Archive for the ‘International Travel Insurance’ Category
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has created travel uncertainty from the planned beach vacation to the upcoming cruise. Although there has not been a canceled cruise as a result of the oil spill, we are still unsure how this may affect your upcoming vacation. If you are concerned about your non-refundable plane or cruise ticket or even your pre-booked excursions, it is important to look into travelers insurance as many plans do not cover cancellation resulting from the oil spill.
Although some plans cover natural disasters like hurricanes or volcanoes, the oil spill is instead considered a man-made disaster and in many cases is not covered. There have been reports where passengers have tried to cancel their airline tickets and were unable to obtain a refund on their insured flight. Many airlines have announced that the oil spill does not prevent incoming and outgoing flights and thus passengers will not be able to claim a refund – leaving passengers to assume both the non-refundable cost and rebooking fees.
If this is a concern for you, we here at International Citizens recommend purchasing a trip cancellation plan with the option to cancel for any reason. Our RoundTrip Choice plan is well designed as an oil spill insurance that will allow you to add the option to cancel for any reason as long as your initial deposit was secured within 10 days of purchasing the plan. This will allow you to cancel as a result of the oil spill and you will be able to retrieve 75% of your non-refundable costs.
If you have additional questions about this coverage, please feel free to contact us for further information about how to protect your upcoming trip.
Tags: cancel for any reason insurance, cancel for any reason oil spill, insurance for oil spill, man made disaster insurance, oil spill insurance, trip cancellation for oil spill, trip cancellation insurance
Posted in International Travel Insurance | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
 The United States will be implementing new visa requirements that will make the application process much less painful than before. On June 1, 2010, the US government will be integrating online services for their application process. The online form called the DS-160 for Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) will be strictly for temporary visits including for business, pleasure, study and official diplomatic work. This includes:
- Scheduling Interviews Online
- One application per family (instead of applications for each family member)
The application is anticipated to take between 20 to 40 minutes. Once completed, individuals will be required to print this confirmation and present it during the interview. This confirmation letter will include a bar code which will pull up the submitted application immediately. In the case where there is no immediate printer access, applicants can choose an optional feature to have the application emailed. For those traveling frequently to the US, applicants can use the same online application and simply change the dates listed on the original application form.
According to the US consulate, visa applications should be submitted 2 – 3 months in advance; expedited visa processing will only be available to students and medical emergencies. After a successful interview, visas can be picked up 24 hours after the formal interview.
Tags: DS-160 Online Form, New visa guidelines for the United States, nonimmigrant US visa, Travel to the US, US visa application form, US Visa Guidelines for the United States, US visa online form
Posted in International Travel Insurance | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Recently, the worst disruption of European commerce since World War II was caused by an unexpected natural disaster, a volcano eruption in Iceland. Volcano Eyjafjjoell erupted for the second time in less than a month after being dormant since 1821. This time, the ash and smoke caused an international crisis that effected air travel in many parts of Europe. The International Air Transport Association reported that the ash made air travel unsafe and led to the cancellation of 100,000 flights and an estimated $1.7 billion loss to the airline industry.
Travelers found themselves unexpectedly stranded as days passed and air travel was grounded due to the natural disaster. Other travelers spent thousands of dollars on non-refundable tickets, accommodations and excursions for their pre-planned trips and at the final moment were unable to board a plane. When they requested a refund, some found that they were out of luck! The European Union offered some financial assistance for already-stranded travelers traveling in and out of the EU where if original flights were canceled they had a right to either a refund or to be re-routed.
This has many travelers considering what options they have to avoid this problem in the future. Natural disaster trip insurance is an important consideration when planning to travel abroad, especially if your expenses are non-refundable. Whether volcano, earthquake, tsunami, or other natural disaster strike, it is an important consideration. That is why trip cancellation has become extremely popular. For many, the RoundTrip Choice has become a popular option as you can add the cancel for any reason option which would allow you to cancel and receive reimbursement for your trip costs.
If you have any questions about the benefits, feel free to contact a licensed agent to provide additional assistance.
Tags: natural disaster insurance, natural disaster travel insurance, natural disaster trip insurance, travel insurance for earthquake, travel insurance for natural disasters, travel insurance for tsunami, travel insurance for volcano, trip cancellation for natural disasters, trip cancellation insurance for natural disasters, trip insurance for natural disasters
Posted in International Travel Insurance | Comments Off
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
It is that time of the year where the weather is warming up and vacation time is just around the corner. Traveling to Mexico may be next on the list of destinations – you’ll be lying on the beaches after visiting the ancient Mayan ruins. In preparation for your trip, you will want to consider the health facilities and care before packing your bags and boarding the plane.
The US State Department strongly recommends that you purchase a travel insurance plan if you do not already have international coverage. In the United States, some plans offer health insurance coverage abroad. In order to find out these details, you will need to contact your insurance company to find out if your benefits extend into Mexico. If you are on the Medicare system, this plan will not cover you in Mexico.
If, on the other hand, you are a member of the European Union or Australia you will need to purchase a travel insurance plan as Mexico does not have any reciprocal agreements with other nations. Although Mexico has its own national health care system called the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, this is only available to Mexican nationals and legalized immigrants who pay into the system. If you do not have coverage with a private policy – you would not be covered while vacationing in Mexico.
In terms of the facilities, Mexico City has excellent health facilities; however more remote locations may have few resources. Because of this, it is recommended that your plan includes emergency medical evacuation in the event that you’d need to be transported to a facility equipped to provide treatment. If Spanish is not your first language, you’ll also want to find out whether your plan offers translation services.
A well-suited option for your trip to Mexico is the Atlas Travel plan. This plan will allow you to customize your dates of coverage for as little as 5 days and you can add sports coverage should you be participating in adventurous activities. The plan also provides coverage outside your home country for inpatient and outpatient services, prescription drugs, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc.
Be sure to keep your proof of insurance with you at all times as this is generally required before being treated. Que disfrute su viaje – hasta luego!
Tags: health insurance for mexico, medical insurance for mexico, mexico health insurance, mexico medical insurance, mexico travel insurance, mexico trip insurance, short term coverage in mexico, travel insurance for mexico, trip insurance for mexico
Posted in International Travel Insurance | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
In 1996, the Health and Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in the United States instituting a new standard of industry practices. For a US traveler, this can be of great importance especially after returning back to the US with an international policy.
With most international insurance plans, a certificate of credible coverage is issued when your policy terminates. If you will be transitioning to a US group insurance plan, your certificate of coverage will be reviewed and may reduce your waiting period for pre-existing conditions. If the plan is HIPAA complaint, your new domestic group insurance will apply this coverage toward waiting periods on pre-existing conditions. Non-HIPAA complaints may or may not be accepted by your new group insurance.
As the United States Department of Labor explains, HIPAA regulations state “that a preexisting condition exclusion can be imposed on a condition only if medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment was recommended or received during the 6 months prior to your enrollment date in the plan.” The maximum waiting period on a pre-existing condition plan that is HIPAA compliant is 12 months – or 18 months for a late enrollee.
If this is a concern, you may want to consider the Global Citizen plan- the only international insurance that is HIPAA compliant. You can purchase between 6 and 12 months of coverage, with the option to renew annually. Once you return to the US, you have the option to continue with your plan or switch to a domestic carrier – presenting your HIPAA compliant certificate of credible coverage. For further details on the Global Citizen plan, you can view our HIPAA compliant international health insurance here.
Tags: HIPAA Compliant insurance, HIPAA Compliant international, HIPAA Compliant international health insurance, HIPAA Insurance travel, HIPAA International insurance, HIPAA International insurance plan, HIPAA Travel plan
Posted in International Expatriate Health Insurance, International Health Insurance, International Travel Insurance | Comments Off
Monday, February 8th, 2010
When traveling abroad, it is important to decide what type of insurance coverage will best suit your needs – a health or travel insurance policy? To help with your decision, here are some helpful tips to determine which option is best for you.
The first place to start is: how long do you need coverage? If you need coverage for less than one year, then a travel plan is your answer. Health insurance plans are generally annually renewable and can be purchased for a minimum of one year. With a travel plan, you can customize your period of coverage from a few days, up to one year. In many cases, the travel plan can also be renewed for an even longer period should you decide to stay.
If this doesn’t help narrow it down, you’ll also want to decide which countries you need to be covered in. Travel plans are designed to cover you outside your home country. Although some travel plans may include coverage in your home country – coverage is generally limited. On the other hand, if you are looking for a plan that will provide coverage back home, health insurance plans can be designed to cover you internationally including in your home country.
If you are still on the fence as to which category best suits you, one of the most important considerations is the benefits of the plans. Travel plans are generally guaranteed issued plan – which means you can purchase the plan with automatic coverage. In many cases, these plans exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions so that it will only cover you for new injuries or illnesses that occur during your period of coverage. In contrast, health insurance plans are generally underwritten. This means that you apply for standard coverage and the underwriters can modify or deny coverage based on your medical history.
Another difference with a health insurance policy is that coverage is renewable. This feature will allow you to continue the plan as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. If a chronic illness or injury occurs during the coverage period, you will be able to continue the policy and receive treatment. This is an important key since travel plans can only be renewed up until a specified number of years. Should you meet this limitation with a travel policy, you will have to purchase a new plan which may not cover your newly developed pre-existing condition.
If you’d like to discuss which of these plans are best suited for you, please contact our customer service representatives as they are experienced agents and can direct you to the most appropriate plan.
Tags: e, International Health Insurance, international health versus international travel insurance, International Travel Insurance, international travel or health insurance, travel versus health insurance
Posted in International Health Insurance, International Travel Insurance | Comments Off
Thursday, February 4th, 2010
With all the excitement of traveling abroad, one problem facing travelers is the inability to find a travel insurance plan that will cover pre-existing conditions.
What is a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition is a medical condition occurring at the time or prior to the start of your policy. In other words, if you had asthma and purchased a travel plan – asthma would be considered a pre-existing condition. If you developed a new illness while under your travel plan, this would be considered a new illness and not a pre-existing condition.
Most short-term travel plans do not cover pre-existing conditions since they are guaranteed issued plans and this would be too high a risk to insure. But the question still remains, “what will I do if I need a travel plan that covers pre-existing conditions?”
This is where the plan benefit “acute onset of a pre-existing condition” comes in to fill the gap. While these policies may exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions, the insurance will provide limited coverage for an unexpected and sudden outbreak of a pre-existing condition that was otherwise stable.
To further explain, if your pre-existing condition requires regular treatment, this would not be covered under the acute onset of a pre-existing condition benefit. However, if without advanced warning there was a sudden emergency that required immediate hospitalization – this would be covered under the acute onset of a pre-existing benefit.
Although it is difficult to find a pre-existing condition travel plan, one helpful option with this benefit is the Atlas Travel Medical plan. While this plan does not cover pre-existing conditions, it does provide limited coverage for medical expenses and medical evacuation for an acute onset of a pre-existing condition.
Additionally, you can buy the coverage for the dates you need and can choose your deductible and maximum coverage. This plan meets most visa requirements and will allow coverage in multiple destinations outside your home country.
Tags: acute pre-existing condition coverage, international coverage pre-existing condition, pre-existing condition international coverage, pre-existing condition international insurance, Pre-existing condition travel insurance, pre-existing condition travel plan
Posted in International Travel Insurance | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Are you planning to travel to France? If so, your visa may require that you provide proof of insurance. If you plan to travel to France under a short-term tourist or business visa, the Schengen visa requires you to present a letter from your insurance company indicating that you have international travel insurance for France. Verification of insurance will be confirmed by your “certificate of coverage” – a letter verifying coverage and plan benefits.
As the French Consulate’s website states, insurance ID cards are insufficient and will not be accepted – you must have a letter from your insurance company.
What should this letter say? Officials are looking to see that your plan covers the following:
-Are you covered in Europe?
-Will your plan cover you for medical expenses and repatriation?
-Does your insurance cover you for your entire trip?
-Does your insurance plan meet the $40,000 USD minimum?
Authorities are looking to see that your international travel insurance for France is valid in Europe for medical emergencies, urgent care and repatriation expenses. Because of this new travel requirement, many international travel plans automatically generate a certificate of coverage accessible after purchasing your plan. These letters have been specifically designed to meet these insurance requirements.
Many individuals have found the Atlas Travel Insurance plan to be a helpful solution as it provides comprehensive international travel insurance for France. Not only this, but you will be able to download an automatically generated letter that will meet your French visa requirements.
For further information, please contact our certified agents!
Tags: france health insurance, france travel insurance, france trip insurance, french schengen visa insurance, international health insurance for france, international insurance france, international travel insurance for France, international trip insurance for france
Posted in International Travel Insurance | Comments Off
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
If you are a US Expat who is living abroad, outside the USA, then you will most likely often travel back to the USA to visit friends and family throughout the year. Most of the time, your international health insurance plan will provide worldwide coverage including back in the USA – however this may not always be the case. For example, if you are currently covered under a domestic health insurance plan in your host country, or you simple have an international plan that covers you around the world but excluding the USA to keep costs down – you have an issue when traveling back to the USA.
The simple answer would be to purchase a travel insurance plan for the short 2 weeks when you are back in the USA – however you will most likely run into the issue that nearly all travel insurance plans will not cover a US Citizen who needs coverage back in the USA. Why? Well there are a couple of reasons why they do not provide coverage but essentially a US Citizen inside the USA is the domain of domestic insurance, which can be a regulatory nightmare for insurance companies, and thus they simple opt not to get involved.
There is however an option! The ihi Bupa Travel Insurance plan will provide coverage for a US Citizen who is traveling back to the USA – as long as they permanently reside outside the USA and their home country is outside the USA. The travel back to the USA should also only be for short term coverage and not if you want to permanently move back to the USA.
The ihi Bupa Travel Insurance plan offers single trip insurance coverage up to 30 days and there is also an annual travel insurance plan that provides yearly coverage for multiple trips abroad up to 30 days each time. For more information about the travel insurance plan, please check out the ihi Bupa plan in greater detail.
http://www.internationalcitizens.com/ihi_travel_insurance/
Tags: travel insurance for the USA, us citizen travel insurance
Posted in International Travel Insurance | Comments Off
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