24/7 Emergency Assistance

Included in the Trip Protection plans is a non-insurance benefit providing 24/7 Emergency Assistance for a range of situations from lost passports to emergency medical evacuations. Travelers needing medical care are not required to contact the Emergency Assistance team.¹

Travelers in need of assistance with medical transportation, evacuation, or repatriation must contact the Emergency Assistance team for help.  Read more below.

Medical Benefits
The medical benefits in the plans are intended to supplement the primary medical insurance travelers presumably already have. Typically, the maximum medical benefit is $50,000 – $250,000, which is helpful in combination with primary coverage, but insufficient in the absence of primary coverage. (Note that if your primary coverage does not provide benefits abroad or you do not have primary coverage, click here to learn more about Travel Medical Insurance.)

Travelers in need of medical care do not need pre-approval nor are they required to use an in-network provider. Particularly in an emergency, travelers should proceed to the nearest medical facility, get help, and worry about the insurance claim later.

Emergency Transportation, Evacuation, and Repatriation Benefits
In the event a traveler has a medically necessary reason to be transported, evacuated, or repatriated, the Emergency Assistance team will coordinate with on-site medical personnel, evaluate the medical situation, and provide medically appropriate next steps.

For example, depending on the circumstances, a traveler may be moved to another facility with appropriate capabilities or flown home for care. Some medical conditions cannot tolerate high altitudes, so may not be safe for a flight; others may need medical personnel to escort the patient. These considerations—and many others—impact how and when patients are moved, so they are done as safely as possible.

Reaching Emergency Assistance
Though chances are good that very few travelers will actually need to reach the Emergency Assistance team, everyone should prepare to do so in advance, as without some key information, the Emergency Assistant folks cannot help.

To get help for yourself or on behalf of someone else, call or email the Emergency Assistance hotline.  (This contact information is in the insurance paperwork, summary of coverage, and certificate.) You will need to provide:

• Insured traveler name and date of birth
• Copy of passport
• Copy of primary insurance card
• Contact information (and relationship to insured traveler)
• Travel insurance policy number
• Original travel itinerary
• Medical records associated with the current medical issue (if available)

Naturally, most travelers do not have all of this information gathered and ready to submit in the midst of an emergency, but should!  Gather the pieces, draft an email with the attachments, and send it to yourself, your travel companion, and a trusted friend or family member who is not traveling with you. This way, you’ll be able to email or call the Emergency Assistance team— or ask someone to do it on your behalf—without needing to find the information while also figuring out how and where to submit it. Some travel planners or trip leaders are happy to hold this information on your behalf as well. Just ask!

Filing a Claim After a Trip
If you’ve secured medical care while traveling and did not have a need to contact Emergency Assistance, follow these steps to get your claim started.

¹Trip Assure can provide names of vetted medical providers and facilities upon request, but travelers can use any provider.