Anna Leibenko, a Toronto resident of just 24 years, is stranded in a hospital in Croatia after falling from a boat and hitting her head. Unconscious at the scene of the accident and suffering internal bleeding, Anna is now on life support and in a coma with internal bleeding and numerous head and face fractures.
Anna was taken by helicopter to the nearest hospital in Split, Croatia where she’s been treated, but administrators at the hospital have informed her family that she will be responsible for the cost of treatment if she is unable to deliver health insurance documentation. Unfortunately, Anna didn’t purchase travel insurance.
Anna’s family is now trying to raise the money necessary for an air ambulance to bring Anna home – reported to be $93,000 (CAD) – and to pay her medical bills, which are reported to be over $20,000 (CAD) now.
At Travel Insurance Review, these kinds of new stories are disturbing. It’s important for readers to understand that international travelers like Anna have access to compare travel insurance plans. A week’s worth of travel insurance for a Canadian resident visiting Croatia of Anna’s age would run less than $10.00 U.S. and have:
- Emergency medical – $50,000
- Emergency evacuation – $300,000 – $500,000
Travel insurance plans like these also pay round trip transportation for one person to visit the insured traveler in the hospital, so Anna would have someone familiar with her as she gains the strength necessary to be airlifted home.
