Expecting summer holidays it would be wise to direct your attention to topical issues arising before the insured in case of voluntary accident and illness insurance when travelling abroad.
A principle task of such type of insurance is the indemnity of medical costs of rendering first aid and emergency care. Sudden diseases or accidents occurring within a period when an insured person is staying abroad shall be deemed insured accidents.
In the case of such sudden disease or accident the Insurer shall cover the following costs within a sum insured:
- Accident-assistant squad services;
- Out-patient treatment, hospital treatment, including:
- diagnostic study with a view to establish a diagnosis at a sudden disease or trauma (laboratory tests, X-ray, etc..);
- medical consultations;
- provision of drugs and dressing materials;
- operative treatment;
- Casualty evacuation and/or repatriation;
- Repatriation of dust to a gravesite in a permanent residence country;
- Telecommunication with a representative of an insurance company abroad.
Some insurance companies additionally cover:
- Legal aid costs provided thereof do not exceed a stated amount;
- Dental health services related to removing acute pain provided such costs do not exceed an amount stated in a relevant insurance contract;
- The services related to searching for and saving an insured person.
An insurance policy issued to a person for travelling abroad is generally included in a travel cost and it can be acquired independently.
When signing an insurance contract where a policy does not bear contact data of a medical assistance service be sure to claim a list with telephone numbers of operators (the insurance company’s representatives ) in a host country operated by an operator speaking Russian.
When signing an insurance contract be sure to thoroughly verify the completed data:
1. Surname, given name, patronymic, date of birth, passport details, address of the insurer and insured.
2. Verify the validity of an insurance contract and trip duration.
3. Warn an insurance company’s representative of your intention to go in for active sports (diving, mountain skis, mountain climbing, sky surfing, sky-jumping, etc.) and in such case your insurance contribution will be somewhat higher, however your insurance coverage will cover the traumas which can occur when going in for active sports which are not covered by an ordinary insurance policy. If however a citizen fails to advise of details of his/her trip, which may enhance risk of causing damage to the life and health and become a reason of an insured accident then an insurance company shall be entitled to deny paying an insurance coverage.
Eventually all insurance companies are involved in arranging medical aid abroad by commanding services rendered by international medical assistance services.
A medical assistance service means a company which is rendering services on arranging medical aid abroad. An insurance company is gained access to call centers of medical assistance services operating twenty four hours. Such medical assistance companies are involved in arranging and paying up medical aid.
Each insurance company in its Regulations specifies a procedure of actions to be performed by insured persons when an insured accident occurs, namely:
1. First of all, PRIOR TO requesting medical one should contact an insurance company’s representative (medical assistance service) or such company itself and request to render medical aid. Primarily an insurance policy number should be advised. Such insurance policy number is like your PIN for accessing medical aid thereunder. Without such information you may be aided in bad time. Therefore, if have no opportunity to carry your insurance policy under your belt (and you should do it) put down its number and contact data of the Insurer’s representative and enclose them in your passport or a bag.
2. A next thing to be done by an insured person is to clearly and objectively specify a reason of his/her unrest and advise what kind of aid he/she needs. Where it is not possible to identify an insurance policy number – a surname and given name of an insured person should be advised.
3. A key insight – be sure to advise your contact data (a phone number, address) to the Insurer’s representative. By the way, such representative of the Insurer may be contacted not only by an insured person, but also by his/her representative.
In an exceptional case, if such insured person or his/her representatives for some reason are not able to contact such insurance company’s reprеsentative located abroad, one should address the issue of arranging medical aid in a responsible manner (selection of a doctor, execution of procedures prescribed thereby, purchasing and self-administration, etc.). Particularly this concerns reference to «separate» doctors. Such doctors not always are able to render skilled medical aid.They are not always cooperating with insurance companies, i.е. it may be that they are not qualified to issue relevant documents which are appropriated for reimbursing costs by insurance companies.
In order to tackle the issue of paying up an insurance coverage under the costs paid up by an insured person independently the latter should submit the following documents:
- An insured accident statement, a document certifying identity of an insured person, a policy original copy;
- An original copy of the document certifying the fact of requesting medical aid, and containing a date of such request, diacrisis, total amount to be paid up (a medical report, epicrisis, medical comment);
- An original copy of a document certifying paying up of medical aid (an invoice, medical aid checks);
- Original copies of refill prescriptions for purchasing drugs bearing a stamp of a pharmacy and cost of each drug prescribed by an attending physician in connection with such disease, till slips certifying purchase of drugs, as well as original copies of documents certifying telephone conversations with the Insurer.
When selecting an insurance company or definite insurance terms one should bear in mind that the following costs are not normally insured (not accepted for insuring) or materially limited in reimbursement:
- Those related to treating chronic diseases;
- Those related to traumas and diseases caused by either direct or indirect radiation effects of any type, including solar ones (sunburns, solar fevers, photocontact dermatitis, etc.);
- Dental service aid;
- Traumas and casualties caused when committing crimes or delicts;
- Traumas and casualties caused under alcoholic, drug, toxic intoxication;
- Traumas and casualties caused when going in for sports (frequently such term on reimbursing such costs may provided for in an insurance contract for extra cost);
- Additional conveniences when staying in a hospital (a separate ward with TV and AC);
The statistical data on insuring persons travelling abroad show that around a half of insured accidents (48.6%) within a period of summer holidays abroad are qualified to be catarrhal diseases caused by excessive heat or frigorism (rhinitis, bronchitis, otitis, laryngotracheitis, etc.).
A share of insured accidents related to getting various traumas is equal to 22.2%. The insured accidents related to food-born diseases rank third (19.6%). Among other insured accidents the following should be stated:
- Skin-allergic reactions (2.93%);
- Bites of insects, snakes and various animals (2.39%);
- Vascular diseases (cerebral crisis, heart attack, etc.). (1.54%);
- Acute dentagra (1.76%);
- Other insured accidents, including death (0.93%).
A largest number of insured accident occur in the countries which are most popular among Belarusian travelers (Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, etc.). Thus, for instance, Turkey ranks first in the number of incidents. Egypt and Thailand are also «leaders» in the list of accidents.
In this way an insurance policy gives confidence that if an accident occurs you’ll not stay alone face to face with your trouble, you’ll be promptly and able rendered medical aid; all medical costs related to rendering first and emergency aid will be paid up.
