Revealed: How minor injuries abroad can have a BIG price tag if you’re not insured, from £1,600 for cut lip treatment in the US to £1,860 for cough advice in Vietnam

If you’re the kind of traveler who’s excited about travel insurance, this is a wake-up call.

A travel insurance company has revealed recent bills holidaymakers have received for minor injuries – and some are eye-watering.

A simple trip to the emergency room (ER) in America for a cut lip can cost you as much as £1,672 ($2,098), as was the case for one person in California. The price for suturing the wound? Only £15 ($20).

Another traveler paid £1,860 ($2,356) while seeking medical advice for a cough and stomach ache in Vietnam.

These are just some examples of claims made to True Traveller, which is urging holidaymakers to think twice before traveling abroad without cover.

Even waiting for treatment can be expensive.

In Jasper Alberta, Canada, one person was charged £32 ($40) per hour in emergency room waiting time seeking treatment for a cut finger.

After waiting nine hours to see a doctor, their total waiting costs were £288 ($364) and their total medical bill was more than £1,240 ($1,570).

Also in Canada, another holidaymaker had to pay £1,435 ($1,800) for emergency care just because he developed a urinary tract infection (UTI), requiring antibiotics that cost just £8.80 ($11).

And a third paid £702 ($888) for stitches on a cut eyelid.

Another expensive treatment in Canada is having an X-ray, the data shows. It revealed that one traveler paid £860 ($1,088) for an x-ray and repair of a broken finger.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, another person was charged £720 ($910) for detailed blood tests that had “nothing to do with her diagnosis,” according to True Traveler.

The patient had been advised to be tested for HIV and syphilis, among other things, but was ultimately told she had a common bacterial infection.

A review of her last medical bill showed that the unrelated tests accounted for almost two-thirds of her total treatment, True Traveler explained.

A trip to the emergency room for a severed finger can cost you more than £1,240 ($1,570), as it did for one person in Canada (stock image)

Another painful bill was handed to a jetsetter in Australia, who had to pay £1,858 ($2,373) for the extraction of a single tooth.

And in Thailand, one person had to pay £1,195 ($1,500) to stay in hospital overnight after seeking medical treatment for a case of diarrhea.

Tim Riley, director of Real travelersaid that the ‘surprisingly’ high prices are partly due to the way healthcare systems differ from country to country.

“Many people will be surprised to find out that such seemingly minor injuries can cost a lot when they happen abroad,” he said.

‘This is especially true in the US and Canada, because their system is different.

‘A control room, for example, is for major accidents and life-threatening situations. That means an ear infection treated in the emergency room will cost you £796 ($1,000) or more, but £95 ($120) if you go to a walk-in clinic.

‘Walk-in clinics are not common in the UK, but patients in the US or Canada use walk-in clinics as you would your GP at home.

‘This is yet another reminder to ensure you take out adequate travel insurance before your trip so that the medical part covers you for these types of incidents.’