You plan to travel overseas, but your domestic health insurance plan won’t cover you while you’re there. Maybe you plan to go hiking, parasailing or running with the bulls. If you have a bad collision, you’ll probably need medical evacuation coverage and coverage for the medical expenses at the hospital. 

You may be traveling to a country experiencing political unrest. It’s unfortunate to see terrorist acts happen throughout our globe, including places such as Spain, England, and France.  No matter where we are as travelers, we’re never completely safe. Even as we walk the famous roads and browse the amazing places of worship and museums of Europe and Asia. You’ll need to make sure your policy covers the country you plan to visit, because it may be excluded from some plans.

The last thing you want and we want for you is to be stuck with a huge medical bill, especially from an expensive medical evacuation. Having international travel health insurance is essential in case the unwanted actually happens. People have been financially wiped out, and family members have even had to pitch in together to help loved ones with medical bills. Don’t let that be you. Check out how Diplomat International travel medical insurance can help protect your travel to high-risk countries or if you’re participating in sports while overseas.

What Insurance Plan Does GNI Recommend for Overseas Sports or High-Risk Countries?

Good Neighbor Insurance is proud to recommend Global Underwriters Diplomat International Travel Medical Insurance to you, because we have recommended it to our clients since 2012. It provides insurance coverage for events ranging from small illnesses to extreme sports injuries to catastrophic accidents and even life-saving medical evacuations. This plan may be purchased for a few days up to 12 months.

Who is the Diplomat International Travel Medical Insurance Plan for?

The Diplomat International plan covers travelers outside of your home country (except to the U.S.) for any reason. Whether it’s a work project, a fun and much needed vacation, a mission trip, volunteer work, or even adventure sports trips, the Diplomat International travel plans are excellent protection for health insurance overseas!

This plan covers U.S. citizens traveling outside the U.S. and outside the country in which they are residing. Examples include an American citizen residing in:

• Papua New Guinea traveling to Australia
• China traveling to Indonesia
• the U.S. traveling to South Africa

It’s also for non-U.S. citizens wanting to be covered outside of the U.S. and traveling outside their country of residence/home country. Examples include:

• An Australian citizen residing in the U.S. traveling to France
• A Chinese citizen traveling to Australia
• An English citizen residing in the U.S. traveling to Spain

What if I Need Coverage to Travel to the U.S.?

If you require insurance coverage to travel to the U.S., Global Underwriters offers the Diplomat America plan. The benefits of the Diplomat America plan are similar to the Diplomat International plan with one significant difference. The Diplomat America plan has coinsurance after the deductible. 

This means that up to $5,000 of medical expenses will be shared by a percentage between the insurance company and you. The company would pay 80 percent, and you would be responsible for 20 percent of that $5,000. After the deductible and coinsurance, eligible medical expenses are covered at 100 percent by the insurance company. The Diplomat International plan will cover 100% of medical expenses after the deductible because there is no coinsurance.

Why Does GNI Recommend the Diplomat International Travel Medical Insurance Plan?

Good Neighbor likes the Diplomat International travel medical insurance plan because it has:

• High-end coverages available, such as medical expenses up to $1 million, AD&D up to $1 million and medical evacuation up to $500,000.
• The option to expand your coverage with three great policy riders:

1. A sports rider for many different athletic and extreme sports. You may purchase coverage, with the payment of additional premium, from specific bundled options of athletic and extreme sports.
2. A war and terrorism rider to protect you while you are in high-risk countries.
3. A home country coverage rider for incidental trips to your home country, and for coverage after returning to your home country for treatment that began outside your home country.

• Other important benefits, such as repatriation of remains, emergency reunion, emergency dental, lost baggage and trip interruption coverage.
• A high industry rating: Underwritten by Advent Underwriting Limited on behalf of Syndicate 780 at Lloyd’s of London; and rated, as of 2017, A “Excellent” by A.M. Best.

What are the Specific Benefits of the Diplomat International Travel Medical Insurance Plan?

Medical Expenses – the medical maximum limit is what the policy will pay up to should you need to go to the doctor, urgent care or hospital. Here are the different medical maximums you may purchase (all in USD):

Plan A – $50,000

Plan B – $100,000

Plan C – $250,000

Plan D – $500,000

Plan E – $1,000,000

Persons up to age 69 are eligible for all plans. Persons age 70-79 are eligible for plans A and B. Persons age 80+ are eligible for plan A only.

You may also choose from 8 deductible options from $0 to $5,000.

Pre-existing conditions are not covered unless the situation meets the strict guidelines for the sudden recurrence of a pre-existing condition provision, which is for U.S. citizens only.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment – from $25,000 up to $1,000,000

Emergency medical evacuation – benefits are paid for covered expenses incurred up to $500,000 for any covered injury or illness that requires immediate medical transportation from the place where you are located (due to inadequate medical facilities). International medical evacuation insurance is utilized when there are inadequate medical facilities where you are located, and your medical condition warrants immediate transportation. The insurance company must be contacted, so they can approve of and arrange the medical evacuation. Their team will work with the medical personnel on the ground, and arrange to take you to the nearest adequate medical facility for appropriate medical treatment. Afterwards, if your condition warrants transportation with a qualified medical attendant, you may be taken back to your home country for further treatment or recovery.

Emergency Medical Reunion – if you were to have a medical evacuation, the plan will arrange to bring an individual of your choice from your current home country to be at your side while you are hospitalized, and then accompany you during your return to your home country. The benefit is payable up to $50,000 for a round trip economy air fare ticket as well as reasonable travel and accommodation expense to a maximum of ten days. It must be pre-approved and arranged by the plan and assistance company.

Return of Minor Children – if you are injured or sick, which would leave a minor child or children unattended, the company is able to step in. They can arrange a one way ticket for them to go back to your home country, and if needed they may also have an escort to ensure the safety and welfare of your children.

Repatriation of Remains – if you should die, benefits will be paid for expenses up to $50,000 to return your remains to your home country. Expenses must be preapproved and arranged by the insurance company.

Emergency Dental – will pay up to $100 for the emergency treatment for the relief of pain to natural teeth.

Lost Baggage – will pay $50 per article (up to a maximum of $250) for the loss, theft or damage to your baggage or personal effects that are checked with a common carrier.

Trip Interruption – will pay up to $5,000 for economy return travel to your home residence if your trip is interrupted due to the death of an immediate family member, or serious damage to your residence from fire, flood or other natural disaster.

What is Covered by the Diplomat International Sports Rider?

The Athletic Sports & Hazardous Activity rider has excellent coverage for those looking for international medical insurance while participating in most sports. As an example, we have many paragliders who travel to Europe and South America for their activities. They secure a Diplomat International sports medical insurance plan confident that if they should need to use the benefits, the plan will protect them in whatever ways possible. 

Other great common sports are mountain climbing and trekking. Many of our guests who go trekking in Nepal use this coverage should they need a medical evacuation to a nearby medical facility.

This sports rider covers two categories of sports. One category is for club sports, intercollegiate / interscholastic athletics and organized amateur sports. Professional sports are not covered. The other category is for adventure or extreme sports. 

There are three sport risk options for each of the categories: Low, Middle, and High. Your premium will vary based on the category and risk level of your sports.

Intercollegiate or Interscholastic Athletics; Club Sports; or Organized Amateur Sports– covered expenses under the medical maximum are limited to $20,000.

Low Option – Ballet; Baseball; Cheerleading; Cross

Country; Diving; Equestrian; Fencing; Field Hockey; Golf; Polo (Horse); Polo

(Water); Rowing; Softball; Surfing; Swimming; Tennis; Track & Field;

Volleyball.

Middle Option – Basketball; Competitive Cycling (Road,

Track, CX); Ice Hockey; Inline Skating (Helmet & Proper Equipment

Required); Lacrosse; Martial Arts/Karate; Modern Pentathlon; Skiing (Slalom,

Giant Slalom, Downhill); Ski Jumping; Wrestling.

High Option – Football (No Division One); Gymnastics;

Rugby (No Division One); Soccer.

Adventure sports and hazardous activities – covered expenses are payable to the policy

maximums.

Low Option – BMX; Bobsledding; Bungee Jumping;

Canoeing/Kayaking; Canopying; Cave tubing; Hang Gliding; Horseback Riding; Hot

Air Ballooning; Jet Skiing; Martial Arts/Karate (Non-competitive); Motor

Scooter;  Motorcycling; Mountain Biking; Piloting any Non-commercial

Aircraft; Safari; Scuba Diving (Not to exceed 30 feet, Resort Course or

equivalent required); Snow Skiing (Recreational); Snowboarding (Recreational);

Snowmobiling; Spelunking/Caving; Surfing (Recreational); Trekking (Not

exceeding Class IV Difficulty on Yosemite Decimal System); Wakeboarding; Water

skiing; Whitewater Rafting (Class I through V rapids); Wind Surfing; Zip Lining.

Middle Option – Aerial Photograph (Use of proper

restraints required); BMX (Racing or Competitive); Flying in any

chartered/leased aircraft or helicopter; Heli-skiing; High Diving; Hot Air

Ballooning (As a pilot); Mountain Climbing (14,000 ft. & below – Ropes

& proper safety equipment required); Parachuting; Paragliding; Parasailing;

Parascending; Rock Climbing (Ropes & proper safety equipment required);

Scuba Diving (Below 30 feet, PADI/NAUI Certification required, or insured must

be accompanied by a certified diving instructor); Skydiving; Snow Skiing

Off-Piste.

High Option – Big Game Hunting (Use of Firearms); Diving

with Sharks; Mountain Climbing (14,000 ft. & above – Ropes, proper safety

equipment & certified guide required); Running with the Bulls; Security

Detail (use of firearms).

What is Covered by the Diplomat International War and Terrorism Rider?

The war and terrorism rider is for people who will be spending time in high-risk locations and countries. For an additional premium, the exclusion in the plan for “declared or undeclared war or similar action”, is waived for the countries listed in the area you select. Three war risk areas are designated according to their level of risk, with countries assigned to each area accordingly:

War Risk Area 1 (High War Risk – coverage is mandatory – covers your travels to countries in War Risk Areas 1, 2, and 3) – Afghanistan, Algeria, Cameroon, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Russian Federation (North Caucasus Region of Russia), Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.

War Risk Area 2 (Medium War Risk – coverage is highly recommended – covers your travels to countries in War Risk Areas 2 and 3) – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Dem. Republic of Congo, East Timor, Egypt, Eritrea, Haiti, India (Jammu, Kashmir and Mumbai), Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Nepal, Niger, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. 

War Risk Area 3 (Low War Risk – recommended – covers your travels to countries in War Risk Area 3, which includes all countries not in War Risk Areas 1 and 2.)

Please note that the terms and conditions of war risk coverage may be changed at any time to reflect conditions that constitute a change in the war risk exposure of the insured person. In addition, countries can move from one War Risk Area to another, so it’s important to check with us to get the most up-to-date information.

Good Neighbor Insurance can provide you with country specific information for every country of the world. For each country, you will find information like the location of the U.S. embassy and any consular offices; whether you need a visa; crime and security information; health and medical conditions; drug penalties; and localized hot spots. This is a good place to start learning about where you are going.

What is Covered by the Diplomat International Home Country Coverage Rider?

The home country coverage rider provides benefits for incidental trips to your home country and follow-me-home coverage. Incident trips to your home country means that the plan will pay up to $50,000 for any eligible injury or illness while in your home country. Coverage is up to 60 days, per 12 months of coverage (approximately five days per month). Follow-me-home coverage will provide up to $10,000 for follow-up care, if a covered injury or illness originally occurred, diagnosed, and was treated outside your home country.

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Please call one of our Good Neighbor Insurance licensed agents at 866-636-9100 or locally here in Arizona at 480-633-9500. You may also reach us via email at info@gninsurance.com.

Good Neighbor Insurance has been in business for over 24 years! 

Every one of our international trained and licensed insurance agents has a heart to serve you, our guests.  It’s a joy to know that we can provide you all peace of mind with one of our many international medical insurance options to safeguard from financial calamity as well as providing you the best overseas medical care while on your travels.

We thank you, our guests, for giving us the privilege of serving you as you fulfil your dreams! Have amazing and safe travels!