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Posts Tagged ‘Travel Insurance’
Saturday, December 17th, 2011
It’s winter and the school semester is almost over! During this winter break if you are not returning home, why not take a trip abroad and experience the season in another country?
Whether you are going to the famous Christmas Market in Germany, going skiing in the Swiss Alps or flying to the other side of the world to escape the cold, it is best if you are prepare for your trip with winter break trip travel insurance.
Many students looking for travel insurance for winter break will find that our Atlas Travel Medical plan provides comprehensive medical sickness and injury coverage for an affordable price whether it is a few days or a few weeks. Because it can be purchase for as little as 5 days and can provide coverage worldwide outside of your home country it is very flexible and will fit the need for most trips. This plan covers you for doctor visits, hospitalization, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, and much more.
If you will be participating in more adventurous sports on your trip such as skiing, you can also add the optional sport rider to the plan to cover those activities as well!
You can get your insurance documents and ID card right away, so if you need proof of insurance quickly you will be able to provide it if it is required by the local authority of the destination country.
If you are worried about inclement weather disrupting your trips and causing your flight to be canceled, be sure to check our previous blogs about how to avoid stress while traveling during the holiday season.
Feel free to contact any of our licensed insurance agent if you have any questions about your insurance needs for an upcoming trip and we would be happy to help you!
Tags: cancellation insurance, Travel Insurance, Trip Insurance, vacation insurance, winter break trip insurance, winter holiday insurance, winter travel
Posted in Health & Safety, International Student in the USA, Product Information, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Let’s say you are planning to study abroad in the near future and you paid your tour cost, your plane ticket, etc. What would happen if you no longer can go on your trip? What would happen to your money for your plan/ train ticket that you already paid for?
This is where trip cancellation comes in! Trip cancellation is designed to cover your prepaid non-refundable losses in case you have to cancel your trip. While every trip cancellation plan is different, many trip cancellation policies cover cancellation due to sickness and injury, death of primary insured or immediate family members, bad weather, travel provider going out of business, etc. Trip cancellation protects you against losing your non-refundable expenses that you paid for if you have to cancel your trip. While trip cancellation benefits usually disclose a list of reasons for canceling, some plans allow you to include the cancel for any reason benefit so that you can cancel for an unlisted reason.
Trip interruption is similar to trip cancellation but it provides protection once you have already begun your travel. If you need to return home due to substantial destruction to your home, or an immediate family member’s death, trip interruption benefit will reimburse you – or it may also cover your plane flight home.
If you want to protect yourself against losing money on your traveling expenses, consider our trip cancellation insurance plan. Our trip cancellation also provides other benefits like trip interruption, trip delay, lost baggage and more. If you have any questions about trip cancellation insurance or other insurance needs, feel free to contact our international insurance specialist.
Tags: cancellation insurance, flight cancellation insurance, Travel Insurance, trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance
Posted in Insurance Explained, Product Information, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, June 24th, 2011
Each year throughout the United States, Americans celebrate Independence Day, which is a national holiday commemorating their independence from England in 1776.
Next week is the start of the 4th of July weekend; many people will be traveling around the country during this holiday. The most common activity during the Fourth of July is to watch a fireworks show. Other activities like attending parades, having picnics and barbecues are also popular.
For international students in the USA, this is a great chance to experience a unique American holiday. Use the long holiday weekend to take a road trip to a major US city where the firework shows are usually more spectacular. If you are traveling into the US, make sure you have a good travel insurance policy that would be able to cover you on your travels.
Tags: 4th of July, fourth of July, Independence day, international student, july 4, road trip, Travel Insurance
Posted in International Student in the USA, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Saturday, June 4th, 2011
Many people are confused about the differences between what is an insurance deductible, co-pay and coinsurance. All three represent the portion of the medical bill that you are responsible for in case you get sick or injured. However, there are some differences:
Deductible: A deductible is usually a fix dollar amount that you have to pay out of your own pocket before the insurance will cover the remaining eligible expenses.
Depending on the insurance plan, the deductible can range from $0 all the way up to thousands of dollars. It can also be paid per sickness/injury (per condition) or per certificate period.
As a rule of thumb, the higher the deductible the lower the premium (price to buy the plan) would be and vice versa. Be sure to choose the deductible that is appropriate for your circumstances when purchasing an insurance policy.
Coinsurance: A coinsurance is usually a percentage that the insurance will pay toward your eligible medical expenses. Some common coinsurance includes: 100%, 80/20, 90/10 and 50/50. As an example if you have a 80/20 coinsurance, it means that the insurance company will cover 80% of your medical cost and you are responsible for paying the other 20% yourself.
A deductible is commonly use together with a coinsurance. In this case you would pay the deductible amount first and after you would have the left over coinsurance amount.
Copay (copayment): Copays are similar to deductible, it is usually a fix amount of money you have to pay each time you need to use the insurance. A copay is usually small amount that you pay which applies to certain benefits like general doctor visit or prescription medication.
An insurance policy may have a deductible, coinsurance, copay, any combination of the three or none at all.
Tags: coinsurance, copay vs coinsurance, deductible vs coinsurance, deductible vs copay, health insurance explain, insurance copay, insurance deductible, insurance out of pocket expense, study abroad insurance, Travel Insurance
Posted in Insurance Explained, Product Information, Student Insurance, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, May 20th, 2011
Yesterday we launched our new Atlas Plan online free quoting/application tool. The new tool has a new design and a few improvements, so I will be going over the steps to completing this application.
The first step of the application is to get a free quote for your Atlas Travel Medical Insurance Plan.
The first question asks “Will your trip include the US or US territories as a destination country?” If you need the insurance to provide coverage for you inside of the US, choose “yes” if not choose “no”. Please keep in mind that if you are a US citizen or US permanent resident you must choose “no” to this question as the plan doesn’t provide coverage inside of the US for US citizen/permanent resident.
Next you will choose when you want your coverage to begin, you can choose to have the plan start in the future or as early as the same day. You cannot choose a date that is in the past. The date coverage should end can be anywhere between 5 days from the start date all the way until 1 year after the start date.
After, you can fill in your date of birth. If you need to include your husband or wife on your insurance plan, fill in their date of birth as well – if not, you can just leave it blank.
If on your trip abroad you will be participating in more adventurous sports such as bungee jumping, scuba diving, rafting, or mountaineering, you should choose to include the optional sports coverage which will give you coverage for these activities as long as it is not part of an intercollegiate, interscholastic, intramural, club, and professional sports or athletic activities or for wage, reward or profit.
Once you have fill out all the information, click on “Get Quote” at the bottom of the page.
To obtain a quote, click on the “get quote” button and you will be taken to the next page showing you the price for the entire time period you chose in the previous step.
For the coverage amount you can choose from $50,000 up to $1,000,000. You can choose the coverage that you need and the price will automatically update base on your selection. Once you have chose your deductible and coverage, click the “Apply” button right next to the price you want to purchase.
On this page you will simply fill out some information about yourself and your contact information. Your mailing address should be the address where we can reach you. Please be sure to fill out an email that you check regularly as this will be the primary way we will contact you about your policy including your documents and any other requests.
You might notice on the right hand side of the page that you can review the summary of your application so far.
Again, when you have filled out all the blanks click on “next”.
Here you will select your citizenship and your home country just in case your home country is the different than your citizenship.
For the destination countries, choose the country(ies) that you will be traveling to by clicking on the country and then the arrow pointing to the right.
In the “Online Fulfillment Option” by choosing “Yes” you will receive your insurance documents electronically immediately after you complete the application. If you choose “No” you will get the documents physically email to you instead.
The beneficiary for accidental death benefit is the person you’d like to receive the monetary payout in case you pass away. This person can be anyone you want, usually it is a family member.
 In this page you are asked again if you want to add the optional sport rider. Again, if you will not need it leave it blank and click next.
 
Congratulations, once you’ve reach this point you are almost done with the application. On this page you just need to confirm the price of the plan and include your payment information. You can use a credit, debit or bank card as long as they are MasterCard, American Express, Discover or Visa. Please keep in mind that “Visa Electron” is not accepted.
Once you have fill out all the information, read through the terms and conditions and click the check box if you agree then hit the “Place Order” button to submit your application!
Tags: atlas travel, Insurance application, online application, study abraod insurance, travel abroad insurance, Travel Insurance, Travel insurance application
Posted in Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Student Health Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | 2 Comments »
Friday, April 8th, 2011
Americans are in love with cars and unless you live in one of the few major cities, you understand that it is hard to live without one. Because the United States is so big, there are vast distances between places and you will find that the public transportation is not as extensive as other countries. Having a car gives you access to really experience the many different facets of American culture. Taking a road trip can be a fun and economical way to see the country, especially if you share the trip with a few friends.
Each place in the US has its own unique culture and scenery. Take a road trip and you will see that America is really not all the same everywhere like the movies and news media might make it out to be. From the New England small-town charm and the history of early American settlement by the Europeans, you can compare the internal culture by traveling south for the famous southern hospitality and comfort food. If you are continuing to explore, drive further south to the beaches in Florida and Little Havana in Miami. Go west to Texas where everything is bigger, up to the bread basket with its vast farm land. See the famous Yellowstone National Park or go further west and hit the more progressive San Francisco.
As with taking any trips, you should do some planning beforehand to make sure that the trip goes smoothly. Here are some tips to help you plan a fun and successful road trip in America:
- Consider how much time you have and where you want to go: This will help with the next step of planning the road trip and also with budgeting.
- Get together with your travel buddies to plan the trip: The planning process is half the fun, and it is a great bonding experience. Planning it together also ensures that everyone has a say in where to go and what to do so no one feels left out. After all, you will be spending a lot of time with them on the road trip, and an unhappy companion will lead to an unhappy trip!
- Create a budget: By mapping out where you plan to travel, you can calculate how much you will have to pay for fuel; there are several fuel cost calculator online to help you budget. It is also important to think about where you will sleep; remember that the US doesn’t have many hostels, most stay in a hotel or motel and if you feel adventurous you can also try camping! Check out our recent blog on other alternative places to stay while traveling.
- Bring entertainment: Even with your favorite CD, listening to the same few songs over and over again may lead to boredom. Be sure to remember classics that everyone can enjoy!
- Try going off the interstate: US interstates are a great way to travel from one place to another, but with it comes all of the chain fast food restaurants. If you want something more unique, try going on local roads once in a while.
- Consider a GPS: While getting lost can be fun and often lead you to interesting places, not knowing how to get back to where you need to be when you need to be there can be stressful. Many smart phones today may have GPS, but if you are in a location where there is no cell phone signal, your phone may not work either. Don’t make yourself completely dependent on technology, bring an old fashion paper map.
- Bring food and drink: Stopping too many times to buy food will only takes time from your other activities so pack wise to maximize your time.
- Have fun!: Sure you should plan ahead, but you don’t have to plan the trip down to the minute. If you see something interesting on the road feel free to stop and take a look.
- Stay rested and don’t drink and drive! Remember that most states it is illegal to have an open container of alcohol in the car with you – that is even if you are not drinking it.
If you are a foreign national in the US, make sure that you have travel medical insurance coverage that would cover you nationwide in case you get sick or injured on your road trip. Don’t forget that you will also need to have a valid driver license in the US, and be sure to have auto insurance coverage for your rental car as well.
Do you have any other tips for taking a road trip in America you would like to share? Please leave a comment for us.
Tags: how to plan a road trip, how to take a road trip, planning a road trip, road trip, road trip 101, road trip insurance, road trip tips, taking a road trip, tips for a road trip in america, Travel Insurance
Posted in Health & Safety, International Student in the USA, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, March 11th, 2011
Whether you’re just vacationing or studying abroad, having a good medical insurance is important. The Atlas Travel Medical plan provides comprehensive coverage in case you become sick or injured due to an accident while you are abroad. Many people know that the plan would cover your doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medications, and evacuation, but most may not realized that the plan comes with additional travel assistance services as well!
When you get the Atlas plan you will have access to a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week worldwide travel and medical assistance. These services include:
- Pre-trip destination information – For information regarding any health risks, travel restrictions, any vaccinations required for your country of destination
- Medical Monitoring – Emergency message rely will relay message to your family, friends and co-workers during your hospitalization and establish a single point-of-contact for updates regarding your medical status
- Doctor referral – Contact information for western-style medical facilities in your destination country where English is spoken
- Travel document replacement – Assistance with obtaining replacement passports, birth certificates, visas, airline documents, and other travel – related documents
- Lost luggage assistance – tracking service to assist in locating luggage or other items lost in transit
Other assistance services include:
- Prescription drug replacement
- Emergency travel arrangements
- Dispatch of physician
- Translation assistance
- Credit card/ Traveler check replacement
Tags: travel assistance, Travel Insurance, travel services
Posted in Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Product Information, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Friday, February 4th, 2011
After the recent political unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, we thought it would be important to mention political evacuation insurance plans.
Political turmoil in a country can cause problems for many people around the worlds not just for those living in the country. What if you are in a foreign country traveling or studying abroad and then something happens? What if you haven’t left your home country yet when it happens? Sure that is better than being there in the middle of the chaos, but what happens to your expensive plan ticket that you have already bought?
There are different insurance options which can provide protection against these political uncertainties. A good comprehensive travel medical insurance, like the Atlas Travel plan, can provide you with not only coverage in case you get sick or injured, but also with coverage in case you need to evacuate due to local unrest. If the United States government issues a travel warning that becomes effective after you have already arrived in your destination country, the Atlas Travel plan will provide transportation to the nearest place of safety or even cover your return back home.
If you are already covered for your medical needs, a stand-alone emergency evacuation insurance may be for you. While this plan doesn’t provide coverage for medical expenses, it will provide coverage for medical emergency, political evacuation and more.
Because you never know when something bad can happen, you want to have protection for when you are abroad and also before you actually leave for your trip. If certain events happen that would prevent you from taking your trip, you don’t want to lose all the money you have spent on your non-refundable plan ticket. The Trip Cancellation insurance plan can provide this coverage. If you add the Cancel for Any Reason option to the plan, you can be reimburse for 75% of your non-refundable tour cost. As with all insurance plans, it is important to read the terms of the plan carefully.
Tags: emergency evacuation, emergency evacuation insurance, emergency insurance, political evacuation, political evacuation insurance, study abroad insurance, Travel Insurance, trip cancellation insurance
Posted in Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
International students in the Netherlands are required to have international health insurance. The Netherlands require that international students have insurance that meets the Schengen visa requirements. Those requirements are as follows:
- The insurance company must have a representative office in Europe
- Medical evacuation/ repatriation coverage of at least US $37,500
- Insurance must be valid for the duration of stay in the Schengen countries
The Atlas Travel Series is an excellent solution for insurance for international students in the Netherlands. This plan provides coverage outside your home country for inpatient and outpatient services, prescription drugs, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc. This plan allows you to choose your maximum coverage limit (from $50,000 to $1,000,000) and your deductible (from $0 to $2,500).
The Atlas Travel Series meets all the visa requirements for insurance for international students in the Netherlands.
After you purchase this plan, you will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail. In this e-mail, it will contain your insurance card, letter of coverage, receipt, visa letter and policy details. You can simply print these documents out to show proof of coverage.
Tags: atlas insurance, Insurance for international students in the netherlands, international student insurance, international student insurance requirements, schengen visa insurance, schengen visa insurance requirements, Travel Insurance
Posted in Country Requirements, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
You should consider an international major medical insurance plan when traveling or living outside your home country. These plans can protect you from high medical costs if the unexpected happens like an illness, accident or injury. International major medical plans usually come with much more comprehensive benefits like, maternity, mental health, wellness and optional dental and life.
The Citizen Secure plan is an excellent option for those in need of an international major medical insurance plan. The Citizens Secure plan provides comprehensive international major medical insurance coverage around the world for expatriates and anyone who needs international health insurance. The plan provides a high $5,000,000 policy maximum and various deductible options plus the option to have worldwide coverage, and worldwide coverage excluding the USA and Canada.
Tags: international major medical insurance, international student health insurance, international travel insurance, study abroad health insurance, Travel Insurance
Posted in Health & Safety, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
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