Leggat, Peter, and Aitken, Peter (2006) Travel insurance and aeromedical retrieval. In: Wilks, Jeff, Pendergast, Donna, and Leggat, Peter, (eds.) Tourism in Turbulent Times: towards safe experiences for visitors. Advances in Tourism Research . Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 37-52.

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Abstract

Despite an improved understanding of serious injury and illness during travel, accidents, near accidents, and maladies continue to befall tourists. With knowledge of these risks, travellers should be armed with preventive strategies, emergency treatment supplies, a working knowledge of first aid, and appropriate travel insurance coverage. Travellers should know how to access appropriate care at their travel destination, ideally through the emergency assistance service of their travel insurer. The traveller should understand the indications for and logistics of emergency assistance and aeromedical evacuation. Travel insurers normally underwrite travel, medical, and dental expenses incurred by travellers abroad, who take out "travel insurance", and provide emergency assistance and arrange aeromedical evacuation of travellers under specified conditions. Medical and dental claims make up more than two-thirds of all claims (Leggat & Leggat, 2002). Travellers sbould be advised 10 read their policies carefully to see what is covered, the level of the excesses, and to check for any exclusions. In particular, those travellers who have known pre-existing conditions, who are working long-term overseas, or who are going to undertake any form of hazardous recreational or occupational pursuit may need to obtain a special travel insurance policy, and this may attract a higher premium. In addition, travel insurance companies normally provide a service, usually through their emergency assistance contractors, to assist travel1ers abroad. This may include assisting with medical care while overseas, including aeromedical evacuation. Use of the emergency telephone service provided by the travel insurance company was reported in almost one-fifth of claims in a recent study of general claims in Australia (Leggat & Leggat, 2002). In a recent Swiss study, more than two-thirds of claims made through the travel insurer's assistance centre were for illness, while the remainder were due to accidents (Somer Kniestedt & Steffen, 2003). The risk of severe injury is thought to be greater for people when travelling abroad (Bewes, 1993). This chapter reviews the general nature of travel insurance and the mechanics and practical considerations of emergency assistance and aeromedical evacuation.

Item ID:	3606
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-0-08-044666-0
Keywords:	travel medicine; aeromedical evacuation; traveller; tourism health; travel insurance; tourism
Related URLs:	http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/bookdes...
Date Deposited:	17 Nov 2009 04:12
FoR Codes:	11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1117 Public Health and Health Services > 111706 Epidemiology @ 100%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9299 Other Health > 929999 Health not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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