ITIJ Issue 211 August 2018

NEWS ANALYSIS:

p.12

FEATURE:

p.28

FEATURE:

Step by step improvements

Protection from infection

Evolving with the times

Making travel insurance accessible to all

How can travellers, insurers and healthcare providers prevent the spread of disease?

Adapting to cover the new terror-related landscape

ESSENTIAL READING FOR TRAVEL & HEALTH INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS

Travel insurance claims skyrocketed in 2017

p.32

AUGUST 2018 • ISSUE 211

GoCompare warns cruisers Comparison website GoCompare has warned consumers planning on taking a cruise holiday to pay careful attention to their travel insurance policies, as not all standard coverage will include cruises According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), almost two million holidaymakers took a cruise last year, a record number, and travel industry figures cited by GoCompare suggest that 14 per cent of holidaymakers have a cruise planned over the next 12 months.

However, the comparison site has warned travellers that only 59 per cent of annual travel policies and 55 per cent of single-trip policies provide specific cruise holiday cover as standard.

Cruises are naturally a unique beast when it comes to holidays, often taking much longer and involving travel through multiple jurisdictions, so standard coverage will rarely cut it in the event of a mishap. And even those policies that do cover cruises will vary dramatically in terms of how much financial assistance they offer.

“Cruising is undergoing a resurgence, with operators offering holidays to suit all types of people and budgets,” said GoCompare Travel Insurance spokesperson Martyn John. “Part of the appeal is that cruises give passengers the opportunity to see and experience a wide range of destinations and activities – all rolled into one holiday. If you’re embarking on a cruise it’s important to have the right travel insurance in place – one that’s tailored towards being on a ship and covers all the destinations on your itinerary, even if you’re only leaving the ship for a few hours. If you’re

According to data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), travel insurance claims in the UK skyrocketed last year, with £385 million paid out by insurers This made 2017 the most expensive year for claims since 2010, when the Icelandic ash cloud saw huge numbers of claims payments made.

The ABI’s data shows that 510,000 claims were made in 2017 – 30,000 more than the previous year, with costs up by £16 million.

Medical expense claims comprised more than half of the total number of claims, with an average of £1,300 paid for this reason, while delayed baggage and lost money were also major contributors. An increase in cancellation claims were, according to the ABI, driven

by major airline disruption, unpredictable weather events and the general cost of family holidays increasing significantly.

“Travel insurance acts as your guardian angel when overseas and should be an essential element of your holiday shopping list,” Charlie Campbell, the ABI’s Policy Adviser for Travel,

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Editorial comment @ITIJeditor Sarah Watson - editor

Editor-in-Chief:

Ian Cameron ian@itij.com

sarah@itij.com

Editor: Travel insurance is well and truly under the spotlight at the moment, with the UK Government’s financial services regulator (FCA) calling for improved access to such insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions following a Call for Input in June (p.8 and p.12), and a European insurance regulatory body announcing its launch of an investigation into the travel insurance industry following what it cites as persistent consumer protection issues (p.7). Read all about the impetus behind these investigations and their proposed next steps in this issue.

We also report on the Association of British Insurers’ latest data that shows a huge hike in the number and average cost of travel insurance claims (p. 1), with medical expense claims comprising more than half the total number of claims; while at the same time, MoneySuperMarket’s latest findings show that one in 10 Brits don’t take out travel insurance (p7), despite one-third needing medical care abroad. It makes you wonder if the actual proportion of claims made/paid

to policies being sold is actually increasing too; and whether consumers will ever be fully aware of the value of travel insurance. On this note, we look forward to hearing more about Travel Insurance Explained’s roundtable this autumn (p.8), when it will bring together various parties to further debate the issues raised by the FCA report, including access to cover and consumer awareness.

Elsewhere in this issue, we hear from International SOS on the topic of preparing business travellers to stay safe and healthy when on assignment overseas; we explore the role that insurers and healthcare organisations play in preventing the spread of infectious diseases that are common to travellers; and we analyse the development of cover for terror-related events.

Look out for a full list of this year’s ITIJ Awards finalists in the next issue! We’ll also be brining you our latest Air Ambulance Review supplement, with features on topics including safety and just culture, crew training, accreditation, and long-haul repatriations! Sign up at itij.com/subscribe to make sure you never miss an issue!

Sarah Watson sarah@itij.com

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Features Editor:

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Writer & Copy-Editor: Copy Writer:

Christian Northwood

Advertising sales:

Marketing:

p7 Insurance Matters

EIOPA to investigate travel insurance

p19

Survey reveals consumer attitudes to data

European regulator announces probe

New report from Mulesoft

Finance:

Elspeth Reid Alex Rogers Kirstin Reid

Design team: Web team:

p20

Female travellers seen as more at risk

Tom Reed

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Company Brief

p14

Epidemic insurance for travel and tourism Metabiota develops Pathogen Sentiment Index

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Health Matters

Citizen science to predict outbreaks

Forecasting the spread of mosquito-borne diseases

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Travel insurance claims skyrocketed in 2017

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Editorial Blog

GoCompare warns cruisers

urged consumers. “Insurers are paying out £1 million every day to cover the unexpected costs of illness, injury or cancellation. Medical expenses can often cost tens of thousands of pounds, while the large increase in cancellation

So EIOPA have decided to investigate travel insurance products across the EU (see p.7).

Who???

Insurers are paying out £1 million every day to cover the unexpected costs of illness, injury or cancellation

EIOPA, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority.

That famous EU institution that few know exist and even fewer know what they do. Apparently they’re really concerned about ‘cross-selling travel insurance as an ancillary product’ and the high rates of referral for ‘consumer protection issues’. Well, shock and horror! ITIJ has only been banging on about this for the last 20 years, as have many people in the industry.

claims shows just how important it is to purchase your cover as early as possible.

Our question to consumers today is: can you afford to not have travel insurance?”

From ITIJ’s perspective, the answer is a resounding ‘no’.

planning to participate in any activities, like snorkelling or golf, you’ll need to check the activities section of the policy wording to make sure you are fully covered.”

John said that travellers should ensure they read policy documents carefully to familiarise themselves with any exclusions and conditions applied to the policy. “For example, if you’ve independently booked an on-shore excursion and you’re late returning to the ship and it sails without you, your insurance may not cover you,” he

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said. “Another common policy exclusion is for medical treatment required following excessive alcohol consumption.”

Cruising is undergoing a resurgence, with operators offering holidays to suit all types of people and budgets

So they’ve decided to spring into action. Well, I say ‘spring’. Let’s not forget these guys are Eurocrats, so ‘springing’ is not really their thing.

‘Moving at a measured pace’ would be a diplomatic way of putting it.

So, don’t hold your breath. Or anything for that matter …

Ian Cameron Editor-in-chief ian@itij.com

NEWS

EIOPA to investigate travel insurance European regulatory body the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has announced that it is launching an investigation into the travel insurance industry EIOPA has said that the investigation has been caused by the ‘persistent appearance of consumer protection issues’ and that it will be analysing and assessing potential sources of consumer detriment stemming from how travel insurance products are designed, distributed and sold within the European Union.

In particular, EIOPA will be taking a look

at the distribution practices of policies that are sold through cross-selling as an ancillary product. It wants to establish best practice guidelines to provide guidance to insurance undertakings in

said: “Travel insurance has too often been under the spotlight with the persistent appearance of a number of consumer protection issues. This review will enable us to gain a deeper understanding of the

Travel insurance has too often been under the spotlight with the persistent appearance of a number of consumer protection issues implementing national provisions of the Insurance Distribution Directive for the distribution of travel insurance, as well as other types of insurance products.

EIOPA Chairman Gabriel Bernardino

reasons leading to potential consumer detriment and to identify the required actions that will better protect consumers.”

The EIOPA hopes to publish its findings in the first quarter of 2019.

Risky travel

According to new research by price comparison website MoneySuperMarket, although one-third of Brits require medical treatment while on holiday, one in 10 do not take out travel insurance. The research found that 42 per cent of British holidaymakers don’t get cover because they believe it�is�too expensive. However, the average cost is £31, a fraction of the cost of medical fees abroad.

Additional findings were that 44 per cent of 25-34 year-olds have needed medical treatment on holiday. Londoners were found to be more likely to need medical attention than people from any other part of the UK at 55 per cent, compared with Wales at 31 per cent, the North West at 30 per cent and the Midlands at 28 per cent. Furthermore, men were found to be more likely than women to experience medical problems, with 40 per cent of men becoming unwell or suffering injury, compared with 25 per cent of women.

The research found that the US is the most common destination for Brits to need medical assistance, with 24 per cent of Brits claiming on their travel insurance, followed by Spain (23 per cent) and France (14 per cent). MoneySuperMarket found that the top medical reasons for travel insurance claims are: gastroenteritis/food poisoning, heart condition, respiratory-related condition, broken bones, ear infection, cancerrelated conditions, diabetes and related complications, and stroke conditions.

“It is never worth the risk to book a holiday without travel insurance, regardless of where you are going … it’s important that you read up on the exclusions when you buy a policy and declare any preexisting medical conditions. The research showed that 20 per cent of those that do take out a policy are not clued up on what they are covered for, which could lead to problems if a claim were to be made,” said Kevin Pratt, Consumer Affairs Expert at MoneySuperMarket.

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NEWS

Affordable travel insurance for all?

According to a report from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), cancer patients are struggling to find affordable travel insurance The FCA has said that it will now work with the travel insurance industry to direct people to specialist cover and it is hoped that this will help 15 million people with longstanding health conditions.

The report said that problems include: a lack of information about alternative cover after people had been given expensive quotes or refused cover owing to their condition, or past condition; a lack of understanding among insurance companies and their customers about what risks are considered when setting prices; and unclear pricing of premiums.

“One in three people living in the UK are likely to get cancer at some point in their lives and it is absurd that this large group are prevented from travelling because they cannot get insurance or worse, forced to risk travelling without it,” said Melissa Collett, Professional Standards Director at the Chartered Insurance Institute. “Many people living with cancer and those in remission

live healthy and full lives and we should be doing all we can to support them in this.”

Better access needed In June 2017, the FCA issued a Call for Input (CfI) on access to insurance, aiming to gather evidence to help address the concerns about people with pre-existing medical conditions obtaining affordable

The FCA estimates that there are currently 15 million people in the UK living with at least one long-term health condition travel insurance. The feedback has been published, and has only strengthened the FCA’s call for improved access.

“People with pre-existing medical conditions feel poorly served by travel insurance,” said Christopher Woolard, Executive Director of Strategy and Competition at the FCA. “There are specialist services out there, but, often, people don’t know where to find them. We’ll work with industry to point people in the right direction and help dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings to ensure this market works better. This will also form part of our continuing work on insurance pricing practices, which are designed to lead to long-term positive changes across the market.”

The FCA estimates that there are currently 15 million people in the UK living with at least one long-term health condition, with this figure likely to rise to 18 million over the next decade.

Travel Insurance Explained lobbies government UK consumer awareness initiative Travel Insurance Explained recently threw its support behind a parliamentary dropin session with Sharon Hodgson MP, Shadow Minister for Public Health, as part of efforts to lobby the UK Government and other key stakeholders to improve access to insurance for vulnerable citizens.

The session took place in July at the House of Commons. Among the issues covered were: improving access to insurance for those with mental health conditions, cancer diagnoses and other serious health issues; improving awareness among consumers so that they know what cover they need; the rise of comparison sites and the effect that they have had on standardising travel insurance in consumers’ perception, despite the fact that no two policies are exactly the same; and the fact that consumers tend to buy purely based on price, and

The key themes that came out of the CfI, which generated a ‘high level of interest’, include: a lack of quality information on alternative options available to consumers after they receive a high quote or are refused cover; a general lack of understanding amongst consumers and firms around insurance terms and the risk factors that are considered by providers when calculating the premium; and a lack of transparency around pricing, the risk factors that drive quotes and how premiums are calculated.

The Association of British Insurers has already responded to the FCA’s feedback, with Head of Conduct Regulation Raluca Boroianu-Omura saying that it was open to considering other ways of helping people to understand and find the right cover for them.

“The main purpose of travel insurance is to cover the cost of emergency medical treatment overseas,” said Boroianu-Omura, “with insurers paying out medical claims worth around £200 million a year. This means a person’s medical history is particularly relevant when they are buying cover.”

For further discussion of this topic, check out our New Analysis on p.12

Egyptian insurers push for post office distribution

are often disappointed as a result.

“We [were] delighted to be invited to support this drop-in, which is timely following the release of the FCA’s recent feedback report on access to travel insurance,” said Fiona Macrae, Head of Travel Insurance Explained. “We want to keep the momentum behind the access to insurance journey for those with all medical conditions. As part of our campaign, we will be inviting key stakeholders – including politicians, charities, insurers’ medical risk rating providers and associations – in the autumn to join us for a roundtable to have an open debate on the issues raised by the FCA report. Travel Insurance Explained intends to lobby and campaign heavily in the coming months to make sure the consumer gets the right outcomes and the industry is seen in the positive light that it rightly deserves.”

Insurers in Egypt have requested support from the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) to distribute insurance products through the country’s National Postal Authority. This is part of ongoing efforts to promote microinsurance.

The FRA’s Vice-Chairman, Reda Abdel Moaty, was reported by Al Mal News as saying that the regulator has plans to work through the various obstacles that insurance companies, in particular those offering microinsurance, have to navigate in Egypt; the FRA is reportedly considering making it easier for post

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offices to offer mandatory travel and motor insurance and short-term life insurance, to improve access for customers.

Regulations currently standing in the way include requirements for an employee of the insurance company in question to be present at a post office for a policy to be sold, self-evidently a costly and inefficient way of doing things.

The National Postal Authority, meanwhile, has called for an electronic link to be set up between itself and insurance companies to make information sharing and sales more efficient.

NEWS

Why are claims denied?

US-based travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth, in response to ongoing misconceptions surrounding why claims are and are not accepted, has revealed the top mistakes that travellers make that lead to a claim being denied, in the hope of raising awareness and improving acceptance rates.

The first reason cited is that the traveller was not ‘medically stable’ when they first purchased their policy; Squaremouth advises that holidaymakers refrain from buying policies – perhaps even from booking trips at all – until they have been medically cleared for

Lack of coverage a risk in UAE

travel. The second most common mistake is travellers believing that every eventuality is covered, whereas in actual fact unless ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ coverage is purchased, there will be limits.

Squaremouth also cited claimants lacking all the requisite documentation to back up their claims, such as receipts, itineraries and so on; claimants believing that they should receive payment for the inconvenience they suffer, rather than merely be reimbursed for financial loss; and travellers buying coverage too late to cover them for a storm or other such event.

A worrying 65 per cent of UAE travellers do not purchase travel insurance for their trips, according to yallacompare, a comparison website based in the Middle East Additionally, a survey by the site found that 40 per cent of UAE residents have experienced some variety of travel-related ‘incident’ such as flight cancellations (with 20 per cent of respondents experiencing these) and lost or stolen cash (6.8 per cent). Twenty-one per cent of respondents said that the reason they forego travel insurance coverage is because they consider it prohibitively expensive, but 32 per cent said that it was because they simply

forgot, even though they claim they would prefer to make sure that they are covered.

“Not having proper coverage for medical care on holiday is a big risk,” Jonathan Rawling, CFO of yallacompare, told Arabian Business.

“The point here is that these things can and do happen. And when they do, that small investment in an insurance policy before you travel will look like excellent value for money.”

Australia travel advice

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As Australia’s popularity as a destination for both short and extended holidays, as well as gap years, grows, Aquarium Software has advised travellers from other Englishspeaking countries to be careful The common language and other familiar similarities may make a destination seem manageable and safe, but this sense of security is false – and comprehensive travel insurance is a must, says the company.

Most people are aware of the many dangerous creatures that make Australia their home, from the world’s most poisonous jellyfish to huge spiders and snakes, but there are also risks such as rip tides, sun stroke and dehydration to contend with, Aquarium advises. A number of holidaymakers have died while diving the Great Barrier Reef and the cost of a repatriation from Australia to the UK, for example, would most likely be prohibitively expensive for the average traveller.

“Shared language and recognisable culture can make ‘western’ destinations like Australia seem like home from home, which is why British travellers love it,” said Aquarium Software Director Mark Colonnese.

“But complacent travellers forget they are in a foreign country, thousands of miles from home, should anything go wrong.

Australia is an enormous continent as well as a country, and with one in every five internal flights between the two largest cities running late, insurance makes sense.

Extreme weather events are not uncommon, so there’s a myriad of reasons why travel cover down under is a no-brainer.”

The good news, he said, is that ‘distance is no longer a barrier to technology’: “Smart technology can keep you in direct contact with your insurer should you find yourself in trouble. Clicking onto your smartphone bypasses the need to dig deep to the bottom of your case for instructions how to call home. And geolocation helps your insurer automatically validate the validity of your claim, enabling it to focus on your immediate needs and pointing you in the right direction for local territory assistance.”

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NEWS

Legal support for travel insurance policyholders

UK-based travel insurance provider Holidaysafe has announced that it has selected law firm Penningtons Manches LLP’s travel law team to provide legal support for its policyholders in the event that they are involved in an accident while abroad. The team will specifically aid customers when navigating the personal liability and legal expenses aspects of their policies.

Penningtons Manches brings over 100 years’ combined experience in this area, as well as access to a wide-ranging network of international personal injury lawyers. It is also a member of Multilaw and The European Law Group, so it is hoped that customers’ minds will be

Allianz warns against luggage confusion

put at rest by this level of support.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the travel law team at Penningtons Manches,” said Amber Moon, Holidaysafe’s Travel Brands Team leader. “Their depth of experience and knowledge is really valued here at Holidaysafe. We hope that our customers never find themselves in a legal situation abroad; however, in the event that they do, we know that they will be in good hands with Mark Lee and his team.”

Mark Lee, for his part, said that he was ‘delighted’ to be partnering with the travel insurer: “Our team shares Holidaysafe’s customer focused approach and we very much look forward to working with them and their policyholders in the years ahead.”

In response to increasing numbers of airlines insisting that passengers allow their hand luggage to be placed in the hold of aircraft due to a lack of space in overhead lockers, Allianz Global Assistance has warned travellers to make sure they know where they stand in the event that this happens. Unfortunately, holidaymakers whose hand luggage is put into the hold and who subsequently have valuable items lost, stolen or damaged may not be covered by their travel insurance.

Allianz is urging travellers to: ensure that their luggage is labelled clearly inside in the event that tags are lost; to remove valuable items before bags are put in the hold; to immediately report any lost, stolen or damaged items; to make all claims to airlines in writing within the allotted time limits (typically seven days for lost, stolen or damaged items and 21 days for delayed luggage); and to check official travel advice for destination countries before travelling, as this could affect what items a traveller takes on holiday with them.

“If you are travelling abroad by plane this summer it is possible that you may have your hand luggage taken off you and put into the hold, as many aircraft today simply do not have the capacity to carry all hand luggage in the cabin,” said Barry Smith, Underwriting Manager for Allianz Global Assistance in the UK. “If this happens to you, you must ensure you remove all valuables, such as wallets, keys, laptops and mobile phones, before they take the case away and put it in the hold. Typically, travel insurance policies will not cover an individual for valuables that

unexpectedly go missing from hold-stored luggage. If hold luggage is lost, delayed or damaged in transit it is the airline that is liable. Therefore, it is important that you inform the airline as soon as possible if there is an issue with your luggage.”

He added: “People automatically assume that their travel insurance policy will provide cover in the event of their luggage being lost, damaged or stolen whilst in the care of an airline, but this is not necessarily the case. To ensure holidaymakers are reimbursed or reunited with their belongings they need to be aware of the right action to take, and take it as quickly as possible.”

Passengers injured on Ryanair flight A loss in cabin pressure on a Ryanair flight injured more than 30 passengers on 13 July. The aircraft was travelling from Dublin, Ireland to Zadar, Croatia.

The plane was forced to land in Frankfurt, Germany after the incident, with some passengers bleeding from their ears after the loss of pressure. Some passengers were reported to still be receiving medical attention on 15 July. The uninjured had some cause to complain, however, as German authorities struggled to find accommodation for them, meaning an uncomfortable night’s sleep on ‘military

style camp beds’ with no blankets.

BFU, Germany’s air accident investigator, has said that it will be investigating the incident and will be speaking to the crew and passengers.

“The aircraft landed normally, and customers disembarked, where a small number received medical attention as a precaution,” Ryanair said in a statement. “Customers were provided with refreshment vouchers and hotel accommodation was authorised; however, there was a shortage of available accommodation.”

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PAGE UPDATE

INDUSTRY VOICE

Prevention and protection Mark Parrish, Regional Medical Director at International SOS, and James Wood, Security Expert at International SOS and Control Risks, map out the road to a safe and secure mobile workforce The world is shrinking.

At least, in travel terms it is. A more globalised business world means that employees are more likely to be spread out across different continents and will be travelling more regularly than before. While

Our Return of Prevention study looked at the cost difference between relocating an employee and having to terminate an assignment early due to poor health.

The study found that there is a costbenefit analysis of up to $2.53 for every $1 invested in preventative measures.

Prevention is the key, particularly when it comes to medical needs. So before business travellers even jet off to their next destination, companies should implement medical checks to help identify and manage any pre-existing conditions.

A more globalised business world means that employees are more likely to be spread out across different continents and will be travelling more regularly than before this presents significant opportunities for businesses, it also brings the challenge of managing a mobile workforce, where each new destination has its own set of risks and potential business continuity issues, along with opportunities.

From terror attacks to natural disasters and medical emergencies, employees’ safety and security are never far from an employer’s mind. The need to assess risk and advise and assist employees whenever and wherever needed has never been more evident. Not only is it a duty of care for any organisation to implement appropriate preparation and prevention methods, this can also result in proven cost and insurance savings.

Below are some key tips to help keep your travelling employees safe and maintain their productivity, as well as reduce the risk of liability in the event of something going wrong.

Health checks When it comes to keeping employees safe while travelling for work, being on the front foot can make a big difference for both the business and the traveller.

This can be anything from arranging access to certain medicines employees will need while away, to making sure their dietary requirements are met.

Alongside this, businesses should also provide information on medical requirements for a destination as far in advance as possible to ensure preventative measures such as immunisation can be arranged.

Being aware of seasonal changes and the difference in seasons depending on where employees are travelling is also

transmit serious diseases such as Zika virus, West Nile virus and Lyme disease.

businesses should provide information on medical requirements for a destination as far in advance as possible key. Even though flu season is over in the northern hemisphere, those travelling to the southern hemisphere are at risk and should be aware of that. At the same time, with summer in full swing in Europe, businesses need to provide information on infectious bites such as mosquitoes and ticks, especially as these bites can

Cyber security In today’s environment, where global risks are constantly evolving, the preparation doesn’t stop there. Cyber threats are ever present and businesses need to ensure employees are not just aware of less ‘traditional’ risks, but that they know how to mitigate these.

With cyber crime predicted to cost businesses between $2.1 trillion in 2019 and $6 trillion by 2021, information security while travelling on business is an area of particular concern. Whether in-transit, or at their destination location, business travellers – and by extension their corporate networks – are potentially more vulnerable to malicious cyber and physical information security threats.

To protect against some of these risks, businesses need to make sure that all

devices being used by employees while abroad are up to date with the latest security software, and that employees are using good password management.

International business travellers should also be made aware of the potential threats associated with using public WiFi. As the risks will vary per destination, researching these ahead of the business trip is key. When a traveller returns from their trip and they have witnessed suspicious activity on any of their devices, make sure to ask IT to run a check for any cyberattacks and update their security where necessary.

Accommodation Businesses should not only be fully prepared when it comes to general health and safety, but also when it comes to booking employees’ accommodation abroad. Careful consideration of security and health issues should be given. For example, did you know that it is advisable to book a hotel room on the opposite side of the main entrance, and to make sure it has the appropriate security fittings?

information security while travelling on business is an area of particular concern The employee should also be made aware of any emergency procedures to follow, and he or she should always be easily contactable by the company.

The boy scout’s marching song To help keep your employees safe and avoid loss of time and productivity, they need to be adequately prepared for business travel. They should be able to access the support they need, especially when they are in unfamiliar and remote locations. Above all, when it comes to international business travel, an employee’s safety needs to be put first. Well prepared employees and a robust, tested emergency plan can go a long way towards helping them and the company to mitigate any risk.

Ultimately, being proactive will always beat being reactive in business travel risk management.

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NEWS ANALYSIS

STEP BY STEP IMPROVEMENTS

With more older travellers seeking adventure, and an increasing number of people suffering from pre-existing medical conditions, ensuring access to appropriate cover for these groups is an important aspect of the insurance industry’s role. Mandy Langfield rounds up the latest developments surrounding the efforts of insurers and industry bodies to widen access to insurance products

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PAGE UPDATE

NEWS ANALYSIS appropriate companies who can cover their conditions), with over 100 of its members being specialists in this type of insurance. Executive Director Graeme Trudgill noted: “We have been calling for wider signposting in our Manifesto to help customers and improve financial inclusion. We have long identified that the biggest challenge is awareness, and that more providers need to actively engage in signposting. We believe that BIBA has a leading role to play because we have specialist insurance brokers in our membership with the insurance solutions that customers need, and improved signposting will enable more customers to access cover.”

Last year, on 4 October, the UK’s Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) hosted a roundtable with insurance professionals, a cancer charity and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to discuss the issues around this area.

The purpose was to understand the technical problems and identify some possible approaches both the regulator and the professionals could take. The roundtable identified broad categories of issues where action was needed: Commoditisation of retail lines.

Commoditisation benefits ‘mainstream’ consumers in that they facilitate access to simple and relatively cheap products through a straightforward buying process through price comparison websites.

This could lead to ‘non-mainstream’ consumers being potentially excluded from cover. Longer-term travel policies might help by attracting consumers who are healthy at the time of application, even though their situation or circumstances could change during the policy period.

Consumer understanding/decision making. Improving transparency over what is and is not covered should help reduce surprises for customers, as will encouraging and educating consumers to think about insuring the holiday prior to final booking. To facilitate this, the CII is working with initiatives such as Travel Insurance Explained, a website aimed at educating consumers about their policies.

Signposting to specialist brokers.

Charities could provide a signposting service if the technology was available for them to keep it up to date with low resource/cost. Alternatively, aggregators specially designed for people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Perceptions of what is ‘fair’.

More transparency in risk screening and consistency of approaches to cancer patients in remission and how this affects the risk.

Recent developments At the end of June, the FCA published its feedback on a Call for Input it made last year on access to insurance for people

with pre-existing medical conditions. The FCA was concerned about how difficult it was for some customers to find the

Improving transparency over what is and is not covered should help reduce surprises for customers right insurance at a reasonable price, with the result of this concern being that the organisation is going to work with key industry stakeholders to create a new service that will direct customers to specialist providers that will be able to meet their needs. Christopher Woolard, Executive Director of Strategy and Competition at the FCA, said: “People with pre-existing medical conditions feel poorly served by travel insurance. There are specialist services out there, but, often, people don’t know where to find them.

We’ll work with industry to point people in the right direction and help dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings to ensure this market works better. This will also form part of our continuing work on insurance pricing practices, which are designed to lead to long-term positive changes across the market.”

The CII is one of the stakeholders that has been working with the FCA on its consultation. ITIJ spoke to Melissa Collett, Professional Standards Director of the CII, about the perceived problems consumers have with accessing insurance. She pointed out that at least 15 million people in the UK are currently living with at least one long-term health condition, a figure that is expected to rise to 18 million within 10 years.

“Although many people living with cancer and those in remission are living healthy lives,” she said, “some are prevented from travelling because they cannot get insurance, or worse are forced to risk travelling without it. This highlights the need for consumers to seek specialist advice if they have pre-existing conditions to ensure they have cover that meets their

specific requirements. However, it can be difficult for many consumers to find the specialist advice they need. Improving signposting would help enable more people to be covered for the moments that matter.” The FCA paper, she concluded, provides an opportunity for insurers not currently providing adequate signposting services to begin to do so.

The aforementioned ‘industry stakeholders’ with which the FCA will

People with pre-existing medical conditions feel poorly served by travel insurance carry out its mission include the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA).

BIBA has already been heavily involved in signposting (directing customers to

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Not going far enough?

Another significant stakeholder area is the charitable sector. Macmillan Cancer Support’s Executive Director of Policy and Impact Fran Woodard said of the news of the FCA’s intentions: “We welcome commitments today from the FCA to work with providers to make it easier for people with cancer to find suitable travel insurance, but we are disappointed that these proposals do not go even further. Improved signposting will only benefit people with cancer if, at the end of it, there is fair and affordable cover available.”

So, not good enough then, as Woodard continued to explain: “No two cancer experiences are the same and if travel insurers want to meet the needs of people with cancer, they must update their oversimplified medical screening to reflect this. We are concerned that, despite these proposals, many will still be faced with limited choice and disproportionately high premiums. We look forward to working with the FCA and the insurance industry to ensure that these proposals are as effective as they can be for people with cancer. But insurance policies should be clear and fairly priced for everyone, and we will continue all our efforts to achieve this.”

Some progress, then, which is good to hear – but there still remains a lot of ground to cover. ■

COMPANY BRIEF

Epidemic insurance for travel and tourism Epidemic risk modelling company Metabiota has announced the development of a new Pathogen Sentiment Index, a tool designed to map public anxieties and behavioural trends that have been driven and altered by outbreaks of infectious diseases In partnership with reinsurer Munich Re and broker and risk management solutions provider Marsh, the index will be used as the basis of new, ‘cutting-edge’ epidemic insurance solutions for the travel and tourism industry. Hotels, airports, cruise ships and other similar entities will soon have access to business interruption policies based on ‘public fear triggers’, protecting them against potentially catastrophic financial losses that might result from a severe epidemic.

“The Zika virus may end up costing Latin America and the Caribbean up to $18 billion,” noted Metabiota in a press release. “And the US economy has already been directly impacted by the spread of the virus.”

And while the travel and tourism industry will see major benefits, other businesses will stand to benefit as well.

Designed for maximum flexibility, new pathogens and diseases can be easily incorporated into the index, as can other developments such as the development of a new vaccine; it has been tested against more than 10 years’ worth of

reporting on real-life outbreaks.

“Infectious disease outbreaks can inflict enormous social and economic disruption and public fear and panic can only magnify those disruptions,” commented Bill Rossi, CEO of Metabiota. “Until now, that risk has been difficult to measure. By providing a comprehensive and objective methodology

The Zika virus may end up costing Latin America and the Caribbean up to $18 billion for quantifying the potential ripple effect of epidemic risk, we’re able to provide the insurance industry with the tools to underwrite risk and deliver polices to protect countries and corporations from financial blowback.”

International SOS and KMPG formalise collaboration International SOS and KMPG LLP are to collaborate on a new project that will help to streamline the travel risk management process for clients.

International SOS said that it will be utilising its medical and security advice and assistance services, whie KMPG will be bringing expertise in cross-border taxation, social security, immigration and HR policy. The aim is to enable clients to better support employees before, during and after short and long-term travel or assignments, and International SOS said that there will also be time and moneysaving advantages for customers.

“We are delighted to launch this collaboration, which will enable organisations to better manage their risk and compliance obligations

AXA partners with health startup

Global insurance company AXA has partnered with London, UK-based startup Spoon Guru to introduce the startup’s healthy eating diet and nutrition app to the corporate wellness market. The food search and discovery engine caters for individuals with multiple or complex search requirements, giving users information and guidance to match their food choices to their health and wellbeing goals. It will sit as part of AXA PPP Healthcare’s corporate service programme, where it will assess employees and members’ health and make expert dietary recommendations.

Spoon Guru will be recommended to members by AXA’s health advisors to help them stick to the programme. The

standard Spoon Guru app is free to use but members will be given a special access code that unlocks a members’ area within the app where they can find additional services and diets.

“We are delighted to partner with AXA PPP to offer members the benefits of Spoon Guru’s game-changing technology. Sixtyfour per cent of the world’s population now actively excludes foodstuffs from their diet and many are actively trying to make healthier choices. This means consumers need a trusted and accurate route to find food and recipes to suit their specific needs and help them accomplish their goals. Spoon Guru provides just that,” said Markus Stripf, co-Founder and CEO of Spoon Guru.

Zurich completes Oak Underwriting purchase

and future proof their travel compliance processes,” said Marc Burrows, KPMG’s Head of Global Mobility Services.

The new project formalises the work that the two companies have collaborated on for some time, said Philippe Maezelle, Chief Commercial Officer at International SOS: “This collaboration is the first of its kind and will enable travel managers, mobility managers and others responsible for international assignees to address a number of personnel and financial challenges in the ever-complex world of travel risk. Working with clients to optimise our complimentary services and technology in relation to travel risk, compliance and duty of care allows global employers to take a more holistic approach to business traveller management.”

Insurer Zurich has announced that it has completed the purchase of Oak Underwriting from RSA Insurance.

The deal was first announced in March and its completion makes Zurich one of the highest net-worth insurers in the UK. Mark Peters has been named as the new Head of Oak Underwriting, having previously held the role of Head of Market Management for Zurich. He replaces Mark Coffey, who has left for a new position outside of Oak Underwriting.

“This transaction significantly increases our scale in the market, transforming us into one of the UK’s largest high net-worth insurers and giving us a strong platform for driving future growth,” said David White, Head of Retail for Zurich UK. “Oak is an excellent strategic fit for our business, further strengthening our underwriting expertise, enhancing our distribution capabilities and expanding our regional footprint. We welcome our new customers, distributors and colleagues to Zurich.”

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COMPANY BRIEF

US launch for insurtech firm Trov

PATA and Skål sign agreement The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) mutually agreed advocacy positions, and Skål International, the international and enhance access for the benefit association of travel and tourism of members of both organisations. professionals, have announced the signing Dr Hardy said, “PATA and Skål are very of a new organisational partnership. similar in many regards. Like PATA, Skål The Memorandum of Understanding has a long-storied history, having been is aimed at promoting the responsible founded in 1934, and through the years development of travel and tourism in its members have fostered a great spirit the Asia Pacific region, and was signed of friendship and camaraderie. They

by PATA CEO Dr Mario Hardy and Skål are also committed to the development International CEO Daniela Otero during of young tourism professionals and the recent 47th Skål Asia Congress in students through Young Skål. This Macao, China. Through the agreement, partnership helps align both our both parties will have access to one missions in developing a responsible another’s knowledge and research, will tourism industry and we look forward to printadd.pdf 1 26.09.2016 18:07 reciprocate in event participation, support working with them towards this goal.”

Trov, an insurtech firm based in California, US and backed by Munich Re, is officially launching in the US. It will now roll out its on-demand travel insurance offering a year after having received regulatory approval.

Trov’s product allows customers to purchase insurance for specific items, such as headphones, laptops, wearables and cameras, for tailored lengths of time utilising smartphones. A swipe can activate and deactivate coverage, and the app can also be used to file claims.

The firm already operates in the UK and Australia, and will begin its US roll-out with the state of Arizona. Munich Re, an investor, has said that its strategic partnership with Trov will be expanded, with underwriting services provided in Europe, Asia and South Africa.

Sygic launches web route planner

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Slovakia-based GPS navigation app provider Sygic has launched its new Web Route Planner, an add-on for its online Sygic Maps service. The route planner allows users to – as suggested by the name – plan their routes on a computer and then share them to their mobile phone using the Sygic GPS Navigation App. The online map was released earlier this year and has over 100,000 users so far, according to Sygic. The new route planner function adds ‘a new dimension to the service’, the company claims; holidaymakers, for example, will be able to prepare an itinerary before heading off on a trip, and make use of various useful extra functions such as places of interest being automatically displayed on the map. Travel guides, immersive videos, hotel search functions and a tour database are also included on the website.

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COMPANY BRIEF

Chubb teams with Citibanamex

Markerstudy app adds travel insurance

Insurer Markerstudy has announced that it has added travel insurance to its TRICE app.

The offering joins annual motor, temporary motor, gadget and pet insurance, and will be underwritten by White Horse Insurance. Markerstudy claims that it can offer customers a quote within 60 seconds using its app. The travel insurance product will include access to a round-the-clock UK GP as standard, as well as the option to add cover eight hours after arriving at a destination.

Chubb Seguros México, an affiliate of Chubb Limited, has announced that it has signed a deal with Citibanamex, a subsidiary of Citigroup Inc., to provide a range of nonlife insurance products to Citibanamex’s consumer bank clients in Mexico.

The long-term deal will see Citibanamex distribute Chubb non-life insurance products through Citibanamex branches, as well as through its digital channels. Property and casualty (P/C) coverages for auto, home, individuals and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), accident and health (A&H) insurance products, and commercial P/C coverages for larger businesses will all be available to Citibanamex customers.

The companies have also signed a separate deal covering surety, with Chubb able to market these products to Citibanamex commercial customers.

The consumer and small business products will be distributed under

Chubb’s Mexican brand, ABA Productos.

Distribution is expected in early 2019.

“In Citibanamex, Chubb gains a bancassurance partner that is a leader in its market, has excellent brand recognition, deep customer relationships, and a welldeserved reputation for high-quality products and services,” said Marcos Gunn, Division President, Northern Latin America and Chief Operating Officer of Latin America for Chubb.

“This agreement demonstrates Citibanamex’s strong commitment to providing our clients with access to top-quality products and services,” said Ernesto Torres Cantú, CEO of Citibanamex. “Chubb is an outstanding partner and we know that our clients will benefit from Chubb’s expertise, market-leading position and innovative products. The agreement is another example of the enhancements we continue to make across our Citibanamex franchise to better serve clients.”

individuals and families. There is also a suite of group plans designed for SMEs and large multinationals.

Customers of the International Healthcare Plans for Russia have access to: unrestricted access to leading healthcare facilities in Russia and across the world with direct settlement for inpatient and outpatient treatment; concierge service to arrange appointments with local providers; private ambulances; home visits from qualified doctors; and comprehensive

child preventative solutions including health checks and vaccines.

“It has been a pleasure collaborating with Allianz Russia to bring these worldclass health solutions to the region,” said Ida Luka-Lognoné, CEO of International Health at Allianz Partners. “Our aim is to look after the health and wellbeing of all our clients, no matter where they may be in the world, and we are delighted that this service will now be available to those based in Russia.”

“I’m delighted to welcome travel onto the app,” said TRICE Business Development Director Sam Edge. “It’s perfect for the holiday season and really boosts the current portfolio. Developing the travel offering with White Horse Insurance has added both a unique and extensive product and buying experience for the customer. I would also like to thank Phil Denman, Managing Director of Healix, who was instrumental in helping us form this new partnership.”

Allianz Care announces new partnerships Allianz Care, the international health brand of Allianz Partners, has announced a new partnership with ICE Insurance, a local insurance provider in Mozambique Through the partnership, new and existing customers will benefit from the local experience, knowledge and contacts of ICE Insurance, at no additional cost, while continuing to have access to a comprehensive level of healthcare cover.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with ICE Insurance in Mozambique and look forward to continuing to provide a world-class service for our clients there and throughout the wider region of Africa,” said Edward Capel, COO of ICE Insurance. “We have specifically designed our standard international plans to suit the needs of both expats and locals, in order to give them peace of mind, so they can focus on settling into their new homes safe in the knowledge that their health and wellbeing, and that of their families, is taken care of.

ICE Insurance has been operating in Mozambique for over 21 years, during which time we have developed significant local knowledge and contacts across the region. We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Allianz Care and look forward to combining our local knowledge with their global expertise to deliver world-class international

health insurance solutions for expats and locals based in Mozambique.”

New health solutions Allianz Care and Allianz Russia have also announced the launch of a new range of international health solutions for the Russian market.

The solutions offer worldwide cover and include a range of individual plans that are specifically designed to suit the needs of local and expat

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INSURANCE MATTERS

Cyber security for virtual assistants First cyber data breach standard for insurance industry Legal expenses insurer Das Group has launched a suite of cyber security guidance and information tailored for virtual assistants Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Owners of these virtual assistants will now be able to ask them various questions surrounding cyber security, and their devices will respond with information about staying stay online, understanding the breadth and nature of cyber risks, and what courses of action to take should things go wrong. The ‘skill’ will be available to download for free from the assistants’ respective online stores.

Additionally, DAS plans to work with brokers and other strategic business partners to develop bespoke white-label versions of this skill, so that partners can tailor their own propositions for their customers.

The skill was developed in response to the results of a survey DAS undertook recently, which found that many consumers are in ‘cyber denial’ when it comes

to knowing about strong passwords, when to use antivirus software, when to update systems and so on.

“The development and launch of these assistants follows on from the granular research we carried out in our DAS Market Barometer: Cyber, which highlighted potential issues for both small businesses and individual consumers with cyber awareness, understanding and security,” said James Henderson, Managing Director Insurance UK & Ireland at DAS UK Group.

“The legal expenses insurance industry needs to work much harder to help brokers and consumers understand the value of its products. Therefore it is vital that we are at the forefront of technical innovations that will digitise our business and provide us with opportunities to reach potentially vast new audiences. As a company we have begun a process of constant innovation.”

Earlier this year, DAS was the first insurer of its kind to launch a legal expenses insurance skill for Alexa.

UK insurers falling short According to new research, customer experience is the top reason consumers give when picking an insurer – and in this respect, UK insurers are falling short The research, conducted by customer experience management firm Medallia, Inc., in partnership with market research company Ipsos, took in responses from over 8,000 UK, US, German and French customers, and a worrying 90 per cent of Brits said that they have seen no improvement in quality of customer service from UK insurers over the past two years. And while brands sink huge amounts of money into slick marketing campaigns, only 12 per cent of survey respondents overall said that advertising would sway them when choosing an insurer.

Sixty-four per cent of UK consumers, meanwhile, said that they had avoided a major business brand due to a bad experience over the past year, rising to 70 per cent of millennials – while 80 per cent have chosen a company because of a positive experience – and only eight per cent of Brits said that their insurers’ customer service proposition had improved recently.

“Many high-profile insurers have hit the headlines for all of the wrong reasons recently,” said Rachel Lane, Medallia’s Digital Solutions Principal. “They are swiftly learning how building and repairing customer trust is the key to growth, and indeed survival. Creating a positive customer experience across all channels must be at the front and centre of how brands operate.

Consumers today expect nothing less.”

ACORD, the global insurance industry’s standards-setting body, has announced the launch of the ACORD Cyber Data Breach Standard, the insurance industry’s first official standard for cyber data breaches Developed with global professional services firm Aon and specialist insurer Beazley, the standard aims to facilitate rapid and accurate data exchange among all insurance industry stakeholders, increase operational efficiency and effectiveness for cyber risk stakeholders, and establish a baseline for compliance and any audit-related activities.

Sixty per cent of insurers, according to a recent survey undertaken by ACORD, said that the lack of uniform data standards is a major hurdle when it comes to the development and growth of cyber policies, so

Lloyd’s pilots new digital platform

the introduction of the new standard is timely.

“This question set will help organisations approach cyber risk in a united manner,” said Christian Hoffman, President, US Cyber Solutions at Aon. “Connectivity and collaboration across organisations, including – but not limited to – information

This question set will help organisations approach cyber risk in a united manner security, legal and risk management is critical. A set of uniform standards is an ideal place to start this transition.”

Initially, the standard will be available for ACORD members to review, and any feedback will be incorporated into the next scheduled ACORD Property & Casualty Standards.

Marsh announces Bought By Many investment Insurance broker Marsh has announced that it is investing in British insurtech startup Bought By Many. The investment, worth £15 million, follows the £7.5-million Series A funding that the peer-to-peer insurtech company received in October 2016; other brokers such as Evelyn Bourke and Munich Re were involved in the latest round, which was led by CommerzVentures, the corporate venture capital arm of Commerzbank.

“Marsh’s digital strategy includes collaborating with insurtech firms that open new distribution channels and create

International insurance and reinsurance market Lloyd’s has launched a new digital distribution platform.

Called Lloyd’s Bridge, the programme matches businesses with underwriters from the Lloyd’s market, allowing businesses to underwrite policies on behalf of Lloyd’s. The programme is currently in its pilot phase, and is only available in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, but Lloyd’s has said that, if successful, it plans for it to be extended to more markets throughout 2019.

innovative insurance solutions for clients,” said John Drzik, Marsh’s President of Global Risk and Digital. “Bought By Many has a unique business model to serve and grow in the small commercial and consumer segments, and we look forward to working with them.”

As part of CommerzVentures’ investment, its Senior Investment Manager Paul Morgenthaler will join Bought By Many’s board. The startup, he said, is ‘pushing the boundaries of traditional insurance … redefining products and processes entirely from a customer perspective’.

“[EXTREMELY FILM TRAILER VOICE OVER VOICE]In an age of digital disruption, our partners in both established and fast growth markets are increasingly looking for new ways to access our market,” said Bruce Carnegie-Brown, Chairman of Lloyd’s.

“Lloyd’s Bridge offers the ideal platform to do this quickly, easily and efficiently. It will enable cover holders in different parts of the world to benefit from easier access to Lloyd’s expertise, underwriting talent, significant capacity and financial security.”

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INSURANCE MATTERS

New terrorism insurance solution Aon, Chubb and Lloyd’s have announced the launch of a new terrorism and political violence solution, developed as a collaboration between the three insurance entities. The solution, called Platinum, has been tailored to help multinationals navigate the complexities of regulations while simultaneously dealing with the potential risks of terrorist action and violent political instability.

Aon stated that the development of Platinum has largely been a response to clients who prefer to navigate regulatory challenges on a regional basis rather than in a centralised manner; it offers higher limits and wider cover than equivalent products in this market, according to the three companies. Centrally co-ordinated by Chubb and Aon, pricing and underwriting are taken care of through Lloyd’s, and various optional additions are available, including cyber coverage and non-damage business interruption.

Survey reveals consumer attitudes to data In a new report, Mulesoft found both geographical and demographic disparities in insurance customers’ attitudes towards their personal data Globally, according to Consumer Connectivity Insights 2018, 44 per cent of customers said that they would be happy for insurers to utilise data garnered from social media companies and health monitoring apps, if it meant cheaper premiums in return. Those in Singapore and the US were the most comfortable with this transaction, with 63 per cent and 49 per cent of respondents from these regions respectively saying they would be happy to trade data for

lower premiums. Those in the UK were least open to the idea, with only 36 per cent saying they would be willing.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, different age groups showed different levels of willingness to engage with the concept. Sixty-two per cent of those aged between 18 and 34 said they would be comfortable, while 45 per cent of those aged 35 to 54 and 27 per cent of those aged 55 and over said the same.

Speaking more generally about the provision of insurance, 46 per cent of global insurance customers said that applying for a policy should take no longer than an hour, while 56 per cent said that renewing a policy should take no longer than this. Many

customers complained about inefficiency when it comes to insurers’ processes, with 30 per cent saying that at some point they had entirely given up on interacting with an insurer because of procedural frustrations.

IT HAPPENED. Let’s make things better.

Startup Planck Re receives investment

Insurtech startup Planck Re, based in Tel Aviv, Israel and New York, US, has announced that it has received US$12 million in Series A funding.

The company aims to use artificial intelligence to simplify the underwriting process. Its AI-powered platform aggregates a variety of publicly available data from small to mid-sized businesses that are looking for insurance coverage – including images, videos and social media profiles – and aggregates this data for carriers, providing them with information on the potential risk to their businesses.

Arbor Ventures, based in Israel, led the investment round, which was Planck Re’s first. Viola Fintech and Eight Roads also invested.

“The funds will be used to expand our product line to more SME segments, such as retail, services, contractors, IT, and manufacturers,” Planck Re CEO Elad Tsur told VentureBeat. “We plan to expand our research and development team in Israel and sales team in North America.”

“In a digitalised society, where public data is accessible, expanding the data points’ coverage and accuracy automatically is imperative for the insurance industry,” commented Arbor Ventures VP of Israel Lior Simon.

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TRAVEL MATTERS

Chinese embassy issues US travel advice The Chinese Embassy in Washington, US, has warned citizens from China deciding to holiday in the US this summer to be cautious of the ‘frequent’ shootings and theft due to US law enforcement being ‘not good’

Global Travel Plus’ tips for healthy travellers

own. The Embassy also warned of US Boarder Guards, telling travellers that they have the right to check their nationality, entry purpose, luggage, electronic equipment, and vehicles. Tourists were told that while authorities do not need a

If you receive a message from a stranger to notify you of a ‘traffic accident’ or ‘children being kidnapped’, be sure to calm down and wait until you have verified the situation through other channels

The travel notice warned of eight potential dangers facing Chinese travellers, and in particular families, when travelling to the US this summer. As well as the claim of rampant crime in the US, citizens were also warned of expensive healthcare costs, and it was suggested that travellers purchase insurance.

The notice further informed travellers of the strict guidelines at airports and warned them not to let minors out on their

warrant before a search, and they do not have the right to request a lawyer, they can make a complaint if they feel ‘that law enforcement officers have improper enforcement or discriminatory practices’.

Fraud is also ‘rampant’ against Chinese citizens in the US, the travel warning stated. “If you receive a message from a stranger to notify you of a ‘traffic accident’ or ‘children being kidnapped’, be sure to calm down and wait until you have verified the situation through other channels,” the warning explained, before adding the domestic US numbers to report such a crime.

Medical travel assistance company Global Travel Plus has shared three tips to keep travellers safe and healthy during the summer months.

The first is for travellers to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and to avoid health exhaustion by steering clear of physical activities during the hottest hours of the day. The second tip is to become acclimated to the difference between outside and water temperatures, and to be safe in water by not engaging in water sports alone and by following the lifeguards’ instructions. Thirdly, Global travel Plus advises travellers to be careful when preparing meals – for example, checking the inner temperature when cooking meat and washing fruit and vegetables – in order to lower the risk of food poisoning.

Muslim tourists flock to East Jerusalem The number of Muslim tourists heading to Israel is – perhaps surprisingly – on the increase, with East Jerusalem, generally favoured by Jewish and Christian travellers, a primary beneficiary.

Statistics from the Tourism Ministry of Israel show that while Muslims still only make up 2.8 per cent of the overall number of travellers heading to the country, the numbers are increasing. In 2015, approximately 75,000 Muslim tourists travelled to Israel, while in 2016 there were 87,000 and in 2017 the number rose to 100,000, with Jordan, Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia notable source markets.

“Ten or 15 years ago, there were barely any Muslim tourists coming to Israel,” commented Aziz Abu Sarah, co-founder of US-based tour operator Mejdi Tours, speaking to The Media Line. “They have waited for the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for so long and it has not happened.

But because they see the city as vitally important, many have realised that if they want to see it, they must just go.”

The first half of this year saw overall tourist numbers to Israel rise by 19 per cent compared with the first half of 2017, representing approximately 2.1 million individual travellers.

Female travellers seen as more at risk

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Travellers believe that women face greater risk than their male counterparts when travelling for business, according to new research from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), conducted in association with WWStay.

Sixty-nine per cent of US travel buyers believe that the safety risk to female travellers is greater, while 61 per cent also believe that it is very important to consider female safety when implementing risk management programmes. Respondents said that the top concerns for female travellers were travel to certain countries/cities, sexual harassment and assault, and kidnapping.

“While this research revealed travel buyers are concerned about female business traveller safety, only 18 per cent of travel policies specifically address female safety,”

said Christle Johnson, GBTA President. “As an industry we need to do more to ensure the safety of our female road warriors, especially as women make up an ever-increasing amount of our business traveller population.”

“We are proud to partner with GBTA on this important research,” said Shobha Shankar, WWStay co-founder and COO. “As a long-time advocate and leader in addressing female safety, WWStay has vetted our global list of serviced apartments and made changes in our technology to highlight those that meet a certain set of criteria with female traveller safety in mind.

We hope that this study raises awareness of risks to female travellers, provides the attention these issues deserve, and results in changes and improvements by both the buyer and supplier communities.”

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TRAVEL MATTERS

Sharing economy services less popular According to Allianz Global Assistance’s Annual Sharing Economy Index, half of Americans are unlikely to use sharing economy services for 2018 summer travel. More than half (53 per cent) of Americans said that they are either ‘not very likely’ or ‘not at all likely’ to use these services during their summer travels.

However, Americans do consistently believe that sharing economy services offer a more authentic local experience and better value for money, with 62 per cent of Americans finding providers of these services to be ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ trustworthy. Millennials were found to be the age demographic most familiar with sharing economy services (93 per cent). Despite this, 33 per cent of millennials said that they believe traditional services provide the best overall experience; up from 22 per cent in 2017.

“This is the first time we’ve seen intent to use sharing economy services decline, particularly

among millennials, which is surprising as they led its early adoption,” said Daniel Durazo, Director of Communications at Allianz Global Assistance. “Millennials appreciate the value and authentic local experiences that

This is the first time we’ve seen intent to use sharing economy services decline, particularly among millennials are offered by sharing economy services, while they also like the product and overall experience offered by traditional services.

Travel suppliers vying for the millennial market this year should capitalise on their strengths and try to shore up their weaknesses.”

Tourist jailed for video in Egypt A Lebanese tourist has been sentenced to eight years in prison by an Egyptian court after posting a video online insulting Egyptians after she was sexually assaulted in Cairo.

In Mona el-Mazbouh’s 10-minute video she described Egyptians as the ‘dirtiest people’ and Egypt ‘the country of pimps ... of beggars’ after being sexually assaulted in the country’s capital city.

The Egyptian court said that the video ‘deliberately broadcast false rumours which aim to undermine society and

attack religions’, according to state news source Al-Ahram. The tourist was arrested when trying to leave the country at Cairo Airport, and initially was sentenced to 11 years in prison, before the sentence was reduced to eight. She was also forced to pay a fine of around $600.

El-Mazbouh has apologised in another video, claiming that she ‘didn’t mean to offend all Egyptians’. In May, Egyptian authorities arrested Egyptian activist Amal Fathy after she posted a video attacking the state after a negative experience at a bank.

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TRAVEL MATTERS

Young travellers deceive on social media Social media is becoming increasingly important to millennials’ holiday experiences, highlighted by the fact that onethird of travellers aged between 18 and 34 admit that they have posted deceiving images to social media to convince their followers that they are having a better holiday than they actually are This is according to a new survey of American travellers from Allianz Global Assistance, which found that 65 per cent of respondents admitted that their main goal in posting deceptive image was to make others envious. Half, meanwhile, see it as a way to compete with those that do the same. Men were found to be more likely than women to take staged holiday photos.

Whether for nefarious purposes or not, social media posts are important to millennials for documenting trips, with 63 per cent saying that the reason behind their posts is so they can look back on their trips. Over half realise the wonders spending a week in the sun can do, saying that they post because they look best in their holiday photos, while 52 per cent post because their holiday snaps have the best surroundings.

Before you go waggling your finger and tutting, Allianz Global Assistance found that neither Generation X nor Baby Boomers are immune to the narcissism of social media. 45 per cent of Gen X’ers and 20 per cent of Baby Boomers admitted posting their holiday photos because they

looked best in them, while 20 per cent of Gen X’ers and nine per cent of Baby Boomers said that they posted pictures on social media to make others jealous.

Social media posts don’t just inspire jealousy in viewers, but also serve as inspiration for their next trip, with over half of all respondents saying that posts influence their travel planning choices.

Despite the rise of social media influences and the constant brand posts on social media, 63 per cent claim to be most inspired by their family and friends.

“Social media changes the way we live, work, play and of course, travel. As millennials continue to lead trends, it will be interesting

neither Generation X nor Baby Boomers are immune to the narcissism of social media to see if social deception becomes a more common and even acceptable activity when portraying vacations to friends, family and followers,” said Dan Durazo, Director of Communications, Allianz Global Assistance USA. “Whether you plan to make your vacation look better than it was or not, the right travel insurance policy can protect you from the unexpected things that may go wrong – and your social media followers will never need to know that the trip wasn’t as perfect as it looked on Instagram.”

All watched over by machines of loving grace One of Europe’s most popular beach destinations is introducing a potentially life-saving unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) service this summer, writes David Ing The Auxdron Lifeguard will be able to eject life belts on to the surface of the sea for swimmers who get into trouble off the coast of Mallorca. The Spanish Maritime Safety Agency (Salvamento Marítimo) will be using the UAV as a follow-up to a trial season carried out on the Spanish mainland beach at Puerto de Sagunto near Valencia in 2017. It has been specially developed for the rescue role by General Drones as part of a collaborative programme, Col-lab, run by the Valencia City Council.

The company said it will also be repeating its trials in Sagunto this summer, as well as hoping to get the programme adopted

by Spain’s other archipelago region, the Canary Islands. The paramilitary Guardia Civil police, which is in charge of sea rescues, has given its support to an unmanned system it says should prove especially useful for getting aid to swimmers quickly.

Lieutenant Rosalia Machin, from the force’s technological innovation department, said it was a ‘rapid and effective solution that can help a lot in coastal rescues’, especially when it comes to reaching people in difficult to access zones.

General Drones’ Director Adrian Plazas said the rescue UAV has been specifically designed for its role using sea and sand resistant materials: “The Auxdron Lifeguard carries innovations that make it very

effective when it comes to achieving its goal. When the drone reaches the person who is in difficulties, it launches one or two life belts that inflate on contact with the surface of the water. With this we gain time ahead of the rescue services arriving.”

Improvements to propellers and motors introduced for the latest model enabled

it is a ‘rapid and effective solution that can help a lot in coastal rescues’, especially when it comes to reaching people in difficult to access zones the UAV to increase its speed as well as extending the time it can spend aloft.

According to 2017 figures from the Spanish life-saving federation, RFESS, there were 28 drownings in the Balearics region, of which Mallorca is the biggest island. In Spain as a whole, the number rose to 481, 44 up on the previous year, with the Canaries having the highest number of victims – 93.

UK MPs vote for third Heathrow runway UK MPs recently voted to go ahead with plans to add a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. The vote was passed by a majority of MPs – 415 votes to 119 The expansion will bring in 100,000 extra jobs, the government has said, and will supposedly benefit the entire country by guaranteeing internal flights throughout the UK. The vote secures £14 billion of private investment and will allow for 40 new long-haul trading links, double the cargo capacity and more competition and choice for passengers.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “Parliament has ended 50 years of debate by deciding that Heathrow expansion will go ahead. This vote will see us deliver more jobs, create a lasting legacy of skills for future generations and guarantee expansion

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is delivered responsibly. We are grateful that MPs have made the right choice for Britain and today we start work to create the best connected hub airport in the world.”

However, the environmental impact of the third runway has caused concern for many, including charity Greenpeace.

The government has stated that the project can be completed sustainably, though this of course does not take into account the extra air traffic that will result from the new runway.

The next stage for the expansion will first see the Secretary of State for Transport designate the final Airports National Policy Statement approved by Parliament.

Heathrow will then have to submit a development consent order, which will begin an 18-month approval process. If all goes to plan, construction will start in 2021 and be completed in 2026.

TRAVEL MATTERS

US Muslim travel ban upheld The US Supreme Court has upheld the controversial travel ban implemented by Donald Trump. The ban covers five majority Muslim countries – Libya, Syria, Iran, Yemen and Somalia – and has been in place since December. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Sonia Sotomayor first raised concerns about the ban, saying that it did not uphold the First Amendment, which

Kiwi families travelling further

allows religious liberty to all in the US. The bill passed by five votes to four, with Chief Justice John Roberts stating: “The Proclamation is expressly premised on legitimate purposes: preventing entry of nationals who cannot be adequately vetted and inducing other nations to improve their practices. The text says nothing about religion.”

Passenger causes airport evacuation Cairns Airport in Australia was recently forced to evacuate its domestic terminal after a passenger set off an alarm trying to re-board a plane.

The airport was forced into lockdown and passengers were evacuated out of the terminal, with the airport tweeting that it suspected a security breach. It was quickly found that the alarm had been activated by a passenger trying to head back to their plane.

A spokesperson for Cairns Airport told the

Australian press: “We have spoken to the lady and it is believed she forgot something and left the plane to run back to get it. She thought because she had been screened it was all OK. She is very apologetic, but we had to do a full evacuation.”

Passengers were left standing outside the airport for an hour after the event, but the Australian Federal Police were quick to affirm that there was no threat to public safety. Five flights were delayed by the evacuation.

New Zealand families are looking further afield for their winter trips, according to Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI).

New research from the New Zealandbased travel insurer has found that, while Australia and the Pacific Islands are still popular for many families, more distant destinations are starting to increase in popularity. Indonesia strikingly found its way to the third spot on the insurer’s list of top-10 most popular destinations,

while the UK, France and Singapore also all found their way onto the list.

“Travel is an enriching experience for people of all ages,” said Jo McCauley, SCTI’s Chief Customer Officer. “While we know things can go wrong when overseas, a sense of security can free us up to be more adventurous. We want families to get out there and see the world, safe in the knowledge they have a policy from an established insurer.”

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HEALTH MATTERS

Citizen science to predict outbreaks Researchers are using citizen science data combined with NASA Earth satellite observations to create new forecast models that can predict the spread of mosquito-carrying diseases However, they have said that more data is needed to improve these models, and are calling on citizen science to help fill the gaps.

“We do not have enough information on the geographic distribution of mosquitoes and time-variation in their populations.

If a lot of people participated in this citizen science initiative worldwide, it will help fill in gaps and that would help our work,” said Assaf Anyamba, a scientist from Universities Space Research Association who is using satellite data to study mosquitoes at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, US. From Autumn 2017 to spring 2018, two NASA DEVELOP teams at Goddard studied Western Europe, which is not typically known for mosquito disease outbreaks. They blended citizen science data with NASA satellite observations of land surface temperatures, humidity, soil moisture, elevation, vegetation and

precipitation, and used it to create an interactive, open-source map on Google Earth Engine to improve prediction models for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

“Knowing the mosquito species and their approximate populations at a given time provides useful information on the potential of occurrence of a particular pathogen, or disease transmission,” Anyamba explained.

The public can use an app called GLOBE Observer to help track mosquitoes and collect data over the summer using the Mosquito Habitat Mapper tool in the app.

Outbreak preparedness The Resolve to Save Lives initiative by US-based non-profit Vital Strategies has highlighted which countries are falling short when it comes to readiness to respond to the next major outbreak, UK newspaper the Telegraph has reported.

who knew H1N1 would originate in Mexico According to the initiative, which so far covers 65 countries, four in five nations are not ready to detect and respond to

Legionnaires’ in Spain Hotels and other popular tourist haunts have been warned to tighten up their precautions this summer after a near 50-percent spike in the number of Legionnaires’ disease cases reported in Spain last year, writes David Ing While not all registered cases involved tourists, the National Association of Environmental Health Businesses (Anecpla) said that the arrival of summer, with high temperatures and increased use of air conditioning, highlighted the need to ‘maximise controls’ on cooling systems where the bacteria breed.

Eight people died in Spain in 2017 from the disease in what was the second worst year for Legionnaires’ in a decade, while the number of reported cases soared to nearly 1,500 from just over 1,000 in 2016, according to figures from the National Centre for Epidemiology.

One of the worst outbreaks happened in early autumn when eight hotels were affected in the town of Palmanova on the island of Mallorca.

It caused a wave of cancellations, especially in its leading incoming tourism market, the UK, after British travel agents’ clients were advised to steer clear of the resort.

In its warning, Anecpla pointed out not only the dangers from hotel, spa and other accommodation systems, but also less obvious ones, such as those used by restaurants and bars on their outdoor terraces.

Other areas prone to propagating the disease were the very places tourists went to in the case of falling ill – namely hospitals and clinics.

“All systems are susceptible to provoke a possible outbreak of Legionnaires’,” said Milagros Fernández de Lezeta, Director-

disease epidemics and prevent their spread. “Countries with lower scores are more likely to have outbreaks with preventable deaths, and that may spread to other countries,” said Dr Cyrus Shahpar, Resolve’s Prevent Epidemics Director.

Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone were found to be among those least ready to

deal with an epidemic. According to Dr Shahpar, although the countries with lower scores are more likely to experience epidemics, it remains to be seen where the next outbreak will come from: “It’s unknown, who knew H1N1 would originate in Mexico? We all must be prepared: a blind spot anywhere is risk everywhere.”

New approach to treating infectious diseases

General of Anecpla.

The association said the need for regular maintenance was underscored by the 2017 figures which showed that ‘it’s not all being done as well as it should be’.

One specialist company, Stenco, said that since 2013 there had been

since 2013 there has been a growing trend in Spain that broke the progressive fall in cases of legionnaires’ disease ‘a growing trend in Spain that broke the progressive fall in cases that had taken place since 2002’.

Additionally, it pointed out that ‘data declared from other European Union countries has also revealed a major increase when compared to previous years’.

Researchers led by Osaka University in Japan have clarified how pathogenic E. coli bacteria attach to the host intestinal epithelium, which may lead to a new approach to treating infectious diseases as an alternative to antibiotics.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of diarrhoea in travellers and, according to the World Health Organization, is responsible for between 300,000 and 500,000 deaths a year. However, there are no effective vaccines for ETEC, which means that patients are treated with antibiotics. New treatment methods are required due to the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

The researchers said that identifying

how pathogenic E.coli attaches to the host intestinal epithelium is an essential step for ETEC infection control in humans. “We demonstrated that type IV pili on the surface of the bacteria were not sufficient for ETEC adherence to intestinal epithelial cells and that proteins secreted by E.coli were also necessary,” said Shota Nakamura, one of the study’s authors. “The administration of antibodies against the secreted proteins inhibited attachment of the E.coli.” The team believes the results will lead to the development of new vaccines for ETEC, and also anti-adhesion agents for preventing the binding of proteins implicated in bacterial attachment.

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HEALTH MATTERS

Holidaymakers to Europe need MMR vaccine Public Health England (PHE) is urging young adults to check that they’ve had both doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine before going on holiday to Europe, which is currently witnessing large outbreaks of the disease. PHE said that the vaccine is available free to anyone who did not receive both doses as a child.

However, parents are urged to take up the offer of MMR vaccination for their children at one year old and as a pre-school booster at three years and four months old.

“In the early 2000s there was a fall in MMR vaccination coverage in children and as a consequence, we are now

New website for epidemic preparedness

seeing measles cases in young adults.

Measles can be more serious in adults with a higher likelihood of hospitalisation and complications arising,” said Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE. “Measles is circulating in England and the rest of Europe. We often think about what travel-related vaccines we might need before going on holiday, but it’s also important to check that we are up to date with routine vaccinations like MMR.” She said that if travellers are unsure whether they have had two doses of MMR, they should call their GP practice to check and catch up if needed.

A new website, PreventEpidemics.org, spotlights gaps in preparedness for dealing with unpredictable epidemics and highlights actions that countries, donors, activists and organisations can take to fill them. It was presented by Dr Tom Frieden, former US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director and now President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, at the recent Aspen Ideas Spotlight Health Festival.

“By the end of this year, nearly 100 countries will have completed a rigorous, transparent assessment of how prepared they are for an epidemic – but there has been too little support from the global community and countries to close lifethreatening gaps,” Dr Frieden said. “It’s not a matter of if there will be another global epidemic, but when. It’s time for

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the global community and countries to step up and improve preparedness.”

Resolve to Save Lives partners with countries to help improve preparedness in strengthening disease tracking systems, training and staffing epidemiologists, supporting laboratory networks, and developing effective rapid response teams. The new website includes a feature called the ReadyScore that is a measure of country preparedness based on existing data from the Joint External Evaluation, an external assessment developed by the World Health Organization and partner organisations to help countries find and close gaps in epidemic preparedness. These scores can drive action by motivating countries to go up a step in preparedness.

HEALTH MATTERS

WHO continues to monitor Ebola in DRC Rubella rising in China According to a new report from the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Health and WHO are continuing to closely monitor the outbreak of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Priorities include strengthening surveillance and contact tracing, laboratory capacity, infection prevention and control, case management, community engagement, safe and dignified burials, response coordination and vaccination. The DRC has also implemented cross-border surveillance at points of entry in order to avoid the spread of the disease from affected provinces to non-affected provinces and to other countries.

On 3 July, WHO reviewed the level of public health risk associated with the current outbreak and concluded that the current Ebola virus disease outbreak has largely been contained. WHO

Syphilis cases increasing in Japan There has been a gradual rise in syphilis cases in Japan, with a more than threefold increase in cases between 2014 and 2017, totalling 6,000 cases for the year, according to a local news report.

It is the first time cases have topped the 5,000 mark in 44 years, and the number is expected to continue to increase.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by the bacterium

In the city of Wuzhou in China, cases of rubella (German measles) are on the rise among unvaccinated teenagers and adults. Rubella is an acute, contagious viral infection spread by airborne droplets and can cause serious birth defects if it occurs during early pregnancy. Symptoms include rash, low fever, nausea, mild conjunctivitis and swollen lymph glands behind the ears and in the neck.

There is no specific treatment and medical personnel have alerted the public that vaccination is the only effective way to prevent rubella infection. Travellers to the area are advised to check their immunisation status for MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) and also for tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. As many people in the city have not been vaccinated, there is a chance of epidemic outbreaks.

The World Health Organization recommends that all countries that have

said that the risk of an international traveller becoming infected with Ebola virus during a visit to the affected areas and developing the disease after returning is low, even if the visit included travel to areas where primary cases have been reported.

not yet introduced rubella vaccines should consider doing so using existing, well-established measles immunisation programmes. To date, three WHO regions have established goals to eliminate this preventable cause of birth defects.

Tick-borne diseases on the rise

Treponema pallidum and is mainly transmitted through the skin and the mucous membrane of the sex organs and mouth. Health experts have recommended that travellers who think they are at risk of having contracted the disease should book an immediate health check as patients often do not realise they are infected and may infect others before getting treatment.

Syphilis symptoms include lumps and ulcers in genital areas and the mouth, which develop within several weeks of infection. If they are not treated properly, a person can develop memory impairment and sustain damage to the peripheral nerves.

“Do not have sex with potential carriers in risky ways and undergo an immediate checkup if you think you are at risk,” Takaoki Ishiji, Dermatology Professor at Jikei University and Vice-President of the Japanese Society for Sexually Transmitted Infections, advised travellers.

According to a recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of tickborne disease cases in the US has more than doubled in the last 13 years.

Data reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System for 16 notifiable vector-borne diseases during 2004-16 were analysed, and researchers found that the number of annual reports of tick-borne bacterial and protozoan diseases increased from 22,000 in 2004 to 48,000 in 2016. Lyme disease was found to account for 82 per cent of all tick-borne disease reports during this period.

The CDC said that vector-borne diseases are a large and growing public health problem in the US and major national improvement of surveillance, diagnostics, reporting and vector control, as well as new tools, including vaccines, are required to reduce transmission and respond to outbreaks. To protect themselves from ticks, travellers should use effective repellents and treat their clothing and gear with permethrin, a type of insecticide.

Travel warning: typhoid in Pakistan

Veterinary flea drugs could help stop malaria outbreaks

Health officials in the US have issued a travel alert for Pakistan following an outbreak of typhoid. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that anyone heading to Pakistan or anywhere else in South Asia should be vaccinated against typhoid and take extra care with food and water.

The level-two alert was triggered by an ongoing outbreak of extensively drugresistant (XDR) typhoid fever that does not respond to most antibiotics. It is resistant to five antibiotics and has caused the deaths of at least four people, while 800 have become ill. “All travellers to Pakistan are at risk of getting XDR typhoid fever. Those who are visiting friends or relatives are at higher risk than are tourists and business travellers,” the CDC said. Vaccination campaigns have been started by health officials in Pakistan, and US officials have increased efforts to quickly interview and test samples from patients with suspected typhoid fever.

A new study led by scientists at non-profit drug discovery institute Calibr has found that medicines given to household pets to kill fleas and ticks could be effective for preventing outbreaks of malaria, Zika and other dangerous insectborne diseases The researchers found that isoxazolines, a class of drugs sold in veterinary products to protect pets from fleas and ticks, also kill species of disease-carrying mosquitoes that feed on human blood.

“Insect-borne infectious diseases remain primary causes of severe illnesses and fatalities worldwide, and new approaches to preventing outbreaks of these diseases are critically needed,” said Dr Peter Schultz, CEO of Calibr and Scripps Research. “Our findings suggest that isoxazolines might be effective at controlling outbreaks of diseases

carried by mosquitos and other insects in regions with limited medical infrastructure.”

The researchers investigated the possibility of giving humans isoxazolines to block the transmission of diseases by insect vectors. Working with researchers at Imperial College London, UK, the team used computer epidemiology models to estimate that giving the drugs to just 30 per cent of the population in a region where Zika is common could prevent more than 97 per cent of cases.

“In many regions where seasonal outbreaks are endemic, medical infrastructure is such that delivery of medical care is on an intermittent basis,” said Dr Matt Tremblay, Chief Operating Officer of Calibr and Scripps Research and a senior author on the PNAS paper. “Isoxazolines could be administered prior to the beginning of seasonal disease outbreaks to convey protection until the threat diminishes at the end of the season.”

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HEALTH MATTERS

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FEATURE

PROTECTION FROM INFECTION Infectious diseases pose a real threat to travellers worldwide. What role do individual travellers, insurers and healthcare organisations play in preventing their spread?

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FEATURE of containing future outbreaks, it’s essential to understand the nature and transmission pathways of infectious diseases and involve local communities in detection, prevention and communication efforts. We have made significant strides, but more vital action is needed.” She continued: “So if there is the potential for H7N9 – a flu virus circulating in poultry in China – to soon be felt around the world, what should the world do to stop the next pandemic before it starts? At Aetna International, we believe three steps are required: investing in well-performing health systems, strengthening disease surveillance and engaging local communities.”

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bola and Zika may grab the headlines, but more travellers are likely to suffer from gastroenteritis or ‘travellers’ diarrhoea’ than any other health issue, according to Dr Lynn Gordon, Chief Medical Officer at CEGA, a UK-based travel risk, assistance and claims company. “Travellers may go to great lengths to guard against serious diseases, but overlook the risks of travellers’ tummy, or diarrhoea, which is caused by viruses, bacteria or protozoa (tiny organisms that live as parasites),” she said. “It’s important to remember that diarrhoea can become a serious health threat, especially in undeveloped areas with unsophisticated medical care, and it’s vital to take the right precautions against it.” Seasonal flu is also a common threat to travellers, as the spread of such respiratory illnesses happens easily in airports and aeroplanes, where travellers are in close proximity with one another, and air is circulated.

More complex infectious diseases, though, still pose a risk to travellers, especially those that are unvaccinated, or where the appropriate protective measures are not taken against mosquito bites. “Malaria is the primary infectious disease risk for travellers, despite some recent eradication successes,” said Tom Waters, Director of Medical Content for Shoreland Inc., publisher of travel health resource Travax. “High-profile emerging infections such as Ebola, MERS/SARS coronaviruses, chikungunya and Zika tend to present short-term risks to travellers with specific destinations and risk exposures.”

Outbreaks of cholera (Democratic Republic of the Congo – DRC, Kenya, Yemen, and Zambia), dengue (Cambodia, Samoa, and Senegal), diphtheria (Bangladesh, Brazil, Haiti, Indonesia, Venezuela, and Yemen), measles (Bangladesh, Greece, Indonesia, Romania, Serbia, Somalia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Venezuela), and yellow fever (Brazil and Nigeria) are also currently occurring, Waters said.

Prioritising flu prevention According to new estimates published as a result of a collaborative study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and global health partners, between 291,000 and 646,000 people worldwide die

from seasonal influenza-related respiratory illnesses each year, higher than a previous estimate of 250,000 to 500,000. The estimate

There is much to be done by travel insurers to plan and prepare in advance of the next pandemic or epidemic excludes deaths during pandemics. “These findings remind us of the seriousness of flu and that flu prevention should really be a global priority,” said Dr Joe Bresee, Associate Director for Global Health in CDC’s Influenza Division and a study co-author.

The new estimates use more recent data, taken from a larger and more diverse group of countries than previous estimates (47 countries contributed data). Researchers calculated annual seasonal influenzaassociated respiratory deaths for 33 of those countries (57 per cent of the world’s population) that had death records and seasonal influenza surveillance information for a minimum of four years between 1999 and 2015. Statistical modelling with those results was used to generate an estimate of the number of flu-associated respiratory deaths for 185 countries across the world.

Data from the other 14 countries was used to validate the estimates of seasonal influenzaassociated respiratory death from the statistical models.

Dr Charlie Easmon, Medical Director of Your Excellent Health Service and President of the International Association of Physicians for the Overseas Services (IAPOS), noted how much the severity of a flu season can change: “On the viral level we are more aware that seasonal flus can vary in their lethality and morbidity, and the terrible flu of Australia 2017 is causing problems in Europe 2018 with at least one teenager already dead,” he said.

Dr Lori Stetz, Senior Medical Director, Aetna International, added: “It takes just a single crisis – an epidemic, a natural disaster or even the death of a key physician who falls victim to disease – to make whole healthcare systems and economies come crashing to the ground. To have any hope

Spotlight on malaria and MERS International travellers could be at risk of malaria infection in 91 countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO); mainly in Africa, Asia and the Americas. People infected with malaria often experience fever, chills and flulike illness at first. Left untreated, the disease can lead to severe complications and, in some cases, death.

Between 2007 and 2016, around 1,500 cases of malaria were reported annually in travellers returning to or arriving in the UK from malaria endemic countries, according to the Travel Health Pro website. Travellers visiting friends and relatives in their country of origin accounted for 80 per cent of these cases, and the majority acquired the disease in West Africa.

Shoreland recommends that travellers wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible and apply a repellent that contains either DEET or picaridin. Sleeping under permethrin-impregnated bed nets is also recommended for travellers heading to countries where malaria and Japanese encephalitis are present.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is an illness caused by a virus (more

The fight against antimicrobial resistance is well underway specifically, a coronavirus) called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERSCoV). Most MERS patients develop severe

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acute respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath.

About three to four out of every 10 patients reporting with MERS have died, according to figures from the CDC. All reported cases have been linked to countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula. Most infected people either lived in the Arabian Peninsula or recently travelled from the Arabian Peninsula before they became ill. A few people became infected with MERS-CoV after having close contact with an infected person who had recently travelled from the Arabian Peninsula.

The largest known outbreak of MERS outside the Arabian Peninsula occurred in the Republic of Korea in 2015 and was associated with a traveller returning from the Arabian Peninsula.

Antimicrobial resistance Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication previously used to treat it – occurs when bacteria change in a way that reduces the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. The bacteria survive and continue to multiply, causing more harm.

WHO has called resistance to antimalarial medicines ‘a threat to global efforts to control and eliminate malaria’. “Use of oral artemisinin-based monotherapy (oAMT) is considered a contributing factor to the development and spread of resistance to artemisinins,” said WHO, which has urged regulatory authorities in malaria-endemic countries to take measures to halt the production and marketing of oAMT, and promote access to quality-assured ACTs for the treatment of falciparum malaria.

Dr Charlie Easmon said: “Infectious diseases will always be with us and since, at a microbiological level, events occur like Darwin at the speed of light, resistance to antibiotics will be passed on rapidly and we now know that because of something called plasmids this occurs in quantum leaps not steps.”

The fight against antimicrobial resistance is well underway. In India, for example, Bugworks is a biotech startup company that is the first one outside of the US or Europe to secure funding from the CARB-X >>

FEATURE

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accelerator programme, which is dedicated to combating antimicrobial resistance. India has some of the highest resistance rates in bacteria responsible for common infections, according to the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy in Delhi, as a result of the uncontrolled use of antibiotics in both humans and livestock, combined with high disease transmission rates and poor sanitation.

Doing one’s duty When it comes to disease outbreaks, Carl Carter of Voyager Insurance in the UK believes insurers are lagging.

“There is much to be done by travel insurers to plan and prepare in advance of the next pandemic or epidemic,” he said. “Too many travel insurance policies provide little if any coverage for those outbreaks that require an evacuation. We include this cover on several of our leisure and business policies, or as an optional extra. Much can be done by linking policy data to destination and epidemic data.

In many cases, the travel insurer will know the destination country of a policyholder.

The insurer will also, in most cases, have an email address and a mobile phone number.

This allows the travel insurer to broadcast important travel or epidemic information to the insured person in the event of an outbreak. Many mobile apps include geotracking. This can provide more detailed information allowing closer matching of the insured’s location and epidemic information.”

For individual travellers, meanwhile, the onus is on them to ensure they are taking all possible preventive measures to combat the risk of infection while they are abroad – whether that is a vaccination or taking prophylactics. If they don’t, then they run the risk of not only becoming sick, but their travel insurer not paying out when they try to make a claim, as they have not demonstrated due care and attention to minimising their

risk. Research from travel insurance provider Columbus Direct in 2017 found that British travellers are placing themselves at risk of contracting a serious illness while abroad by not having vital vaccinations, with statistics revealing that only six out of 10 travellers would always get the necessary inoculations prior to travelling. A spokesperson for Collinson confirmed: “Like most travel insurers, Columbus Direct includes an exclusion relating to costs incurred from a tropical disease where there are National Health Service recommendations to be

Doing a pre-travel risk assessment to ascertain how serious a risk of infection there is in a given destination is a must inoculated against the disease prior to travel. We would expect that most claims arising under those circumstances would be excluded. However, claims are of course reviewed on an individual basis so this would be decided based on the circumstances of the case and the reason why the customer did not take the necessary precautions.”

For globally mobile employees, however, the situation is a bit more complex. They’ve been sent abroad by their employer, and that employer therefore has a duty to make sure that person is prepared for the risks they are facing, including health risks. Carrying out a pre-travel risk assessment to ascertain how serious a risk of infection there is in a given destination is a must, followed by a strong recommendation that the employee gets the necessary vaccines and any malaria prophylactics they may need.

Suzanne Garber, board member for VIGILINT, which provides telemedicine services, commented: “With regards to

infectious disease risks, two key words continue to dominate the responsibility of duty of care: reasonable and foreseeable.

Is it foreseeable for an employer to expect that an employee being sent out to a site that is known for infectious diseases could potentially be exposed to and even be diagnosed with that disease? Simple searches to respected sites such as WHO would instantly reveal the risks for endemic diseases in the area. The next question would then be, is it reasonable to expect the employer to do something about it with regard to the employee?” It would be impossible, said Garber, to determine all of the possibilities one could contract, as infectious diseases can be airborne, waterborne, passed through human or animal and be bacterial, viral or fungal in nature. “Further,” she added, “even when disseminating information or requiring activities (like mandatory vaccinations) that could potentially stave off an infectious disease, some companies may still find themselves embroiled in a lawsuit, as was the case with a Minnesota healthcare company that required mandatory flu

the bugs that changed wars, histories and countries are no less prone to change the lives of our travellers vaccinations of all employees. Employees cited an infringement upon their civil or religious rights.”

So, what can an organisation do to protect its workers while protecting its reputation?

Garber recommends looking at existing case law in a given country as well as (in the US) Workers Compensation and OSHA citations. “Another best practice is engaging with other organisations and partners who

have a wealth of knowledge about not only the types of infectious disease that could be encountered by employees but also the protocols that should be rolled out,” she concluded. “Education, communication and preparation are the best tools to ward off the potential threat of infectious disease.”

Case by case Dr Lynn Gordon from CEGA said that providing assistance to travellers suffering from a potential infectious disease requires attention on a case-by-case basis.

She explained: “An assistance request from a policyholder with an infectious disease will always necessitate a bespoke approach. It can involve anything from a visit to a local doctor, to hospitalisation, or even repatriation – and costs can vary accordingly. A good medical assistance provider will assess the patient thoroughly and provide the best response for their particular condition.”

Dr Easmonn stated: “We need to be vigilant about all infections and be aware that the bugs that changed wars, histories and countries are no less prone to change the lives of our travellers. Like the Romans, many infections came, saw and conquered but unlike the Romans they still do.”

Dr Gordon concluded that as we travel more often, and further afield, disease avoidance will mean anticipating and managing health risks associated not just with our destinations, but also with our journeys. “A quick stop-off in South America, for instance, could expose a traveller to a risk (like malaria) that may not be prevalent at his or her journey’s end, with symptoms not manifesting themselves until weeks or months later,” she said. “Business and leisure travellers alike need to be aware of the risks (and employers of the duty of care obligations) before, during and even after a trip abroad.” ■

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FEATURE

Evolving with the times Travel insurance is constantly adapting to meet the needs of leisure and business travellers, with cover for terror-related events an ongoing priority. ITIJ explores how cover for such incidents has developed and how insurers are striving to meet travellers’ expectations

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FEATURE

I

n December last year, the Institute for Economics and Peace released its fifth Global Terrorism Index (GTI) – a report based on data from START’s Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and supplemented with additional data and analysis. According to the GTI report, for the second year in a row, the total number of global deaths caused by terrorism has declined, but 2016 was also the third deadliest year since 2000.​ The report also found that the intensity of global terrorism has decreased, yet it continued to spread to an increasing number of countries. There were 77 countries that experienced at least one death from terrorism in 2016 – more than at any time in the past 17 years, with two out of every three countries experiencing at least one terrorist attack, according to the GTI. The report also highlighted a positive trend: there were 22-per-cent fewer deaths from terrorism in 2016 since the peak of terror activity in 2014. The GTI attributes this in part to significant declines in terrorism in four of the five countries most impacted by terrorism – Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

Collectively, these four countries recorded 33-per-cent fewer deaths according to the GTI. Perception and reality The rise and rise of online news and social media means that people are generally much more aware these days of when and where a terror attack occurs, or where civil unrest and riots are happening. US-based assistance company Global Rescue’s 2018 Travel Safety Survey, conducted in January of this year, found that this increase in awareness resulted in terrorism being ranked as the top travel threat in 2018 by 50 per cent of respondents. “Sadly, we don’t feel safe travelling to places of interest, such as Iran, Egypt, Russia. The world we feel comfortable to travel in has shrunk in the past 10-15 years,” noted one survey participant. Another commented: “Globally, we plan to only travel in North America or Western Europe for the foreseeable future due to political, civil, and other significant uncertainties that many countries are struggling with managing.”

Robin Ingle, Chairman and CEO of Ingle International in Canada, told ITIJ that certainly there is a general fear from travellers in North America about the safety of certain city destinations in Europe, due

in part to media reporting of events. He added that it is not, however, a new fear: “Terrorism has long been a concern for trip cancellations and interruption. Unforeseen travel restrictions and the effect the political climate may have on travel are also current concerns. Canadians, for example, often worry about how stricter measures at the US border may affect their trip.”

Despite perceived travel safety issues, nearly all respondents (96 per cent) in the Global Rescue 2018 Travel Safety Survey said that they are likely or very likely to travel in 2018, and these travellers are asking for insurance, according to the industry experts ITIJ spoke to.

The travelling habits of Americans and Europeans are different, however, and Brits seem to be a bit more adventurous – certainly, travel agents and tour operators are still offering holidays to places like Turkey, and even Tunisia is back on the cards for this year’s holidaymakers. The risk of a terror attack in these destinations is certainly perceived to be higher, but as Kate Huet, Managing Director of International Travel and Healthcare Limited in the UK pointed out, “Terrorism can happen anywhere at any time, it’s not just Tunisia and Turkey that are affected. Barcelona, London, Paris, Nice, Rome, Milan, New York and many other popular destinations for travellers, all are targets, and sadly it’s not the governments or people in authority who are the targets any more – it’s us, normal people, just going about doing what we do. We need to travel

One significant challenge is to engage travel underwriters, who are not terrorism or specialty underwriters, to understand and accept this sort of risk prepared and protected, not scared.”

A decade ago, coverage for travellers caught up in a terrorist incident was minimal at best – medical expenses might be covered, but in general, any claims relating to a terrorist incident were excluded. Graeme Trudgill, Executive Director of the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), said: “The

travel insurance market and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office are all too aware of the changing security concerns around the world. BIBA, along with our travel scheme underwriters, were one of the first to push for terrorism cover in travel insurance policies; since then, the market has moved on a lot in the last 10 years. Terrorism exclusions still exist but many policies now cover emergency medical treatment and repatriation, as well as many policy wordings automatically extending cover if the customer was stranded overseas following an attack until such time as they are reasonably able to return home.”

Carl Carter, Managing Director of Voyager Insurance Services in the UK, confirmed the company’s clients are now more worried about terrorism affecting their plans than in previous years: “We have seen increased enquiries and demand from both leisure and business travellers seeking out what cover is available in the event of a terrorist event.”

In the US, there has also been an increase in demand from customers, according to James Page, Senior Vice-President and Chief Administrative Officer for AIG Travel.

“Customer inquiries related to coverage options for safety and security issues – such as terrorism, economic calamities, geopolitical turmoil and natural disasters – have increased by approximately 20 to 30 per cent,” he told ITIJ. Leisure travellers are definitely more aware today of the potential safety

issues that can occur when travelling and, as a result, are seeking not only coverage options, but information and advice to be prepared, added Page: “Rather than opting to refrain from travelling at all, customers are choosing to do their research and be as informed as possible before taking a trip.”

Tangible changes So, are policies keeping up with the risks faced by customers? Carter says yes: “As a result of change in demand, over the last few years we have continued to increase the scope of cover that is available on many of our leisure and business travel insurance products to provide optional cover for a wider range of terrorism and security-related exposures beyond just medical emergency as an innocent bystander to a terrorist incident, which is what many other standard products in the market would provide, if at all.”

Ingle International has built customisable policies that include trip cancellation and interruption coverage. “These policies help meet the needs of travellers associated with our partner groups or schools that are travelling to potentially affected areas,” said Ingle. "They include ‘change of mind’ benefits for trip cancellation, providing coverage for when a trip is cancelled for a reason other than the specific injured risks listed in the policy.

For AIG Travel too, it is important to let customers decide on the kind of coverage they wish to have, and thus the company has decided to offer both optional and embedded risk coverage. “These added benefits,” said Page, “increase the capability for AIG Travel to respond by not only covering expenses due to a safety or security event, but also efficiently transporting customers from a dangerous situation if required. For example, if travellers are at their destination when a terror event occurs, we offer 24/7 travel assistance services that could include co-ordination of emergency return travel arrangements and flight rebookings.”

Huet agrees, and points out that it is not only in the event of an attack taking place that travellers need protection – what about if a threat of an attack affects a traveller’s plans? “It’s much harder to cover threats and hoaxes – but, in fairness, these can have the exact same effect as the ‘real thing’,” she said. “We’ve seen UK airport terminals close and we know the chaos this causes from a perceived threat – travel disruption that lasts for hours and sometimes more than a day, with schedules that go to pot instantly. Cover for security threats and hoaxes is not available to my knowledge, yet the effect is similar.”

The scope of services available to a traveller caught up in a terror attack is what matters, >>

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FEATURE and this can vary widely. Political security evacuation is an option, so if a traveller’s life is at risk as a result of a local situation, they could be evacuated to a place of safety.

Other additions to policies have been cover for terrorist disruption, where if a person’s travel arrangements or destination becomes disrupted by a terror event, cover could be provided for cancellation, curtailment, or relocation to a safe location. Carter added: “Service behind a product is just, if not more, important in many situations as the cover provided itself. On our high-risk destination, corporate travel and SME/ Employee Benefit travel products, we utilise the services of a specialist assistance company that provides both medical emergency and security assistance services.

Many of the assistance staff are ex-military or emergency service personnel with incountry experience in handing and resolving situations in remote, dangerous and hostile environments – it’s not just a multilingual graduate on the phone, it’s someone who has direct training and experience of these situations. They are backed by a global network of in-country security teams that can assist and respond locally.”

Travellers want products and services that are proactive in helping them to avoid getting into problematic situations in the first place, as Robin Ingle points out. He explained: “Our global security networks, online info centre and blog, 24/7 support centre, and our mobile and web application – Travel Navigator – are all designed to proactively keep travellers informed and safe. In addition to global security alerts, as well as access to assistance and medical providers at the touch of a button, Travel Navigator integrates policy details and other important features for a convenient end-to-end solution for travellers.”

Technology is a major game-changer for assistance companies – specialist or not – in terms of their ability to reach out to customers that they know are in a location where an attack has occurred.

Geo-location enables companies to keep track of their employees around the world, for example, so they can check in to let their family and colleagues know they are safe. The number of apps available from assistance providers that users can download and press ‘a big red button’ on their screen to alert the company to their need for help is also increasing.

There are two sides to this, said Carter – preventative and live assistance. “On the preventative side, on some products we provide access to downloadable and saveable country information profiles that are regularly updated with advice on the location

and situation. On the live assistance side, on our high-risk destination and corporate travel products we include an Emergency App that can be used on a smartphone to give ‘one touch’ contact with the 24/7 medical and

Terrorism exclusions still exist but many policies now cover emergency medical treatment and repatriation security emergency assistance service, plus if enabled by the user, it can transmit your geo-coordinates by SMS and email direct to the assistance service. In addition to this, it gives advice and assistance on how to navigate certain incidents on the ground.”

Corporate travel products have long been ahead of traditional standard leisure travel insurance policies in terms of the coverage and assistance provided in the event of a terror attack. Leisure policies, though, are catching up. Carter said: “Over the last few years, we have already moved many of our leisure products more in line with the protection against terrorist events commonly provided by business policies.

In some cases, we have been able to go beyond and give the leisure traveller more than what is provided on most business

travel policies. It will be important to ensure that the service provided behind the terrorism cover provides more than just the benefits insured on paper.”

This is certainly a theme among the experts to whom ITIJ spoke for this article. Robin Ingle believes that in the future, insurers will develop products that actually help travellers make informed decisions about risks. He added: “Real-time alerts and pretravel location warnings for dangers such as terrorism and natural disasters can provide our members with a way to minimise risk, or at the very least be prepared to respond to potential situations that may arise.”

Page of AIG Travel said that all travellers are different and have their own unique perceptions of risk based on previous travel experiences, the type of activities being undertaken on a trip, destinations travelled, and how regularly they travel to high-risk

Cover for security threats and hoaxes is not available to my knowledge, yet the effect is similar locations. While a business traveller may have a more inclusive policy at a higher cost, leisure travellers should still have access to a broad spectrum of benefits and be able to pick and choose what level of coverage is needed, based on the trip being planned.

A difficult dilemma One issue that keeps rearing its head with regards to coverage in insurance policies is that of disinclination to travel.

For many years, this has been an industrystandard exclusion, but this is changing.

UK-based International Travel and Healthcare Limited introduced its Safe Journey travel insurance policy in mid2016. It includes disinclination to travel, and the company also offers the cover as a sectional inclusion on other policies.

Huet said: “Other brokers, who in many ways are our competitors, also link to us so their clients can also benefit from this as a supplementary cover. So, yes, what we started is taking hold and becoming far more accepted and not the exception.”

Allianz Global Assistance USA offers

coverage for trip cancellation if a client’s destination has suffered a terror attack in the 30 days prior to departure, and many policies sold in the US offer the same cover.

Page said, however, that it is unlikely that trip cancellation due to a traveller being concerned or scared will be included as a default option in travel insurance policies in the future. Again, unique to the US – for the moment at least – are Cancel for Any Reason policies. These, while expensive, can give a traveller the required cover to decide not to travel if they are too worried about an attack happening in their intended destination. Similarly, the ‘change of mind’ benefits mentioned earlier by Robin Ingle will probably be more widely available across the marketplace as well.

However, determining coverage, even if it’s there on paper, is not always straightforward. It can sometimes take time for the authorities to deem an event ‘a terror attack’, and if the event occurs just days before a person is due to travel, then the insurer will have to take the decision on whether or not it will count as an insured peril. Carter pointed out: “In addition to this, in relation to a terrorist event, for an underwriter there is a big concern about the possibility of an aggregation of insured exposure. Not so much in relation to, say, a localised terrorist event in resort, but more so on the larger macro scale if a terrorist event closed down a major airport, seaport or disabled the channel tunnel for a period of time.”

While it can be difficult for an insurer to find an underwriter with whom to partner when it comes to covering claims related to terrorism, there is no doubt that those at the forefront of the market are doing their utmost to meet the needs of today’s traveller. Kate Huet commented: “One significant challenge is to engage travel underwriters, who are not terrorism or specialty underwriters, to understand and accept this sort of risk. Any policy that has to have sections that are carried by different insurers adds significantly to administration requirements – this means more cost, time and that’s not an attractive proposition for anyone.” Anyone trying to bring this sort of product to the market, she added, will need a lot of determination, perseverance and deep pockets. ■

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SERVICE DIRECTORY SERVICE DIRECTORY

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

Your essential guide to suppliers for the global travel and health insurance industry CATEGORY KEY

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS CLASSIFICATION HEADINGS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

AVAILABLE ONLINE itij.com/service-directory

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SERVICE DIRECTORY

Ace Air & Ambulance (Pvt) Ltd.

James Halsted, – Managing Director 2 Mount Road, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe +263 (4) 302 141 +263 (782) 999 901/2/3/4

tel: tel:

james@ace-ambulance.com www.ace-ambulance.com

email: website:

AMREF Flying Doctors Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director Wilson Airport, LangataRoad, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA tel: fax:

+254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

email: website:

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

Awesome Air Evac

AIR AMBULANCE (EUROPE) (ASIA-PACIFIC)

AIR AMBULANCE (AFRICA)

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

Dr.Sura Jaidwatee, M.D. – Medical Flight Manager 222 Don Mueang International Airport Office Building 3rd Floor, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Sanambin, Don Mueang, Bangkok 10210, THAILAND 24h tel: +662 247 3392 email: m.w@medicalwings.com fax: +662 535 4734 website: www.medicalwings.com

Air Alliance Medflight GmbH Eva Kluge – Director of Sales & Business Development SIEGERLAND AIRPORT, Werfthalle G1, 57299 Burbach, GERMANY +49 170 366 4933 +49 2736 4428 45

mob: 24/7 tel:

e.kluge@air-alliance.de www.air-alliance.de

email: website:

AIRLEC Air Espace

Shane Marais – General Manager

Paul Tiba – Managing Director

Hanger 104C, Gate C, Lanseria Airport, Lanseria, SOUTH AFRICA

Zone Aviation Générale, 33700 Mérignac Cidex 05 FRANCE

tel:

+27 11 430 1777

email: website:

+335 56 34 02 14 +335 56 55 98 18

24Hr tel: fax:

rescue@awesomeairevac.com www.awesomeairevac.com

paul.tiba@airlecairespace.com www.airlecairespace.com

email: website:

Capital Air Ambulance

ER24 24/7 Flight Desk

Lisa Humphries – Sales Director

Cambridge Manor Office Park, Manor 1, Stone Haven Road, C/o Witkoppen & Stone Haven Roads, Sandton, Paulshof, SOUTH AFRICA tel: +27 (0) 10 205 3100 email: flight@er24.co.za fax: +27 (0) 866 781 507 website: www.er24.co.za

Airport House, Exeter International Airport, EX5 2BD, UK tel: fax:

sales@capitalairambulance.co.uk www.capitalairambulance.co.uk

email: website:

Dr Jean-Philippe MATTEI – Medical Director

Mr Nick Simon – Business Development Manager

Dar El Bacha - Tizougarine 5, 40000 Marrakech Medina, MOROCCO

Funtington Park, Funtington, Chichester, UK, PO18 8RG, UK

tel: fax:

+212 5 24 38 13 88 +212 524 428 436

email: website:

tel: fax:

operations@medic-air.com www.medic-air.com

+ 44 (0) 1243 621 107 + (0) 1243 621 006

privaterepats@cegagroup.com cegagroup.com

email: website:

DRF Luftrettung / German Air Rescue

AirMed Australia Matthew Kline & Mark Wardrop – Executive Directors

Dr. Peter Huber – CEO

German Air Rescue – Claim-Variante rot / schwarz

Hangar 650 Drover Road, Bankstown Airport. NSW, Sydney, AUSTRALIA 2200 tel: +61 2 8700 0685 email: ops@airmed.com.au fax: +61 2 8700 0663 website: www.airmed.com.au

Rita-Maiburg-Str. 2, D-70794 Filderstadt, GERMANY German Air Rescue

24h tel: fax:

+49 7007 3010 +49 7007 3119

email: website:

ops@drf-luftrettung.de www.drf-luftrettung.de/air-ambulance

EURO LINK GmbH

Alia MedFlight Scott Everson – Vice President

Dr. Friedrich Renner – Medical Director

9382 E Bahia Drive, Suite B202, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, USA

Allgemeine Luftfahrt, D -85356 München Flughafen, GERMANY

tel: fax:

602-800-7070 855-831-5092

email: website:

tel: fax:

ops@aliamedflight.com www.aliamedflight.com

+49 89 6137 2103 +49 89 6137 2106

email: website:

info@flyeurolink.de www.FlyEuroLink.de

European Air Ambulance

Asia Air Ambulance Mr. Toranit Sripal – Managing Director

Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing

Asia Air Ambulance Co. Ltd., Bangkok599/59 Ratchadaphisek Road, Jatujak, Bangkok 10900, THAILAND tel: +668 9896 9000 email: operations@asiaairambulance.com fax: +662 192 1801 website: www.asiaairambulance.com

Luxembourg Airport, B.P.24, L-5201, Sandweiler, LUXEMBOURG 24hr tel: fax:

+352 26 26 00 +352 26 26 01

email: website:

alert@air-ambulance.com www.air-ambulance.com

FAI – rent-a-jet AG

EDS AVIATION PTE LTD

AVIATION

+44 845 055 2828 +44 1392 350 039

CEGA Group

Medic’Air International

(ASIA-PACIFIC)

Medical Wings

Shik – Managing Director

Volker Lemke – Director Sales and Marketing CSO

33 Ubi Avenue, #08-13, Vertex Tower B, SINGAPORE, 408868

Flughafenstasse. 124; 90411 Nuremberg; GERMANY

tel: fax:

+65 9836 3265 +65 6846 9542

email: website:

tel: fax:

info@eds-aviation.com www.eds-aviation.com

+49 911 36009 31 +49 911 36009 59

email: website:

Volker.lemke@fai.ag www.fai.ag

GlobalMed International

Flying Doctors Asia Prithpal Singh – CEO , Director

Gert Muurling – CEO & Medical Director

A’Posh Bizhub, 1 Yishun Industrial St 1, #08-03, SINGAPORE, 768160

Auf Roedern 7c, 56283 Pfaffenheck, GERMANY

+65 6483 5412 +65 6734 1338

tel: fax:

email: website:

tel: fax:

prithpal@flyingdoctorsasia.com www.flyingdoctorsasia.com

+49 6742 897 425 +49 3212 100 5018

email: website:

info@globalmed-international.com www.globalmed-international.com

Jet Executive International Charter

LifeFlight

Irena Dimitrijevic – Marketing & Sales

Peter Elliott – Fixed Wing Operations Manager

Mündelheimer Weg 50, D-40472, Düsseldorf, GERMANY “Homebase FRA & MUC” tel: +49 211 602 7775 email: sales@jetexecutive.com fax: +49 211 602 77766 website: www.jetexecutive.com

PO Box 15166, City East, QLD 4002, AUSTRALIA 24/7 (int) tel: fax:

+61 7 5553 5955 +61 7 5553 5965

email: website:

ops@lifeflight.org.au www.LifeFlight.org.au

JOIN JET

Medic’Air International 每递安国际 Dr Li Tao – Medical Director

Carsten Vistisen – General Manager

885 Renmin Road, Huaihai China Building, Room 808, 200010 Shanghai, CHINA

Cumulusvej 10, 7190 Billund, DENMARK

tel: fax:

+86 2163 558289 +86 2163 558285

email: website:

24hr tel: fax:

operations@medic-air.com www.medic-air.com

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+45 701 040 90 +45 701 040 90

email: website:

ems@joinjet.com www.joinjet.com

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

Malteser Service Center

(NORTH AMERICA)

AIR AMBULANCE (EUROPE)

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation Erna-Scheffler-Strasse 2, 51103 Köln, GERMANY +49 221 98 22 9333 +49 40 694597 61339

tel: fax:

ambulance@malteser.org www.malteser-service-center.de

email: website:

Medic’Air International Dr Herve Raffin – General Manager 35 rue Jules Ferry, 93170 Bagnolet, Paris, FRANCE +33 141 72 1414 +33 148 57 1010

tel: fax:

email: website:

Mike Honeycutt – President

Jet icu

2561 Rescue Way, Brooksville, FL 34604, USA

When Experience Matters.

tel: fax:

+1 352 796 2540 +1 352 796 2549

ops@jeticu.com www.jeticu.com

email: website:

Jet-Rescue Air Ambulance Carlos Salinas – CEO Suite 100, 7777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434, USA

operations@medic-air.com www.medic-air.com

tel:

North Flying a/s

+1 786 619 1268

email: website:

operations@jet-rescue.com www.medjetsUSA.com

REVA Inc Jesper Kragelund – Sales Manager

Stuart Hayman – CEO

North Flying Terminal, Aalborg Airport, DK-9400, Nørresundby, DENMARK tel: +45 9632 2900 email: jkr@northflying.com website: www.northflying.com fax: +45 9632 2909

2101 W. Commercial Blvd., Suite 1500, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309, USA tel: +1 954 730 9300 email: operations@flyreva.com fax: +1 954 485 6564 website: www.flyreva.com

Quick Air Jet Charter GmbH

Skyservice Air Ambulance

Philipp Schneider – Account Manager

David Ewing – Senior Vice President, Global Markets

Hangar 3, Cologne Airport, 51147 Cologne, GERMANY

Montreal/PE Trudeau Int Airport, 9785 Avenue Ryan, Montreal (Quebec), H9P 1A2, CANADA tel: +1 514 497 7000 email: alert@skyservice.com fax: +1 514 636 0096 website: www.skyserviceairambulance.com

ops@quickair.de www.quickair.de

email: website:

Swiss Air-Rescue (Rega) Stefan Becker – Head of Corporate Development Rega-Center, PO Box 1414, CH-8058 Zurich, SWITZERLAND +41 44 654 33 11 +41 44 654 33 22

tel: fax:

stefan.becker@rega.ch www.rega.ch

email: website:

Tyrol Air Ambulance Manfred Helldoppler – Managing Director Fuerstenweg 180, A-6026 Innsbruck-Airport, AUSTRIA +43 512 22422 100 +43 512 288 888

tel: fax:

taa@taa.at www.taa.at

email: website:

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (AFRICA)

+49 2203 955 700 +49 2203 955 7020

tel: fax:

AIMS Bernadette Breton – Chief Executive Officer AIMS House, 3 West St, Bryanston 2191, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA tel: +27 11 783 0135 email: operations@aims.org.za fax: +27 11 783 2950 website: www.aims.org.za

AMREF Flying Doctors Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director Wilson Airport, Langata Road, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA tel: fax:

+254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

email: website:

CONNEX Assistance

AC Global Medical Transports

Milan Floribus – President

Dr Helmy El Tanahy – CEO

8775 Aero Drive, Ste 120, San Diego, CA 92123, USA

Office 11, Floor 1, 6 El Sad El Aali st, Dokki, Cairo, EGYPT

+1 858 437 5131 +1 858 408 7856

tel: fax:

email: website:

milanfloribus@gmail.com acglobalmedicaltransports.com

tel: fax:

Aeromedevac Air Ambulance

+(800) 462 0911 +(619) 284 7918

email: website:

Raul Mendoza – President / CEO 3404 Bonita Rd, Chula Vista, Ca. 91910, USA +1 619 754-6755 +1 619 330 4551

email: website:

info@aeiamericas.com www.aeiamericas.com

Alia MedFlight Scott Everson – Vice President 9382 E Bahia Drive, Suite B202, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, USA tel: fax:

602-800-7070 855-831-5092

email: website:

PO Box 1578, Gallo Manor, 2052, SOUTH AFRICA

awilliams@aeromedevac.com www.aeromedevac.com

AirEvac International

tel: fax:

alarm@connexassistance.com www.connexassistance.com

email: website:

Brenda Durow – General Manager - Assistance

Gillespie Field Airport, 681 Kenney Street, El Cajon, CA 92020, USA toll free: fax:

+202 3 336 0005 +202 3 762 0003

Medical Services Organisation (MSO)

Adam Williams – President

ops@aliamedflight.com www.aliamedflight.com

tel: fax:

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (ASIA-PACIFIC)

AIR AMBULANCE (NORTH AMERICA)

JET ICU

CEGA Group

+27 (0)11 259 5403 +27 (0)11 259 5001

24hr email: website:

assistance@mso.co.za www.mso.co.za

AA International Sharon Tan – Director ASIA tel: fax:

+603 7965 3883 +603 7629 8288

email: website:

marketing@aa-international.com www.aa-international.com

AA International Indonesia Brandon Heng – CEO Tifa Building, 10th Floor, No.1003, Jl. Kuningan Barat 1 No. 26, Mampang Prapatan, Jakarta 12710, INDONESIA tel: 24/7:

+62 21 2927 9600 ops-jakarta@aa-international.co.id

email: website:

marketing@aa-international.co.id www.aa-international.co.id

AIG Travel Mr Nick Simon – Business Development Manager

Martin Villarino – General Manager, AIG Travel Asia Pacific

Funtington Park, Funtington, Chichester, UK, PO18 8RG, UK

Level 15 Menara Worldwide, 198 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA tel: +603 2772 5555 email: martin.villarino@aig.com fax: +603 2685 5673 website: aig.com/travel

+ 44 (0) 1243 621 107 + (0) 1243 621 006

tel: fax:

email: website:

privaterepats@cegagroup.com cegagroup.com

Global Jetcare, Inc.

ASIAN TRAVEL AND MEDICAL SERVICES

Bart Gray – President

Rahul Gupta – Sr. Manager - International Business

15421 Technology Dr. Brooksville, FL 34604, USA tel: fax:

+1 352 799 7771 +1 352 799 7776

email: website:

131/1 , PICNIC GARDEN ROAD , KOLKATA - 700039 , INDIA bart@globaljetcare.com www.globaljetcare.com

tel: fax:

37

0091-9836309173 033-23440170

email: website:

rahul.gupta@asiantms.com www.asiantms.com

Alpine Rescue Service Pvt Ltd 'Mission: Save Life' Mr. Ram Nepal – Executive Director Ekikaran Sadak, 16 Kha.2.37, Naya Bazar - 16, Kathmandu, Nepal, POBOX: 21100; NEPAL 24/7 tel: +977 1 436 2652 email: 24/7 fax: +977 1 442 5111 website:

info@alpine-rescue.com www.alpine-rescue.com

AP Companies KAZAKHSTAN Elmira Turmagambetova – General Manager 4, 148 Mamir, Auzovskiy region, Almati, KAZAKHSTAN + 7 727 350 52 76

tel:

email: website:

KZT@ap-companies.com www.ap-companies.com

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (ASIA-PACIFIC)

SERVICE DIRECTORY Global Doctor China Regina Zheng – Operations Manager Unit 808/811, Level 8, No.88, Bai Zi Wan Nan Er Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, P.R.,100022 CHINA tel: +86 10 5815 1188 Ext. 812 email: regina@globaldoctor.com.au fax: +86 10 8775 9138 website: www.globaldoctor.com.au

Global MediCALL Assistance Sridhar K – Chief Operations Officer MALAYSIA

Beltway Office Park Tower C 2nd floor Jl. TB Simatupang Kav. 41, Jakarta 12550, INDONESIA tel: +6221 80866000 email: med.assistance@medikaplaza.com website: www.medikaplaza.com

4a, Uzumzor street, Ulukbek region,Tashkent, UZBEKISTAN +9 987 123 890 41

email: website:

uzb@ap-companies.com www.ap-companies.com

Asian Assistance – Myanmar Dr Yin – Chief Medical Officer No 29,3rd floor,35th Street, Kyauttada Township,Yangon, MYANMAR tel:

+95 979 584 3944

marketing@globalmedicallassistance.com

email:

Dr Nino Susanto – Operational Director

Ilhom Sadikov – Business Development Manager tel:

+6 03 3359 6969 +6 03 3359 6161

tel: fax:

MEDIKA PLAZA

AP Companies UZBEKISTAN

(EUROPE)

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (ASIA-PACIFIC)

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

email: website:

Myanmar@asian-assistance.com www.asian-assistance.com

ADAC Ambulance Service Christoph Ullrich – Senior Manager International Network Hansastr. 19, D - 80686 Munich, GERMANY tel: 24h Alarm:

+49 89 7676 2912 +49 89 7676 8912

email: website:

christoph.ullrich@adac.de www.adac.de/ambulance

AIG Travel

Asian Assistance – Philippines Marby Cervantes Madulara – Team Leader, Operation and Medical Development

Sally Waithe – General Manager, AIG Travel EMEA

504P to 508P, Pacific Drive Five E Com Center Bldg. Pacific Drive Extension Block 18 Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, PHILIPPINES

21 Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham Airport, Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FF, UK tel: +44 (0)1273 456 484 email: sally.waithe@aig.com website: aig.com/travel

tel:

+63 999 878 6990

email: website:

Philippines@asian-assistance.com www.asian-assistance.com

AP Companies

Asian Assistance – Thailand Susanne Mørch – Director

Natalya Butakova – Business Development Manager

Viphavadi Tower 15th floor, 51/3 Ngamwongwan Road, Ladyao, Chatchuchak, 10900 Bangkok, THAILAND tel:

+66 2 056 1800

email: website:

17 Varshavskoye Shosse, Moscow 117105, RUSSIA

contact@asian-assistance.com www.asian-assistance.com

tel: fax:

Asian Assistance – Vietnam

email: website:

Via Torino, 2 20123 Milano, ITALY

Vietnam@asian-assistance.com www.asian-assistance.com

tel: fax:

BrightCare Assist

tel: tel:

email: website:

assist@assist-ukraine.com assist-ukraine.com

Antonio Magliocca – Medical Director

Level 24 Robinsons Cyberscape Beta, Topaz & Ruby Roads, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, PHILIPPINES email: ops@carejetassist.com tel: +63 2 226 6911 website: www.carejetassist.com

Via del pozzo 30, Monteriggioni, 53100, Siena, ITALY 24hr tel: fax:

EMA Global Pte Ltd

+39 0823 966 694 +39 0823 966 694

email: website:

info@assistenzamedicah24.it www.medicalassistanceh24.com

CNAS

Dexter Tan – Business Development Director

Carole Luisy – Managing Director

1 Farrer Park Station Road, #15-18, Farrer Park Medical Centre, SINGAPORE 217562

80 rue des alliés, 38100, Grenoble, FRANCE

dexter@emaglobal.com.sg www.emaglobal.com.sg

tel: fax:

Global Assistance & Healthcare

+33 438 49 83 49 +33 438 49 83 40

email: website:

carole.luisy@cnas-assistance.com www.cnas-assistance.com

DRF Luftrettung / German Air Rescue

Alain Durand – President Director Cibis Nine, 5th Fl, Jalan TB. Simatupang No. 2, Cilandak – Pasar Minggu, Jakarta 12560, INDONESIA tel: +62 21 299 78 999 email: global@global-assistance.net fax: +62 21 299 78 9555/66 website: www.global-assistance.net

Dr. Peter Huber – CEO

German Air Rescue – Claim-Variante rot / schwarz

Rita-Maiburg-Str. 2, D-70794 Filderstadt, GERMANY German Air Rescue

Global Assistance Partners Co.,Ltd.

24h tel: fax:

+49 7007 3010 +49 7007 3119

email: website:

ops@drf-luftrettung.de www.drf-luftrettung.de/air-ambulance

DRK Assistance

Gna KH CHUNG – CEO

Andreas Speich – Managing Director

412 Vabien III, 86, TongIl-ro,Jung-gu, Seoul 04517, REPUBLIC OF KOREA +82 1670 0722 +82 2 720 8839

+38044 251 28 11 +38044 239 90 56

BMC HEALTH SOLUTIONS 24hr Medical Assistance

Anthony Decoste – President

tel: fax:

operations@argosassistance.com www.argosassistance.com

Str. Sholudenko 3, 04116 Kiev, UKRAINE

CareJet Assist

email: website:

email: website:

Andrey ZIMIN – Director

Unit 10-1, Fort Legend Tower, 31st Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City Taguig, 1632, PHILIPPINES tel: (632) 785-0055 email: ops@brightcare-assist.com fax: (632) 224-4152 website: www.brightcare-assist.com

+65 6753 9133 +65 6244 0030

+39 027 254 6325 +39 069 933 5053

AU International Service / ASSIST UKRAINE

Gloria Lee Carmen V. Matti – CEO

tel:

natalya@ap-companies.ru www.ap-companies.ru

Marco Rinalducci – Claims & Administration Director

5th Floor, 106 Ton Due Thang street, Quae Tu Giam ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi, VIETNAM +84 915 618 860

email: website:

Argos Assistance Srl

Nick Wongkuan – Director of Finance and Business Development

tel:

+7 495 989 1120 +7 495 989 1130

email: website:

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY

operations@globalassistance.co.kr www.globalassistance.co.kr

tel: fax:

38

+49 211 301805-0 +49 211 301805-21

email: website:

info@drkassistance.com www.drkassistance.com

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

Dr. Hany Benyamen – CEO Av. del General Perón, 25 . Planta 10 F, 28020 Madrid, SPAIN +34 910 602 414 +20 100 6222 910

tel: tel:

email: website:

ecanetwork@egycross-assistance.com www.egycross-europe.com

Eurocross Turkey Mehtap Baylam Akkaya – CEO Altunizade Mahallesi, Ord. Prof. Fahrettin Kerim Gökay Caddesi, Eşref Çakmak Plaza, No:32 Kat:3 34662 Üsküdar, İstanbul, TURKEY tel: +90 216 265 15 25 email: int@eurocrossturkey.com.tr website: www.eurocrossturkey.com.tr fax: +90 216 265 15 65

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (EUROPE)

EgyCross Assistance

Global Assistance a.s.

Ing. Marek Jaroš – General Manager

Denise Rogers – Network Manager C/Porto Pi, 8. 07015 Palma de Mallorca SPAIN +34 971 919 244 +34 971 919 255

tel: fax:

info@medicalresponse.es www.mri-assist.com

email: website:

Save Assistance France Thomas Blanchet – Key Account Manager / Responsable Grands Comptes 6 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, Le Campus, Bat. B1, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux., FRANCE tel: +33 (0)13062 6752 email: blanchet@saveassistance.com 24 tel: +33 (0)13062 1122 website: www.saveassistance.com

Maria Berkova – General Manager 3rd floor, entrance #4, 20/3 Bolshoy Karetniy lane, Moscow, 127051, RUSSIA tel: +7 495 987 1775 email: svg@savitar-gr.com fax: +7 495 987 1776 website: www.savitar-gr.com

Dopraváku 749/3, 18400 Prague 8, CZECH REPUBLIC tel: fax:

MRI Assist

Savitar Group Ltd.

+420 266 799 770 +420 266 799 797

ops@1220.cz www.1220.cz

email: website:

Global Voyager Assistance - Black Sea

Semesur Assistance

Oxana Razorenova – General Manager

Eugenio Crenes – General Manager

77-79 Nezhinskaya Str., 65023, Odessa, UKRAINE

Paseo de la Castellana 18, 7ª Planta, 28046 Madrid, SPAIN

tel: fax:

+38 048 7373 441 +38 048 7373 442

email: website:

+34 911 010 470 +34 902 001 410

tel: fax:

gmbs@gvassistance.com www.gvassistance.com

Global Voyager Assistance - Russia

email: website:

Jane Hegeler – Managing Director

PO Box II, 125124 Moscow, RUSSIA

54 Melita Street, Valetta, VLT 1122, MALTA

tel: fax:

info@semesur.com www.semesur.com

Tangiers International

Costas Danilenko – CEO

+7 495 775 0999 +7 495 775 0998

cdanilenko@gvassistance.com www.gvassistance.com

email: website:

+356 277 800 16 +356 2720 5500

tel: fax:

IFRA Assistance GmbH – Austria

email: website:

info@tangiersinternational.com www.tangiersinternational.com

TBS Team 24 d.o.o

Mr. Christian Steindl M.D. – CEO

Edvard Hojnik – General Manger

IFRA Assistance GmbH, Schießstattring 21, A-3100 St. Pölten, AUSTRIA

CROATIA, SLOVENIA, SERBIA, MNE, BH, KOS, MAC

tel: fax:

+43 (0) 2742 49 11 +43 (0) 27 42 89165

email: website:

office@ifra.at www.ifra.at

+386 2616 5819 +386 2618 5800

tel: fax:

Inchcape Medical & Assistance Services

email: website:

info@tbs-team24.com www. tbs-team24.com

Tyrol Air Ambulance

Mara Mytilineou – Operations Manager

Manfred Helldoppler – Managing Director

3, Agiou Dionysiou street, 18545 Piraeus, GREECE

Fuerstenweg 180, A-6026 Innsbruck-Airport, AUSTRIA

tel: fax:

(+30) 210 42 24 805 (+30) 211 79 07 790

email: website:

Intana Global Denise Groom – Head of Commercial 6 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YE, UK email: website:

enquiries@intana-global.com www.intana-global.com

Interamerican Assistance S.A. Inez Tissink – Coordinator International Activities

(+30) 210 94 61 750 (+30) 210 94 61 004

email: website:

taa@taa.at www.taa.at

CONNEX Assistance JLT Lara Helmi – International Network Director #204 Gold Crest Executive Tower, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES tel: +97 14 368 36 25 email: dubai@connexassistance.com fax: +97 14 420 49 12 website: www.connexassistance.com

Fakeeh International Dr. Fatih Mehmet GUL – Executive Director Palestine Street, Al Hamra District P.O. Box 2537 21461, JEDDAH/SAUDI ARABIA tel: 00966 12 6603080 email: ops@fakeehinternational.com website: www.fakeehinternational.com

Syngrou Avenue 350,17680 Kallithea, Athens, GREECE tel: fax:

+43 512 22422 100 +43 512 288 888

tel: fax:

assistance@iss-shipping.com www.iss-assistance.com

(MIDDLE EAST)

(EUROPE)

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES

SERVICE DIRECTORY

email: website:

tissinki@interamerican.gr www.interamerican.gr

Malteser Service Center

GORAL ASSISTANCE LTD

Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation

Marcel Kadoche – International Network and Development Manager

Erna-Scheffler-Strasse 2, 51103 Köln, GERMANY

Maskit 27 str. Herzeliya Industrial Park 46733, ISRAEL

tel: fax:

+49 221 98 22 9333 +49 40 694597 61339

email: website:

tel: fax:

ambulance@malteser.org www.malteser-service-center.de

Marm Assistance

+972 9 9579930 +972 9 9579931

email: website:

info@goralassist.com www.goralassist.com

IRAN ASSISTANCE

Mahmut Kadirbeyoglu – CEO

Ashkan Lahiji – International Network Manager

AirPort Plaza, Ankara Caddesi, No:486, Kurtkoy 34912, Istanbul, TURKEY

No 24,SOS building,15th Street, Gandi Avenue, Tehran,15175, IRAN

tel: fax:

+90 216 560 07 24 +90 216 560 07 07

email: website:

tel: fax:

marm@marm.com.tr www.marmassistance.com

+98-21-88648620 - 24 +98-21-88648502

email: website:

operation@iranassistance.com www.iranassistance.com

SWAN INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE – MUTUAL CARE

Medicall AG Markus Detel – Manager International Network

Mr. Joseph Akiki – CEO

Zurichstrasse 38, CH-8306 Bruttisellen, SWITZERLAND

P.O. Box 2265 Jounieh, Lebanon

tel:

+41 44 655 16 67

email: website:

tel 24/7: fax:

mservices@medicall.ch www.medicall.ch

39

+961 9 224 008/009 +961 9 224 010

email: website:

request@swanassistance.com www.swanassistance.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Active Care Management Paul Schlosser – Client Relationship Manager 3600 Rhodes Dr., Windsor, ON, N8W 5A4, CANADA tel: fax:

+519 945 8256 ext.4111 +519 251 5165

pschlosser@active-care.ca www.active-care.ca

email: website:

AIG Travel Jim Koziol – General Manager, North America 3330 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point WI 54482, USA tel:

+1 715 295 9105

email: website:

jim.koziol@aig.com aig.com/travel

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (NORTH AMERICA)

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

Claims at TuGo Taka Katsube – Director Assistance & Cost Managment 10th Floor, 6081 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC V6Y 2B2, CANADA tel: fax:

tkat@tugo.com www.tugo.com

email: website:

Eurocross Turkey Mehtap Baylam Akkaya – CEO Altunizade Mahallesi, Ord. Prof. Fahrettin Kerim Gökay Caddesi, Eşref Çakmak Plaza, No:32 Kat:3 34662 Üsküdar, İstanbul, TURKEY tel: +90 216 265 15 25 email: int@eurocrossturkey.com.tr website: www.eurocrossturkey.com.tr fax: +90 216 265 15 65

Global Assistance & Healthcare

ASSIST CARD Federico Tarling – Chief Service Officer

Alain Durand – President Director

ASSIST-CARD Building, 175 South West 7th Street, Suite 2407, Miami, FL 33130, USA tel: +1 305 381 9959/69 email: federico.tarling@assistcard.com toll free: +1 800 874 2223 website: www.assistcard.com

Cibis Nine, 5th Fl, Jalan TB. Simatupang No. 2, Cilandak – Pasar Minggu, Jakarta 12560, INDONESIA tel: +62 21 299 78 999 email: global@global-assistance.net fax: +62 21 299 78 9555/66 website: www.global-assistance.net

CanAssistance

Global Excel Management John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing

Fabienne Lavoie – Director, International Operations and Claims 550 Sherbrooke Street West, Suite B-9, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 3S3, CANADA tel: +1 514 286 7707 email: fabienne.lavoie@canassistance.com fax: +1 514 286 8413 website: www.canassistance.com

73 Queen St, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 0C9, CANADA tel: fax:

+1 819 566 8833 +1 819 566 8447

corpinfo@globalexcel.com www.globalexcel.com

email: website:

Intana Global

GORAL ASSISTANCE CANADA INC. David Ohayon – Local Manager

Denise Groom – Head of Commercial

2155 Vincent St, Montreal, QC H4M 1M6, CANADA

6 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YE, UK

tel: fax:

+1 514 448 1343 +1 514 448 1835

email: website:

enquiries@intana-global.com www.intana-global.com

email: website:

info@goralassist.ca www.goralassist.com

New Frontier Group

MD ABROAD Ignacio C. Marquez – COO

Gitte Bach – President and CEO

2999 NE 191st Street, Suite 608, Aventura, Florida, USA

1024 Bayside Drive, Suite 144, Newport Beach, California, 92660-7462, USA

tel: fax:

+1 (786) 475-5475 +1 718 847 0533

email: website:

tel: fax:

operations@mdabroad.com www.mdabroad.com

+1 949 429 7130 +1 949 666 6520

Bach@NewFrontierGroup.com www.newfrontiergroup.com

email: website:

Star Healthcare Network, Inc.

SunMed International, LLC Dra. Kinyi Haber – Medical Director. VP International Operation

Gigi Galen Grobstein – President

2000 NW 89th Place. Miami FL 33172, UNITED STATES

120 Bloomingdale Road, Suite #304, White Plains, NY 10605, USA

tel: fax:

+1 786 888 6792 +1 786 551 0763

email: website:

khaber@sunmedint.net www.sunmedint.net

tel: fax:

TMCA Group Corp

email: website:

Ggalen@starhealthcarenet.com www.starhealthcarenet.com

contact the sales department now: sales@itij.com or telephone: +44 (0)117 925 51 51 (opt.1) Global Excel Management John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing 73 Queen St, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 0C9, CANADA +1 819 566 8833 +1 819 566 8447

email: website:

sales@itij.com or telephone: +44 (0)117 925 51 51 (opt.1)

Crystal@tmcatravel.com www.tmcatravel.com

corpinfo@globalexcel.com www.globalexcel.com

COST CONTAINMENT (AFRICA)

+1 646 398 9021 +1 646 398 9025

To have your company listed in our service directory

tel: fax:

email: website:

contact the sales department now:

217 Broadway Suite 608, New York, New York 10007, USA tel: fax:

+ 1 914 358 9121 + 1 914 358 9206

To have your company listed in our service directory

Crystal Wharton – President

New Frontier Group

(EUROPE)

CATASTROPHIC CLAIMS SPECIALISTS

+1 604 303 2113 +1 604 276 4593

Gitte Bach – President and CEO 1024 Bayside Drive, Suite 144, Newport Beach, California, 92660-7462, USA tel: +1 949 429 7130 email: Bach@NewFrontierGroup.com fax: +1 949 666 6520 website: www.newfrontiergroup.com

AIMS Bernadette Breton – Chief Executive Officer AIMS House, 3 West St, Bryanston 2191, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA tel: +00 27 11 783 0135 email: operations@aims.org.za fax: +00 27 11 783 2950 website: www.aims.org.za

Medical Services Organisation (MSO) Brenda Durow – General Manager - Assistance PO Box 1578, Gallo Manor, 2052, SOUTH AFRICA tel: fax:

+27 (0)11 259 5403 +27 (0)11 259 5001

assistance@mso.co.za www.mso.co.za

24hr email: website:

AP Companies Natalya Butakova – Business Development Manager 17 Varshavskoye Shosse, Moscow 117105, RUSSIA tel: fax:

+7 495 989 1120 +7 495 989 1130

email: website:

natalya@ap-companies.ru www.ap-companies.ru

ChargeCare International

Plotkin Health Inc – A Subsidiary of MacroHealth LP Shaun A. Plotkin BA (Uvic), LLB (Monash), GDLP – President

Mary-Jo McDonald (MJ) – Managing Director

27-3088 Francis Road, Richmond, British Columbia V7C 5V9, CANADA

Sanderum Centre, 30a Upper High Street, Thame, OX9 3EX, UK

tel: fax:

+1 604 241 9639 +1 604 241 0733

email: website:

shaun@plotkinconsulting.com www.plotkinconsulting.com

tel: fax:

40

+44 1865 400 007 +44 845 003 1351

email: website:

contact@chargecare.net www.chargecare.net

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

(NORTH AMERICA)

Eurocross Turkey Mehtap Baylam Akkaya – CEO Altunizade Mahallesi, Ord. Prof. Fahrettin Kerim Gökay Caddesi, Eşref Çakmak Plaza, No:32 Kat:3 34662 Üsküdar İstanbul, TURKEY tel: +90 216 265 15 25 email: int@eurocrossturkey.com.tr website: www.eurocrossturkey.com.tr fax: +90 216 265 15 65

Marm Assistance Mahmut Kadirbeyoglu – CEO AirPort Plaza, Ankara Caddesi, No:486, Kurtkoy 34912, Istanbul, TURKEY tel: fax:

+90 216 560 07 24 +90 216 560 07 07

marm@marm.com.tr www.marmassistance.com

email: website:

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

COST CONTAINMENT (EUROPE)

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Global Excel Management

Petar Chernaev – Manager 1 Gevgeliiski, Sofia 1309, BULGARIA +359 882 52 9557

tel:

email: website:

office@extremecare.eu www.extremecare.eu

Flying Home Pte Ltd Mr Ang Ziqian – Director Blk 4 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh #01-1345A, SINGAPORE +65 6253 0001 +65 6353 5801

tel: fax:

enquiry@flyinghome.com www.flyinghome.com

email: website:

Funeral Home AURIGA Ltd.

John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing

Helena Sulikova – Chief of International Department

73 Queen St, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 0C9, CANADA

B. Nemcové Street 1052/1, 412 01 Litomerice, CZECH REPUBLIC

+1 819 566 8833 +1 819 566 8447

tel: fax:

corpinfo@globalexcel.com www.globalexcel.com

email: website:

tel: fax:

Global Medical Management

Funeralia

Raija Itzchaki – COO 880 SW 145th Ave., Suite 400, Pembroke Pines, FL, 33027, USA +1 954 370 6404 +1 954 370 8613

tel: fax:

info@gmmi.com www.gmmi.com

email: website:

+420 724 257 899 +420 416 732 582

repatriations@pohrebni-auriga.cz www.funeral-assistance.cz

email: website:

Oleg Antoni Milinski – Funeral Director International funeral services, UKRAINE, POLAND, ITALY +38 0971 498 785 +48 5131 236 78

tel: fax:

MD ABROAD

email: website:

funeralia.org@gmail.com www.Funeralia.org

FUNERARIA OFFICIA ROBERTO ZEGA - Worldwide Repatriations Specialist Ignacio C. Marquez – COO

Cristina Zega – Repatriations Manager

2999 NE 191st Street, Suite 608, Aventura, Florida, USA

Via Clelia, 26 / 28 - 00181 Roma, ITALY

tel: fax:

+ 1 (786) 475-5475 +1 718 847 0533

email: website:

operations@mdabroad.com www.mdabroad.com

tel: fax:

New Frontier Group

0039 06 78 40 300 0039 06 78 02 488

email: website:

info@zega.it www.zega.it

G7 Mortuary Shipping - Latin-American Funeral Assistance

Gitte Bach – President and CEO

Christian Correa – Operations Director

1024 Bayside Drive, Suite 144, Newport Beach, California, 92660-7462, USA

Zona Franca Local 110, Rionegro, Antioquia, COLOMBIA & USA

+1 949 429 7130 +1 949 666 6520

tel: fax:

Bach@NewFrontierGroup.com www.newfrontiergroup.com

email: website:

tel: tel:

Penfield Care

+1 203 343 8111 +57 4 562 1142

email: website:

info@g7ms.com www.g7ms.com

Rowland Brothers International Ltd. Mr Stephen Zatylny – President

Fiona Greenwood – Operations Director

A1-130 Terence Matthews Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, K2M 0J1, CANADA

299-305 Whitehorse Road, West Croydon, Surrey CR0 2HR, UK

+1 613 703 9861 +1 819 200 0281

tel: fax:

info@penfieldcare.com www.penfieldcare.com

email: website:

tel: fax:

+44 20 8684 2324 +44 20 8684 8000

email: website:

info@rowlandbrothersinternational.com www.rowlandbrothersinternational.com

Singapore Casket Company (Pte) Ltd – Worldwide Repatriation

Plotkin Health Inc – A Subsidiary of MacroHealth LP Shaun A. Plotkin BA (Uvic), LLB (Monash), GDLP – President

Calvin Tang

27-3088 Francis Road, Richmond, British Columbia V7C 5V9, CANADA

131 Lavender Street, Singapore, 338737, SINGAPORE

+1 604 241 9639 +1 604 241 0733

tel: fax:

tel: fax:

shaun@plotkinconsulting.com www.plotkinconsulting.com

email: website:

GROUND TRANSPORT - MEDICAL

Star Healthcare Network, Inc. Gigi Galen Grobstein – President 120 Bloomingdale Road, Suite #304, White Plains, NY 10605, USA + 1 914 358 9121 + 1 914 358 9206

tel: fax:

CRITICAL CARE PATIENT TRANSPORT

Extreme Care Repatriation

email: website:

Ggalen@starhealthcarenet.com www.starhealthcarenet.com

European Air Ambulance Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing Luxembourg Airport, B.P.24, L-5201, Sandweiler, LUXEMBOURG 24hr tel: fax:

+352 26 26 00 +352 26 26 01

email: website:

alert@air-ambulance.com www.air-ambulance.com

customerservice@singaporecasket.com.sg www.singaporecasket.com.sg

Gateway International EMS

Oliver L. Müller – Managing Director 1440 G St. NW, Washington DC, 20005 , USA tel: fax:

+1-888-828-5258 +1-201-205-2239

email: website:

operations@gateway-ems.com www.gateway-ems.com

GroundMed Australia Matthew Kline & Mark Wardrop – Executive Directors Hangar 650 Drover Road, Bankstown Airport. NSW, Sydney, AUSTRALIA 2200 tel: +61 2 8700 0685 email: ops@airmed.com.au fax: +61 2 8700 0663 website: www.airmed.com.au

24/7 Chauffeured Transportation & Ground Ambulance

Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation

990 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 502 Miami, FL 33132, USA

Erna-Scheffler-Strasse 2, 51103 Köln, GERMANY +49 221 98 22 9333 +49 40 694597 61339

email: website:

LifeMed Worldwide

Malteser Service Center

tel: fax:

+65 6293 4388 +65 6296 5993

email: website:

tel:

ambulance@malteser.org www.malteser-service-center.de

+1-305-501-2009

email: website:

ops@lifemedworldwide.com www.lifemedworldwide.com

One Call Medical Transport

Skyservice Air Ambulance

24 Hour Worldwide Ground Transports

David Ewing – Senior Vice President, Global Markets

3815 E Main St., Suite C St. Charles, IL 60174, USA

Montreal/PE Trudeau Int Airport, 9785 Avenue Ryan, Montreal (Quebec), H9P 1A2, CANADA tel: +1 514 497 7000 email: alert@skyservice.com fax: +1 514 636 0096 website: www.skyserviceairambulance.com

tel: fax:

41

+1 630 444 2100 +1 630 823 2900

email: email:

ops@ocmt.com www.ocmt.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Acıbadem Healthcare Group Berna Gür – International Network Supervisor Fahrettin Kerim Gökay Cad. No:49 34662 Altunizade İstanbul, TURKEY tel: 0090 530 9768398 email: website:

ops@acibadem.com.tr www.acibademinternational.com

Anatolia Hospital Dr. Irfan Erdogan – General Coordinator Caybasi Mh 1352 Sk No 12 , 07100 Antalya, TURKEY +90 242 249 33 00 +90 242 311 67 78

tel: fax:

drirfan@anatoliahospital.com www.anatoliahospital.com

email: email:

Broward Health International Cristina Cardona – Associate Director Business Development 1608 SE 3rd Avenue Suite 502, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316, USA +1 954 767 5587 +1 954 888 3874

tel: fax:

email: email:

ccardonarivas@browardhealth.org Sbaig@browardhealth.org

Jackson Memorial Hospital International Dominick Destefano – Associate Director of Sales 1500 NW 12th Avenue, Suite 829 East, Miami, FL 33136, USA +305-355-1211 +305-355-5545

tel: fax:

email: website:

MEDICAL ESCORT ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINES

HOSPITALS

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

Gert Muurling – CEO & Medical Director Auf Roedern 7c, 56283 Pfaffenheck, GERMANY +49 6742 897 425 +49 3212 100 5018

tel: fax:

info@globalmed-international.com www.globalmed-international.com

email: website:

LIFESUPPORT Air Medical Services Graham Williamson – CEO VANCOUVER – CALGARY – TORONTO – FRANKFURT +1 250 947 9641 +1 877 288 2908

tel: fax:

Medical Wings

email: website:

graham.williamson@LifeSupportTransport.com www.LifeSupportTransport.com

Dr.Sura Jaidwatee, M.D. – Medical Flight Manager 222 Don Mueang International Airport Office Building 3rd Floor, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Sanambin, Don Mueang, Bangkok 10210, THAILAND 24h tel: +662 247 3392 email: m.w@medicalwings.com fax: +662 535 4734 website: www.medicalwings.com

Prime Nursing Care, Inc.

Franziska Hollenstein – CEO / Founder 1918 Harrison Street, Suite 215, Hollywood, Florida, 33020, USA + 1 754 999 0460 + 1 754 222 5051

24/ 7 tel: fax:

Dominick.destefano@jhsmiami.org www.jmhi.org

email: website:

www.primenursingcare.com contact@primenursingcare.com

PARKVIEW AIR MEDICAL

Luz Saúde SA

Graham Mitchell – President

Eve Jokel, MPH – International Director

#11 Zina Street, Orangeville, (Ontario) L9W-1E2, CANADA

Rua Carlos Alberto da Mota Pinto, 17-9.º 1070-313 Lisboa, PORTUGAL +351 213 138 260 +351 213 530 292

tel: fax:

email: website:

835 Seminole Blvd., Tarpon Springs FL, 34689, USA

Larry Baker – Managing Director 136 W. Dickinson Street, Suite 109, San Diego, CA 92103-8222, USA +1 619 471 0466 +1 619 543 5282

US tel: EU tel:

Sharp.GlobalPatientServices@sharp.com www.sharp.com

email: website:

lbaker@ucsd.edu health.ucsd.edu/international

MEDICAL PROVIDER

email: website:

UC San Diego Health System International Patient Program

tel: fax:

+1 858 437 5131 +1 858 408 7856

email: website:

milanfloribus@gmail.com acglobalmedicaltransports.com

AirMed Australia

TECHNOLOGY

8775 Aero Drive, Ste 120, San Diego, CA 92123, USA

tel: fax:

+254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

email: website:

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing

+254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

email: website:

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

Cambridge Global Payments Brad Loder – VP Marketing & Corporate Sponsorships 212 King Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M5H 1K5 CANADA tel:

email: website:

+1 (416) 646 6401 ext. 2392

bloder@cambridgefx.com www.cambridgefx.com

Firemelon (Magenta Insurance System)

02895 213 831

email: website:

david.corney@firemelon.com www.firemelon.com

email: website:

marc@voyageur.co.uk www.voyageur24.com

Voyageur Aeromedical Travel Marc Banting – Director 19 Lower Park Row, Bristol, UK tel: fax:

+44 (0)117 921 0401 +44 (0)845 384 7008

contact the sales department now:

Luxembourg Airport, B.P.24, L-5201, Sandweiler, LUXEMBOURG +352 26 26 00 +352 26 26 01

tel: fax:

To have your company listed in our service directory

European Air Ambulance

24hr tel: fax:

Wilson Airport, Langata Road, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA

tel:

TRAVEL AGENTS

Wilson Airport, Langata Road, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA

Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

40-42 Lisburn Road, Belfast,BT9 6AA, NORTHERN IRELAND

Hangar 650 Drover Road, Bankstown Airport. NSW, Sydney, AUSTRALIA 2200 tel: +61 2 8700 0685 email: ops@airmed.com.au fax: +61 2 8700 0663 website: www.airmed.com.au

Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

AMREF Flying Doctors

David Corney – Managing Director

Matthew Kline & Mark Wardrop – Executive Directors

AMREF Flying Doctors

info@skycareglobal.com www.skycareglobal.com

sales@itij.com or telephone: +44 (0)117 925 51 51 (opt.1)

sales@itij.com or telephone: +44 (0)117 925 51 51 (opt.1)

Milan Floribus – President

email: website:

contact the sales department now:

contact the sales department now:

AC Global Medical Transports

+1 727 230 2263 +39 345 461 8122

To have your company listed in our service directory

To have your company listed in our service directory

tel: fax:

repat@parkviewairmedical.com www.parkviewairmedical.com

Stephen Avise – VP of Operations

8695 Spectrum Center Blvd., San Diego, CA 92123, USA +1 888-265-1513 +1 858-499-4967

email: website:

SkyCare Global LLC.

Jacquie Schwoerke – Vice President, Sharp GPS

toll free: tel:

1 519 942 8143 1 519 941 4213

tel: fax:

intlpatientservices@luzsaude.pt luzsaude.pt/en

Sharp Global Patient Services

MEDICAL ESCORT ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINES

GlobalMed International

email: website:

sales@itij.com or telephone: +44 (0)117 925 51 51 (opt.1)

alert@air-ambulance.com www.air-ambulance.com

42

ON THE MOVE

CII announces new President

Jonathan Clark

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) in the UK has announced that Chartered Insurer Jonathan Clark has been elected as its President for 2018 and 2019. The decision was made at the body’s Annual General Meeting in July; Nick Turner, Director of NFU Mutual APFS, will serve as Deputy President.

A claims handler with 35 years of experience, Jonathan has held high-level roles with SCOR, Crawford & Company, Cunningham Lindsey, Ellis and Buckle, and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. He has been Deputy President of the CII since 2017, and takes over the role of President from Dame Inga Beale, the first female CEO of Lloyd’s.

“It has been a great honour to serve the CII as its President,” said Dame Inga. “The past year has been an exciting time as we seek to develop the profession and progress by embracing new technologies in order to attract the very best talent into insurance.

Launching the Aspire Apprenticeships Programmes was a particular highlight of my term. I would like to congratulate Jonathan Clark on his election and it gives me great pleasure to pass on the Presidency to him.”

Jonathan commented: “This is an interesting time for the profession and I am really looking forward to my year as President of the CII. My focus will be on promoting and developing a united profession during my tenure; united around standards, professionalism and diversity of

membership, ensuring that we’re an inclusive profession which is well-positioned to serve our incredibly diverse customer base. To this end, I will be championing a renewed focus on the CII’s efforts to promote the profession, to continue to attract young talent and to ensure clients’ and customers’ interests are always at the heart of the profession’s focus.”

Additionally, the CII has bolstered its Insuring Futures programme with the appointment of Helen White as Director.

Helen will be responsible for leading the first stage of the programme, ‘Insuring Women’s Futures’, to improve the financial resilience, independence and security of women across society. The Insuring Futures programme was established by the CII to bring together the insurance and financial planning professions to improve financial resilience.

Helen joins the CII from the Money Advice Service, where she was Head of Financial Capability.

“The Insuring Futures programme was created to challenge accepted convention and drive education and innovation to ensure insurance and financial planning products fully respond to the risks faced by society,” said Sian Fisher, CEO of the CII. “Helen will play a key role in driving this forward and we are very excited to have her on board.

The skills and experience that she brings with her will be a huge asset as we develop and deliver our Insuring Futures initiative.”

Willis Towers Watson appoints Global Head of FINEX Global advisory and broking solutions company Willis Towers Watson has appointed Jeremy Wall as Head of its Global Financial and Executive Division (FINEX), the financial and executive risk division of its corporate risk and broking business.

Jeremy has been a ‘key member’ of the company’s FINEX leadership team for a number of years, and in his new role he will report to Alexis Faber, Chief Operating Officer of Corporate Risk and Broking.

“I am delighted to be able to appoint Jeremy as Head of Global FINEX,” said Alexis. “He has been with our company for 16 years and has extensive experience in managing our wide ranging and diverse client base. With ever broadening emerging risks such as cyber impacting our clients, Jeremy will be able to drive Global FINEX to deliver market leading and innovative products, services and thought leadership to our clients globally.”

Leadership appointments at Chronic Care Management Solution-oriented technology and services care management provider Chronic Care Management, Inc. has announced the appointment of two new leadership team members. Gurpreet Singh has been appointed Chief Information Officer, while Marc Gauthier will now serve as Head of Enterprise Business Development.

“I am delighted that we have been joined in our effort to increase patient access to the valuable chronic care management programme by two stalwarts in the field,” said Dr William Mills, President and CEO of Chronic Care Management.

“Gurpreet Singh, our new CIO, has a distinguished track record of innovation and partnership with medical practices and other healthcare organisations to design, refine and implement technology systems that deliver value to patients, providers, and payers … [while] Marc Gauthier has over two decades of healthcare business development experience and has fostered success for medical groups, healthcare organisations such as Siemens and others through building relationships and trust backed up by his strong and diverse knowledge base.”

Promotions at Kingsbridge Group

CNA Hardy appoints Buege

Kingsbridge Group, a UK-based provider of specialist insurance services to contractors, freelancers and the recruitment industry, has announced a number of senior promotions within its Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance division.

Thomas Wynne is promoted from Business Development Director to Managing Director of KCI, James Ledingham is promoted from Head of Implementation to Operations Director of KCI, and Liam Green is promoted from Head of Underwriting to Underwriting Director of KCI. All three have been with Kingsbridge since its inception 11 years ago.

“Thomas, James and Liam have been absolutely integral to making KCI the business that it is today,” said Chief Executive James Twining. “These promotions illustrate our dedication

CNA Hardy, a specialist commercial insurance provider for clients within the Lloyd’s and company markets, has appointed Rhonda Buege as Head of its newly augmented Specialty Business Unit, effective immediately. The new unit will take in all existing Healthcare and Specialty line products throughout all company and Lloyd’s platforms; Rhonda will report to Chief Underwriting Officer Patrick Gage, with responsibility for the company’s specialty product portfolio throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and Canada.

“I am thrilled that Rhonda has accepted this widened role and am confident that under her stewardship the existing teams will go from strength to strength,” said Patrick.

“Rhonda has significant experience and a proven track record of building profitable businesses and highly effective teams, having held numerous leadership roles

to nurturing talent within the business as we strengthen our team to drive the growth of the business.”

Left to right: Liam Green, James Ledingham, Thomas Wynne

during her career and I am delighted that we can leverage her underwriting expertise as well as her strong broker relationships across the globe to build out our proposition and capabilities in this manner.”

Rhonda began her insurance career two decades ago at the St. Paul Companies. Subsequently, she has worked with CNA’s healthcare business in New York, where she held various underwriting and management roles.

“I am pleased to take on this new challenge at such an exciting time for our business,” said Rhonda. “The merging of these two business units enables closer alignment of our existing specialty products and services with our customer proposition across the globe, whilst leveraging existing product synergies to drive improved underwriting performance as well as an enhanced customer experience.”

Dedicated Account Management Team.

North America and Worldwide.

ITIJ SelectCare 0617.indd 1

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2017-06-29 1:42 PM

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