BLANKET TRAVEL INSURANCE PLANS VS. SHORT-TERM GROUP TRAVEL INSURANCE: Which is best for you?

Two ways to protect your staff overseas – while protecting your organization

At Good Neighbor Insurance, we offer two different ways to keep your workers overseas safe while traveling – Without asking each of them to individually secure their own emergency medical insurance: Blanket travel insurance plans and Group travel insurance (Aka Short-term team travel plans) We will discuss the advantages of each below.

(These plans are for travel. If you have expat staff living overseas/moving overseas, we also have international group health insurance (like employer health insurance) for as few as two or three staff here, as well as individual expat plans for individuals and families.)

 

Blanket travel insurance plans for groups

“Blanket” group travel insurance plans are for volunteers and employees traveling outside of their home country. They are very convenient for groups because you do not need to sign up individuals, or submit names dates, ages, etc. per trip – Your “blanket travel insurance” includes an estimated number of travelers/days per year whenever they travel – They are covered.

When getting your “blanket travel insurance”, you estimate the number of travelers/days per year whenever they travel – They are covered. You can even include estimated number of travel days for foreign nationals visiting the U.S.

Blanket policies are great for organizations with many travelers because it saves you time and energy signing everyone up. We offer blanket group travel insurance from Aetna, GeoBlue, and other well-known carriers.

One question we are often asked is:

“What if we exceed our estimated number of travel days any given year?”
They will be still be covered under your group travel plan. Simply revise your number of travel days the following year when you renew.

Helpful tip: You can also include any of your staff who are traveling outside of their home country (who travel often) on your organization’s annual travel plan making their coverage seamless and taking one more thing out of their already busy schedule as they prepare to travel.

 

Group Travel Insurance Plans

Group Travel Insurance Plans are for teams with as few as one member up to any number. They are especially recommended if:
1.) Your numbers vary a lot year by year, or if…
2.) Your volunteers/staff are responsible to cover their own short-term travel insurance.

Our specially contracted plans are the most affordable anywhere (they are even less than those advertised by the carriers themselves or published on their websites) through a specially contracted arrangements with Good Neighbor Insurance. There are also discounted rates for charitable work/non-profits and those traveling to volunteer. Price point is another reason why organization choose group travel plans, because they are often the most affordable insurance starting at around $1.00 a day. Another reason people choose Group Travel Insurance over a blanket policy is that you may have more options to choose from (such as adventure sports coverage).

 

One question we are often asked is:

“How can an organization make sure that certain required standard deductibles, maximum coverage amounts, etc. are adhered to when people are told to sign up on their own?”
The answer is that you can pre-select a plan with certain minimal amounts of coverage, even specific benefits that your volunteers will need to have. We can then set up a unique page for you (with your logo and branding) for free, we link back to your website also. You can then send the link to your travelers.

 

Of course Group Travel Insurance is for trips overseas, not really those planning to move overseas.
For your long-term expat workers living overseas for more than one year, you should consider an international group health plan (like employer health insurance you would get from a job back home). There are many additional benefits that your staff receives by being covered under a group insurance plan versus individually chosen expatriate policies.

Do we need blanket travel insurance or a group travel insurance plan at all?

The advantage of any group travel insurance plan or team travel plan is that your organization’s liability is greatly reduced. The greatest liability to your organization  would be if your travelers become ill or injured overseas.

AND,

YOU and the TEAM LEADER HAVE ONE POINT OF CONTACT in case of an emergency, instead of trying to figure out what insurance each person may have if they all get their own, what emergency number you need to contact, trying to get approval from different parties with different levels of customer service and access. If you have ever needed to use insurance overseas in an emergency, you know how stressful it can be. 

One area where a blanket travel plan may not be the best choice is if your organization has a lot of different travelers with differing needs and one travel plan may not “fit” their travel plans, or particular health needs. We can help you determine the best fit for your organization and goals.

 

Make it easier for you and for everyone. 

Contact Karen or our group department at Good Neighbor Insurance at group@gninsurance.com with your questions and needs and let them suggest a policy that best fits your needs/your organization.

Because insurance is like a pair of shoes.
Regardless of whether you get them at a clearance price, if they don’t fit you, if they are painful, you will not use them.
Fit is everything. That is why we have 10-12 of the best, internationally-known carriers and multiple plans to fit every need.

Because sometimes your insurance needs to fit an organization that is running through multiple airports every day, all over the world, and other organizations need rough, solid, combat boots that will hold up under any condition, in the most remote parts of the earth.

 

What is the makeup of your group/staff/volunteers? That will help you determine which type of travel medical insurance is the best choice for your organization. We can help.