Return of Minor Children Coverage

Let us tell you a story

Elisa’s expertise in Sales earned her a prestigious company award – an all expenses paid vacation to Hawaii. Because Elisa is a single mother of two boys, 9 and 11, her manager arranged to have their airfare and hotel included in her award too, so all three family members were headed to Hawaii.

On their trip, however, Elisa and her boys were taking surfing lessons when a wave caught her and tossed her against the ocean rocks. She was badly hurt and unconscious when the surf instructor pulled her to shore. Once at the hospital, the doctors determined that Elisa would be in the hospital for at least a week and unable to travel for longer, so her travel insurance company arranged to have the boys flown home, where Elisa’s sister could take care of them while Elisa recovered.

What does Return of Minor Children cover?

If you will be hospitalized more than a certain number of days (usually 7), the travel insurance company will arrange and pay to have the dependent children traveling with you returned home. This coverage is a great comfort to parents – especially single parents – traveling with children who would be left unattended if the insured is hospitalized on their trip.

Travel insurance companies are sensitive to the fact that some children cannot yet travel alone, and so an attendant will be chosen to travel with the child or children when necessary.

Important notes about this coverage

• Transportation is usually economy transportation on a common carrier but some plans offer transportation by the same class of service as originally booked.
• If the child is too young to travel alone, arrangements for a chaperone will also be made by the travel insurance company.
• This benefit does not include expenses for meals and lodging; those expenses must be paid by the insured.
• Some plans will return the children to your home or to a location of your choice in your home country.
• Arrangements must be made through the travel insurance company’s emergency travel assistance services.
• The payment is less any refunds for unused tickets.
• The injury or illness that causes hospitalization must be a covered injury or illness.
• The children must be included on the travel insurance policy.

What type of policy covers this?

Travel insurance package plans often have this type of coverage, but so do many travel medical plans. This coverage is typically listed as part of the emergency medical transportation or evacuation coverage.

How much coverage does each company provide?

* The plan’s medical evacuation limit.
** Inclusive with the medical reunion benefit maximum.

Summary

• All travel arrangements must be made through the travel insurance company’s assistance services
• Transportation is typically economy fare and usually only to the child’s primary residence
• If your child is too young to travel alone, the travel assistance services will typically arrange to have him or her accompanied
• The injury or illness causing hospitalization must be covered by the plan and the children must be included on the travel insurance policy as travelers