British holidaymakers who travel without insurance wrongly think the government will pick up their medical bills should they require treatment while abroad. A recent survey by ABTA found that 20% of British people are venturing oversees without any kind of travel insurance, with many mistakenly believing that the UK government will assist them with any medical bills and repatriation costs should they encounter a problem while abroad, which is simply not the case. The average cost of a claim for medical bill for UK travellers abroad is £1,333, with the most common reason for seeking medical attention while on holiday being attributed to ear infections. The research also revealed that 17% of travellers believe that carrying a European Health Card provides adequate cover for travel throughout Europe without realising that the card only allows access to basic state health care and does not cover repatriation to the UK should you need to be airlifted home in the event of a serious health issue. The biggest problem amongst British holidaymakers appears to stem from inaccurate information, and so the travel industry needs to ensure all travellers are fully aware of the consequences of travelling abroad without insurance as the knock on effects, should you be unlucky enough to encounter while overseas, can be far reaching and extremely costly.