What’s the number one liability of any organization that sends people overseas? Whether it’s a place of worship, faith-based organization, student group, volunteer group or any group traveling together, it’s not having group international travel medical insurance that includes evacuation coverage.
You never know when one of your team members might break a bone or contract an illness that warrants medical attention. If that happens, you’ll want a western style medical facility that practices top notch medicine.
Take it from me! I was born and raised in a country that did not have any western style medical facilities close by. In fact, it took four hours to get to a ferry, we had to ride the ferry for one hour, and it took another two hours to get to a solid western style medical facility. Of course, this was over 30 years ago. But in many parts of the world today, western style medical facilities can be far away.
The other benefit of having international travel medical insurance is that you can call your insurance company 24/7 for an on-call doctor or nurse when there is a serious medical emergency. How awesome is that?
Which Short-Term International Travel Medical Insurance Plan Does GNI Recommend?
One of our favorite short-term international travel plans for groups at Good Neighbor Insurance is the Point Comfort International Freedom plan. This Point Comfort plan is great travel medical insurance for your group going overseas for a few days up to 30 days. It works well for tour groups, teams of volunteers and other groups of people.
You may have an art tour group that goes to Europe yearly or a church that sends a group yearly or bi-annually to serve in the same country. You may have a predictable number of individuals you take overseas per year, whether it be 10 or 300.
This is an easy plan to set up and maintain with great benefits. Plans offering travel insurance for groups offer even deeper discounts if you have a lot of travelers on it yearly. So, if you have three or more teams going out a year to various locations, this is a great plan for you.
If the group you need coverage for includes seniors, this would also be the right choice. A nice thing about this plan is that there is no age limit for people on the plan. Other plans have age limits, and some exclude people over 65 from the group’s coverage. Point Comfort makes sure that everyone, regardless of age, can be on the same plan, and for the same rate.
Why Does GNI Recommend Point Comfort Short Term Team Travel Insurance?
Here are the main reasons GNI recommends Point Comfort Short Term Team Travel Insurance:
Customizable – it is completely customizable, meaning you can change the details of your coverage to suit your team’s needs. If you want to add sports coverage, or add extra coverage for baggage, or even more emergency evacuation, you can set it up exactly as you like.
Affordable – discounted daily rates for high volume travel groups.
Predictable – this plan covers you and your group at the same rate per person for a contracted year, no matter the age of the traveler. That means that for 12 months, your whole group will be covered. You could send out one team or five – each person will have the same guaranteed set daily rate. Guaranteed rates mean no guesswork which makes budgeting and fund-raising much easier – for you and for each member.
Simple – easy online enrollment, extensions, and renewals on a personalized website with your organization’s name and a private group log in. Once set up, simply have members go to your page at my.pointcomfort.com and register. It’s that easy.
Many teams or groups end up with multiple insurance plans throughout the group, and this makes it difficult to figure out who’s covered for what in case of an emergency. “Who do I call?” “What are their requirements?” “Do we need to call them before the injured person is admitted to the hospital?” “Where is their particular insurance card?” Point Comfort provides you with one easy option – one plan that you customize to fit everyone on your team for uniform quality care and protection.
You can know every member of your group has the same benefits and the same coverage that you or your organization’s board requires. You will have one contact number, one policy you can tell your team leaders or tour guides about. If you travel to the same place every year, you will grow to know the same local care facilities and specialists they have arrangements with, for easier processing.
What are the Highlights of Point Comfort Short Term Team Travel Insurance?
- A 12-month contracted one premium rate for everyone in your group, guaranteed for 12 months
- Available to U.S. citizens traveling outside the U.S.
- Deep discounts for high volume travel groups
- Expert claims administration and international assistance services
- Medical and evacuation coverage. Can also add sports, AD&D, and crisis management options to your policy
- Plans tailored to your specific needs
- Personalized website with your organization name and logo and private group log-in
- Online enrollment and immediate confirmation
- Pay by credit card or Paypal
- Printable ID cards
- Rates determined by number of teams, age of travelers, and length of stay
- Set daily rate, no matter what the age of the travelers
- Select the benefits and limits that fit your group’s travel plans and budget.
- Make one purchase based on the number of TripTime Travel Days you expect your group will need during the year.
- TripTime Days that can be used by anyone in your organization, any time, for any international trip.
- When someone in your group plans a trip, all they need to do is register the trip, via the travel management portal PCU designs for your group, accessed from any desktop or smart device.
- Pay the premium in advance, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly. If you run short on TripTime Days, Top Up Days are easy to purchase.
- If you have days left over, we’ll refund your premium or carry unused days forward to next year.
Why is Medical Evacuation Coverage Important?
- Simple. It costs thousands of dollars to air ambulance someone to a medical facility.
- All you have to do is call the number on your international medical card and the overseas medical insurance company will handle the rest.
- There is no deductible or extra cost when the evacuation medical insurance needs to be used as long as the international medical insurance company is fully in charge and involved from the start. Remember, they are the experts. You paid them to make sure you are well taken care of.
How do I File a Claim on a Point Comfort plan?
Claims must be submitted to Point Comfort Underwriters within 60 days of the date your claim is incurred. The following documents must be included with your claim:
- Completed and signed Claimant’s Statement and Authorization Form and Accident Questionnaire (if applicable).
- Proof of Primary Insurance Form.
- Original itemized bills.
- Receipts for any expenses you have already paid.
Are There Circumstances Where Another Insurance Plan Might be a Better Fit?
This Point Comfort International Freedom plan is one of our favorite short-term international travel plans for groups at Good Neighbor Insurance. It is great travel medical insurance for tour groups, teams of volunteers or other groups of people going overseas for a few days up to 30 days.
However, there may be specific circumstances in your group where other insurance plans may be a better fit. For example:
This plan offers Emergency Medical Evacuation coverage up to $500,000 (with the EvacPack) for travelers under the age of 65. Medical Evacuation is limited to $50,000 for those 65 to 79. Medical Evacuation is not available for those 80 or older.
- We recommend for teams with travelers up to age 79: https://www.gninsurance.com/group-travel/img-outreach/
- We recommend for individuals 80 and over: https://www.gninsurance.com/travel/sports/trawick-safe-travels/
With this plan, complications of pregnancy are excluded.
- We recommend for individuals: https://www.gninsurance.com/travel/geoblue-voyager/#excursion This policy will cover travelers for complications of pregnancy, but not for delivery.
# # # #
Good Neighbor Insurance provides international travel insurance, expatriate medical insurance, international employer group medical insurance, and other international insurance coverage to those traveling and living outside their country of residence or citizenship.
We have trained and licensed international insurance agents here to answer any of your questions relating to overseas medical insurance. Call one of our professional licensed international insurance agents at 866-636-9100 or at 480-633-9500 or you may email us at info@gninsurance.com.
Have amazing and safe travels from your Good Neighbor Insurance team here in Arizona!
