Zurich Travel Assist

[Mistizoom]

I have booked a cruise for March 2013 and am looking for travel insurance. I found out that through my Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance policy that I have through my employer Zurich Travel Assist is included. What's included is listed here: http://www.zurichna.com/zna/accidentandhealth/zurichtravelassist.htm though I can't find any dollar amounts for the coverage on either Zurich's site or my employer's web site. I suppose I'll call Monday to see what the limits are, if any. Does anyone else have this insurance? Is this enough for medical evacuation or should I still look at getting a separate policy? I've had this ADD insurance since I've worked at my current job, for 6.5 years now, so I don't think it is going anywhere, but I suppose there is also the outside chance that the policy could change for 2013 as well. My final payment for the cruise is due 1/1/2013. Thanks for any insights.

[sirwired]

The reason you can't find dollar amounts is because this doesn't actually cover anything at all; it's not insurance. All this appears to do is provide somebody you can call that will help you arrange all those services at your own expense. (It's probably designed for employees on official trips whose employers will be paying those expenses.) This is handy, but isn't going to pay the bills either.

 

If you are going on a cruise, I'd highly suggest actual travel insurance that will not only help get you out of a jam, but pay the bills afterwards. (And, as a side note, NO medevac company will evacuate you until you've made payment arrangements, either through insurance or your own resources. If you do not do so, you will be staying wherever you happen to be at the moment, even if that means you die as a result.)

[Mistizoom]

Thanks very much, that's what I needed to know, I couldn't tell what this would cover. I will go ahead and buy a standard travel insurance package including medical evacuation.

[CruisinGerman]

This Zurich Assist program is the services arm which specifically states it acts as a supplement to your Zurich Accident Policy.

 

Have a look at the contractual wording of your Zurich Accident Policy. I am 99% sure that your policy will contain a Travel Insurance Rider as part of your main policy. That rider will contain the travel medical, evacuation, repatriation coverage. Zurich Assist is merely the assistance and services arm of that coverage.

 

See if you have that coverage within your Zurich Accident Policy and what the limits are.

 

Zurich Assist is definitely meant to service that coverage -- not as someone else has said, to provide you with referrals and medical service for you to pay for yourself.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Mistizoom]

This Zurich Assist program is the services arm which specifically states it acts as a supplement to your Zurich Accident Policy.

 

Have a look at the contractual wording of your Zurich Accident Policy. I am 99% sure that your policy will contain a Travel Insurance Rider as part of your main policy. That rider will contain the travel medical, evacuation, repatriation coverage. Zurich Assist is merely the assistance and services arm of that coverage.

 

See if you have that coverage within your Zurich Accident Policy and what the limits are.

 

Zurich Assist is definitely meant to service that coverage -- not as someone else has said, to provide you with referrals and medical service for you to pay for yourself.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

Thanks for the input. The main policy is an Accidental Death & Dismemberment, so it only covers certain types of accidents (i.e., I have to lose a limb, or some other major bodily function for it to kick in). I do have this policy for myself, my husband and my son. I think I will call them out of curiosity, it does sound like there is some type of medical evacuation covered, but only to the nearest acceptable facility that would have "Western" standards. The travel insurance policy I am looking at has a "hospital of choice" evaculation so I will likely go with that anyway. My AD&D policy does cover flight accidents, which not all travel insurance packages cover, so that is good.

[CruisinGerman]

Read all of the wording carefully. People have this usually mistaken illusion that evacuation should mean flying you in a medical airplane to the United States. This is usually not true. Please remember that if you're cruising around the Caribbean, countries such as Panama, Colombia, the major cities in Mexico are considered in the medical industry to provide excellent, or at least more than acceptable medical care. And Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (if those destinations are closer) are, in fact, the United States.

 

Most accident policies usually do throw in some sort of travel insurance, even if the coverage is minimal. So call them and check it carefully and, by all means, if the coverage is not what you're comfortable with, do buy an additional policy.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta