Worldwide Travel Assistance Coverage

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This coverage provides a traveler with 24-hour travel assistance services to help with medical emergencies, roadside assistance, language translations, and more.

Let us tell you a story

Emily and her daughter were taking a trip with her grandmother to the beach. A sunny seaside town where they could play in the surf and spend time together.

Settled into their beach cottage the first evening, Emily noticed that her daughter, Samantha, looked a little flushed. She automatically checked the young girl’s forehead and found she was running a fever. Neither Emily nor her mother were familiar with the area, so Emily called her travel insurance assistance hot-line. The operator found the closest open medical facility and gave Emily directions then called the facility to let them know they were coming. Directions in hand, Emily was able to get Samantha the medical help she needed to bring the fever down. The operator called Emily to check on Samantha’s condition later that night and in the morning when they were safely back in their beach cottage.

What does Worldwide Travel Assistance cover?

While worldwide travel assistance is considered standard on travel insurance plans, the specifics may vary by provider. For instance a carrier may provide business assistance services but have no concierge services. In addition, some plans will offer travel assistance before a trip.

In general, however, the following assistance services are available with this coverage.

Travel assistance services include:

• 24-hour worldwide emergency assistance hot-line
• Referrals to local hospitals and other medical providers
• Emergency airline, hotel, car reservations
• Arrangements for emergency medical evacuation
• Multilingual interpreter services
• Emergency arrangements to escort minor children home
• Emergency arrangements for a bedside visit by family or friend
• Arrangements to return remains to primary residence
• Monitoring an emergency medical condition and relaying messages to family, friends, business partners
• Emergency assistance for missing passports, lost credit cards, and stolen cash

Business assistance services include:

• Assistance locating local business services such as Wi-fi Internet, printing, overnight mail services and more
• Assistance with arranging teleconference and web conference services
• Emergency correspondence and business communication services
• Emergency messaging to customers, business associates, and others
• Real-time weather information, travel delays, and flight status updates
• Assistance with business equipment repair, replacement, rentals, etc.
• Emergency business travel arrangements

Concierge services include:

• Local dining information and reservations
• Local flower and gift delivery
• Local news, weather, shopping, and visitor information
• Sightseeing tours, guide information, and reservations
• Hotel, airline, car and rail information and reservations
• Golf, spa, and theater information and reservations

Golf, spa, and theater information and reservations

Important notes about this coverage

• Some plans provide for emergency cash advances, but the traveler must reimburse the funds and pay any related charges
• You’ll find the worldwide assistance hot-line numbers in your insurance certificate – it’s important to print them and keep them in at least two locations
• Often, travel plans will have a toll-free number in addition to a collect number

What type of policy covers this?

All travel insurance plans – package and medical – have an assistance services line, but the types of services each provider offers will vary.

What services does each company provide?

* On some, but not all, plans

Note: When outside the U.S. or Canada, call your travel insurance provider collect using a local operator. You’ll have to first enter the international access code of the country from which you are calling. Then ask to be connected to the international hot-line number.

Summary

• All travel plans have an assistance hot-line but the services they can provide vary by provider and plan
• All providers have a toll-free number; they also provide a collect number you can call from anywhere in the world
• You’ll find the assistance numbers on your insurance certificate
• Be sure to travel with a copy of your travel insurance documentation and this assistance services number