Missionary groups travel coverage
Missionaries who travel out of the United States already have a lot worry about when they arrive at their designated mission areas. To help them be free of the hassles regarding their missionary groups travel coverage once they travel outside of the United States, there are now a number of medical travel insurances for groups of at least five people which can be secured at very affordable rates. These are made available to US citizens travelling outside of the United States.
The following are the highlights of the missionary groups travel coverage:
1. Short Term Coverage. Coverage is for 6 months. However, if the illness or injury extends even after the expiry of the coverage, the coverage will continue even after expiry up until the maximum of six months. Upon renewal, the insured's record will be reviewed to check if the period within which the illness or injury started up until the expiry of the coverage is less than 6 months. If it is, then coverage for the injury or illness will still be included in the renewal.
2. Maximum coverage limits. There would be a choice between $100K, 250K, or $1.0M.
3. Deductible options. The proposed insured may choose a deduction of from $0 to $250. This deduction will then dictate the premium and the type of coverage the insured will have.
4. One application for all group members. Proposed insured would not have to fill up individual application forms. A single application form is enough to document the missionary groups travel coverage of the group.
5. The insured has the option to go to a doctor of his choice from among the 17,000 practitioners authorized by the agency to extend medical service to its clients. This is made possible by the International Provider Access facility
6. Trip cancellation, travel delay or baggage delay. The company will indemnify the insured a reasonable amount necessary to cover inconveniences that may arise due to trip cancellation, travel delay or baggage delay.
7. Universal prescribed pharmacy discount savings. The insured will be able to avail of discounted prices for prescribed medicines even outside of his area of residence.
8. Anywhere, anytime service. The insured can have round the clock access to multilingual claims administrators who will process claims from all over the world so you would not have to wait long for medical services to be rendered to you.
Aside from the above, insured would enjoy the following international emergency care:
l Emergency evacuation. Insured may be covered for emergency medical evacuation, reasonable cost of transportation incurred during evacuation, and cost of repatriation to home country or original place of evacuation.
l Emergency Reunion. The plan may cover emergency reunion where for a maximum of 15 days, the insured may be accompanied by a friend or relative during a medical emergency evacuation or expenses of the relative or friend will be covered going to the insured during a medical evacuation.
l Return of Mortal Remains. Where illness or injury results in the death of the insured, the mortal remains may either be transported to the home country or arrangements for the cremation of remains and its burial locally be made.
l Return of Minor Children. If the insured's illness or injury results to the death of the insured and there are minor children who would be left unattended, arrangements for a one way economy fare to their home will be made, and if need be, chaperoned to ensure the safety of the minors.
l If the United States Department of State or any of its authorized agencies or any similar government agency of the insured person's home country orders evacuation of all government non-emergency from host country due to political unrest that becomes effective on or after the insured arrives to the host country, the company may pay a lifetime maximum benefit for transportation to the nearest place of safety or repatriation of the insured to his home country or country of residence provided that:
1. The insured contacts the company within 10 days from the announcement of the evacuation order by the United States Department of State or any of its authorized government agencies, or that of the home country of the person insured;
2. The evacuation order involves the evacuation of persons from the same home country as the person insured;
3. The Company has approved and coordinated the political evacuation and repatriation of the insured.
l Where the insured is required to depart from his destination due to an evacuation order caused by a natural calamity, the company will pay, for a maximum of 5 days, reasonable costs to cover for food and basic necessities of the insured.
l Identity theft. In cases where theft of the insured's identity happens so that he was prevented from doing a claim, the company will provide the insured a reasonable amount for the insured to rectify and amend his records so that he may subsequently be able to file claims against his medical insurance. The amount would cover notarization, international calls to the company, and all such other incidental expenses related to rectifying his records. For the insured to be eligible for this, the identity theft should have happened within the period of coverage of the insured.
Additional Benefits that may be included in the missionary groups travel coverage are terrorism coverage (up to a maximum lifetime limit), sports and activities coverage (to cover sicknesses or injuries incurred while leisurely doing a sport but should be non-contact and non-organized, depending on situation and age a reasonable amount of coverage to cover sudden occurrence of a pre-existing condition, incidental home country coverage (maximum of two weeks), and end of trip home country coverage (a one month home country availment may be purchased for every 5 months continuous coverage).
The Company may also provide reasonable reimbursement for trip interruption where the insured has to go back to his country of residence during the covered period because of the death of an immediate family member, a break in made on his principal residence od the destruction of the insured's principal residence due to a fire or a natural calamity.
If the insured dies while travelling on a commercial or common carrier, the designated beneficiaries will be payed in accordance with the terms of the missionary groups travel coverage. There is also a corresponding death and dismemberment provision which allows for reimbursement of certain amounts in case of dismemberment and principal sum paid to beneficiaries in case of death of the insured.
Loss of luggage may also be reimbursed a specific amount per item lost subject to a maximum amount reimburseable.
All international emergency care coverages should be coordinated through the plan administrator. All claims for coverages would be contingent upon its inclusion in the missionary groups travel coverage. Thus it would be in your best interest to identify which coverages would be important for you as you embark on that mission trip outside of your country of residence.