Most often asked Questions
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Q
Why should I buy Medical Travel Insurance ?
A Traveling to other parts of
the world can be fun and exciting. It can also
become a catastrophe
if you should become ill or injured. If you were
home, you might consider
it an inconvenience
but if you are outside of
the U.S. it can become much more serious.
Emergency medical
transportation, hospitalization, medical care can cost a great amount and
many
facilities require immediate cash payment up front. Most domestic
medical policies do
not cover
medical expenses outside of the U.S nor do
they provide Emergency Medical
Transportation.... and if they do, it
probably will be on a reimbursement basis.
Most Medical Travel Insurance
policies are designed to pay medical providers directly.
Q What's the difference between Medical Travel Insurance and Trip
Cancellation
Insurance ?
A Medical Travel Insurance is designed to cover
medical care and emergency
medical transportation
in the event of a covered illness or accident.
Additional benefits may
include, among others, lost
luggage, accidental
death and dismemberment, emergency reunion and travel
assistance.
Trip Cancellation Insurance will reimburse the
insured for covered 'non
refundable' pre-paid travel
expenses that would otherwise be lost in the
event of an unexpected
cancellation. Covered
reasons for cancellation will
vary depending upon the policy. A most basic
plan will cover such
occurrences as an unexpected illness, an accident or death involving the
insured, a family
member or traveling companion. A full featured plan will
include the above
reasons for cancellation
in addition to host of others such
as 'work related' or even 'cancel for any
reason'.
Q
How does Trip Cancellation Insurance work ?
A In
the event an insured must cancel his trip due to a covered reason, he/she
should
notify the
insurance provider immediately. The insured will then be
informed of the
steps he needs to
take to supply the necessary paper work
and support materials which may include
proof of payment
in regard to
non-refundable trip expenses, physician reports in event the
cancellation
was due
to an illness or accident... or an employer statement if the
reason for
cancellation was 'work related'.
Q
Why should I use TravelersMed.com to buy my Travel Insurance ?
A TravelersMed.com represents several of the top travel insurance providers
in the
U.S. As a result,
you as the client are able to select from the plan
best
designed to fit your needs. In addition, we
believe in the importance
of personal service. We strive to help you on a
one to one basis... you,
as an individual, are important to us. We are as near as your telephone
(toll free 1-800-584-3512)
or E-Mail.
Q Will the insurance providers pay the doctors and hospitals directly ?
A In most
situations the insurance provider is willing to pay the doctor and
hospital
directly
(providing the medical providers agree to direct payment)
otherwise the insured
would be
reimbursed. Sometimes the determination
is based upon the amount of
the billing... for
example if the amount is
minimal (perhaps $1,000 or less, it would be
reimbursed... if greater,
direct payment could be an option). Whether direct payment will be
accepted is often
determined by whether the hospital has worked with the
insurance provider in the
past. As
examples... Seven Corners has access
to 12,000 doctors and hospitals world wide.
HTH
Worldwide has
agreements with thousands of medical providers in more than 170
countries
throughout the world.
Q What should I do if I become ill or injured on a trip ?
A
In the event of a serious life threatening injury resulting in an emergency
admission, contact
the insurance provider upon admission or as soon as
possible. A delay in
contact could result in
reduced benefits. Should you
become ill or suffer a less serious injury, then pre-notification is
essential prior to Hospitalizations , Surgeries, Medical Evacuations and
Emergency Reunions.
Emergency telephone numbers to reach your
insurance provider are printed on your
insurance
policy I.D. card .
Q How quickly can I expect to receive my policy ?
A If you select
'online' for delivery, you will receive it immediately and then
be able to
print it out
at your convenience. If instead, you select delivery
'by regular
mail', it normally takes a week
to ten days. If you want it
delivered 'over-night' by regular mail, then
you can expect an additional
charge.
Q
How do I go about ordering a policy ?
A You have
several choices.
1. The quickest is to purchase it online. You may view, select and then
apply... just 'click here'.
2. We can do it by phone... simply give us a toll free call at
1-800-584-3512.
3. Complete and mail (or fax) a printed application. To request an
application..'click here'.
Q
What methods of payment are available ?
A In
most cases, the choice is yours. If you are applying 'online' you would
use a credit card. most
credit card companies are accepted. If you are
submitting a printed
application by regular mail,
then you would usually
have the choice of using a credit card or a check.
keep in mind that if
you
choose to use a check, there may be a delay in policy issuance
until the check
clears the bank.
Q Are
there short term medical travel insurance plans that will cover
'pre-existing'
medical conditions ?
A Yes, there
are. .. the conditions vary by Company and plan. For example,
Liaison International currently
offers medical benefits up to $20,000 for
treatment of an unexpected recurrence
of a pre-existing
medical condition
if the insured is a U.S. citizen traveling outside of the
United States and
Canada.
The Liaison Program Summary states as follows:
Unexpected Recurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition (Class
1 – U.S.
or Canadian citizens
traveling outside the United States only) – This
plan shall pay, up to
$20,000 (Age 65+, up to $2,500)
subject to the
chosen Deductible and Coinsurance, for Covered Expenses resulting
from
a sudden,
unexpected recurrence of a Pre-existing Condition while
traveling outside the
United States. This
benefit does not include
coverage for known, scheduled, required, or expected
medical care, drugs
or treatments existent or necessary prior to the Effective Date of coverage.
IMG has just introduced a new plan,
Patriot Platinum, which will cover
unexpected recurrence of a
pre- existing medical condition up to
$50,000 (available to U.S. citizens only)
.
Another available plan (HTH
single trip Excursion) currently treats
'pre-existing medical conditions'
the very same as any other medical emergency that might occur while
travelling outside of the U.S.
However as a requirement
to qualify for
this policy the applicant must, at the time of application,
already be enrolled in a primary
health plan. If you would like additional
information as to
which plans are available, 'click here'
to
inquire by
internet or.... call TravelersMed.com toll free at
1-800-584-3512.
Q
Are there any trip cancellation plans that can be designed for golf trips. ?
A Yes,
in most cases, a plan can be designed to meet your specific needs.
For
additional information,
"click here".
Q I
am a scuba diver. Can I purchase medical coverage if my trip includes
scuba diving ?
A Several of the
medical travel insurance plans will cover scuba diving,
however the requirements
will vary by Company and plan. Currently,
one of the plans requires that
you be certified in order to qualify for the
insurance. Another plan says that you need not be
certified but that you
must add
the leisure sports rider. If you have additional questions, give
us
a call at 1-800-584-3512.
Q Is there any
way to do a quick comparison of available medical travel
insurance plans ?
A Yes, you
may do a quick comparison of several of the medical travel plans
by clicking on
comparison
page . Please keep in mind that since some
changes may not be
announced, it is always wise to check the individual
plan for any recent updates.
Q In
order to get a visa, I'm required to get medical insurance and a letter...
how
do I do this ?
A
You may purchase the insurance online by clicking
"here" and then
selecting the plan you wish
to buy. Upon completion of the purchase,
E-Mail
travelinsurance@earthlink.net
or call
us at 1-800-584-3512 and
we will write a letter addressed to the appropriate
consulate and
then E-Mail it to you.
Q
When would I want to select a Short Term
International Medical
Travel Insurance policy ?
A
You might choose to apply for a Short
Term International Medical
Travel nsurance policy if
you were going to travel outside of your
Home
Country for a short period of time ranging from a week up to a year.
Q
What is the shortest term available for Short
Term International Medical
Travel Insurance purchasers ?
A
It varies from plan to plan. It could be as short as 5
days, 10 days, or 15
days. Some of the plans permit you to purchase coverage equal to the
exact
number of days you will be traveling.
Q
I
am a U.S. citizen. My spouse and children are not U.S. citizens but
do live with me in the
U.S. Can I put all of us on the same
application ?
A
It depends upon the plan you select. Many
of the Companies design
their plans, rates, and applications based upon whether the applicants
are
U.S. or Non U.S. citizens. Others, such as the Liaison International
plan, consider the
applicant's "Home Country" only, and base their
plans on
whether the applicants are traveling to the U.S. or outside of the U.S.
Q
What is meant by "Home Country" and why
is it important ?
A
Plans normally provide coverage while insureds are traveling outside of their
"Home Country". Plans most often define "Home Country" as that
Country where he applicant principally resides and receives
mail. An
exception are those plans which state that if your citizenship is U.S., that
your
"Home Country" is always the U.S.
Have questions???
Call TravelersMed.com for the answers... (Toll Free U.S
1.800.584-3512 U.K. 0.800.404.7765)
Local 425-778-8628 (Please remember that there may be a time
difference
between your location and Seattle, Washington and call accordingly or leave
a
message)
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