The unnamed man topped a list of payouts last year by a top New Zealand travel insurance company after he was diagnosed with cancer while holidaying in the  United States, where he needed emergency treatment.

"Most people do not think that the unexpected event will happen to them and I can tell you many sad stories of people who have had hospital bills overseas in the hundreds of thousands of dollars because they didn't have travel insurance," Southern Cross Travel chief executive Craig Morrison told the New Zealand Herald.

So heed the lesson, and don’t skimp on the travel insurance and risk winding up footing the bill.