Medical Tourism: Warnings Over Cosmetic Surgery Costs
Staysure insurers – one of the UK’s largest health insurance companies – have issued a warning over high medical bills entailed abroad when cosmetic surgical procedures go wrong. Typical travel insurance policies will not cover you for medical emergencies, some of which (such as ‘butt’ lifts) have featured in the national press recently. This particular procedure is popular due to cost: £2K in Turkey as opposed to around £9K in the UK. Some nations, such as Turkey, India and Thailand, do not have reciprocal health agreements with the UK, however, so your global health insurance card won’t cover you for further treatment or air evacuation.
The Times reported in February that research conducted by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons indicates a rise of 94% in patients requiring post surgical care or correction from procedures undertaken abroad. The Association told The Times that:
“The reality is that Brits who need emergency treatment abroad or repatriation due to post-surgery complications would be liable to shoulder the associated costs themselves. If they don’t have a specific policy insuring them for a cosmetic surgery procedure abroad this puts them at huge financial risk, in addition to the health risks and potential long-term physical and mental damage that they might encounter.”
Note that some countries have recently been added to the UK’s reciprocal health agreement list, although remember that the proof required of your status might vary. In North Macedonia, for instance – a recent inclusion – you will need to show your passport or proof of your National Insurance contributions to qualify for the same services as Macedonian nationals, such as emergency hospital treatment. In other countries, you may need to show your valid UK-issued Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in order to qualify for treatment.
EU: Drive to Attract Medical Professionals Is Underway
The WHO currently estimates that the world will be short of 18 million healthcare workers by 2030, and the EU is currently attempting to fill some of its own medical professional gaps with a €1.3 million recruitment drive, initiated in Warsaw in January 2025.
Currently Scandinavia has the highest per capita number of medical professionals, with Romania and Bulgaria the lowest. The requirement is across the board, including nurses, doctors, specialists, midwives, pharmacists and dentists. The 2023 EURES report notes that, among the EURES countries, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland show the highest dependency on foreign-trained doctors, and Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria show the highest dependency on foreign-trained nurses.
Spain: Drug Manufacturer Finally Addresses Nolotil Concerns
We have reported before on the issues surrounding the drug Nolotil, held to be responsible for a number of deaths of Brits and other expats in Spain. The manufacturers of the drug, under the guidance of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Spanish Medicines Agency (AEMPs), have now issued a warning of potential side effects, including the early signs of the condition known as agranulocytosis, white blood cell depletion (such as shivering, fever, and pain).
Bird Flu: Update
Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health warned in January 2025 that bird flu has pandemic potential, after the death of a patient in Louisiana from H5N1 avian influenza. This highlighted the capacity of the virus to mutate within a human host, particularly if someone has seasonal flu at the same time: the process known as reassortment, which has caused major flu pandemics in the past.
Andrew Pekosz, professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins, explains:
“…when the CDC scientists sequenced samples from this individual, they found that the virus had started to mutate at two particular sites that we know are important for H5N1 to adapt to better replicate in humans. This mirrors a case that happened about two months ago in British Columbia. We need to double down our efforts to make sure we limit H5N1 infections in humans, to try to lower the opportunity for this virus to learn how to infect humans effectively.”
At present, bird flu in humans remains relatively rare, and in most cases is also mild, but the capacity of viruses to replicate and mutate remains a concern among those monitoring this disease, particularly if the rate of human-to-human transmission increases. The new US administration has now asked that the CDC findings should be removed from the internet, but you can still find out what’s happening in the States via the American Medical Association’s YouTube channel.
Australia: Increase in Healthcare Premiums?
Australians could see a sizeable hike in their health insurance premiums, comparison sites warned in February – but will this ‘worse case scenario’ actually go ahead? The annual increase in health insurance, which is due to come in on April 1st, is predicted by some to cost you a rise of about 6% – a leap from the 3.03% increase in 2024. If this came about, couples over the age of 65 could therefore see a jump of an additional $358, with single people looking at a rise of $153.
However, Health Minister Mark Butler says that he rejected the 6% rise back in January, as it is too high, telling the press that:
“It is my responsibility as health minister to ensure that any private health insurance premium increase is justified and proportionate. I’ve written to a number of private health insurers and asked them to resubmit a more reasonable figure that is in the best interest for Australian consumers.”
This comes after Butler wrote to 29 private providers back in December and asked them to review their premiums.
Insurance advisers are suggesting, however, that anyone who is worried about this worst case scenario starts shopping around for optimal deals, in case they find themselves having to pay several hundred dollars more for their health insurance. If you’re resident in Australia and this affects you, it’s worth comparing premiums across insurers in any case, even if this big hike does not go ahead.