When planning to take a trip abroad, there’s a popular misconception that domestic health insurance can cover your clients in the same way that travel insurance can. While some health insurance providers can offer international coverage, it varies based on your client’s provider and plan. Before taking any international trip, The State Department recommends that travelers ask their domestic health care providers the following questions to ensure they can receive sufficient coverage while they’re abroad:
- Does my plan cover emergency expenses abroad such as returning me to the United States for treatment if I become seriously ill?
- Do you require pre-authorizations or second opinions before emergency treatment can begin?
- Do you guarantee medical payments abroad?
Travel insurance may help fill in any of the gaps that your client’s health care plan can’t cover, such as costly medical evacuations and routine doctor visits, for illnesses such as the flu. For the most protection, your clients may benefit from having the following benefits in their travel insurance plan:
Trip cancellation and interruption protection can reimburse pre-paid, non-refundable trip payments when canceling or interrupting a trip for a covered reason—up to 26 reasons total. And based on the plan chosen, it can reimburse up to 150 percent of an original trip cost if someone must return home early because of a covered trip interruption.
Emergency medical and dental coverage can reimburse covered emergency medical or dental care received while traveling.*
Emergency medical transportation provides benefits for medically necessary transportation to the nearest appropriate facility and/or home, following a covered injury or illness during their trip.
Existing medical condition coverage is important for travelers that have a chronic or diagnosed medical condition. It can cover existing medical conditions at no additional cost— if certain requirements are met. Two of those requirements are that travelers must insure the full cost of their trip within 14 days of paying their first trip deposit and must be medically able to travel at the time insurance is purchased. If you or a client have questions about existing medical condition coverage we recommend speaking to an Allianz Global Assistance travel adviser to make sure you get the coverage needed.
24-hour hotline assistance is there for your travelers, wherever they may be. While our hotline experts could never replace you as an agent, they are a valuable resource to help your clients in the case of an emergency.
When your clients are getting ready to go on their dream vacation, it probably seems like the last thing they want to think about is getting sick or injured on their trip. But accidents do happen, and it’s much less expensive and convenient for your clients to buy peace of mind with travel insurance than pay expensive medical bills later.
If your client finds themselves in need of medical assistance, we are there for them every step of the way. Our 24/7 assistance hotline is available anytime, anywhere a client needs help on their trip. And as an extension of your client’s travel insurance policy, Allianz Global Assistance has created the TravelSmart app.The latest update includes a hospital locator that has been expanded to include doctor’s offices, pharmacies, police stations, and U.S. embassy offices— allowing easy navigation in emergency situations while traveling abroad. For more information about the TravelSmart app, click here.
As always, remind your travelers to read policy documents carefully so they understand what’s covered by their travel insurance plan. Need help figuring out which plan is best for your customers next trip?
Call our travel insurance advisers at 1-866-884-3556.
*Please note the availability and amount of coverage varies depending on the plan purchased.