’assistance et une assurance voyage à valeur ajoutée. Plus de 800 employés appuient des partenariats durables avec certaines des marques les plus connues des marchés des services financiers et du voyage. L’entreprise gère également les appels entrants et les demandes d’indemnisation de grands assureurs de soins médicaux, d’assureurs de dommages et d’entreprises de cartes de crédit. Allianz Global Assistance est une marque spécialisée d’Allianz Partners en ce qui concerne l’assurance voyage et les services d’assistance et est une dénomination commerciale enregistrée d’AZGA Service Canada Inc. Visitez le site Web d'Allianz Global Assistance Canada pour obtenir plus de renseignements.

Allianz Partners

Soucieux d’offrir des soins et des protections dans le monde entier, Allianz Partners est le leader mondial B2B2C dans les domaines de l’assistance, l’assurance voyage, la santé à l’international, l’assurance automobile. Ces solutions, combinaisons uniques d’assurance, de services et de technologie, sont conçues pour s’intégrer à la stratégie de ses partenaires ou sont proposées en vente directe via des canaux digitaux. Le groupe commercialise ses services sous différentes marques : Allianz Assistance, Allianz Care et Allianz Automotive. 

Allianz Partners compte plus de 19 000 salariés dans 78 pays parlant 70 langues et traitant 54 millions de dossiers chaque année, protégeant clients et salariés dans le monde entier. Visitez le site Web d'Allianz Partners pour obtenir plus de renseignements.

Relations de presse :

Communications@allianz-assistance.ca

*All costs cited are averages based on the claims administered by Allianz Global Assistance Canada. Allianz Global Assistance is a registered business name of AZGA Service and AZGA Insurance.