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East Hartford, CT (PRWEB) May 18, 2012
Vacation.com recently held their 14th Annual International Conference and Trade Show on a cruise in the Caribbean with over 1,000 suppliers and agents present. During the Annual Conference and Trade show, the 2012 Agency Awards and the ‘Power of the Partnership’ (POP) Awards were presented to recognize the outstanding suppliers and agencies in the industry as well as appreciate the relationships between each of the suppliers.
The 2012 ‘Power of Partnership’ (POP) Awards honored travel suppliers who continuously met the needs of all member agencies. The awards were distributed based on votes from Vacation.com members. The votes were based on specific requirements dealing with aspects including the marketing support provided to agencies, quality of services, the value delivered, reliability, responsiveness, effectiveness of problem solving, and the complete commitment and passion shown towards the travel agent industry.
Travel Insured International® was awarded the title of 2012 U.S Insurance Provider Partner of the Year. Isaac Cymrot, Vice President of Sales and Industry Relations at Travel Insured stated, “Winning the POP Award is a great honor. Our relationship with the members of Vacation.com has grown tremendously over the past four years.” Travel Insured has worked consistently to meet the expectations of all partnered agencies through Vacation.com. Cymrot continued, “Winning an award voted on by your clients is the best type of award to win. We would like thank all of our partners who voted for us and look forward to continuing to strengthen our bond even further with Vacation.com.”
Travel Insured International®
52-S Oakland Ave.
E. Hartford, CT 06128-0568
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Article source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9518620.htm
The fact is, many people over-pay or don’t believe they can get the insurance they need
London, UK (PRWEB UK) 18 May 2012
These latest plans make a further addition to an already impressive ‘exclusive’ range of products only available through the Health Insurance Group. The products now available will give companies access to discounts and specialities such as SimplyHealth’s ‘open referral’ option on the ‘Just Health’ product.
Howard Holt of the Health Insurance Group says “open referral’ works really well for our clients and gives a superior level of service when you need to make a claim. In most cases you will be able to have your claim assessed and authorised, speak directly with the most suitable hospital, choose your Specialist and arrange your Consultation all within a single Phone Call.” This streamlined service avoids the administration costs associated with a ‘traditional’ claims process, which means the Health Insurance Group can pass those savings straight on to the client in the form of reduced premiums”
In addition, The Health Insurance Group has got together with BUPA to offer a specially rated Business Travel Insurance plan. Howard Holt says, “When we travel we all know the importance of being insured. The fact is, many people over-pay or don’t believe they can get the insurance they need. With this plan, members can expect to pay around 30% less than the standard rate (some of the cheapest in the UK), making it even cheaper than going direct to BUPA. Not only that, if you’re over 70, there is a very good chance you’ll get cover, as we are able to offer policies on a “fit to travel” basis, meaning there will be no medical questions when you apply. So If you’re looking to get covered for your next trip, for 30% less than the standard rate, and less expensive than going direct to BUPA, then all you need to do is contact the Health Insurance group.”
Due to the Health Insurance Group’s “fit to travel” cover policies, even the over 70′s stand a very good chance of getting health insurance cover, with no medical questions being asked upon application.
For more information on the Health Insurance Group, visit their website, http://www.howardholthealthinsurance.co.uk
‘Howard Holt Inc Ltd’ is Appointed representative of Independent Sales Force Solutions Ltd Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority Independent Sales Force Solutions Ltd trading as The Health Insurance Group is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority Registered in England Number 4907859. Registered Office The Health Insurance Group, 1st floor West Park House, 23 Cumberland Place, Southampton, SO15 2BB.
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Article source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9513858.htm
Despite the fact that last year there were 6,293,000 visits abroad by Irish people, many are overlooking travel insurance.
According to Louise Ledwidge, travel insurance specialist with www.getcover.ie: “An internal study shows that Irish people wait, on average, between just 7-14 days before their departure date to take out travel insurance. Given that one of travel insurance claims are made due to cancelled holidays this is a worrying statistic. People do not realise when booking a holiday that this too is the point at which they should take out travel insurance – not the night before or at the airport on the day of departure!”
Ledwidge continued, “If someone books a holiday on 1 May but is not actually travelling until Aug 1st then there is a period of over 90 days in which, for whatever reason, their holiday may be cancelled. However, if the individual holds off on buying the insurance until a week or so before they leave then they are not covered in the interim. Unfortunately, many people have fallen foul of this oversight and it has been a costly lesson”.
According to GetCover.ie people who do take out their insurance policy the night before they depart or in the car en route to the airport are paying for a policy that includes travel cancellation cover as this is covered as standard, so they are essentially paying for a cover which has passed its use by date.
Ledwidge concluded, “For this reason a lot of insurance companies will offer ‘a late booking discount’, which allows customers to avail of a discount if purchasing their policy within for example 14 or 21 days prior to their departure date. The CSO says that over six million visits abroad were made by Irish people in 2011 – which obviously means that many people are travelling regularly out of the country. An annual multi-trip policy in place negates the danger of taking out a policy too late and for many people they are the way to go because they work out a lot cheaper for those who travel regularly”.
Article source: http://www.businessandleadership.com/business/item/35218-one-fifth-of-travel/
Travel insurance FAQ: Buying a policy, filing claims and more
Wrong.
Travel Guard, the company she’d purchased the policy through, turned down her claim on a technicality. Yun, a college student in Salt Lake City, had originally told the company that her plane ticket had cost $1,090; she’d actually paid $1,092.50.
Denied because of a $2.50 price difference? You bet.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” says Yun, a refrain that I hear often. Complaints about seemingly arbitrary rejections cross my desk at regular intervals. No surprise: Travel insurance is a $1.8 billion-a-year industry, according to the US Travel Insurance Association, an industry trade group. And it has been growing steadily, from $1.3 billion in 2006 to $1.6 billion two years later to the latest figure, from 2010.
It’s no shocker in another sense, too: The travel insurance business is generally profitable, the occasional volcanic eruption or tsunami notwithstanding, and critics say that the only way it stays that way is by rejecting most claims, particularly the expensive ones. That’s difficult to prove — or disprove. The industry insists that its rejection rates are low. About one in six policyholders will file a claim on their insurance, according to the association, and fewer than 10 percent of those claims are denied.
Yun was among that unhappy minority. When I asked about her claim, Carol Mueller, a vice president at Travel Guard, said that the company had reviewed the case carefully and that according to its records, Yun had claimed — and repeatedly verified — the $1,090 ticket price. “The full cost of all non-refundable prepaid trip arrangements is insured at the time of purchase,” she told me. “Ms. Yun did not insure her full trip cost as listed on her itinerary at the time of her insurance purchase, and that was the criterion for her denial.”
Seriously? The rejection seems absurd to the average traveler, until you take a little time to understand how the travel insurance business works. I’ve spent the past year studying it, in part because I’ve been hearing about so many policy rejections and in part because a lot of my readers buy travel insurance hoping that it will protect them from some of the unbelievably awful things that I write about every day on my blog.
I should also note that my Web site attracts a fair number of sponsorships from travel insurance companies and sellers of insurance. Consider this my disclosure. I’d like to think that it doesn’t affect the fairness of my coverage, but I’m sure that you’ll let me know what you think once you’ve finished reading.
* * *
To understand why a travel insurance company does the often confounding things that it does, you have to know more about the actual policies and talk with insiders who are familiar with the claims process. Travel insurance policies are set by underwriters, the entities that take on the risk of insuring you on your vacation. For example, Travel Guard is underwritten by the National Union Fire Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh, and that company gets to tell Travel Guard how to word its policies. The verbiage doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
Article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/the-navigator-travel-insurance-claims-can-hinge-on-the-tiniest-details/2012/05/17/gIQA9VASYU_story.html
What does travel insurance do?
If something goes wrong on your vacation, you can recover some or all of your costs, depending on the kind of insurance you buy. Most policies cover trip interruptions and cancellations and even acts of terrorism. They can also pay for emergency medical and dental care and, if necessary, a medical evacuation.
What kinds of policies are out there?
A standard travel insurance policy lets you cancel your trip for a covered reason and has significant limitations; the most frequent “gotcha” is an exclusion for any preexisting medical conditions. A “cancel for any reason” policy pays for a percentage of your trip if you decide to stay home.
How much does insurance cost?
A standard policy typically costs 4 to 8 percent of your trip’s prepaid non-refundable price. A “cancel for any reason” policy, however, can run you 10 percent or slightly more. Your policy may be more expensive if you’re older or are engaging in a risky activity that makes a claim more likely.
Do I need insurance?
Maybe. Experts recommend it if your vacation costs $10,000 or more. Also consider a policy if you’re cruising or taking a package tour. (Both have unforgiving cancellation policies, which could result in your losing the entire value of your trip.) If you have a complex or lengthy itinerary, insurance can protect your investment. And you should always think about a policy when you’re leaving the country, when your medical insurance might not cover you.
Where can I buy insurance?
You can buy directly through the insurance companies. The largest are Allianz Global Assistance (formerly Access America), CSA Travel Protection and Travel Guard. You can also buy through a travel agent or a third-party Web site such as Squaremouth, Travel Insurance Review, TripInsuranceStore.comand InsureMyTrip.com. Those sites also make it easy to compare policies.
How do I shop for a policy?
Consult at least two of the three travel insurance sellers. By checking with multiple sources, you won’t just find better terms or prices, you might also avoid buying a potentially useless policy. If you have a question about a policy, check the US Travel Insurance Association Web site or your state insurance commissioner to make sure that it’s legit.
What do I do after buying?
Read the policy immediately. If there’s missing or incorrect information, call your insurance company right away. Many companies offer a 10-day “free look” period. If after reviewing the policy, you decide that it doesn’t meet your needs, you can cancel it and get a full refund as long as you haven’t left on your trip.
What if I have to file a claim?
Your travel insurance company will tell you how. Claims typically take two to four weeks to process, but some complicated ones can take longer. Expect a final decision within roughly a month and no more than two.
What if my claim is rejected?
A rejection isn’t the company’s final word. It means that it can’t honor your claim based on the information provided. Send the company a brief, polite written appeal with any new information you believe is relevant to your case. Most insurance companies have several adjusters at a more senior level review appeals.
If my appeal is rejected, am I out of luck?
No. You can ask the travel agent who sold you the policy for help, contact your state insurance commissioner or, as a last resort, take your case to small claims court. If you strike out there, your claim is probably a lost cause.
Article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/travel-insurance-faq-buying-a-policy-filing-claims-and-more/2012/05/17/gIQAn2XSYU_story.html
London, UK (PRWEB UK) 18 May 2012
These latest plans make a further addition to an already impressive ‘exclusive’ range of products only available through the Health Insurance Group. The products now available will give companies access to discounts and specialities such as SimplyHealth’s ‘open referral’ option on the ‘Just Health’ product.
Howard Holt of the Health Insurance Group says “open referral’ works really well for our clients and gives a superior level of service when you need to make a claim. In most cases you will be able to have your claim assessed and authorised, speak directly with the most suitable hospital, choose your Specialist and arrange your Consultation all within a single Phone Call.” This streamlined service avoids the administration costs associated with a ‘traditional’ claims process, which means the Health Insurance Group can pass those savings straight on to the client in the form of reduced premiums”
In addition, The Health Insurance Group has got together with BUPA to offer a specially rated Business Travel Insurance plan. Howard Holt says, “When we travel we all know the importance of being insured. The fact is, many people over-pay or don’t believe they can get the insurance they need. With this plan, members can expect to pay around 30% less than the standard rate (some of the cheapest in the UK), making it even cheaper than going direct to BUPA. Not only that, if you’re over 70, there is a very good chance you’ll get cover, as we are able to offer policies on a “fit to travel” basis, meaning there will be no medical questions when you apply. So If you’re looking to get covered for your next trip, for 30% less than the standard rate, and less expensive than going direct to BUPA, then all you need to do is contact the Health Insurance group.”
Due to the Health Insurance Group’s “fit to travel” cover policies, even the over 70′s stand a very good chance of getting health insurance cover, with no medical questions being asked upon application.
For more information on the Health Insurance Group, visit their website, http://www.howardholthealthinsurance.co.uk
‘Howard Holt Inc Ltd’ is Appointed representative of Independent Sales Force Solutions Ltd Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority Independent Sales Force Solutions Ltd trading as The Health Insurance Group is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority Registered in England Number 4907859. Registered Office The Health Insurance Group, 1st floor West Park House, 23 Cumberland Place, Southampton, SO15 2BB.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9513858.htm
Article source: http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=342973&type=newswires
Before heading out on vacation this summer, travellers should take a few minutes to make sure their travel insurance is adequate.
With the cost of hospitalization in the United States in the thousands per day, even a minor injury in that country could cost more than the trip itself.
Even for a road trip in Canada, a family might want to buy extra travel insurance if they’re leaving the province. While required medical treatment would for the most part be covered by the Medical Services Plan, services such as transportation home would likely not be covered.
A simple visit to a doctor’s office outside Canada might be partly covered by MSP, but the amount repaid is likely to be much less than what the doctor charges, said Ryan Jabs, manager of media relations with B.C.’s ministry of health.
“What we do see is people contact us afterwards with bills for maybe $10,000 and we’ll come up with a small percentage of that based on the medical fee because a large portion of that will be for staying in a hospital or other services,” Jabs said. “We don’t want to give people the wrong impression of the coverage we provide. We encourage everybody to get insurance.”
Travel home from another province or another country is not normally covered, and neither is the cost for a loved one to travel to be with the injured person.
“Medical transfers or transport by ambulance back into the province is the big [expense] that people often are faced with,” Jabs said. “Sometimes people want to be back closer to their family, but we don’t cover the cost of that transport. [The cost] can range from a regular plane ticket – a few hundred dollars – to many thousands of dollars by air ambulance.”
Once a traveller has decided to buy a travel medical policy, it’s important to read the fine print because not all travel medical policies are the same, said Dave Minor, vice-president at TD Insurance. The first thing a traveller should check is if they’re already covered, since some workplace benefit plans and some credit cards include travel medical insurance, but all policies are different.
It’s important to check the number of days a policy is valid and what is included in the policy, Minor said. Some things that are often not included are advance payments, 24-hour support using a toll-free phone number or emergency transportation, Minor said.
For travellers who are seeking a bit of adventure on their trip, it’s crucial to check the details. Some popular vacation activities such as parasailing or bungee jumping will likely not be covered and might require a separate policy, Minor said.
It’s also important to determine what the deductible is, if any, and how much coverage is included. Minor recommended travellers purchase at least $1 million worth of medical travel insurance, and he said a policy for a family of four travelling for a week would only cost about $50 to $60.
People heading overseas should check for travel advisories before they buy insurance; if a region is subject to an advisory, any insurance policy will be void, Minor said. Canadian government advisories are listed online.
Senior citizens or people with existing medical conditions can usually qualify for trip medical insurance, but they might be asked more questions, or given a limited number of days they can be out of the province. Emergency treatment for existing medical conditions will likely not be covered, and a traveller should always disclose any existing conditions before travelling, or risk voiding their entire policy, Minor said.
Another important stop on the road is the travel clinic, which travellers should visit 4-6 weeks before they leave. Vancouver Coastal Health offers two travel clinics, where travellers will be advised on the best practices for avoiding disease while travelling and on what vaccinations are recommended or required.
USEFUL WEBSITES FOR TRAVELLERS
TRAVEL ADVISORIES:
www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_ pays/menu-eng. asp
HEALTH CANADA TRAVEL SITE:
www.phacaspc.gc.ca/tmppmv/index-eng. php
VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH TRAVEL CLINIC:
www.vch.ca/find_services/find_ services/?program_id=963
tsherlock@vancouversun.com Blog: vancouversun.com/yourmoney
Article source: http://www.vancouversun.com/Travel+coverage+varies+check+your+plan+carefully/6643075/story.html
East Hartford, CT (PRWEB) May 16, 2012
Within the past few years, the travel industry dealt with a steady decline of revenue due to the recession during 2008 and 2009. During this time frame, individuals spent a dramatically lower amount of money on leisure activities, which then caused the amount that consumers spent on travel to steadily decline. The travel insurance industry began to see growth again leading from 2010 to 2011 when travelers took a greater interest in insuring their plans because they did not want to risk losing a large sum of money that was invested in a trip due to an unexpected occurrence such as a cancellation or delay. During Summer 2012, the travel industry is expected to grow due to disposable income steadily increasing.
With summer travel fast approaching, disposable incomes rising, and consumers beginning to invest a greater of portion of their incomes on travel expenses, Travel Insured urges travelers to invest in coverage more than ever. The increase in travel, as well as the increase of natural disasters has boosted the demand for travel insurance protection. It is also crucial for consumers to be aware of protecting their investments due to a higher risk of flight cancellations and delays. Policies can protect unforeseen events including delay or cancellation, medical emergencies, and lost baggage.
Travel Insured International®, a leading privately-owned travel insurance provider, urges fliers who may have overlooked travel coverage as a necessity in the past to reconsider for future summer travel plans.
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All of the four Travel Insured International® retail plans, including Worldwide Trip Protector, Worldwide Trip Protector Gold, Trip Protector Lite, and Trip Protector Lite Expanded provide Trip Cancellation or Interruption coverage due to sickness, injury or death of the insured, his or her travel companion, or any of their family members resulting in medically-imposed restrictions documented by the attending physician of the sick individual.
- Under the Worldwide Trip Protector, Worldwide Trip Protector Gold, or Trip Protector Lite Expanded plans a covered illness can include recurrence of a pre-existing condition illness provided the plan was purchased within 14, 21 or 30 days of the initial trip deposit, depending upon the selected plan, and other simple purchase requirements have been met.
- Family members (of the insured or his or her travel companion) whose illness can trigger coverage under Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption include parents, a legal guardian, step-parent, grandparents, parents-in-law, grandchildren, natural or adopted children, children-in-law, brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister, brother or sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew.
Travel is only expected to rise throughout Summer 2012 and no matter what type of trip, prepared travelers will plan ahead with the policy which fits their coverage needs best in order to protect their travel investments.
About Travel Insured International®
Travel Insured International®, based in E. Hartford, CT, was founded in 1994 by the foresight of insurance industry executive Peter Gehris when he acquired the travel protection division of the Travelers Insurance Company. Coverage is underwritten by Arch Insurance Company (a Missouri corporation, NAIC #11150) with executive offices located in Jersey City, NJ. Arch Insurance is rated A (“Excellent”) for financial strength by the insurance rating service A.M. Best. Not all insurance products or coverage is available in all jurisdictions. Coverage is subject to actual policy language.
Travel Insured International
52-S Oakland Ave.
E. Hartford, CT 06128-0568
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Article source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9504415.htm
Before heading out on vacation this summer, travellers should take a few minutes make sure their travel insurance is adequate.
With the cost of hospitalization in the United States in the thousands per day, even a minor injury in that country could cost more than the trip itself.
Even for a road trip in Canada, a family might want to buy extra travel insurance if they’re leaving the province. While required medical treatment would for the most part be covered by the Medical Services Plan, services such as transportation home would likely not be covered.
A simple visit to a doctor’s office outside Canada might be partly covered by MSP, but the amount repaid is likely to be much less than what the doctor charges, said Ryan Jabs, manager of media relations with B.C.’s ministry of health.
“What we do see is people contact us afterwards with bills for maybe $10,000 and we’ll come up with a small percentage of that based on the medical fee because a large portion of that will be for staying in a hospital or other services,� Jabs said. “We don’t want to give people the wrong impression of the coverage we provide. We encourage everybody to get insurance.�
Travel home from another province or another country is not normally covered, and neither is the cost for a loved one to travel to be with the injured person.
“Medical transfers or transport by ambulance back into the province is the big [expense] that people often are faced with,� Jabs said. “Sometimes people want to be back closer to their family, but we don’t cover the cost of that transport. [The cost] can range from a regular plane ticket — a few hundred dollars — to many thousands of dollars by air ambulance.�
Once a traveller has decided to buy a travel medical policy, it’s important to read the fine print because not all travel medical policies are the same, said Dave Minor, vice-president at TD Insurance. The first thing a traveller should check is if they’re already covered, since some workplace benefit plans and some credit cards include travel medical insurance, but all policies are different.
It’s important to check the number of days a policy is valid for and what is included on the policy, Minor said. Some things that are often not included are advance payments, 24-hour support using a toll-free phone number or emergency transportation, Minor said.
For travellers who are seeking a bit of adventure on their trip, it’s crucial to check the details. Some popular vacation activities such as parasailing or bungee jumping will likely not be covered and might require a separate policy, Minor said.
It’s also important to determine what the deductible is, if any, and how much coverage is included. Minor recommended travellers purchase at least $1 million worth of medical travel insurance, and he said a policy for a family of four travelling for a week would only cost about $50-$60.
People heading overseas should check for travel advisories before they buy insurance; if a region is subject to an advisory, any insurance policy will be void, Minor said. Canadian government advisories are listed online.
Article source: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Travel+Insurance+Make+sure+adequate+before+heading/6640666/story.html
Insurance comparison site, Confused.com, have recently launched a brand new service allowing customers with pre existing medical conditions to compare across a range of providers to find cover before heading off on holiday this summer.
Travellers with pre existing medical conditions often face an uphill battle when trying to obtain cover as their medical condition means they are pegged as a higher risk group as they are more likely to claim on their policy compared to a traveller with no medical conditions. Due to the increased risk, many insurers are very careful about the conditions they cover, while some refuse to provide cover altogether for those with pre existing medical conditions.
Now Confused.com have teamed up with a range of specialist insurance companies who all offer travel insurance for those with medical conditions. The new services was launched on May 14th 2012 and will enable customers to input their pre existing medical along with their other information to compare across a range of travel insurance policies, helping them find the find right policy at the right price.
Confused.com say that not having a clean medical record should be an obstacle to finding affordable travel insurance and believe that their new service will make the process of finding suitable cover for those with pre existing medical conditions much less of a chore.
Article source: http://www.ladymotor.co.uk/news/travel-insurance-comparison-service-for-pre-existing-medical-conditions-from-confused-com-13450/
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