Lucy Carter
PETER LLOYD: Now to many travel is the great Australian dream, with close to nine million overseas trips made by Australians last year.
However it can all too easily end in tears and disaster if tourists get seriously ill or injured abroad.
The Government has today renewed its warning for travellers to get insurance, or else bear often massive costs.
However, many holiday-makers have reported that insurance companies are fighting them on the specifics of claims.
Lucy Carter reports.
LUCY CARTER: Elizabeth Knight was riding a bicycle in a remote area of Vietnam in September, when disaster struck,
ELIZABETH KNIGHT: I got halfway down the hill and realised my brakes don't work, so I had a very big crash at the bottom of the hill. The pedal went into my shin right to the bone, the handlebars went up across my neck, and one part of the handlebar went across into my face and pushed my teeth back.
LUCY CARTER: Jake Howard was horrifically injured in Thailand while riding a moped.
JAKE HOWARD: A French ex-pat on a black Harley Davidson was flying around the corner and actually t-boned us at probably about 90 k, and threw us probably 20, 30 metres down the street. That resulted in me having an extremely severe compound fracture of the leg. So that's, you know, bone hanging out the sides, massive cuts to the back of the head.
LUCY CARTER: Both Jake and Elizabeth had travel insurance but were still liable for huge costs.
Jake because he wasn't specifically covered for mopeds, and Elizabeth because her insurance didn't cover the extensive dental work she needed.
Zoe Patterson Ross' insurance company failed her when her appendix ruptured in Laos.
ZOE PATTERSON ROSS: I was aware that I would need a procedure and I didn't know what and we did try to call the travel insurance company but nobody picked up, despite the fact that they were meant to have a 24 hour service.
LUCY CARTER: That was just the start of Zoe's problems.
Her insurance company tried to claim that her burst appendix was a pre-existing condition.
ZOE PATTERSON ROSS: It actually took the Australian consulate stepping in and having some, from my understanding, some fairly fierce words with them for the travel insurance company to say okay, yes, well, we'll pay for your hospital bills to have had this surgery and you know, stay in there, the wards for a little so yeah, it was a bit difficult to get them to pay out.
LUCY CARTER: Today the Australian Government's launched an advertising campaign to remind people of the importance of travel insurance.
It says Australians travelling overseas need to be as self-reliant as possible, and seek consular help as a last resort.
Justin Brown, the head of the consular division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, says it's not as simple as just getting any insurance policy.
JUSTIN BROWN: We do recommend that people read the fine print of their policies. We can't and don't as a department recommend particular types of insurance policies but we do believe that people need to be aware of what the policies cover and make decisions that are well-informed on what's going to suit their circumstances the best.
LUCY CARTER: Mr Brown says the department is sometimes called upon to help travellers locked in disputes with insurance companies.
JUSTIN BROWN: Sometimes we do act as a liaison point between our consular clients and their insurance company. We do try and help with communications at times between the two. I wouldn't say we get into arbitration, but we do try and work out a solution that's going to suit the needs of our clients.
LUCY CARTER: These travellers say they will be far more careful with the fine print of policies in future.
ELIZABETH KNIGHT: I've travelled a fair bit and I was a bit blasé about it really. I just think oh yes, well I'll just get that travel insurance, but I think you do have to read the fine print.
ZOE PATTERSON ROSS: I think you need travel insurance, but you also need to know exactly what rights you have and what the travel insurance that you get entitles you to.
JAKE HOWARD: They're not necessarily there for you and the fine print is embedded I'm sure to allow them to avoid having to dish out money more often than not, otherwise they've got a broken business model I'm sure.
LUCY CARTER: Several travel insurance companies were contacted, but all declined to comment.
PETER LLOYD: Lucy Carter reporting. I think I'll stay at home this year.
Source: ABC Net
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