When we speak about Travel Assistance or Travel Insurance, many consider this to be the same. However the reality is that they are totally different products.
While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they are actually very different types of coverage:
Travel assistance provides support services in case of an emergency while traveling.
Travel insurance provides monetary compensation for losses that occur while traveling.
The key difference is that travel assistance is an assistance services plan and travel insurance is more like a typical insurance plan that provides protection for monetary losses that can occur while traveling. As while the Travel Assistance provides a direct service at the time of the event, travel insurance reimburses only the sums spent by the insured, after the event, to the limits of coverage.
The differentiators between travel assistance and insurance are often quite confusing to consumers, so it is important to highlight these differentiating factors. Travel assistance enables travelers to have support and assistance on the ground and immediately in the case of an emergency.
Both types of coverage can be purchased for single trips or multiple trips throughout the year. Travel assistance plans are relatively affordable, and unlike travel insurance, you pay a set rate that isn’t based on the cost of your trip.
Some of the travel assistance services that On Call we provide are emergency medical evacuation; immediate travel arrangements for a member, travel companion and family in the case of a medical emergency; prescription replacement if lost or forgotten while traveling; worldwide medical, dental, pharmacy and legal referrals; and assistance with emergency travel funds. In addition, our travel assistance services include cash advances and credit card replacement; delayed baggage compensation; language translation; lost document replacement assistance; legal assistance, including bail bond; and the return of deceased remains.
Our travel assistance service provides 24-hour care, 365 days a year, in your native language. It will be us who will take care of making decisions, and in most cases the costs are covered directly with the doctor or hospital, so you should not worry about the expenses.
That’s why if you are thinking in making a trip, we serriously recommend you to hire our travel assistance services so you won’t have to worry about medical coverage and internacional care.