– *Cough cough*. Trond Oscar Haagensen from Bryne sits in the living room with the remote control in his hand. – It gets worse when you start thinking about it. Then the throat starts to itch more, says Trond Oscar Haagensen. This is how his holiday is now. Hours of endless TV watching and hosting. Unfortunately for Trond Oscar Haagensen, there are mostly bad things on TV, he says himself. Photo: Philip Kollstrøm / news A few weeks ago he was on holiday in Italy with his family. But the holiday was quickly cut short for the whole gang when he was hospitalized in Italy with bronchitis. A hospital stay that was anything but positive for Haagensen. But luckily he got help. By the insurance company. Violent increase – We see stories every year about people falling ill, says press manager at Tryg Forsikring, Ole Irgens. Getting sick on holiday is something most people fear. But now it happens more than before. Figures from Finans Norge, the trade association for banks, show that sickness payments for travel have increased by 45 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared to last year. In the first quarter of 2023, the companies paid out NOK 254 million. In the same quarter this year, insurance companies paid out NOK 367 million. In addition, there is an increase in both cases and severity, says Irgens. More elderly people travel The head of the Norwegian Association of General Practitioners, Marte Kvittum Tangen, is concerned. She believes that an older and more travel-sick generation is to blame for the increase in illness. – We now have a generation of older people who have completely different travel habits than the previous generation of older people. Photo: Anders Fehn / news – And with increasing age, you often have more chronic diseases. And then the risk that something will happen also increases when you are traveling abroad, she says. This also worries the insurance companies, but for completely different reasons. In a meeting between them and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the companies have warned against Norwegian doctors recommending sick elderly people to take a “last trip”. Claims manager at Gjensidige forsikring, Hege Saltboden-Karlsen, is concerned about the development that is being seen in society now. She hopes that the government will pass the concern on to the medical association. Photo: Anne Lognvik / news This is denied by the association for general practitioners. – This is a claim and a practice that I do not recognize, and which I do not think reflects what Norwegian doctors recommend to patients, says head of the Norwegian Association of General Practitioners, Marte Kvittum Tangen. – We are keen to inform about the risk, and firmly believe that if you have chronic diseases that entail an increased risk when traveling abroad, then you should not go, she adds. Expensive and difficult For the insurance companies, this is a difficult issue. According to claims manager at Gjensidige forsikring, Hege Saltboden-Karlsen, it is during the winter months that most elderly people travel. It is also this part of the year when it is most difficult to assist those who need urgent help. “Insurance companies have to comply with airline rules, and transporting sick people home to Norway can sometimes be more challenging due to fewer scheduled planes with space,” she says. In some cases, you can also send an air ambulance, but this is very expensive. According to press manager at If insurance, Sigmund Clementz, travel insurance is important to have in such situations. Ambulance flights can cost anything from hundreds of thousands to millions of kroner, says Clementz. Sigmund Clementz, press manager at If insurance. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news Everyone is responsible for their own health The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) states that every year they hold meetings with the travel and insurance industry to review trends, changes in travel patterns, challenges and regulations. – It is in our common interest to be well prepared and coordinated, says Communications Adviser at the Foreign Ministry, Ingeborg Gloppen Johnsen. They point out that it is the traveler who is responsible for familiarizing himself with local conditions and making good safety assessments. – This also includes assessing your own health, what you can tolerate and which health services are available where you are going, she says. Sent the family on a cruise Trond Oscar Haagensen himself has no underlying illnesses. But the holiday has long been ruined. When he’s not watching TV, he’s looking out the window. Photo: Philip Kollstrøm / news Now he is sitting at home, trying to cough, while the family is on a cruise to celebrate his father’s 80th birthday. – I caught the EC final, and then the final in Wimbledon, says Haagensen. Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue Published 27.07.2024, at 17.27
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The insurance companies sound a warning – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
