Getting sprained or contracting an illness unexpectedly is never pleasant, but even less so when you’re away from home in a country that’s not your own. If this happens to you in Spain, thanks to social security, you won’t have to pay anything, but that doesn’t mean it’s free. In the event of a trip, if you get injured while exploring the city or doing some activity, the amount to be paid can reach unimaginable figures.
Travel insurance broker Chapka has analyzed the health systems of different countries and compared their prices. The results indicated that these are the three countries where sprains can be very costly.
America
The first place is occupied by the United States of America. Medical care is one of the most innovative and has the best professionals and facilities in the world. However, the lack of a healthcare system with a guarantee of universal coverage and the predominance of the private sector over the public means that the cost of healthcare in the North American country is very high. This is the reason why the citizens here are forced to resort to private health insurance.
The cost of consultation can vary depending on the hospital, whether you are insured or not, and even the type of insurance. Therefore, the first thing they request is traveller’s insurance or a credit card that guarantees you can pay the amount of the assistance. Of course, the simple right to be diagnosed already has a price.
If you are unlucky enough to slip while walking the streets of New York and break your ankle, without health insurance, diagnosis and treatment will cost between US$11,000 and US$20,000 (€10,200 – €18,500). For example, the average fee for an X-ray is €170, but depending on the center it can cost around €950 or more, adding another €1,000 or €2,000 if you go Will happen. through the emergency room.
Canada
Unlike the United States, Canada has a free public health system for permanent residents, however, this does not apply to temporary residents or travelers, who must pass through a cash register when they need assistance.
In these cases, Canadian healthcare becomes one of the most expensive in the world, with a simple emergency consultation (for which you must pay in advance) costing you around €250, an X-ray €100 and if they have If you have to do an MRI, it will be €450 more. If it becomes complicated, one day of hospitalization varies from €800 for the simplest intervention and up to €10,000 for the most complicated cases. As if this were not enough, the prices are often doubled or tripled for tourists.
Finally, if you don’t want to go to the emergency room, you should know that getting an appointment with a GP is a nearly impossible mission, as they don’t accept new patients and you have to go to the private system, which is more too expensive
Japan
Japan has one of the best healthcare providers on the planet and excellent income-based national health insurance. Uninsured patients are responsible for paying 100% of the assistance.
If a consultation with a GP costs €80 on average, the bill adds up (between €150 and €400) as soon as you need a specialist or with emergency services. If you stumble while looking at the beauty of Osaka castle and have to undergo surgery for a fracture, the bill will reach €22,600. Another difficulty in this country, and no less important, is finding English-speaking doctors.
Completing the list are countries such as the United Arab Emirates, especially Dubai, where a classic consultation costs between €50–€100, or China, a country where an emergency consultation can reach up to €1,000. Similarly, some Caribbean countries also impose high costs following the US healthcare model.
