More Brits consider life in the sun

AXA has revealed significant increases in the number of enquiries it has received for its international private medical insurance suggesting that the trend of record numbers of Brits moving abroad is set to continue.

According to official UK Government statistics, more than 400,000 people left the UK to move abroad in 2006. By the end of 2007 AXA recorded an 11.7 per cent increase in the total number of enquiries it received for international medical insurance over the figures for 2006, and a 28.6 per cent increase in enquiries from people looking to relocate within other European countries. In the first half of 2008 alone, the number of enquiries for international medical insurance is up by a further 15 per cent, and if this trend continues AXA believe that by the end of 2008, the number of people leaving the UK could exceed 500,000 this year - the equivalent of losing the entire population of Leeds.

In October 2007, a YouGov poll found that one in three Britons was considering emigrating to ease financial concerns. While the economic downturn in the past six months may have an impact on personal financial liquidity, for many of the millions of Brits returning from their summer holidays to poor British weather and the rising cost of living, cheaper property prices and lifestyle costs abroad will prove exceedingly attractive.

AXA's enquiries data suggest that Britain is increasingly a nation of ‘wannabe ex-pats' with Brits now considering new destinations such as Bulgaria to take advantage of much cheaper living costs and regular sunny weather that rivals the French Riviera. Cyprus has experienced a strong surge in the first six months of 2008 whereas enquiries from Spain have fallen by 18 per cent, perhaps reflecting concerns over the Spanish property market. France, for many years one of the most popular destinations for Brits moving abroad, saw a massive 103 per cent increase in enquiries last year, although this is partly a result of the French Government's revised rules on qualification for French healthcare services for non-French citizens residing in France.

Karen Teasdale, Overseas and Expatriate Manager at AXA PPP healthcare, said: "These figures highlight that more and more people are deciding to leave the UK and set up home abroad. With little knowledge of the quality of healthcare coupled with unfamiliar surroundings and language barriers, ensuring prompt access to private healthcare is of high importance to those relocating abroad."

"Our customers are concerned about the cost and availability of healthcare in - and beyond - Europe. Some people, particularly early retirees, are finding themselves legally excluded from healthcare services in some countries such as France and parts of Spain."

The UK Government's data shows that around half of people moving abroad do so for work, and a large percentage of the remaining half are moving abroad to retire. To illustrate healthcare costs in popular - and emerging - destinations, AXA has used its overseas healthcare network to establish the typical cost of a private health procedure likely to be faced by a younger family - the cost of having a baby - and another common procedure for an older client base - the cost of a hip replacement.

Karen Teasdale continues, "People's experience of healthcare can vary considerably depending on the country, with differences between private and public healthcare systems and of course even between hospitals. As we see more Brits relocating abroad, it is vital that they understand the healthcare available to them and have appropriate medical insurance in place to help ensure a successful start to their new life abroad."