Medical

For a long time, travel insurance was seen as an optional choice or a “plus” reserved for distant destinations. Today it is an essential reflex, both for travelers and for tourism professionals. At Allianz Travel, the daily experience of complex medical cases underscores a simple truth: a medical contingency can turn a dreamed trip into a challenging ordeal, emotionally and financially.

Why have medical assistance covers become indispensable? What concrete risks do uninsured travelers face? And how can tourism professionals guide their clients toward the right protections? An analysis.

When planning a trip, clients devote substantial time to selecting the destination, the accommodations, and the activities. Health, however, is not always prioritized, especially for short trips or destinations perceived as “safe.”

Abroad, the handling of medical costs varies greatly from one country to another. In the United States, Canada, or Japan, a simple emergency room visit can run into thousands of euros. Hospitalization, or even surgery, can send the bill soaring into the tens or hundreds of thousands of euros. Even within Europe, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles access to medically necessary care during temporary stays in the European Union, but it does not cover everything: it does not replace travel insurance or comprehensive assistance, notably for repatriation.

In this context, traveling without appropriate coverage is a risky bet, with potentially considerable financial and personal consequences.

The emergency medical expenses reimbursement guarantee covers, within the ceilings defined by the contract, health costs incurred abroad: consultations, medications, tests, hospitalization, surgery, and emergency dental care. It often complements social security schemes that partially reimburse care carried out outside France.

At Allianz Travel, policies are designed to reflect the realities of today’s destinations, with high ceilings for medical expense coverage. This protection also allows travelers to be guided toward medical facilities suited to their situation, thereby sometimes avoiding abusive practices, depending on the destination. This is why contacting Allianz Travel’s medical teams before incurring any expenses is essential.

Contrary to common myths, medical repatriation is never a comfort-driven decision. It is assessed exclusively according to medical criteria, in the patient’s best interest.

A repatriation may involve: a commercial flight with medical escort, a medical evacuation by air, and specific equipment (stretcher, oxygen, monitoring).

Its cost can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of euros depending on the destination and the patient’s condition. Without insurance, this expense falls entirely on the traveler and their family.

Allianz Travel teams rely on a global network of doctors and partners, capable of rapid intervention. This operational capacity makes all the difference when every hour counts.

Medical teleconsultation is another major asset offered by travel insurance. Unsure about a symptom? Need guidance on what to do next? It enables travelers to consult with a doctor 24/7, in their own language, without traveling, and to receive a prescription in many countries if necessary. This solution, now widely adopted in the market, provides reliable and immediate medical input for many minor situations, reassuring and guiding travelers, and sometimes avoiding unnecessary consultations or hospitalizations.

While vacationing in Senegal, a 68-year-old patient alerted our platform after being admitted to a local hospital 150 km from the capital. The facility was not suitable for his pathology, so the medical teams evacuated the patient to Dalal Diam Hospital in Dakar, which has an intensive care unit dedicated to contagious diseases.

As the patient’s condition deteriorated, we quickly decided to charter a medical aircraft to repatriate him to France as quickly as possible. With the help of our contractor, the patient was placed on a stretcher and isolated in a bubble to protect the accompanying medical team and the flight crew.

Within a few hours the medical aircraft reached Grenoble University Hospital Center, where the patient could be readmitted to the intensive care unit.

Allianz Partners is the world’s leading B2B2C provider in the fields of assistance, travel insurance, international health, and car insurance.

The group employs more than 22,500 people in 70 countries, speaking 70 languages and handling 95.4 million cases every year, and is committed to going further to bring peace of mind to clients worldwide.

Global Assistance, Allianz Travel and Allianz Assistance are trademarks of Allianz Partners France.

24/7, 365 days a year, we operate worldwide to provide our corporate and private clients with assistance solutions in the areas of automotive, travel, leisure, mobility, housing, employment, health, and services.