of assuming that because their home country has a consulate service available in that country in which they are traveling to that they do not need to take out travel insurance. This is wrong. In most circumstances your countries consulate cannot and will not help you out financially to pay your hospital bills or legal fees, all the consulate can do is recommend people or lawyers who may be able to assist you, they may also provide your family with updated information about your whereabouts etc. They cannot force any government to let you off any legal proceedings no matter how big or small the problem may be. They can speak to someone but they cannot interfere, nor can they force a doctor to perform emergency surgery on you for free, if you take out the correct travel insurance before you leave home or before anything happens you will be comforted in knowing that you should not have a big bill that can be in the tens of thousands of dollars at the end of it.
Some may cost more