RICHMOND, Va., November 27, 2006 — How do you say, “somebody call the doctor” in Korean? Or in Urdu or Arabic? More than 63 million Americans traveled overseas last year, according to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Office of Travel and Tourism. Unfortunately, after they landed, many had a difficult time finding the proper medical care. Getting sick or injured is bad enough; doing so in another country can be a nightmare.
Facing the prospect of needing medical attention abroad, companies with business travelers should take precautions. Planning for unforeseen emergencies can save time and money, and ensure that your employees are well taken care of.
The solution: international business traveler insurance.
“Healthcare plans often do not cover illness or accidents that happen outside the country,” said Beth Godlin, Executive Vice President of Access America, a leading specialty insurance company that protects and assists millions of travelers each year. “Medical evacuations alone can cost up to $100,000 which must be paid upfront. Our plans cover that.”
To help companies avert risk and protect traveling employees, Access America is introducing new international travel insurance plans with a new website designed to provide international travelers with a range of information from 170 countries.
Global Business Traveler Protection offers four levels of coverage, for those who travel overseas frequently to occasional domestic business travelers. All plans have 24-hour global assistance to handle the details of an emergency with the right people, facilitate making hospital payments, obtain medical records and contact clients and loved ones.
New International Assistance Website Access America’s new International Assistance website provides useful, up-to-the-minute information for international travelers. The password-protected site (https://international.worldaccess.com/evacnet ), is free with Global Business Traveler Protection plans and provides news alerts, climate statistics, culture and etiquette tips, a currency conversion calculator, foreign language translations of pharmaceuticals and a variety of other information, including:
Health notices and immunization requirements
Holidays and significant dates
A directory of accredited hospitals and physicians, including specialists
“A recent earthquake off the coast of Japan resulted in a tsunami warning in that country and in parts of Russia” Godlin said. “It’s this type of breaking information that is available through the new website. We think it will be an invaluable resource for international travelers.”
Site users also can create custom news alerts on specific destinations and issues, including daily feeds on multiple destinations and access to a 30-day news archive.
For details about Business Traveler Protection, call (800) 284-8300 or email