ITIJ Issue 213 October 2018

FEATURE:

p.28

Travel insurance: the next generation

FEATURE:

p.32

Rate your purchase?

The minefield of online customer complaints

SERVICE DIRECTORY

p.38

How AI and blockchain is pushing the industry forward

ESSENTIAL READING FOR TRAVEL & HEALTH INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS

Troubled minds Almost half of all travellers with mental health issues never disclose their illness to their travel insurer, new research from UK charity the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) has found – while those that do face far higher premiums

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Allianz admits misleading millions of customers

Allianz Australia’s General Manager of Retail Distribution Michael Winter revealed to the misconduct commission that it had misled

Airlines condemned for cheeky add-ons A US senator recently released a report taking airlines to task for pushing consumers to purchase travel insurance policies when they buy tickets for flights

The MMHPI is calling for ‘radical reforms’ in the travel insurance industry following the results of its latest survey, and has asked the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to review whether travel insurance pricing for mental health is in compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

According to their polling of 2,000 UK travellers, 45 per cent of those who suffer from mental illness do not declare it to a travel insurer – a huge leap when compared to the six per cent of those with physical problems that don’t declare them.

Through a mystery shopping exercise, the MMHPI found that insurance premiums increased by 400 per cent for travellers with stable and effectively managed mental health issues – confirming the viewpoint of the 13 per cent of travellers who didn’t purchase because it was too expensive. For those who had more severe mental health issues, premiums shot up by between 500 per cent and 2,000 per cent.

For both severities, there were still insurers that would refuse to give any coverage at all.

“Extremely high premiums and limited access to appropriate cover leave many people who have

Allianz’s Australian division has admitted that it mis-sold travel insurance to around two million customers, promising unlimited emergency cover to policyholders when, in fact, there were limits on both cost and location, Australia’s Royal Commission heard on 17 September

OCTOBER 2018 • ISSUE 213

clients who purchased travel insurance products through its website. The policies had been available to consumers from December 2015, and claimed to give the customer unlimited cover. However, the cover had an AU$1,000 limit, and cover to some countries was excluded.

The firm’s solicitors raised concerns about the advertisement of the products, even suggesting spending $30,000 to conduct a thorough review of the website, but Allianz declined the suggestion and

continued to sell the product. The product was taken down in June of this year.

“This is demonstrative, I want to put to you, of Allianz not prioritising compliance, and compliance with the law,” said Rowena Orr, a lawyer assisting with the inquiry. “At Allianz, it’s more important to protect the bottom line than to stop misleading your customers.”

Allianz has said that it has not yet contacted the customers affected by the policies. The inquiry also plans to review the Australian insurance industry’s current practice of self-regulation.

Senator Edward Markey’s report, Flyer Beware – Is Travel Insurance Worth It?, takes airlines to task for putting travellers buying plane tickets online under ‘heavy pressure … to make an additional purchase: a travel insurance policy’. He specifically refers to the add-on policies that are presented as part of the booking process, which customers must actively opt out of before they can finish booking (rather than early boarding and other add-ons, which can be ignored).

Senator Markey’s investigation found that the vast majority of major airlines and online travel agencies in the US were engaging in what the report refers to as ‘questionable travel insurance marketing practices’, aggressively pushing policies that frequently do not offer anywhere near the level of coverage that even the most average holidaymaker would need. Fifteen of the 16 companies that the investigation evaluated force customers to either purchase or actively decline to purchase coverage, and the report even suggests that these companies are driven more by a desire for profit than the need to give customers a product that works. How cynical…

ITIJ has reported on the issue of add-on travel insurance policies before, with many airlines in various countries condemned for this unscrupulous practice, and a high-profile intervention such as Markey’s is of course a

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Editorial comment @ITIJeditor

Editor-in-Chief:

Sarah Watson - editor sarah@itij.com If you could better meet customer expectations while at the same time protecting your brand reputation – and your bottom line – you’d do it, right?

We probably wouldn’t admit it, but we do understand why customers don’t read the entirety of their travel insurance contracts. However, we have to ask, are ‘Key Facts’ documents, as produced in the UK, enough? Or should travel insurers be doing more to educate travellers about what’s covered – and what’s not – by their policy? How about a ‘Busting common travel insurance myths’ document with each policy instead? With a new survey from MoneySuperMarket showing that British travellers overwhelmingly don’t check to see if their travel policy is suitable for the requirements of their trip (see ‘The expanding awareness gap’, p.8) – including checking whether common activities such as jet skiing are covered – or understand that they are likely not covered for injuries sustained while under the influence of alcohol, isn’t it about time that insurers came up with inventive ways to reach out to travellers to explain some

Editor:

of these common misconceptions about travel insurance? It seems like a wise investment for a potentially hugely satisfying return, and the digital age provides so many opportunities to engage with customers on different platforms.

Talking of the digital age, our features this month explore the potential of AI and blockchain for the travel insurance industry (‘Travel insurance: the next generation’, p.28), and online reviews and ratings (‘Rate your purchase?’, p.34) – both topics that are seeing the industry invest in tech tools that are allowing connectivity with customers – and potential customers – on a much more personal level.

At the ITIJ offices, we’re gearing up for ITIC Global in Geneva and, of course, the 2018 ITIJ Awards. You can find out all you need to know about these at itij.com/awards. In the meantime, we’ll be attending the Association of British Insurers’ inaugural travel insurance conference as the official media partner on 9 October, so we look forward to seeing some of our readers there. Look out for a review of the event in our next issue!

Ian Cameron ian@itij.com Sarah Watson sarah@itij.com

Deputy Editor:

Stefan Mohamed stefan@itij.com

Features Editor:

Mandy Langfield mandy@itij.com

Writer & Copy-Editor: Copy Writer:

Lauren Haigh Christian Northwood

Advertising sales:

Marketing:

James Miller Kathryn Zerboni Tim Hall sales@itij.com Isabel Sturgess Kate Knowles Kane Rich

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Brits’ travel insurance confusion persists

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Elspeth Reid Alex Rogers Kirstin Reid

Design team:

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Director of events:

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Airlines condemned for cheeky add-ons

Troubled minds

positive development. However, the framing of the story by some media outlets – and even by the report itself, for example its very broad title – does not necessarily draw a clear enough distinction between travel

do not need to purchase it. A casual reader seeing the title of the report in passing, or articles such as that by The Washington Post, which asked ‘Is travel insurance a ripoff? US senator’s report says flyers

the vast majority of major airlines and online travel agencies in the US were engaging in what the report refers to as ‘questionable travel insurance marketing practices’

mental health problems struggling to get suitable travel insurance. We are pleased that the regulator has plans to improve signposting to specialist insurers, but this only addresses part of the problem,” said Charity Director Helen Undy.

The charity has put forward several actions it believes need to be taken to make travel insurance access better for those with mental health issues: • The FCA to formally review the fairness of travel insurance pricing for people with mental health problems, including asking firms to demonstrate that their pricing complies with the Equality Act 2010.

• Insurers to proactively alert customers with mental health problems to all relevant exclusion terms and other conditions, so that they don’t have to search through the Ts and Cs to find out if their mental health will be covered.

insurance in general, and the specific, inadequate add-on policies rightfully put under the microscope by Markey.

Travel insurance has an image problem, and the industry all too often battles against the misconception that travellers

• Insurers to improve their disclosure processes, so that people with mental health problems aren’t required to repeatedly disclose to call centre staff who have little specialist training.

“Half of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives,

should beware’, might simply assume that they are referring to coverage in general.

Travel insurance in general is absolutely worth it, but sometimes trying to convince consumers of that is like bashing one’s head against a brick wall; painful and futile.

Extremely high premiums and limited access to appropriate cover leave many people who have mental health problems struggling to get suitable travel insurance which could have a long-term impact on our access to insurance,” said Undy. “If the mainstream travel insurance market doesn’t work for half of customers, then it’s really not working at all.”

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NEWS

Editorial Where to fall ill abroad – and where not to Blog So, this month’s front page doesn’t make very pretty reading.

‘Allianz admits misleading millions of customers’; ‘Airlines condemned for cheeky add-ons’; ‘Troubled minds’ (which points out that many sufferers of mental health issues don’t declare their problem because doing so makes their insurance too expensive).

For most holidaymakers, the possibility of falling ill or sustaining an injury is not something they particularly want to consider. Perhaps this is why many travellers either don’t bother with insurance or purchase the cheapest cover at the last minute – nobody wants to entertain the idea that their trip is going to be ruined.

But if an unlucky traveller were to fall ill or become injured abroad, where would they have the most straightforward – and least expensive – experience, and where would be the worst place for this to happen? Research from Get Going Travel Insurance has calculated the top 10 best countries for tourists to suffer

a health issue, and the bottom 10.

The best destinations from a healthcare perspective, according to the specialist medical travel insurer, are Belgium, Israel, Finland, the UK, Iceland, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Austria and Portugal. For each of these countries, the average cost of a medical expenses claim on a travel insurance policy was less than £1,000; in Belgium, the cheapest, the average was £255.

The worst destinations, meanwhile, were Mexico, Poland, Estonia, the US, Spain, Turkey, South Korea, Hungary, Ireland and finally Japan, where the average claim cost is £1,984.46.

These three cases don’t do the travel and health insurance industry any favours.

Allianz Australia should know better; it’s just silly to offer a benefit that clearly doesn’t exist. There are too many consumers and consumer bodies that are all too ready to jump all over false promises nowadays (and rightly so).

As for the airlines, it’s unfortunate that the product condemned for ‘this unscrupulous practice’ happens to be travel insurance. It could just as easily have been seat reservations or some other such extra or add-on. Unfortunately, the airlines’ use of travel insurance in this way ultimately blights the insurer as least as much as the airline.

Then we have the mental health problems, which are today’s current hot issue. Awareness and acceptance of this as a problem has grown hugely over the last few years, and ignoring the necessity to deal with it in a fair and sympathetic way will not do the industry any favours and could lead to more regulation. Which is the last thing any insurers would want in a product that is already highly regulated.

Perhaps a PR lesson for the bright sparks behind these schemes?

Or it that being too nice?

You do wonder sometimes …

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

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NEWS

The expanding awareness gap According to a new survey from UK-based price comparison site MoneySuperMarket, British travellers continue to demonstrate a lack of understanding of travel insurance The poll, which took in responses from 2,000 UK holidaymakers over the age of 18, found that 80 per cent of those who take out travel insurance do not check whether it actually covers the requirements of their trip. Fifty-five per cent of respondents stated that they planned to undertake activities such as skydiving and jet skiing while on holiday, despite not knowing whether they would be covered in the event that one of these activities went wrong, while 67 per cent said that they would drink alcohol while on holiday – not surprising, necessarily, but worrying considering that nearly half of respondents did not realise that injuries sustained while under the influence of alcohol could negate the validity of a claim.

Anna Sant, a travel insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, warned consumers: “Personal injury claims can fail because of suspected intoxication, so it’s worth reading through your policy in full to make sure you don’t get caught out. As a general rule of thumb, the cheaper your policy, the more open the clause around alcohol is to interpretation. In many cases, especially with cheaper policies, it’s up to the individual to prove that they weren’t under the influence of alcohol when they got injured, which can prove almost impossible.”

While interventions from organisations

such as MoneySuperMarket are positive – after all, consumers tend to see price comparison sites as neutral arbiters and may be more inclined to listen to their advice rather than that of the travel insurers that they already do not trust – but the persistence of this awareness gap is frustrating for those in the industry who have been observing it for many years. It seems that even in this age of free-flowing information, it is all too easy to remain ignorant.

Look beyond comparison sites ITIJ reported recently that many consumers in the UK and beyond feel that finding travel insurance that will cover them for pre-existing conditions is difficult. As a result of this, many decide not to declare their conditions, potentially leaving them open to the refusal of claims based on their non-disclosure.

In response to this issue, Aquarium Software, a UK-based provider of software

Seeking travel insurance with a preexisting medical condition can be like online dating after a divorce … a bewildering and overwhelming number of sites, yet it feels like there is no one out there for you solutions to the insurance industry, has suggested that customers need to look beyond price comparison websites, and that the industry needs to make it easier for customers with specific health

Travel insurance? No thanks, say UAE residents

A new survey from travel insurance comparison site Souqalmal.com has found that half of UAE residents have never bought travel insurance before going on holiday – despite the fact that one in 10 have experienced a problem while abroad.

“With travel insurance policies starting from as low as Dh20 (US$5), it’s a small price to pay for getting covered against all kinds of travel risks and accidents, from poolside slips to stolen belongings and cancelled trips,” Souqalmal Founder and Chief Executive Ambareen Musa said. “Adequate coverage can save you thousands of dirhams in financial consequences of travel mishaps.”

Of the 600 UAE travellers surveyed, 50 per cent admitted to never buying travel

requirements to find specialist cover, rather than approaching the purchase of insurance in the traditional way.

The company advises that customers search for specialist providers that cover pre-existing medical conditions, rather than using the default option of a price comparison website (PCW); this allows for more nuance in a search, and more accurate assessment of the risk posed by – and to – an individual.

Advances in technology have made it much easier for insurers to quote on this basis, so why not try to push more customers in this direction?

“Seeking travel insurance with a preexisting medical condition can be like online dating after a divorce,” said Mark Colonnese, Director of Aquarium Software.

“A bewildering and overwhelming number of sites, yet it feels like there is no one

out there for you. People need to realise the PCW they used previously may not be the place to find that perfect match now, especially if they have a pre-existing condition. You need to look at niche providers to find your perfect travel policy.”

While this can cost a traveller more upfront, Colonnese admits, this could be ‘a blessing in disguise’. Travellers frequently go for the cheapest option when it comes to travel insurance – for obvious if frustrating reasons – but this could leave them open to shelling out considerable more money down the line. “A bespoke policy,” said Colonnese, “is more likely to include those options we should all have as standard. An annual European policy for a family of three, including an adult on DVT medication, for example, can cost as little as £70. Hardly a fortune, when the average family holiday costs £4,792.”

Canadians keen for coverage A new report from the Conference Board of Canada brings the welcome news that travel insurance take-up is at peak levels among Canadians. Enrolment is as high as 90 per cent among the older demographics, but even among the traditionally more carefree younger segment, numbers are looking pretty rosy.

The report looks into why people are more

enthusiastic about signing up, while also investigating why those who are still reticent to purchase coverage feel that way.

Along with this survey, a separate report has found that Canadians’ satisfaction with travel insurance products is also on the increase.

Look out for an in-depth analysis of these developments in our next issue.

insurance, while a further 26 per cent said that they only occasionally bought a policy.

Despite this low take-up, UAE travellers understand the risks involved with travelling, with many worrying about travel problems that could be covered by policies. Flight delays and cancellations top travellers’ fears (42 per cent), while one-third worry about medical emergencies and onequarter worry about lost baggage.

The site points out to travellers that a Dh100 (US$27) travel insurance policy comes with emergency medical expense cover and personal liability cover worth $1 million (Dh3.67m) each. There is clearly much to be done in educating UAE travellers about the benefits of travel insurance.

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NEWS

Death in Egypt – the saga continues On 21 August, a British couple staying at a hotel in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada died after falling ill. Egyptian General Prosecutor Nabil Sadek said in an official statement that post-mortem examinations showed Escherichia coli bacteria was a factor in both deaths However, the couple’s daughter dismissed this as ‘absolute rubbish’. Kelly Ormerod, who was staying at the hotel with her parents, John and Susan Cooper, told the BBC that she didn’t believe her parents’ symptoms were consistent with E. coli infection and that further post-mortem examinations of her parents’ bodies would be carried out in the UK, on direction from the Home Office.

Although tests on air and water at the hotel found nothing unusual, as a precaution Thomas Cook evacuated 300 guests from the hotel. According to Ormerod, her parents had used perfume to mask a strange odour in the room. The forensic report denied that there had been any leakage of harmful gases into the room, but detailed how the ‘unknown smell’ noticed by Ormerod was ‘due to a leak of insecticide used in the next room’. It also stated that the insecticide, which is commonly used to control pests in gardening and agriculture, was safe to use, and had nothing to do with the deaths.

Ormerod said that she wanted more transparency and has ‘no faith’ in the Egyptian authorities’ claims. She added that she would wait for the results of tests done by the UK Home Office before coming to any conclusions about how her parents died.

Thomas Cook said it was clear ‘something went wrong in August at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada and that standards fell below what we expect from our hotel partners’. According to reports from guests, some people were so ill that they defecated involuntarily in the swimming pools, and some complained of being served undercooked and raw chicken and drinks from dirty glasses. It said that it is preparing a compensation package for customers who reported an illness while staying at the hotel in August and has also rolled out a programme of ‘specialist hygiene assessments’ to all its hotels that experience a higher-than-average reported level of sickness.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths. All of our thoughts are with the family. In addition to our full support of the authorities, the tour operator and the franchise partner, we are highly engaged in running our own investigations,” said the Steigenberger hotel.

Egypt’s Tourism Minister Rania al-Mashat, said: “The causes of death, E coli bacteria, were medically determined by a team of internationally accredited pathologists, which I hope for the family’s sake will put an end to previous speculative suggestions of what might have happened.”

medical expenses.

This issue has been bubbling for a while, as a number of countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East have reported violent incidents involving tourists over the last few years Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority is in the process of conducting a study that will compile data involving such incidents; once completed, according to Vice-Chairman Reda Abdel Moaty, it will be used ‘to determine the value of premiums and collection methods’. A major international insurer may then be selected to deliver the insurance via a tender through the FRA. Over seven million tourists travelled to Egypt over the last 10 months.

MEDFLIGHT

Egypt plans compulsory tourist insurance As part of efforts to improve its image as a tourist destination and boost travellers’ confidence – an issue that has become more acute following the deaths of John and Susan Cooper – Egypt is planning to introduce a law mandating compulsory insurance for foreign visitors. The policy will cover personal accident, total disability and death, along with treatment for

9

INDUSTRY VOICE

Crafting the customer experience Sofie Quidenus-Wahlforss, CoFounder and CEO of Berlin-based startup omni:us, asks how digital innovation can help traditional insurers keep customers first In any consumer-facing business, customer experience is essential to success. This is especially true for the insurance industry, where policy values and customer retention rates drive profit. Yet the insurance field is littered with unique communication obstacles which can make the path to satisfactory customer experiences difficult to attain.

personalised chatbots are changing public standards of satisfactory service.

As enhanced customer experience is what most insurance executives seek to improve, according to a 2017 report by Insurance Nexus, it’s a vital aspect of business, which innovative solutions like omni:us can help.

At omni:us, we produce artificial intelligence solutions for insurance companies on behalf of the customer, with the aim of reducing customer wait times and enhancing their overall interaction by automating the tedious administrative tasks that take up so much of the company’s time. Often, we see reductions in claims processing of

In any consumer-facing business, customer experience is essential to success Sometimes viewed as a grudge purchase, customer perspectives of insurance are often tinged with resentment over high monthly fees for an indefinite payout, making trust low and hard to build: according to a 2016 Accenture report, only 20 per cent of customers found their insurer trustworthy.

In the event of a payout arising, customers typically require fast, promising results from a company with which they’ve had limited contact. Such customers will have already endured stressors leading to the need for insurance, requiring an even higher standard of customer service from the insurer.

In response to the many challenges faced, new technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and

up to 80 per cent, freeing up the agents’ time to focus on customers in need.

By reading and understanding submitted claims forms like a human, such solutions can extract information from a huge volume of arbitrary documents, regardless of various layouts and text type (digital vs handwritten). While intrinsically helpful to the insurer, customers first and foremost benefit from this innovation as we allow them, in the height of a stressful situation, to conveniently submit and resolve claims of any sort without constraints.

Especially considering the versatility of AI solutions and customer technology available, there are multiple ways that traditional insurers can work with complementary

technology to improve, maintain and enhance their customer’s experience for the best possible result. In order to do so, it’s important to consider five aspects that

according to a 2016 Accenture report, only 20 per cent of customers found their insurer trustworthy can make or break customer expectations: • Convenience: Technology drives convenience, and the same rings true for insurance – 79 per cent of consumers worldwide say they will use a digital channel for insurance interactions over the next few years, according to Raconteur. The rise of mobile-first technology, including apps, means that consumers have come to expect seamless interactions in all areas of their lives, and insurance is no exception. In addition to AI solutions that simplify the claims process or policy comparison, chatbots and mobile portals help break down the barriers between customers and their insurers.

• Immediacy: From policy choice to payout, customers are always looking for responsive companies to trust, so digital solutions that work to speed up any part of the process are key. Solutions that rely on Natural Language Processing to read, understand and extract useful information from documents can automate the labour-intensive aspects of insurance practice, helping traditional companies reduce customer wait times with faster processing.

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• Accuracy: As EY points out, rising consumer expectations and an increased willingness to switch to new providers are forcing insurers to be more accountable, transparent and effective. Wrongly denying a payout in a time of need is a nightmare for all insurers and their customers. Luckily, technological innovations cut down on human error while increasing accuracy, preventing incorrect decisions on behalf of customers and fraudulent claims for insurers.

• Transparency: With customer trust already difficult to achieve, insurers should understand the customer’s reluctance towards insurance as a grudge purchase and provide options for decent coverage at costs as low as possible, an opening where AI technology can greatly simplify the application process. For example, brokers may rely on AI to extract all relevant data from various policies and produce an in-depth comparison within minutes, servicing customers to a higher degree while allowing the focus to be on customer-facing interactions rather than intensive comparison calculations.

• Excellent customer service: Ultimately this will be on insurers to provide as a human element is always needed, as EY’s latest surveys show that 40 per cent of consumers decide to continue insurer relationships based on the quality of the experience. Luckily, with all the free time AI solutions and new technology can create for businesses once labourintensive tasks are automated, this will be even easier to deliver. ■

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COMPANY BRIEF

Allianz bolsters European offering Insurer Allianz Partners UK has announced a new partnership with UK independent travel insurer Hays Travel. The partnership, which aims to allow Allianz to enhance its European travel offering, was secured ‘based on the strong tender response of Allianz Partners to the services required by Hays Travel’, according to the insurer.

Hays’ customers will now have access to a multi-tier product offered by Allianz Partners UK, with underwriting, claims and medical assistance services being provided by Rush Insurance Ltd. The product will offer flexibility with an excess option when purchasing cover for pre-existing medical conditions.

“Hays Travel is a great addition to our travel portfolio,” Lee Taylor, Chief Sales Officer at Allianz Partners UK said. “This contract offers us a longterm partnership with an established, prominent player in the independent travel agent market, expanding our footprint within the traditional travel sector.”

Jeff Rush, Chief Executive of Rush Insurance, added: “We are delighted to welcome the strength of Allianz Partners’ global support into this relationship and look forward to enhancing our already strong partnership with Hays Travel to support our joint conversion growth and enhanced service level strategies.”

Meanwhile, in the US Allianz Global Assistance has announced the launch of SmartBenefits, a product enhancement that will allow its US

customers to be paid in real time for flight delays, as well as several other benefits.

Allianz says that due to proprietary technology and new automated claims capabilities, it is now able to give its customers proactive claim payments within minutes of a qualifying flight delay.

Allianz will automatically file the claim for the customer, allowing them to receive on average US$100 per person per travel delay on their debit card in minutes.

On some plans, customers will also be able to claim a fixed-amount payment for travel delay and baggage delay claims with no receipts. Customers can make their claims through Allianz’s TravelSmart app by entering basic data points to verify coverage eligibility.

They will then receive claim approval status within the next seven days.

Allianz has also announced a range of enhancements, which it says are its most extensive to the company’s entire product portfolio in more than five years.

Using customer feedback and identified industry gaps, Allianz created three new enhancements. Firstly, it expanded travel coverage, including new risks such as Hurricane Warning and Mandatory Evacuation. Its Travel Delay benefit was also redesigned to help travellers to cover the cost of reaching their destination earlier by alternative means. Secondly, Allianz has improved its emergency medical coverage, with all plans now including primary emergency medical coverage. Finally, it has simplified its benefit descriptions and usability, ‘making

Capital Advisory unit launched by Aon

Global risk solutions provider Aon has announced the launch of its Capital Advisory unit. Set up within its Reinsurance Solutions division, it aims to deliver a holistic approach to capital optimisation for re/ insurers, Lloyd’s syndicates and captives.

The unit aims to respond to the increasing difficulty of generating returns on common equity due to the challenges of low growth, underwriting margins and investment income coupled with high capital requirements.

Led by Eric Paire, the unit will help clients achieve capital efficiency either by accessing alternative or traditional capital or identifying opportunities that make better use of existing capital, while taking into account cost and returns, the company says.

“In a low interest rate economy with pressure on returns, we are committed to working with insurers as their strategic partners to optimise the capital supporting their businesses,” said Nick Frankland, UK CEO of Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions business. “We have a head start with our intrinsic knowledge of clients’ operations

it easier for customers to understand what situations can be covered’.

“By offering proactive claim payments on qualifying flight delays, our innovative SmartBenefits make it easier for customers to get paid quickly for their inconvenience,” stated Mike Nelson, Global CEO of Travel Insurance and Regional CEO for Americas. “These enhancements to our travel protection products make travelling easier, more worry-free and enjoyable for our customers.”

Both benefits, along with the other enhancements, will be available for any trips booked through the company’s travel agency partners.

Cigna to invest millions in startups Global health insurance provider Cigna has announced its intention to invest US$250 million in startups working in various corners of the healthcare sector.

Specifically, Cigna is looking to invest in the areas of analytics, digital health, retail, care management and other value-based segments. Through investment in analytics, the company hopes to tackle challenges posed by risk assessment, healthcare network optimisation and patient care plan assessments. It is also hoping to invest in startups focusing on wellness, customer service and experience, and therapeutic solutions. Care management investments, it is hoped, will allow for innovation in the areas of care enablement, sites of care and patient accessibility.

“Cigna’s commitment to improving the health, wellbeing and sense of security of the people we serve is at the front and centre of everything we do,” commented Tom Richards, Senior Vice-President and Global Lead for Strategy and Business Development at Cigna. “The venture fund will enable us to drive innovation beyond our existing core business operations, and incubate new ideas, opportunities, and relationships that have the potential for long-term business growth and to help our customers.”

Among the startups in which Cigna has announced investment are Omada Health, a company using digital solutions to support therapeutic approaches.

Zurich launches startup competition Zurich Insurance Group has announced the launch of the Zurich Innovation World Championship, a global competition to find the best and brightest startups working in the realm of insurtech

as their reinsurance intermediary and can bring an additional focus on P&L with our specialist skills from across Aon.” Expertise has been brought onto the unit from reinsurance (from treaty to loss portfolio transfers and adverse development covers), P&C and Life, analytics, rating agency advisory, asset management, M&A and capital markets, and will give customers bespoke advice.

Aon says this will help to: reduce Solvency II capital requirements via reinsurance; improve insurers’ investment strategy to drive investment efficiencies, thereby uniting management of both their assets and liabilities; and optimise insurers’ capital mix “There is no single move, no silver bullet, that will restore insurers’ profitability overnight. It is all about fine tuning and optimising the various components of the P&L and the balance sheet for increased operating and financial margins, and an enhanced capital mix, while reducing volatility and allocated capital for a lower cost of capital,” added Paire.

The competition, which is part of what Zurich calls its ‘customer-led strategy’, will focus on established startups offering products and services that are already on the market; winners will have the opportunity to showcase their offerings to Zurich customers around the world. It will run in over 20 countries, looking specifically at digital health, financial planning, mobility, and smart homes and buildings.

“Zurich is committed to being a groundbreaking customer-led insurer and wants to accelerate the transformation of its business model by refocusing its offerings to ensure they meet the needs of today’s digital-savvy customers,” said Giovanni Giuliani, Zurich’s Chief Strategy, Innovation and Business Development Officer. “The Zurich Innovation World Championship will give entrepreneurs the opportunity to drive transformation of the insurance industry.”

The final round of the competition will take place next February, with bronze, silver and gold winners given the resources to launch a pilot programme. Winners will then be selected by expert juries.

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Cunningham Lindsey NZ rebrands

TravelCard aims to simplify claims process

Cunningham Lindsey in New Zealand has announced that it will now be operating as Sedgwick. The move will help to align Cunningham Lindsey further with Sedgwick after it was acquired by the technology-enabled risk, benefits and integrated business solutions company.

“This is a very exciting time for Sedgwick and our clients,” said Darryl Cowan, CEO of Sedgwick in New Zealand. “Unifying our resources and expertise within the Sedgwick family allows us to build upon the strong reputations of both firms. The integration enables us to provide a more comprehensive range of global solutions that our clients need – delivered by the same local experts whom they know and trust.”

Sedgwick said that under the new unified brand the New Zealand team will have the support and enhanced capabilities of Sedgwick’s global knowledge and resources and be part of ‘the largest claims management organisation in the world’.

“The brand change forms part of our planned expansion of the market leading international businesses. Having completed the acquisition, Sedgwick is now perfectly positioned for growth internationally and we have a tremendous opportunity to offer an end-to-end service solution to our new and existing clients around the world,” said Ian V. Muress, CEO of Sedgwick International.

Sedgwick currently operates in over 65 counties, employing around 21,000 members of staff to provide business solutions to employers, insurance companies, brokers, policyholders and consumers.

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Australian travel insurance provider TravelCard, responding to the results of research that found many Aussie travellers do not follow through with legitimate travel insurance claims because they feel the process would be too long and complicated, is piloting a new big data-driven method in the hopes of solving this issue.

A survey of 1,000 Australians reported

by Finder.com.au found that 82 per cent have had issues claiming in the past, with 44 per cent dissatisfied with the level of paperwork involved in the process, 32 per cent saying they had only been partly reimbursed and 31 per cent bemoaning the length of time it took to get a settlement.

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Thomas Miller acquires Zeller operations

To work around these issues, TravelCard has opted to provide customers using its Real Time Travel Insurance with a pre-paid MasterCard; should a claim-worthy event take place, customers ring TravelCard and funds are immediately transferred to their card, with no paperwork needed.

How does it work? TravelCard utilises big data to analyse claims from all over the world, discerning patterns that can create a profile for a ‘reasonable and customary’ claim.

Should the customer’s claim fit this profile, payment is made immediately. TravelCard hopes that the increased number of payouts will be offset by reduced admin costs and improved levels of repeat business.

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International insurer Thomas Miller has announced that it has agreed to purchase Zeller Associates’ Managing General Agency and Insurance Services operations.

The Hamburg-based company provides specialist insurance services for the cruise and tourism industry, as well as for shipping, trade and transport. It has six distinct operational businesses covering a range of services from insurance underwriting and insurance management to claims handling, loss adjusting and expert investigations. Headquartered in Hamburg, the operations employ 37 people.

“The acquisition of these businesses’ specialist expertise across a broad range of marine transport related insurance services is an excellent and complementary addition to the Thomas Miller Group,” Hugo Wynn Williams, Chairman, Thomas Miller said.

Dr Harald Zeller, Zeller Associates, was ‘delighted’ with the deal: “ We have common values and vision for the future with our businesses playing an important role in Thomas Miller’s future growth strategy.”

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COMPANY BRIEF

Digital payment method for insurance

US-based travel insurer Travel Insured International will be the first insurer in the US to make use of the new real-time digital payment system offered by Dream Payments. A digital platform for financial services institutions, Dream Payments has now launched the Dream Claims Payment API, a system designed exclusively for use by the insurance industry to enable insurers to pay customers’ claims rapidly and securely.

The system, the first of its kind to be offered specifically for insurers, allows insurers to connect to the Dream Payments Hub and MasterCard’s Send platform; Travel Insured will make use of it to deploy realtime disbursements to its customer base.

“Our API allows insurers to rapidly integrate digital claims payments into their claims systems and processes to deliver an exceptional experience for both end customers and internal claims personnel,” commented Long Van, Chief Technical

Generali partners with Blink in Asia Blink Innovation, a subsidiary of product marketing business CPP Group, has partnered with Generali Hong Kong.

The partnership will see Generali’s strategic reinsurance solution team expand its offerings to include travel disruption insurance solutions for its reinsurance customers. Blink says that the convenience and cost-effectiveness of air travel in Asia, at both an international and local level, means that there is an opportunity for the reinsurance business due to the increased chance of travel disruption. Blink will offer its real-time resolution platform and automation features to customers in the region.

Blink CEO Paul Prendergast was pleased to announce the partnership: “Our Travel

Officer of Dream Payments. “Through one API and the Dream Payments Hub, insurers of all sizes can now benefit from the speed and efficiency of digital claims payments and eliminate the friction associated with printing, sorting, mailing and tracking of checks.”

The first insurance company to make use of the Dream Payments Hub, Northbridge Financial, was enthusiastic about the possibilities. “We know that waiting for and depositing cheques are key pain points for our customers and we’re excited to be able to offer them better and faster options to get them the funds they need as quickly as possible,” said George Halkiotis, Executive Vice-President, Claims, Northbridge Financial. “The Dream platform also gives us multiple options to transfer funds based on our customers’ preferences and the fully integrated experience will create greater efficiency with our processes internally, and ultimately an easier experience for our team.”

Insurance Innovation platform, coupled with Generali’s market insights and pan-Asian reach, will allow us to continue building and delivering great customer experiences and giving them peace of mind when travelling.”

The platform delivered by Blink tracks flight delays or cancellations, and ‘automatically resolv[es] inconveniences through partnerships with insurance companies’.

“We are excited to partner with Blink to bring innovation to our reinsurance partners across Asia,” said Cillin O’Flynn, CEO of Generali Hong Kong Life Limited.

“Technology is key to providing an improved customer experience and we believe Blink’s platform is best in class for delivering true innovation in reinsurance.”

VisitorsCoverage receives award Travel insurance-focused insurtech company VisitorsCoverage has received the ‘Best Technology Innovator’ award from International Medical Group (IMG), as well as recognition as a ‘Platinum Producer’ for 2018.

Silicon Valley-based VisitorsCoverage aims to use innovative technological solutions to address consumers’ common travel related issues, such as difficulty comparing or making changes to travel insurance plans, and make the world of travel and medical insurance as simple and easy to access as possible. IMG recognised it with the ‘Best Technology Innovator’ award due to the strides that the insurtech has made in this area.

“Technology is our primary growth driver,”

commented Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO of VisitorsCoverage, “and will be key to achieving our mission of simplifying travel insurance and international medical insurance, and delivering a seamless customer experience.”

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New digital product for expats International private medical insurance provider Now Health International has just launched a new digital product catering to ‘the next generation of expatriate’ The mid-tier product, which is also aimed at affluent local nationals, is called SimpleCare, and has been designed in response to increasing numbers of tech-savvy millennials and younger people in executive positions heading overseas for work, who are interested in international health products but at a more competitive price than those offered to traditional corporate travellers.

Now Health has designed SimpleCare so that members can access everything via a paper-free online portal, leveraging the company’s smartphone app and secure online portfolio; it will also make use of mobile pass membership cards which can be downloaded into the wallet of a smartphone.

The product offers coverage for all major health incidents, and members can optionally add on low or medium coverage for outpatient treatment.

Customers can choose from eight different levels of annual deductible, along with risk management tools such as co-insurance. It will be launched in Europe, Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore first, before being rolled out in Asia, the Middle East and other key markets.

“SimpleCare is designed to meet the needs of a new generation of expat,” said Now Health Executive Chairman Martin Garcia, “the growing numbers of younger people moving abroad, most of which end up on local employment contracts.

We set out to create an international health insurance solution which caters to these cost-conscious, digitally literate expats while still providing them with access to world-class medical facilities and [a] high standard of service.”

Allianz to establish ‘Innovation Centres’ Allianz Partners has announced plans to establish a trio of ‘Innovation Centres’ to boost innovation in the travel, health and assistance spheres. This follows the launch of its Automotive Innovation Centre back in 2014; this centre has shown a great deal of success working with automotive manufacturers in fields such as driverless and connected cars and shared mobility, and Allianz hopes to put its expertise in the fields of travel, health and assistance to similar use in these new centres.

The three new facilities will bring in external contributors such as startups and established industry partners, as well as digital players, to ‘conceptualise, test and implement

innovative processes, products and business models’, according to Allianz Partners.

The Travel Innovation Centre will focus on digitising travellers’ customer journeys via new approaches to travel insurance; the Health Innovation Centre will work on developing advanced health and life service propositions; while the Assistance and Open Innovation Centre will work in areas such as digital risk, smart home propositions, artificial intelligence and blockchain.

“In an environment where the insurance market is constantly being challenged by technological evolutions and revolutions, Allianz Partners, thanks to its unique combination of insurance, service and

technology, is further strengthening its commitment and capacity to innovate,” said Dan Assouline, Chief Market and Digital Officer at Allianz Partners.

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INSURANCE MATTERS

MSIG partners with insurtech startup Anapi

Singapore-based MSIG Insurance has announced a collaboration with insurtech startup Anapi, through which the companies will seek to develop ‘next generation insurance products for a digital ecosystem’ The collaboration will begin with the launch of a flight delay insurance product, delivered via a travel assistant mobile app provided by a digital partner. Customers will have the opportunity to purchase flight delay cover from Singapore to Bangkok for only a few dollars; should there be a delay of at least one hour, claims will be auto-triggered and policyholders will be paid via PayNow with no

RSA’s Luxembourg headquarters opens RSA has opened its new European business headquarters in Luxembourg, part of the company’s reaction to the UK’s Brexit decision.

The new offices will be led by Richard Turner, who has relocated from the UK and who previously led RSA’s EU operations. The new office has been created with an aim to minimise disruption to RSA’s EU business and provide a platform for the company to conduct business in the EU post-Brexit.

“RSA Luxembourg demonstrates our

commitment to the EU,” said Turner.

“Our investment in this office showcases our commitment to continuity for our customers and other business partners across the EU post Brexit.”

The new offices in Luxembourg will act as a headquarters for RSA’s other EU offices in Belgium, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands, and will be staffed by around 10 members of staff. RSA has said that it will fit into the existing UK and international governance structure and reporting lines.

requirement to submit documentation.

“We are living in a fast-changing world where technology is reshaping the nature of insurance,” said Michael Gourlay, CEO of MSIG Insurance. “Customers’ needs are not all the same and our products can now be personalised. And for many, the first port of call is the digital marketplace. Our collaboration with Anapi, who are at the forefront of insurtech, will reshape personalised insurance, as smart contracts can be offered and easily integrated with digital services. Adopting new plug-in technologies such as APIs will enable us to provide an ‘alwayson’ service and embed insurance into the digitally enabled ecosystems.”

Egypt to tackle insurance penetration

MMC completes JLT purchase

Low incomes and lack of market education are significantly hampering the insurance industry in Egypt, and the Insurance Federation of Egypt (IFE) has announced that it is aiming to tackle these issues with new solutions.

In a recent interview with Daily News Egypt, Alaa El-Zoheiry, Managing Director of Arab Misr Insurance Group (GIG) and IFE Chairman, revealed that GIG is aiming to offer microinsurance products in order to appeal to lower-income citizens, but that currently microinsurance premium volumes have not kept pace with the number of people in Egypt.

The IFE is attempting to tackle awareness by launching a television campaign. ElZoheiry added: “The IFE holds numerous seminars and conferences to increase people’s awareness, in addition to sending bulletins weekly to those interested in the insurance industry in Egypt, whether

Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), a New York, US-based risk solutions provider, has announced the acquisition of insurer Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT).

According to MMC, total cash consideration equates to US$5.6 billion in fully diluted equity value, or an estimated enterprise value of $6.4 billion, with holders of JLT’s common shares receiving cash consideration of £19.15 per share. The transaction, approved by the Board of Directors of each of MMC and JLT, will be completed by a combination of cash on hand and proceeds from debt financing.

“The acquisition of Jardine Lloyd Thompson creates a compelling value proposition for our clients, our colleagues

they are working in the field or not.”

Alongside the Financial Regulation Authority, the IFE is hoping to double premium volumes in Egypt by 2020, reaching a total of EGP50 billion (US$2.7 billion). The two organisations are also looking at areas in which they can introduce compulsory insurance.

and our shareholders. The complementary fit between our companies creates a platform to deliver exceptional service to clients and opportunities for our colleagues,” said Dan Glaser, President and CEO of MMC. The deal will see current JLT Group Chief Executive Dominic Burke join MMC as Vice-Chairman and serve as a member of MMC’s Executive Committee.

Burke said: “I am enormously proud of what JLT has achieved, founded on our people, our culture and our unwavering commitment to our clients. MMC is, and always has been, one of our most respected competitors and I believe that, combined, we will create a group that will truly stand as a beacon for our industry.”

Sompo announces SomPro platform Bermuda-based speciality provider of property and casualty re/insurance company Sompo International Holdings has announced the launch of SomPro, its global financial and professional lines platform, which features insurance and reinsurance capabilities.

SomPro will feature more than 30 financial and professional lines insurance products, as well as a number of related reinsurance products, says Sompo, with broad licensing coverage through its company platforms and its Lloyd’s syndicate. The platform aims to deliver market-leading underwriting, risk management and claims services by sharing the company’s product expertise and distribution relationships across Sompo’s specialty teams.

“The financial and professional lines market is an area where Sompo International has achieved significant scale and worldwide relevance,” said John Charman, CEO and Chairman of Sompo International.

“SomPro unites our broad capabilities around the globe, including those of our Japanese parent, Sompo Holdings, Inc., as we continue to focus on delivering superior service to our clients.”

The platform builds on the success of AgriSompo, the company’s global integrated agriculture platform launched last year.

Charman added that Sompo will continue to ‘create additional platforms where our specialty resources are key differentiators to our clients and trading partners’.

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Taking the guesswork out of international payments Mike Shamburg, Vice-President of Global Payments Solutions at AscendantFX, predicts that as global mobile work forces rise, so will the automation of PMI claims payments Global mobility management can be a stressful process for employees and corporations alike. Picking up and starting a new life is not easy, especially when employees have families to bring with them on the journey. The prospect of relocation comes with moving parts, from obtaining housing to finding schools, and it’s likely a process more employees will face in the future as the number of expats working abroad continues to rise. International assignee levels have increased by one-quarter over the past decade and by 2020, PwC predicts a 50-per-cent increase in overseas assignments with women projected to make up over one-quarter of all assignees. Relocation assignments can be a rewarding experience for an employee’s professional development; however, expatriate deployment is often accompanied with difficulties when it comes to private medical insurance premiums and other types of payments.

Controlling costs in mobility programmes On average, corporations are spending

US$300,000 annually in global mobility programmes, and for the majority of relocation managers, controlling costs remains their number one priority.

Streamlining the payment life cycle when it comes to international private medical insurance (IPMI) premiums, as well as other transferee related payments for

On average, corporations are spending $300,000 annually in global mobility programmes tenancy management, temporary housing, schools, cost of living allowances etc., have a direct impact on the bottomline revenue for a business. Wires and Automated Clearing House (ACH)/low value transfers are the most common payment instruments used for private medical insurance (PMI) premiums; some corporates will pay the such premiums as a recurring monthly expense and sometimes semi-annually or annually for expats. Sending an international wire is simple in theory, if you have the right wire instructions. However, when transferees open a new bank account in their host country, it can be confusing and often difficult for them to relay the proper banking instructions to their organisation. Due to the differences in banking data requirements in their host country and the lack of familiarity

with banking instructions in general, expats can inadvertently contribute to the delay in delivering these funds.

The fewer complications via payment delays or other payment related difficulties expats experience, the greater peace of mind they will have and, ultimately, the more productive they will be. For instance, receiving PMI payments consistently and in the amounts as agreed upon are primary concerns of international transferees at organisations I work with.

Often an unseen complication, lifting fees can be deducted as the payment passes through correspondent banks on its way to the payee, causing the delivered amount to be less than expected. The focus for the transferee’s employer, the outsourced global mobility organisation and the money transfer entity, must be on proactively addressing these and other disruptive issues, which can negatively affect payments to foreign employees.

The fewer complications via payment delays or other payment related difficulties expats experience, the greater peace of mind they will have

Embrace the adventure, optimize the savings

The traditional PMI process: payment return and resend For multinational organisations and relocation companies, traditional pain points include effectively managing the complexity of each country’s banking requirements as well as accurately administering frequent changes to transferee banking instructions – each of which can acutely affect the quality execution and delivery of payments.

Factors include receiving incomplete and inaccurate payment instructions from payees, managing foreign exchange/ conversion and fee costs, returned payments which need to be ‘topped off’ and changing compliance requirements.

A common contributor to these problems at companies I work with is multiple payee templates, inadvertently created

for the same payee, which can cause misdirected or returned payments and with additional costs routinely applied.

Keeping mobility programme costs under control to make a profit is difficult for companies when they do not carefully monitor foreign exchange and fee expenses and invest in flexible, reliable technology and functionality that can solve the unique challenges present during the payment process.

For instance, some non-bank payment providers include functionality to catch payment instruction mistakes prior to release, while some banks will often release payments without confirming the accuracy of banking details, causing a lengthy ‘payment return and resend’ process and ‘topping up’ as fees can be assessed when returned.

Additionally, after payments are made, line items are often updated manually to the general ledger and thus prone to human error. Simply uploading post transaction reports, provided by the payment entity, into your enterprise resource planning (ERP) /accounting system can eliminate these errors.

Key impact to the bottom-line revenue Transferees expect to receive their funds in a timely manner, and automation of the payments process can deliver greater accuracy and faster processing to ensure their needs are met. Businesses can also expect a greater return on investment because their ERP or other accounting platform can be fully utilised to automate payments procedures. For example, organisations often want to see the premium per each individual so that they do not have to code a large vendor invoice to multiple individuals and cost centers from their side via the AP department.

We see a highly impressive, measurable decrease in payment returns through the application of proven technology, ensuring businesses are profitable in the long-term.

The rise of a global mobile workforce will have a positive impact on the automation of PMI claims and other types of international payments.

From payer to partner. AXA Partners maximizes your net savings by controlling costs and bringing convenience to your members through aligning medical management and network optimization.

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CII tackles gender pay gap Following the introduction of the targeted action plan it announced in 2016, the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) in the UK has reported that it has reduced its gender pay gap.

The CII’s mean gender pay gap, which was 28 per cent in 2017, has been reduced to 16.64 per cent, below the sector average of 29 per cent. Its median gender pay gap, meanwhile, has fallen from 18 per cent in 2017 to 5.65 per cent this year (the sector average is 24 per cent). The CII has published this data voluntarily, as well as guidance for other employers in the sector, in the hope that it will encourage other entities to follow its example and

improve parity across the board.

The CII, after carrying out an in-depth organisational review of job levels, developing a knowledge framework promoting accountability and progression, has introduced various measures to promote diversity in its workplace. These include the introduction of ‘agile working’, in order to enable employees to better manage their work/life balance, and the introduction of parental coaching to make it easier for employees when returning to work. All managers must also undergo mandatory unconscious bias training and inclusive leadership training.

“This year marked a turning point for

UK employers as the pay gap between the genders is now out in the open,” commented the CII’s People Engagement Director Tali Shlomo. “Our own analysis of the published data revealed that the insurance and personal finance sector has a long way to go to close this gap, but as the professional body for insurance and personal finance, we are committed to leading by example on this.

We recognise we are on a journey and that we might go back before we can go forwards, but we are working towards a zero per-cent gap. I urge all those working in the insurance and personal finance profession to publish their data openly,

Insurtech subsidiary from Guy Carpenter

Global risk and reinsurance specialist Guy Carpenter & Co. has announced the launch of a new subsidiary, an insurtech ‘matchmaker’ that aims to help insurers easily and safely hunt for and select insurtech partners.

Called GC Genesis, the subsidiary has been established due to the perception that insurers, while keen to make use of insurtechs in order to push their often creaky business methods into the 21st Century, are often unsure of where to start when it comes to seeking out potential new partnerships. Speaking to Insurance Journal, Victoria Carter, Vice-Chair of Guy Carpenter’s Strategic Advisory team, pointed out that insurers want to make sure that they ‘don’t make some extremely expensive mistakes’ when navigating a complex environment.

“Everybody feels that they should be doing something,” she told Insurance Journal, “but a lot of companies don’t know what to do. It’s not always enough to appoint an individual as head of innovation.

Insurtech is complex and diverse. The resource and the commitment to analysing and identifying the right solutions for your business have to be taken pretty seriously.”

Claude Yoder, Chief Innovation and Product Development Officer at Guy Carpenter, explained a little about the principle behind the matchmaker: “We have compiled a proprietary database and research capability which spans thousands of insurtech operations, [in order] to create a clear map of this thriving and vast ecosystem of new insurancefocused capabilities and innovations. By assessing the baseline capabilities of our clients and establishing their strategic objectives, our aim is to help them navigate this ecosystem and to guide them to the most relevant insurtech partners.”

GC Genesis officially launched on 9 September in Monte Carlo, at the reinsurance Rendez-Vous de September event.

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even if like the CII, their headcount is lower than the threshold required by the rules.

Publishing our gender pay information is an opportunity to show that we recognise that we serve the whole of society, and we should take this opportunity.”

TRAVEL MATTERS

Murders prompt Costa Rica security re-think One of the world’s leading ecotourism destinations is to spend US$1 million over each of the next four years to step up security for tourists, following the murders of two foreign women on consecutive days in early August, writes David Ing The measures, which will include the launch of a new mobile phone warning app, were announced by Costa Rica’s President Carlos Alvarado Quesada following wide-scale social media reaction to the deaths.

The first victim, a Spanish woman, was found dead at Tortuguero de Pococí, Limón, while the body of a Mexican woman was discovered less than 24 hours later at the Playa Carmen beach at Santa Teresa de Cóbano.

“We want people to be able to walk our beaches, our national parks and our streets

“We want people to be able to walk our beaches, our national parks and our streets in peace,” said President Alvarado in peace,” said President Alvarado, who said that the extra money will be channeled through the country’s national tourism organisation, the Instituto Costarricense

de Turismo (ICT), and ‘will be destined specifically to cover this subject’.

While he stressed it was the government’s responsibility to improve security, he added that it was up to society in general to help ‘eradicate violence against women and to improve citizen security’.

Following a meeting with industry representatives, the ICT said that the app, which will provide warning and security advice, should be ready by December, the

start of the country’s peak vacation season.

It is planned to include weather, seismic and safe bathing warnings as well as basic information, from renting cars locally to leaving belongings safely in the hotel. The police presence in the main tourist areas will also be stepped up, said Tourism Minister María Amalia Revelo, while an international conference on tourism security is to be staged.

Costa Rica has managed to avoid much

of the crime stigma suffered by some of its less fortunate Central American neighbours. Nevertheless, it saw a record 603 homicides in 2017, a figure the Justice Ministry attributes largely to killings among drug traffickers and organised crime gangs.

Leading newspaper La Nacion said that 16 tourists had died in ‘tragic circumstances’ in the country over the past 17 months, although only three of these were murdered, including the two latest victims.

Croatia predicts increased tourist spend

Croatia could make around €12 billion in 2018 – a total of around €1 billion more than the previous year.

This prediction comes from Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli, who was speaking to the Croatian press after a meeting of the Tourism Council of the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ).

According to reports, he also said that Croatia was looking to create quality tourism.

Croatia lowered prices in the country this summer for tourists, but Cappelli did not believe it would affect the overall total due to the total revenues for the

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first half of 2018 already being higher than the same time the previous year.

Cappelli also looked towards the future: “Intensive preparations for 2019 have already begun, focusing on synergy between the public and private sectors, quality, price and promotion, which must be twice as good as last year, given trends and the situation in competitor countries.”

He added that there would be investment in the country’s tourism sector, with the HTZ looking to address the labour shortage and cut taxes on the sector.

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TRAVEL MATTERS

Travel warnings for US citizens The US State Department has downgraded its travel warning for those travelling to Cuba to a level two warning. This recommendation advises US holidaymakers to simply exercise caution when on the island.

This is the second downgrading of Cuba’s travel warning advisory since travellers were told to not travel to Cuba at all after a spate of unexplained health incidents that hit US diplomatic staff in September 2017. As well as the travel warning, the US also withdrew two-thirds of its diplomatic staff from the country. In January 2018, the warning was reduced to a three, which advised that US citizens reconsidered travel.

Travellers are still being advised to avoid Hotel Nacional and Hotel Capri, the site of the mysterious illnesses, and have been told if they experience any acute auditory or sensory phenomena to immediately move to a different area.

New travel warning for Mexico The State Department has issued a travel warning for its citizens travelling in Mexico due to an increase in violent crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery, which it says are ‘widespread’.

The advisory warns against travel to Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas, all due to crime. US citizens

Earthquakes hit Indonesia tourism The recent earthquakes that struck Indonesia have had a notable negative impact on tourism bookings, according to data from research firm ForwardKeys

travelling to the country are being advised to use toll roads and avoid travel at night.

They have also been told to exercise caution when out in nightclubs and bars, and to avoid wearing expensive jewellery or displaying other signs of wealth.

The advisory follows a recent incident in the popular holiday resort of Cancun, where a total of eight bodies were found abandoned in the streets. Although none of those killed were tourists, the violence took place close to where many Americans choose to holiday.

The company’s figures suggest that since the major earthquakes that occurred on 29 July and 5 August, respectively measuring 6.4 and 6.9 on the Richter scale, which killed nearly 600 people, inbound bookings to Indonesia have dropped by 26 per cent. Before the disasters, 2018 had been an overall positive year for tourism in the country, with bookings from January onward registering a 10-per-cent increase compared with the same period last year.

However, once the July quake struck, that growth stopped entirely, and after the second quake a sizeable decline was seen. While Bali is the most popular destination for visitors heading to Indonesia, Lombok – where the two earthquakes hit – is very close by, so confidence has been severely shaken.

Looking at Bali specifically, ForwardKeys found that between January and the end of July this year, bookings were 15-per-cent higher than the equivalent span last year; after the first quake, a painful 42.9-per-cent drop was seen.

The capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, however,

has not been hit quite so badly, with bookings down by only two per cent.

“In the face of such an overwhelming natural disaster, it is not surprising that there has been a collapse in bookings,” commented ForwardKeys’ Chief Executive Olivier Jager.

“One can only feel enormous sympathy for Indonesia and for the people of Lombok.”

International tourism broke records in 2017

Spain suffers July visitor drop

According to the latest edition of the UN World Tourism Organisation’s Tourism Highlights, international tourism arrivals hit record highs of 1,323 million in 2017 As well as representing an increase of 84 million compared with results from 2016, and the eighth consecutive year of sustained growth, this figure also represents the biggest increase in international arrivals seen since 2010. Total international tourism receipts for the year were worth US$1,340 billion (an increase of five per cent from the year before), and a few major drivers were noted, particularly the recovery of various source markets, including Brazil and the Russian Federation. Sustained travel demand across all regions, fuelled by a general global economic upswing, was also a major factor.

Tourism represents the third largest global export category, generating an additional $240 billion from international passenger transport services on top of the $1,340 billion in receipts. The biggest growth in receipts was seen in the Middle East, while subregions such as South Asia and North Africa also performed strongly. The most popular destinations were France,

Tourism represents the third largest global export category Spain, the US, China, Italy, Mexico, the UK, Turkey, Germany and Thailand.

Thusfar, according to the UNWTO, 2018 has seen growth persist, ‘with a year-on-year increase of six per cent in arrivals between January and April’.

Airline passenger numbers also rose According to its 62nd World Air Transport Statistics Report, the International Airport Transport Association (IATA) has found that

Spain suffered a drop in tourists visiting the country in July for the first time in nine years, according to official figures

2017 saw a 7.3-per-cent-rise in the number of air travellers compared to the previous year, a total of 4.1 billion passengers.

Further findings from the report were that airlines from the Asia-Pacific region had the lion’s share of passengers, carrying 36.3 per cent of the total number, growing by 10.6 per cent in comparison to 2016.

European airlines came second with 26.3 per cent of total passengers, and North America with 23 per cent.

It seems, however, that many of the AsiaPacific travellers were traveling to other destinations within the region, if not their own country, with the top five of both international/regional passenger airportpairs category and domestic passenger airport-pairs category being dominated by Asia-Pacific airports. Passengers moved most frequently between Hong Kong airport and Taipei Taoyuan, with 5.4 million making the trip, while 13.5 million flew internally

from Jeju, South Korea, to Seoul airport.

US airlines flew more passengers the farthest though, with American Airlines, Delta Ai Lines and United airlines ranking highest for total scheduled passenger kilometres flown. Although Dubai-based airline Emirates came fourth, it was another US-based airline, Southwest, that rounded off the top five.

More US citizens decided to hop on a flight as well, with 18.6 per cent of all passengers being a US citizen. Chinese citizens also made up a large quantity of those travelling, making up 16.3 per cent, while India came third with 4.7 per cent.

“In 2000, the average citizen flew just once every 43 months. In 2017, the figure was once every 22 months. Flying has never been more accessible. And this is liberating people to explore more of our planet for work, leisure and education. Aviation is the business of freedom,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director-General and CEO.

The number of tourists fell by 4.9 per cent, while prior to this the numbers only grew by 0.3 per cent, representing an eight-year low. Spain experienced double-digit growth in both 2017 and 2016, so this is worrying news for a country that relies on tourism for 11 per cent of its economic output.

The growth in cheap, all inclusive package holidays from Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt has been one of the factors in the decline of visitor numbers, with a recent study finding that some of these package holidays can be up to 73-per-cent cheaper than those offered to German and British tourists in the Spanish resorts of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca.

Another factor affecting visitor numbers has been the attempts of Spanish hotel operators to upgrade their offerings in response to a spike in visitors in previous years, which led them to try to target high-spending tourists instead of holidaymakers opting for cheaper all-inclusive package holidays. This has been reflected in the average spend of tourists, which was up 9.5 per cent in July, despite the total amount spent by tourists having declined by 0.9 per cent.

According to Reuters, hoteliers and tourist officers said that they are cutting back prices in an attempt to lure back visitors to the country.

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TRAVEL MATTERS

Compensation headache for British Airways after cyber attack Following a recent cyberattack, in which the personal details of 382,000 British Airways (BA) customers were uploaded to the dark web, the airline could be looking at thousands of pounds in compensation costs – as well as a major fine The potential fine for the data breach – should it be found by regulators that BA has breached new European data privacy regulations – could be as high as £897 million. On top of this, the beleaguered airline could also be faced with a number of payouts due,

Third of terrorism hits the Middle East

Around half of all terrorist attacks in 2017 took place in just four countries, according to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), based at the University of Maryland, US. Iraq (23 per cent), Afghanistan (13 per cent), India (nine per cent), and Pakistan (seven per cent) all ranked highest on the Global Terrorism Database, which was compiled by START, while more than half of the global deaths took place in three countries, Iraq (24 per cent), Afghanistan (23 per cent), and Syria (eight per cent).

Despite the rising number of high-profile terrorist attacks in 2017, such as at London Bridge, UK, and the growing fear among travellers of the threat of terrorism, the top two most dangerous countries, Iraq and Afghanistan, are considered no travel zones by both the UK Foreign Commonwealth Office and US Department of State.

In total, 2017 represented the third year of declining terrorist attacks and deaths, with the number of attacks dropping by 20 per cent.

There was a total of 10,900 terrorist attacks around the world, which killed more than 26,400 people, including 8,075 perpetrators and 18,488 victims. Over one-third of these took place in the Middle East and North Africa, and 31 per cent took place in South Asia. Attacks in Western Europe made up three per cent, while attacks in North America represented only one per cent.

according to law firm SPG Law, to BA allegedly compensating customers for ‘direct financial losses’ but not ‘inconvenience, distress’ or ‘the misuse of their private information’. Each individual claim could be as high as £1,250.

“BA is liable to compensate for nonmaterial damage under the Data Protection Act 2018,” said Tom Goodhead, Partner at SPG Law, “and SPG Law will hold them to account.”

A spokesperson for the airline, meanwhile, said that ‘no customer will be left out of pocket … the airline has guaranteed that financial losses suffered by customers directly because of the theft of this data

from British Airways will be reimbursed’.

Travel Insurance Explained’s Fiona Macrae commented: “The cyberattack on British Airways last week has no doubt caused huge upset and distress for the customers whose details have been leaked. Although BA has already confirmed that the financial loss their customers have suffered will be reimbursed, this doesn’t mean additional compensation is available through your travel insurance policy.

However, customers can approach the Information Commissioner’s Office to pursue a complaint about their data being compromised.”

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HEALTH MATTERS

Rising temperatures = more disease outbreaks The Guardian has reported that Europe faces a growing threat of tropical disease outbreaks as temperatures increase Health experts said that rising temperatures linked to climate change cause illnesses that are brought by travellers to spread more easily. For example, there has been a spike in West Nile virus infections in Europe following high temperatures, compared with the past four years. The World Health Organization’s regional office for Europe said that the spike was due to an early start to the transmission season, caused by high temperatures followed by wet weather, which are conditions ideally suited to mosquito breeding.

“Mosquitoes and ticks are cold-blooded and are affected by higher temperatures.

At higher temperatures, mosquitoes replicate faster. Pathogens in the mosquito also replicate faster. Everything is speeded up and you get higher turnover, bigger

populations of mosquitoes and a growing epidemic potential for viruses,” said Professor Jan Semenza, who leads on scientific assessment for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

“We are all a bit taken aback about how fast these changes are coming down the pipeline. We are seeing more and more of these extreme weather events.”

According to The Guardian, researchers are predicting that the risk for transmission of dengue fever, Chikungunya and Zika could rise in Europe as a result of climate change, while Semenza said he is concerned about the spike of West Nile fever and its implications for local transmission of other vector-borne diseases. “We have never seen so many cases of West Nile fever so early in the season. This is a dramatic increase.

What it means in public health terms is we need to become more concerned about blood safety. If someone returns from abroad to Europe and has a virus in their blood, the Aedes mosquito can

bite them, take up the pathogen and then bite someone else,” he said.

New yellow fever vaccination campaign According to news reports, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is launching a vaccination drive in response to an outbreak of yellow fever. It is reported that so far this year there have been more than 180 suspected cases and one confirmed case of the virus.

The health ministry is yet to confirm when the campaign will begin but the vaccines will be free of charge. In a statement, the ministry said that the only people who will not be vaccinated are children aged under nine months, pregnant women and mothers breastfeeding infants aged under six months.

Although no deaths have been reported in the outbreak, a major outbreak in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo killed more than 400 people in 2016 and was believed to have infected thousands more before an extensive vaccination campaign managed to control the spread. It is hoped that the national vaccination campaign will save lives.

New hope for antibiotic treatment Experimental drugs in Ebola outbreak In a discovery that renews hope for antibiotic treatment, researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK have found that bacteria that were thought to be resistant to a powerful antibiotic may actually be susceptible to treatment Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes listeriosis – an infection that is usually caught from eating food containing Listeria – was shown to respond to an antibiotic, even though the bacteria carry genes that should make it highly resistant. Although the risk of Listeria for travellers is generally low, risk is increased by consumption of unpasteurised milk and milk products and prepared meat products, and the World Health Organization advises travellers to avoid consumption of unpasteurised milk and milk products and for pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals to take strict precautions to avoid infection by listeriosis and other food-borne pathogens.

Scientists have said that the antibiotic that listeriosis responded to, fosfomycin, should be reconsidered as a treatment for life-threatening Listeria infections. Early lab

tests had indicated that fosfomycin fails to kill Listeria because the bacteria carry a gene that enables them to break down the drug. Further studies, however, found that that drug proved effective at killing Listeria in infected cells in the lab and in mice.

The researchers said that these findings

the antibiotic that listeriosis responded to, fosfomycin, should be reconsidered as a treatment for lifethreatening Listeria infections on Listeria could have far-reaching benefits. “Our study focused on Listeria, but this important discovery may be relevant for other species of bacteria too. It is encouraging that we may be able to repurpose existing drugs in the race against antibiotic resistance,” said Professor Jose Vazquez-Boland, Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, University of Edinburgh.

As of 11 September, around 29 people had been treated with new experimental Ebola drugs, 14 of whom had recovered, providing hope that the new drugs could quell the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In an interview with the Telegraph, the World Health Organization’s Deputy DirectorGeneral for Emergency Preparedness and Response said that in the original epicentres of the disease – around the towns of Mangina and Beni in the north east of the country – there were ‘promising signs’ that the disease was coming under control. However, he said that it cannot be said with certainty that the disease is under control until every contact has been traced.

According to the latest figures from WHO, there have ben 133 cases of the disease, including 91 deaths, which makes it the eighth largest Ebola outbreak in history.

The new experimental drugs fall into two categories: monoclonal antibodies such as Zmapp, and broad spectrum anti-viral drugs.

They have been approved for emergency use by the Congolese authorities and a team of clinicians, including representatives from WHO, the DRC Ministry of Health and

NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). A range of factors are taken into account before the drugs are administered.

François Esmyop, a doctor working in an MSF-run Ebola treatment centre in Mangina, said that doctors are operating under a monitored emergency use framework that allows the drugs to be used.

Dengue on the increase in Sri Lanka According to Sri Lanka’s Epidemiology Unit, 41 people have died and more than 36,000 people have been infected by dengue fever across Sri Lanka so far this year. This includes 1,075 diagnoses in August, while 5,221 cases were reported the month before.

Epidemiologists have said that the highest number of dengue cases this year, at 6,937, was reported in Colombo, while the second highest (4,156) was reported from Batticaloa and the third (3,619) from Gampaha on the outskirts of Colombo.

The National Dengue Control Unit has warned that there has been an increase in the number of dengue patients this year due to the active southwest monsoon rains. As a result, it launched special programmes to eradicate dengue breeding grounds

in the most vulnerable districts. Travellers are advised to seek immediate medical attention if they experience the symptoms of dengue, which include sudden high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and a rash.

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HEALTH MATTERS

Malaria travel guidelines updates The South African authorities have reviewed the risk areas for malaria transmission in the country, which has resulted in changes to guidance for UK travellers. The National Department of Health and the South African Malaria Elimination Committee undertook a review of its malaria guidelines and, additionally, risk areas have expanded in response to ongoing monitoring of malaria prevention and distribution.

Acknowledging this development, the Public Health England Advisory Committee for Malaria Prevention (ACMP) has updated recommendations for UK travellers to South Africa. The ACMP guidelines are a practical guide for health professionals who advise travellers and can also be of use for travellers themselves.

Key changes to the 2015 guidelines include: updated guidance on the

use of insect repellent and sun protection; clarification on the use of hydroxychloroquine; updated guidance on the use of anticoagulants with antimalarials; updated guidance on the use of doxycycline in epilepsy; and clarification of advice for travellers moving through areas where different antimalarials are recommended.

As always, travellers are advised to take bite avoidance measures throughout the year in all risk areas and to make sure that they follow the ABCD guide to preventing malaria: • Awareness of the risk.

• Bite prevention.

• Chemoprophylaxis (taking antimalarials if appropriate for the area).

• Diagnosis (seeking immediate medical care if a high fever develops more than one week after being in a malaria risk area).

Precautions needed to prevent measles spread

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US has highlighted that the recent news about an international tourist with measles who visited Santa Monica has underlined the potential risk of an outbreak of the disease “Measles is one of the most contagious diseases we have, and the communicability is so high,’’ said Dr Deborah Lehman, who is a Professor of Clinical Paediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and an expert in infectious diseases. “If a person in a restaurant has measles, even if you are not sitting next that person, you can still get infected if you do not have immunity to measles.”

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Dr Lehman said it is unlikely that the Santa Monica incident will spark an outbreak in Los Angeles as the incubation period has passed. However, she said that with the resurgence of measles in Europe, it is possible that US residents who have travelled abroad, or international tourists visiting the region, could start an outbreak. Dr Lehman also highlighted the importance of immunisation, with those who are not immunised being most at risk. She said that people travelling in the coming months should ensure their immunisations are up to date and anyone who suspects they may have been exposed to measles, or who has a set of symptoms that includes fever and rash, should seek medical advice immediately.

HEALTH MATTERS

Polio advice updated

Monkeypox mayhem as second case found England recently saw its first ever cases of monkeypox.

According to Public Health England (PHE), the first case was in a patient who was a resident of Nigeria when the virus was most likely contracted. The most recent case is in a patient who is believed to have picked up the infection while visiting Nigeria; it was diagnosed at Blackpool Victoria Hospital when the person returned home and fell ill.

Symptoms of the infectious disease begin with fatigue, fever, headache, muscle pains and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash that forms blisters and crusts over. Monkeypox mostly occurs in Central and West Africa.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment that has been shown to be effective or safe.

At the recent meeting of the Emergency Committee under International Health Regulations 2005, the data on wild poliovirus and circulating vaccine derived polioviruses were reviewed and it was agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The IHR 2005 is an international instrument that is legally binding on all World Health Organization Member States that seeks to prevent, protect against, control, and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease. Following the meeting, temporary

Health officials said that although infection is usually mild, and the disease doesn’t spread easily, severe cases can be fatal.

The patient has been transferred to a specialist infectious disease unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

“We know that in September 2017 Nigeria experienced a large sustained outbreak of monkeypox and since then sporadic cases have continued to be reported,” said Dr Nick Phin, Deputy Director of PHE’s National Infection Service. “It is likely that monkeypox continues to circulate in Nigeria and could therefore affect travellers who are returning from this part of the world. However, it is very unusual to see two cases in such a relatively short space of time.”

recommendations to reduce the risk of international spread of poliovirus were extended for a further three months, effective from 27 August 2018. The full statement details progress made towards stopping transmission of wild polio virus.

When it comes to advice for travellers, they are warned that polio is transmitted by exposure to water contaminated by infected human faeces, or by person to person contact, and that they should practise strict food, water and personal hygiene. Travellers are also advised to be vaccinated against the disease and carry documentary evidence of their polio vaccination status.

Suspected anthrax outbreak in Turkey According to news reports in Turkey, the southeast of the country was recently hit by an outbreak of anthrax. The province of Bitlis was reportedly quarantined following the death of 81 cows in one week.

Anthrax is a serious bacterial disease of sheep and cattle that can be transmitted to humans, causing severe skin ulceration or a form of pneumonia. It is spread by contact with spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which often appeared in infectious animal products.

All cattle in Günkırı in Nitlis are said to have been vaccinated and local authorities are reported to have said that the animals in surrounding areas will also be vaccinated in order to protect an outbreak.

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Additional measures that are said to have been taken are that cattle entering and leaving the district are being checked by security forces, while sales of meat and dairy products have been banned.

Animal rights group the Turkish Animal Rights Federation reportedly said on Twitter that it had sadly received reports that animals dying of anthrax were thrown into the Maramara Sea. It also claimed that a Panama flagged ship allegedly carrying anthrax infected animals has been waiting at the southern entrance of Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait.

ITIJ reported on another suspected outbreak of anthrax in Turkey earlier this year that was suspected to have been caused by infected beef.

HEALTH MATTERS

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FEATURE

Travel insurance: the next generation Cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are beginning to permeate the travel insurance industry. But how exactly are they being harnessed by insurers?

Lauren Haigh spoke to industry experts to find out >>

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FEATURE

A

s a child I read books, dressed up dolls and, God forbid, played outside.

Those memories seem a world away now.

Technology is everywhere. The children of today are growing up with iPads and iPhones, devices that make my old CD Walkman seem like a historical artefact.

Technology is increasingly smart and has found its way into all sectors, not least travel insurance. AI and blockchain are two technologies that are being harnessed by this industry, with a view to making life easier for all involved.

ITIJ spoke to industry experts to find out exactly how these technologies are being used, the benefits they bring, and how popular they really are.

New kid on the block Blockchain has demonstrated a great deal of utility in the claims arena, as Jean Ortiz-Perez, Head of Analytics (Insurance and Assistance) at global loyalty and benefits company Collinson in the UK, explained: “Its most common use in the insurance industry right now is claims management, allowing insurers to settle claims significantly faster than through the regular process. It is even possible to settle some claims (low-value claims, for example) instantly.” She also highlighted that AI is proving beneficial in a variety of applications, from fraud detection software and price optimisation engines, to cover personalisation and invoice recognition.

“The techniques for modelling can vary from company to company, but essentially most are evolving rapidly towards deep learning and its application to solve a range of insurance problems,” she said.

Let's get personal Digital technology is allowing for the rapid development of the more personalised experience that customers are seeking – it goes without saying that one size does not fit all when it comes to travel insurance and consumers’ needs.

“Dynamic customisation is one of the defining features of the modern travel

industry,” Robert Gallagher, COO of travel insurer AIG Travel in the US, told ITIJ. “By combining digital technology like AI with human ingenuity and product innovation, the travel insurance industry can deliver a more integrated experience for customers.

The very nature of how consumers seek and purchase travel insurance products, and conversely the entire travel booking process, has changed, with an increased demand for a personalised experience.” Gallagher believes these technologies are essential for the travel industry to guide travellers towards the right products and services for their particular trip, budget and preferences.

Dr Rainer Baumann, Head Group Digital and Information at Swiss Re, a Switzerland-based reinsurance company, agrees. “AI and machine learning technologies are all about extracting insights and patterns from data. This can help insurers make more accurate predictions about consumers’ preferences, and thereby present them with more relevant options and help

Dynamic customisation is one of the defining features of the modern travel industry them chose more relevant products,” he said. He emphasised the importance of such technologies by highlighting that, in the longer run, and provided we have a lot of data available, they will apply to the whole insurance value chain, from better client segmentation, targeted marketing campaigns, accelerated and more accurate risk assessment, and selection, to (semi) automated claims triaging and processing, and automated back-end processes in operations.

Getting fizzy with it One such product that aims to deliver a personalised experience to the consumer is French multinational insurance firm

AXA Group’s fizzy.axa. Indeed, AXA is the first major insurance company to offer insurance using blockchain technology.

Laurent Benichou, R&D Director, AXA Next, based in Paris, explained to ITIJ: “With fizzy.axa, we wanted to invent a new experience solution. It is insurance with no exclusion, meaning that whatever the cause of the delay, fizzy customers whose plane is late will be compensated.

With fizzy, we solved traditional insurance customers’ pain points. But we did not

By combining digital technology like AI with human ingenuity and product innovation, the travel insurance industry can deliver a more integrated experience for customers stop there. We added one element of trust: the blockchain will decide if the customer is compensated, not the insurer.

In order for the customer to get proof of this additional promise, we had to use a public blockchain, which the customer can track (or ask an expert to track for them).”

So, rather than the decision of whether a customer is compensated resting with the insurer, it falls to blockchain to decide, which could mean fairer decision-making that relies purely on the data at hand.

AIG has its own products that seek to provide a personalised experience, including a new app, Travel Guard on Demand, which was launched in Canada and provides protection and assistance for travellers. It uses technology to automatically start coverage the moment the policyholder leaves their home province and end the moment they return.

AIG is also making use of AI, as Gallagher explained: “Our presence on WeChat in China uses an AI chatbot that can answer hundreds of questions about product, payment and purchase options.

Post-sale, the chatbot can resolve issues related to claims and services and allow users to plan trips and buy travel insurance without ever leaving the app.”

Rising up to the challenge Sourabh Chatterjee, President and Head – Technology, Direct Sales and Travel, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, India, spoke to ITIJ about his thoughts on AI on blockchain, highlighting the fact that use of these technologies is still in the relatively early stages, but that they hold great promise for the future. “AI has been predicted as a silver bullet to most industry challenges. The technology certainly holds promise and, over time, will evolve to a more mature level,” he said. “Blockchain has vast potential which remains untapped. It can create new ecosystems and tap into the capability of existing ones.”

The industry is currently exploring the potential of these technologies. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, for example, recently rolled out its Travel Ezee initiative, an automatic claim settlement service whereby, rather than the customer having to initiate the claims process, the process of claim registration and settlement is automated, and the insurer keeps track of claim events and initiates the payout.

Ortiz-Perez agrees that blockchain is invaluable in claims settlement: “Blockchain can automate the claims settlement process. For example, a

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>>

FEATURE customer has a travel insurance policy and has delayed his trip to Germany until a set date. The insurer will be able to integrate this seamlessly with external airport flight data and, in the case of a flight delay, automatically credit a set amount to the policy holder’s declared bank account.

The customer will be able to utilise this money immediately to buy dinner in the airport or access one of the insurer’s partner airport lounges (if offered).”

Automated for the people Technologies such as AI and blockchain are enabling services to be automated in an efficient, trustworthy way, making processes smoother for both insurers and consumers. But are there any drawbacks to their use?

Dr Baumann highlighted the need for flawless data management to ensure decisions remain fair. “Machine Learning depends on data to train and hone its algorithms. Therefore, appropriate data management practices are crucial, especially in light of recent regulatory changes such as General Data Protection Regulation,” he said. “The problem is that if the information training feed to these algorithms is unbalanced, the system will eventually adopt the covert and overt biases that those data sets contain, which can lead to discriminative decisions.”

Other challenging factors that Dr Baumann highlighted include the fact that the introduction of AI and machine learning requires new skillsets, which means the industry will need to invest in resources, such as the change management approach. In addition, he pointed out that blockchain-based systems might raise questions with regards to compliance with existing regulations, and that technical aspects such as scalability, interoperability and security will have to mature rapidly to enable the broad-scale deployment of blockchain-based platforms.

Benichou also predicts possible challenges; namely that AI isn’t always 100-per-cent effective.

“An AI may work for 95 per cent of cases but still need human intervention for the last five per cent,” it stated. The company also highlighted cost and the risk of cyberattacks as potential hurdles.

A human element will always be necessary, explained Gallagher: “As

insurers, we are in the business of risk, on a global scale. We need to be ready to assist a customer if something goes wrong

AI has been predicted as a silver bullet to most industry challenges at any time of the day or night, anywhere in the world. While new technology can help support this mission, and ultimately improve the overall customer experience, there will still need to be a human element in our industry, especially with the diversity of our customer base, and the variety of differing needs, demographics and trip requirements.”

Ortiz-Perez is in agreement: “AI lacks the ability to understand complex human interaction and social/professional networking that is not all about data but about life, relationships and friendships.

The technology advancements have

allowed the development of AI that can undertake a handful of tasks and outperform humans in some cases.

However, it is not yet developed enough to resemble one, all-capable AI system.

So, rest assured we won’t be seeing any Terminators in the immediate future!”

Despite the potential risks – and fear of a robot superpower – it looks like technologies like blockchain are here to stay and will continue to push the travel insurance industry forward. Gallagher certainly thinks so. “In the future, it will

An AI may work for 95 per cent of cases but still need human intervention for the last five per cent be the norm and no longer the exception for customers to receive relevant, integrated, and personalised insurance options for their specific and unique travel

needs,” he said. “The travel industry, as a whole, will be more integrated, with insurance being seamlessly incorporated onto corporate partners’ platforms, webpages and apps. Blockchain will provide the ability to manage data seamlessly, while transforming how the industry handles claims and payments, saving time and combating fraud.”

Let’s push things forward If we are to presume that these technologies are a permanent addition to the landscape, what will the future of AI and blockchain in the travel insurance industry look like? Dr Baumann said that with the amount of digital data generated constantly increasing, methods for structuring and curating data, extracting insights from this data and using it to make accurate predictions will become more and more important. Similarly, Chatterjee believes technologies are bringing the travel insurance industry to a new frontier. “AI and Blockchain are going to open up avenues in automation and ecosystems, which will eventually benefit the customer. Beyond AI and blockchain, IoT and mobility are making rapid inroads into the travel insurance industry.”

In terms of his company’s future in harnessing technologies, Gallagher said: “At AIG Travel, we will continue to leverage new technologies by being flexible and adapting to evolving consumer expectations while maintaining an aggressive commitment to innovation.”

These are some choice words, as there is no doubt that, in order to flourish, remain competitive and, most importantly, meet consumer expectations, insurers will need to be willing and able to adapt.

Technologies are continually evolving and new developments are emerging that have the potential to both disrupt and enhance the industry, and it is vital that insurers remain ahead of the game and committed to innovation.

After all, a CD Walkman doesn’t stand a chance against Amazon Alexa. ■

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FAI AIR AMBULANCE

ADVERTORIAL

Sustainability as modern basic for business aviation Air Ambulance provider as a part of the Aviation Industry References

“Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.”

- Albert Einstein FAI Aviation Group operates Germany‘s largest fleet of business jets and utilized more than 13,000 hours of air time in 2017. FAI’s fleet consists of 23 jet aircraft and one turboprop. FAI Aviation Group employs a full time staff of more than 200 people, including 60 mechanics and engineers at FAI’s in house MRO plus some 50 part time physicians and paramedics. FAI operates satellite offices in Dubai and Miami, as well as a line station in Dakar.

The aviation industry is often under fire for sustainability issues.

Transport emissions are in the forefront of the climate changes debate and air travel has a serious impact on the average consumer’s carbon footprint. Many aviation companies are now aware of their environmental responsibilities and introducing significant measures to improve sustainability and reduce their environmental impacts.1 Today’s requirements of the aviation industry harken back to the original definition of 30 years ago, which is: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. On the organization level, vision of the sustainable development has led to the following concepts: sustainable management, corporate sustainability, sustainability innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship, and social business.2 The air ambulance industry continues to carry a special role in this business of aviation and travel, as its sole purpose is emergency medicine and patient transportation as opposed to holiday and tourism travel. As the patient’s wellbeing and safe travel is the forefront of air ambulance flights, this makes it extremely difficult to maintain sustainability on these lifesaving missions.3 To initiate an integrated sustainability concept, FAI renta-jet AG, one of the leading providers of air ambulance and VIP charter services worldwide, started its sustainability mission by implementing at the company’s basic value system: since 2005 FAI has been a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.4 The United Nations intent is a call to companies to align strategies and process with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment, anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals. This guideline is reflected by ten principles which are derived

To initiate an integrated sustainability concept, FAI rent-a-jet AG, one of the leading providers of air ambulance and VIP charter services worldwide, started its sustainability mission by implementing at the company’s basic value system: since 2005 FAI has been a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. from: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention against Corruption.5 Especially for an air ambulance as FAI, with a workforce from 15 different countries, the guarantee and protection of

human rights is a top focus and priority internally as well as externally such as our operating agreements with worldwide providers who work under the same personnel philosophy.

FAI backs and represents the anticorruption principles by hing an annual sustainably report and defining, as well as ensuring anti-corruption clauses are included and well defined within all agreements and contracts.

In addition to the above, FAI combats the environmental challenges by conforming to environmentally friendly nonpolluting technology by utilizing its own photovoltaic system to generate electricity.

This article provides a snapshot of FAI’s current sustainability business model and the few easy steps it takes to make sustainability possible. We welcome all our business partners to join FAI on the efforts and continued growth of the sustainabilityoriented business community. ■

1 Tracy, R. B. (31. 05 2016). How the Aviation Industry Can Improve Sustainability. Von EtQ: https:// blog.etq.com/how-the-aviationindustry-can-improve-sustainability 2 World Commission on Environmental Development. (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press 3 Schaltegger, S., Hansen, E. G., & Lüdeke-Freund, F. (16.

09 2015). Business Models for Sustainability: Origins, Present Research, and Future Avenues.

Von Organization & Environment: http://journals.sagepub.com/ doi/10.1177/1086026615599806 4 Georg, S. (2018). Luftrettung in Deutschland. Von Wiin Aviation Management: https://www.wiinaviation.de/luftrettung-in-deutschland/ 5 United Nations. (2018). Who we are. Von UN Global Contract: https:// www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc

EXPERTS IN MEDEVAC WE ARE ON STANDBY CONTACT US 24/7 ops@fai.ag +49-911-36009-0

Air Ambulance

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31

FEATURE

Rate your

purchase?

Engage with a critic, or ignore online chatter? Insurers, of course, appreciate a good online review or rating, but what to do about less positive feedback? With more people than ever before relying on web-based reviews, insurers had better step up their game, warns Mandy Langfield >>

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FEATURE

A

s the digital age advances, so too does the importance of online customer reviews. The Pew Research Centre found in December 2016 that 82 per cent of US adults ‘at least sometimes’ read online customer ratings or reviews before purchasing items for the first time, which includes 40 per cent who said they ‘always’ or ‘almost always’ do so. Pew’s findings also showed that while reading reviews online is common across all customer demographics, those under 50 are especially likely to use these reviews as a basis for making a purchasing decision.

According to Robin Ingle, Chairman and CEO of Ingle International in Canada, review websites have ‘incredible power’ over the Canadian marketplace, offering a channel for direct communication with consumers of travel insurance products.

Hannah Jones, Head of Business Development for Claims Rated, a new review site in the UK that specifically reviews customers’ claims experiences with insurers, said: “Review services already play a crucial part in the travel plans of many consumers, so it follows that these consumers will not only be used to using review services but expect them. In a recent Claims Rated survey of over 1,000 UK insurance consumers, 61 per cent of respondents said they would value understanding the claims experiences of others when making an insurance purchase. This rose to 76 per cent of 16-to-25-year-olds, showing a growing need for reviews and validation when making insurance purchases.”

UK-based comparison site uSwitch recently undertook a trial with financial services rating company Defaqto, in which it showed its Star Ratings on the quote results page to 50 per cent of consumers. Rod Jones of uSwitch commented on the reasoning behind the move: “We wanted to see, and compare, what impact this would have on our consumers’ engagement and behaviour. The key ‘test metric’ for uSwitch was to see if the rating gave consumers greater confidence to engage with lesser known brands.” The

results, he said, were interesting – some of the very well-established brands received a reduction in customer interaction, while other smaller brands saw a boost in engagement.

A valid opinion?

How much can we trust the information we see online? When asked about whether or not they view customer reviews as being honest, Pew’s research found an even split – 51 per cent of respondents said they think that such sites generally give an accurate picture of a product, while 48 per cent admitted that it’s hard to know if something is truthful and unbiased. Interestingly, the tone of the review affects how much a user is influenced by it: 54 per cent of Americans in the Pew research said they paid more attention to a negative review than a positive one.

Elliot Lane, Joint Managing Director of London-based communication strategy firm FWD Consulting, noted: “Companies and consumers alike should be more interrogative of the information they see online. In a world of ‘alternative facts’, we must all spend some time on research and

As the digital age advances, so too does the importance of customer reviews kicking the mental tyres when it comes to social media criticism. Bad reviews can sting at first, but if they are genuine, can also be helpful, enabling you to improve the service consumers expect.”

A company that shows it can learn and improve from constructive criticism will be better received and forgiven far quicker by the general public, he added. But, of course, not everything online is true: “A good example happened last year when a young man decided to put his shed on TripAdvisor, calling it a restaurant and asking all his friends and family to endorse it with five stars. He was inundated with foreign

and local people desperate to book a table.

Though this was a joke, it proved the point.

Consumers need to take some responsibility and make sure they know what the product is and understand whether it will meet their personal expectations before purchasing.”

Helping customers – and the industry Travel insurance providers can aid customers in this, by using jargon-free language to explain more about the products they

Pew research found that 54 per cent of Americans said they paid more attention to a negative review than a positive one sell. Ingle said: “Consumers today want clear, concise, authentic communication.

This can be a challenge in the insurance

industry, where legal concerns and product complexities often make it difficult to keep communications simple and straightforward.”

There are two things to keep in mind, he said: “First, when establishing your presence on a consumer review site, it’s important to clearly show the consumer what your value proposition is. If you can’t communicate this, it’s a problem – having a simple message that consumers can easily digest will make it easier for them to connect with you and understand what you are offering, where a complex message is more likely to turn consumers off.”

Social media has been a game changer for companies that don’t meet their customers’ expectations. If a product or organisation fails to fulfil a customer’s needs then that customer has the power to post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and anywhere else they have an account, about their negative experience. And if this negative post goes viral, then woe betide the company that hasn’t responded in the right way. Ingle urged companies not to miss the chance to communicate with customers if they reach out via social media or review sites: “Take the opportunity to engage with your consumers.

At Ingle International we monitor consumer review sites and social media channels for mentions, and we always respond to questions or messages that we receive.

We also encourage consumers to share their statements when they contact us with positive experiences.”

Elliot Lane agreed: “Social media and the immediacy of the public’s reaction, not only to news, but to products and overall purchasing experience mean customer review sites have more power than ever.

The importance of these reviews to the travel insurance sector has never been more prevalent but the ‘rawness’ of some responses can be damaging.”

Of course, there are a wide variety of platforms on which customers can give their opinions of products – the various social media sites are complemented by specific consumer review websites like Feefo, TrustPilot and Reevoo. “Consumer review sites give an excellent, snapshot view of the consumer’s ‘sentiment’ to the purchase experience and the criteria is very spontaneous,” said Lane. “However, when another traveller has bought the product (in good faith that it has a five-star rating for a solid reason), and then finds that the product is not right for their travelling needs or the

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FEATURE claims experience has failed to live up to that rating, that raw response is often to use the site as a complaints forum and a place to vent one’s digital spleen.”

Face the problem head-on So, what to do when you come across a negative review of your product or services?

How you deal with it is key. Do not try to avoid the issue; the best thing you can do is promptly address the situation, said Robin Ingle. “Often, if a customer is not satisfied, we can work with them to fix the issue.

For instance, even if their insurance policy doesn’t cover a particular expense, we can still do our best to work with their healthcare provider and negotiate on their behalf to bring down costs. On occasion, you may receive negative reviews from disgruntled customers that are not necessarily fair or legitimate. Often these come from customers whose claims were denied because the customer didn’t read their policy or want to understand its exclusions. In these cases, we always do our best to respond and clearly explain the reasoning behind their claim denial and compare our products and services to other similar products.”

Don’t be too perturbed by negative reviews, says Hannah Jones, as it won’t help: “We shouldn’t be frightened of poor reviews; they are a great opportunity to learn, and indeed if there were no bad reviews or minor niggles reported by customers the reviews could appear to have been curated. Public responses to negative reviews also show that you are listening, are responsive if things do occasionally go wrong and help to educate customers about insurance products.”

Fiona Macrae from Travel Insurance Explained in the UK, which aims to educate the general public about travel insurance, commented on the need for considered

thought when using a customer review site, and what she would urge a user to think about: “While star rating systems and review sites can help and influence consumers when buying travel insurance, it is important for the customer to remember that any ratings or reviews should act as a guideline only and not in isolation. This is because they

clearly shows the influence review sites have over consumer behaviour and therefore we would call on the industry to bring greater transparency and clarity to ensure customers are not mislead or misinformed when making important purchasing decisions.”

Companies and consumers alike should be more interrogative of the information they see online offer a snapshot of people’s experiences and have their limitations. A product that might work well for one consumer may not necessarily work as well for another. We always remind our subscribers that the most important thing when buying travel insurance is to look for a policy that fits your personal needs and holiday requirements.”

Given the increased influence that rating services have on customer engagement, Rod Jones is of the opinion that there needs to be greater support for customers to understand how these ratings services work. “For example,” he said, “a five-star rated product on Defaqto is very different from a five-star rating on Reviews, as one rates the product and the other rates the customer experience.

This isn’t always clear to consumers, especially as companies are more likely to show you their star rating from the company that ranks them highest. The uSwitch pilot

once dealing with a voice on the end of a phone line, will be very different from their online persona.” ■

Using it to your advantage Jones of Claims Rated said: “We think reviews of the claims experience play a particularly important role for travel insurance. In most cases, the friends and family of travellers will not have made a claim on their travel insurance policy so would not be in a position to recommend a particular insurance company. Rating services enable a representative view of the actual service from a wide pool of customers, are far quicker to use than taking time out to ask friends and family and are available when the customer is making the purchase.”

Lane pointed out that while there are dangers in customers using review sites, they are nevertheless a force for good for travel insurers: “This amplification of content and branding is an efficient marketing tool for the sector and more travel insurance brands should be using it to their advantage and not be scared of interaction with consumers. If a consumer (and in some cases maybe even planted ‘agitator’ from a rival firm) does decide to offload online with a vicious review, then try as quickly to ascertain are they a genuine customer; does the claims team or call centre know of this case; is the complainant justified in their criticism; and can you attempt to get them offline as quickly as possible and deal with it on a more 1-2-1 basis. The majority of people,

Net Promoter Score Net Promoter or Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a firm’s customer relationships. The NPS is an index ranging from -100 to 100 that measures the willingness of customers to recommend a company’s products or services to others. It is used as a proxy for gauging the customer’s overall satisfaction with a company’s product or service and the customer’s loyalty to the brand. Customers are surveyed on one single question. They are asked to rate on an 11-point scale the likelihood of recommending the company or brand to a friend or colleague. “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this company’s product or service to a friend or a colleague?” Based on their rating, customers are then classified in three categories: detractors, passives and promoters.

Bain and Co., which originally introduced this metric, found that for most industries, the NPS accounts for 20 per cent to 60 per cent of a company’s organic growth rate.

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Sources: www.pewinternet.org/2016/12/19/ online-reviews

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VIETNAM

M YA N M A R (BURMA) PHILIPPINES THAILAND CAMBODIA

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SERVICE DIRECTORY

Ace Air & Ambulance (Pvt) Ltd. James Halsted, – Managing Director 2 Mount Road, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe tel: tel:

+263 (4) 302 141 +263 (782) 999 901/2/3/4

email: website:

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

AMREF Flying Doctors Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

AIR AMBULANCE (ASIA-PACIFIC)

AIR AMBULANCE (AFRICA)

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

AirMed 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

Alia MedFlight Scott Everson – Vice President

Wilson Airport, LangataRoad, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA tel: fax:

+254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

email: website:

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

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

tel: fax:

Awesome Air Evac

602-800-7070 855-831-5092

email: website:

ops@aliamedflight.com www.aliamedflight.com

Asia Air Ambulance

Shane Marais – General Manager

Mr. Toranit Sripal – Managing Director

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

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

tel:

+27 11 430 1777

email: website:

rescue@awesomeairevac.com www.awesomeairevac.com

ER24

CareJet Assist

24/7 Flight Desk

Anthony Decoste – President & CEO

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

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

EDS AVIATION PTE LTD

Medic’Air International Dr Jean-Philippe MATTEI – Medical Director

Shik – Managing Director

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

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

tel: fax:

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

email: website:

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

AVIATION

38

tel: fax:

+65 9836 3265 +65 6846 9542

email: website:

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

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

Flying Doctors Asia Prithpal Singh – CEO , Director A’Posh Bizhub, 1 Yishun Industrial St 1, #08-03, SINGAPORE, 768160 +65 6483 5412 +65 6734 1338

tel: fax:

prithpal@flyingdoctorsasia.com www.flyingdoctorsasia.com

email: website:

LifeFlight Peter Elliott – Fixed Wing Operations Manager

AIR AMBULANCE (EUROPE)

AIR AMBULANCE (ASIA-PACIFIC)

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Jet Executive International Charter Irena Dimitrijevic – Marketing & Sales 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

JOIN JET Carsten Vistisen – General Manager Cumulusvej 10, 7190 Billund, DENMARK

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

+61 7 5553 5955 +61 7 5553 5965

email: website:

email: website:

ems@joinjet.com www.joinjet.com

Malteser Service Center

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

Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation

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

Erna-Scheffler-Strasse 2, 51103 Köln, GERMANY

+86 2163 558289 +86 2163 558285

tel: fax:

+49 221 98 22 9333 +49 40 694597 61339

tel: fax:

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

email: website:

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

email: website:

Medic’Air International

Medical Wings

Dr Herve Raffin – General Manager

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

(EUROPE)

+45 701 040 90 +45 701 040 90

24hr tel: fax:

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

35 rue Jules Ferry, 93170 Bagnolet, Paris, FRANCE

Air Alliance Medflight GmbH

email: website:

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

North Flying a/s

Eva Kluge – Director of Sales & Business Development

Jesper Kragelund – Sales Manager 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

SIEGERLAND AIRPORT, Werfthalle G1, 57299 Burbach, GERMANY +49 170 366 4933 +49 2736 4428 45

mob: 24/7 tel:

+33 141 72 1414 +33 148 57 1010

tel: fax:

email: website:

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

AIRLEC Air Espace

Quick Air Jet Charter GmbH

Paul Tiba – Managing Director

Philipp Schneider – Account Manager

Zone Aviation Générale, 33700 Mérignac Cidex 05 FRANCE

Hangar 3, Cologne Airport, 51147 Cologne, GERMANY

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

24Hr tel: fax:

email: website:

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

+49 2203 955 700 +49 2203 955 7020

tel: fax:

Capital Air Ambulance

ops@quickair.de www.quickair.de

email: website:

Swiss Air-Rescue (Rega)

Lisa Humphries – Sales Director

Stefan Becker – Head of Corporate Development

Airport House, Exeter International Airport, EX5 2BD, UK

Rega-Center, PO Box 1414, CH-8058 Zurich, SWITZERLAND

tel: fax:

+44 845 055 2828 +44 1392 350 039

email: website:

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

+41 44 654 33 11 +41 44 654 33 22

tel: fax:

CEGA Group

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

email: website:

Tyrol Air Ambulance Mr Nick Simon – Business Development Manager

Manfred Helldoppler – Managing Director

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

Fuerstenweg 180, A-6026 Innsbruck-Airport, AUSTRIA

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

privaterepats@cegagroup.com cegagroup.com

email: website:

DRF Luftrettung / German Air Rescue Dr. Peter Huber – CEO

German Air Rescue – Claim-Variante rot / schwarz

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

DRK Assistance Andreas Speich – Managing Director Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY tel: fax:

+49 (211) 917 499 38 +49 (211) 917 499 27

email: website:

+43 512 22422 100 +43 512 288 888

tel: fax:

AIR AMBULANCE (NORTH AMERICA)

tel: fax:

AC Global Medical Transports

Milan Floribus – President 8775 Aero Drive, Ste 120, San Diego, CA 92123, USA +1 858 437 5131 +1 858 408 7856

tel: fax:

email: website:

Adam Williams – President Gillespie Field Airport, 681 Kenney Street, El Cajon, CA 92020, USA +(800) 462 0911 +(619) 284 7918

toll free: fax:

email: website:

awilliams@aeromedevac.com www.aeromedevac.com

AirEvac International

Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing

Raul Mendoza – President / CEO

Luxembourg Airport, B.P.24, L-5201, Sandweiler, LUXEMBOURG

3404 Bonita Rd, Chula Vista, Ca. 91910, USA

+352 26 26 00 +352 26 26 01

milanfloribus@gmail.com acglobalmedicaltransports.com

Aeromedevac Air Ambulance

moc@drkassistance.de www.drkassistance.com

European Air Ambulance

24hr tel: fax:

taa@taa.at www.taa.at

email: website:

email: website:

tel: fax:

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

+1 619 754-6755 +1 619 330 4551

email: website:

info@aeiamericas.com www.aeiamericas.com

Alia MedFlight

FAI – rent-a-jet AG Volker Lemke – Director Sales and Marketing CSO

Scott Everson – Vice President

Flughafenstasse. 124; 90411 Nuremberg; GERMANY

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

tel: fax:

+49 911 36009 31 +49 911 36009 59

email: website:

tel: fax:

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

39

602-800-7070 855-831-5092

email: website:

ops@aliamedflight.com www.aliamedflight.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

CEGA Group Mr Nick Simon – Business Development Manager Funtington Park, Funtington, Chichester, UK, PO18 8RG, UK + 44 (0) 1243 621 107 + (0) 1243 621 006

tel: fax:

email: website:

privaterepats@cegagroup.com cegagroup.com

Global Jetcare, Inc. Bart Gray – President 15421 Technology Dr. Brooksville, FL 34604, USA +1 352 799 7771 +1 352 799 7776

tel: fax:

email: website:

bart@globaljetcare.com www.globaljetcare.com

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (ASIA-PACIFIC)

AIR AMBULANCE (NORTH AMERICA)

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

JET ICU

When Experience Matters.

ASIA +603 7965 3883 +603 7629 8288

tel: fax:

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

email: website:

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:

email: website:

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

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

Martin Villarino – General Manager, AIG Travel Asia Pacific 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

2561 Rescue Way, Brooksville, FL 34604, USA tel: fax:

+1 352 796 2540 +1 352 796 2549

email: website:

ops@jeticu.com www.jeticu.com

Jet-Rescue Air Ambulance

ASIAN TRAVEL AND MEDICAL SERVICES

Carlos Salinas – CEO

Rahul Gupta – Sr. Manager - International Business

Suite 100, 7777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434, USA

131/1 , PICNIC GARDEN ROAD , KOLKATA - 700039 , INDIA

tel:

+1 786 619 1268

email: website:

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

0091-9836309173 033-23440170

tel: fax:

Latitude Air Ambulance

email: website:

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

ASIA RESCUE & MEDICAL SERVICES PVT. LTD

Diana Iaquinto – Director Sales & Medical Ops.

Dr.Anraj Singh – Director

John C. Munro / Hamilton International Airport, 9300 Airport Rd. Mount Hope, Ontario, L0R1W0 CANADA tel: +1 289 426 1133 email: 24.7@latitude2009.com fax: +1 289 426 1132 website: www.latitude2009.com

Flat 2B, Jaivijay Apartment , 61 B Palm Avenue Kolkata – 700019 West Bengal, INDIA 24/7 tel: 24/7 tel:

REVA Inc

+91 983 1090 831 +91 033 4060 4013

arms@armsindia.com www.armsindia.com

email: website:

Alpine Rescue Service Pvt Ltd 'Mission: Save Life' Stuart Hayman – CEO

Mr. Ram Nepal – Executive Director

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

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

Skyservice Air Ambulance

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (AFRICA)

Sharon Tan – Director

AIG Travel Mike Honeycutt – President

Jet icu

AA International

David Ewing – Executive Vice-President, Global Markets

Elmira Turmagambetova – General Manager

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

4, 148 Mamir, Auzovskiy region, Almati, KAZAKHSTAN tel:

+ 7 727 350 52 76

email: website:

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

AP Companies UZBEKISTAN

AIMS

Ilhom Sadikov – Business Development Manager

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

4a, Uzumzor street, Ulukbek region,Tashkent, UZBEKISTAN tel:

AMREF Flying Doctors

+9 987 123 890 41

email: website:

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

Asian Assistance – Myanmar

Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

Dr Yin – Chief Medical Officer

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

No 29,3rd floor,35th Street, Kyauttada Township,Yangon, MYANMAR

tel: fax:

+254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

email: website:

tel:

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

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

Marby Cervantes Madulara – Team Leader, Operation and Medical Development

Dr Helmy El Tanahy – CEO

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

Office 11, Floor 1, 6 El Sad El Aali st, Dokki, Cairo, EGYPT +202 3 336 0005 +202 3 762 0003

email: website:

tel:

alarm@connexassistance.com www.connexassistance.com

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

email: website:

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

mouaden@isas.ma www.isas.ma

+66 2 056 1800

email: website:

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

Asian Assistance – Vietnam

Medical Services Organisation (MSO)

Nick Wongkuan – Director of Finance and Business Development

Brenda Durow – General Manager - Assistance

5th Floor, 106 Ton Due Thang street, Quae Tu Giam ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi, VIETNAM

PO Box 1578, Gallo Manor, 2052, SOUTH AFRICA +27 (0)11 259 5403 +27 (0)11 259 5001

email: website:

Susanne Mørch – Director

Mr. EL MOUADDEN Abdelhamid – Directeur Général 8, Rue Grasset, Quartier des hôpitaux, CP 20360,Casablanca, MOROCCO tel: +212 5 22 46 72 22 fax: +212 5 22 26 00 27

+63 999 878 6990

Asian Assistance – Thailand

Inter Secours Assistance

tel: fax:

email: website:

Asian Assistance – Philippines

CONNEX Assistance

tel: fax:

+95 979 584 3944

24hr email: website:

tel:

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

40

+84 915 618 860

email: website:

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

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

Gloria Lee Carmen V. Matti – CEO 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

CareJet Assist Anthony Decoste – President Level 24 Robinsons Cyberscape Beta, Topaz & Ruby Roads, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, PHILIPPINES email: ops@carejetassist.com tel: +63 2 226 6911 website: carejet.com

(EUROPE)

BrightCare Assist

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (ASIA-PACIFIC)

SERVICE DIRECTORY AP Companies

Natalya Butakova – Business Development Manager 17 Varshavskoye Shosse, Moscow 117105, RUSSIA

Argos Assistance Srl Marco Rinalducci – Claims & Administration Director

Via Torino, 2 20123 Milano, ITALY / FRANCE tel: fax:

+39 027 254 6325 +39 069 933 5053

Andrey ZIMIN – Director

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

Str. Sholudenko 3, 04116 Kiev, UKRAINE

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

email: website:

+65 6753 9133 +65 6244 0030

tel:

EMA Global Pte Ltd

email: website:

+63 (02) 555 5228 +63 (02) 863 0650

Via del pozzo 30, Monteriggioni, 53100, Siena, ITALY

jay@emaglobal.com.ph www.emaglobal.com.sg

24hr tel: fax:

Emergency Assistance Japan

80 rue des alliés, 38100, Grenoble, FRANCE

email: website:

network@emergency.co.jp emergency.co.jp/english

tel: fax:

Global Assistance & Healthcare 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

24h tel: fax:

+49 7007 3010 +49 7007 3119

email: website:

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

DRK Assistance Andreas Speich – Managing Director

412 Vabien III, 86, TongIl-ro,Jung-gu, Seoul 04517, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY

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

email: website:

tel: fax:

Global Doctor China

moc@drkassistance.de www.drkassistance.com

Av. del General Perón, 25 . Planta 10 F, 28020 Madrid, SPAIN tel: tel:

Global MediCALL Assistance

+34 910 602 414 +20 100 6222 910

email: website:

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

Eurocross Turkey

Sridhar K – Chief Operations Officer

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

MALAYSIA marketing@globalmedicallassistance.com

MEDIKA PLAZA

Global Assistance a.s.

Dr Nino Susanto – Operational Director

Ing. Marek Jaroš – General Manager

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

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

ADAC Ambulance Service

email: website:

ops@1220.cz www.1220.cz

Oxana Razorenova – General Manager

Hansastr. 19, D - 80686 Munich, GERMANY email: website:

+420 266 799 770 +420 266 799 797

Global Voyager Assistance - Black Sea

Christoph Ullrich – Senior Manager International Network

+49 897 676 2912 +49 171 555 2912

email: website:

Dr. Hany Benyamen – CEO

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

email:

+49 (211) 917 499 38 +49 (211) 917 499 27

EgyCross Assistance

Regina Zheng – Operations Manager

tel: tel:

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

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

Gna KH CHUNG – CEO

+6 03 3359 6969 +6 03 3359 6161

email: website:

Dr. Peter Huber – CEO

German Air Rescue – Claim-Variante rot / schwarz

Global Assistance Partners Co.,Ltd.

tel: fax:

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

DRF Luftrettung / German Air Rescue

Alain Durand – President Director

+82 1670 0722 +82 2 720 8839

info@assistenzamedicah24.it www.medicalassistanceh24.com

email: website:

Carole Luisy – Managing Director

NRK Koishikawa Bldg., 1-21-14 Koishikawa, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0002, JAPAN

tel: fax:

+39 0823 966 694 +39 0823 966 694

CNAS

Takaaki Chiyo – Executive Officer, Head of Network Division

+81-(0)3-3811-7520 +81-(0)3-3811-7511

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

email: website:

Antonio Magliocca – Medical Director

Unit 2314 Centuria Medical Makati, Century City, Kalayaan Ave. cor.

Salamanca St. Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City - 1210, PHILIPPINES 24hr tel: fax:

+38044 251 28 11

BMC HEALTH SOLUTIONS 24hr Medical Assistance

Jay Bajas – Senior Manager - Operations

tel: fax:

operations@argosassistance.com www.argosassistance.com

email: website:

Dexter Tan – Business Development Director

tel:

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

email: website:

AU International Service / ASSIST UKRAINE

EMA Global Pte Ltd

(EUROPE)

+7 495 989 1120 +7 495 989 1130

tel: fax:

77-79 Nezhinskaya Str., 65023, Odessa, UKRAINE christoph.ullrich@adac.de www.adac.de/ambulance

tel: fax:

AIG Travel

+38 048 7373 441 +38 048 7373 442

email: website:

gmbs@gvassistance.com www.gvassistance.com

Global Voyager Assistance - Russia

Sally Waithe – General Manager, AIG Travel EMEA

Costas Danilenko – CEO

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

PO Box II, 125124 Moscow, RUSSIA tel: fax:

41

+7 495 775 0999 +7 495 775 0998

email: website:

cdanilenko@gvassistance.com www.gvassistance.com

IFRA Assistance GmbH – Austria Mr. Christian Steindl M.D. – CEO IFRA Assistance GmbH, Schießstattring 21, A-3100 St. Pölten, AUSTRIA tel: fax:

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

email: website:

office@ifra.at www.ifra.at

Inchcape Medical & Assistance Services Mara Mytilineou – Operations Manager 3, Agiou Dionysiou street, 18545 Piraeus, GREECE tel: fax:

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

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

email: website:

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (EUROPE)

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Intana Global

Tangiers International Jane Hegeler – Managing Director 54 Melita Street, Valetta, VLT 1122, MALTA +356 277 800 16 +356 272 055 00

tel: fax:

info@tangiersinternational.com www.tangiersinternational.com

email: website:

TBS Team 24 d.o.o Edvard Hojnik – General Manger CROATIA, SLOVENIA, SERBIA, MNE, BH, KOS, MAC +386 2616 5819 +386 2618 5800

tel: fax:

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

email: website:

Tyrol Air Ambulance Denise Groom – Head of Commercial

Manfred Helldoppler – Managing Director

Sussex House, Perrymount Road, Haywards heath, West Sussex, RH16 1DN, UK email: enquiries@intana-global.com website: www.intana-global.com

Fuerstenweg 180, A-6026 Innsbruck-Airport, AUSTRIA

(MIDDLE EAST)

Interamerican Assistance S.A. Inez Tissink – Coordinator International Activities Syngrou Avenue 350,17680 Kallithea, Athens, GREECE tel: fax:

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

email: website:

tissinki@interamerican.gr www.interamerican.gr

Malteser Service Center

email: website:

taa@taa.at www.taa.at

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

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

email: website:

CONNEX Assistance JLT

Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation

tel: fax:

+43 512 22422 100 +43 512 288 888

tel: fax:

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

Marm Assistance

GORAL ASSISTANCE LTD

Mahmut Kadirbeyoglu – CEO

Marcel Kadoche – International Network and Development Manager

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

Maskit 27 str. Herzeliya Industrial Park 46733, ISRAEL

tel: fax:

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

email: website:

tel: fax:

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

+972 9 9579930 +972 9 9579931

email: website:

info@goralassist.com www.goralassist.com

IRAN ASSISTANCE

Medicall AG Markus Detel – Manager International Network

Ashkan Lahiji – International Network Manager

Zurichstrasse 38, CH-8306 Bruttisellen, SWITZERLAND

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

tel:

+41 44 655 16 67

email: website:

tel: fax:

mservices@medicall.ch www.medicall.ch

MRI Assist

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

email: website:

operation@iranassistance.com www.iranassistance.com

SWAN INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE – MUTUAL CARE Denise Rogers – Network Manager

Mr. Joseph Akiki – CEO

C/Porto Pi, 8. 07015 Palma de Mallorca SPAIN

P.O. Box 2265 Jounieh, Lebanon

tel: fax:

+34 971 919 244 +34 971 919 255

email: website:

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

tel 24/7: fax:

(NORTH AMERICA)

(EUROPE)

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES

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

National Health Service LLC Dr. Ashfaq Rizvi – Financial Director 101000 Russia, Moscow, Potapovsky lane 5-2, RUSSIA tel: fax:

+7 (495) 374-88-24 +7 (495) 374-88-24

email: website:

drrizvi@nhsassist.ru www.nhsassist.ru

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

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

email: website:

request@swanassistance.com www.swanassistance.com

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:

Savitar Group Ltd.

+1 715 295 9105

email: website:

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

ASSIST CARD

Maria Berkova – General Manager

Federico Tarling – Chief Service Officer

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

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

Semesur Assistance

AXA Partners US

Eugenio Crenes – General Manager

Simon Jackson – Chief Commercial Officer

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

122 South Michigan Ave, Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60603, USA

tel: fax:

+34 911 010 470 +34 902 001 410

email: website:

tel:

info@semesur.com www.semesur.com

42

+1 312 935 1771

email: website:

simon.jackson@axa-assistance.us www.axa-assistance.us

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

CanAssistance

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

ASSISTANCE COMPANIES (NORTH AMERICA)

SERVICE DIRECTORY

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

GORAL ASSISTANCE CANADA INC. David Ohayon – Local Manager 2155 Vincent St, Montreal, QC H4M 1M6, CANADA tel: fax:

+1 514 448 1343 +1 514 448 1835

email: website:

info@goralassist.ca www.goralassist.com

MD ABROAD

Intana Global Denise Groom – Head of Commercial Sussex House, Perrymount Road, Haywards heath, West Sussex, RH16 1DN, UK email: enquiries@intana-global.com website: www.intana-global.com

New Frontier Group Gitte Bach – President and CEO 1024 Bayside Drive, Suite 144, Newport Beach, California, 92660-7462, USA tel: fax:

Ignacio C. Marquez – COO

Gigi Galen Grobstein – President

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

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

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

email: website:

operations@mdabroad.com www.mdabroad.com

tel: fax:

SunMed International, LLC

email: website:

TMCA Group Corp Crystal Wharton – President 217 Broadway Suite 608, New York, New York 10007, USA tel: fax:

+1 646 398 9021 +1 646 398 9025

email: website:

Crystal@tmcatravel.com www.tmcatravel.com

Global Excel Management John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing 73 Queen St, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 0C9, CANADA tel: fax:

+1 819 566 8833 +1 819 566 8447

email: website:

corpinfo@globalexcel.com www.globalexcel.com

Ggalen@starhealthcarenet.com www.starhealthcarenet.com

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

khaber@sunmedint.net www.sunmedint.net

COST CONTAINMENT (AFRICA)

+1 786 888 6792 +1 786 551 0763

email: website:

contact the sales department now:

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

+ 1 914 358 9121 + 1 914 358 9206

To have your company listed in our service directory

Dra. Kinyi Haber – Medical Director. VP International Operation

New Frontier Group

(EUROPE)

CATASTROPHIC CLAIMS SPECIALISTS

Bach@NewFrontierGroup.com www.newfrontiergroup.com

email: website:

Star Healthcare Network, Inc.

tel: fax:

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:

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

+1 949 429 7130 +1 949 666 6520

+1 604 241 9639 +1 604 241 0733

email: website:

tel: fax:

shaun@plotkinconsulting.com www.plotkinconsulting.com

+44 1865 400 007 +44 845 003 1351

email: website:

contact@chargecare.net www.chargecare.net

Claims at TuGo

Claims at TuGo Taka Katsube – Director Assistance & Cost Managment

Taka Katsube – Director Assistance & Cost Managment

10th Floor, 6081 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC V6Y 2B2, CANADA

10th Floor, 6081 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC V6Y 2B2, CANADA

tel: fax:

+1 604 303 2113 +1 604 276 4593

email: website:

tel: fax:

tkat@tugo.com www.tugo.com

+1 604 303 2113 +1 604 276 4593

email: website:

tkat@tugo.com www.tugo.com

Eurocross Turkey

Eurocross Turkey Mehtap Baylam Akkaya – CEO

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

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

Global Assistance & Healthcare

Mahmut Kadirbeyoglu – CEO

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

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

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

email: website:

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

Global Excel Management

Global Excel Management John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing

John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing

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

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

tel: fax:

+1 819 566 8833 +1 819 566 8447

email: website:

tel: fax:

corpinfo@globalexcel.com www.globalexcel.com

43

+1 819 566 8833 +1 819 566 8447

email: website:

corpinfo@globalexcel.com www.globalexcel.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

Global Medical Management 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:

MD ABROAD Ignacio C. Marquez – COO 2999 NE 191st Street, Suite 608, Aventura, Florida, USA tel: fax:

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

email: website:

operations@mdabroad.com www.mdabroad.com

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

COST CONTAINMENT (EUROPE)

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

New Frontier Group

Extreme Care Repatriation Petar Chernaev – Manager 1 Gevgeliiski, Sofia 1309, BULGARIA office@extremecare.eu www.extremecare.eu

Mr Ang Ziqian – Director Blk 4 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh #01-1345A, SINGAPORE tel: fax:

+65 6253 0001 +65 6353 5801

enquiry@flyinghome.com www.flyinghome.com

email: website:

Funeral Home AURIGA Ltd. Helena Sulikova – Chief of International Department

1024 Bayside Drive, Suite 144, Newport Beach, California, 92660-7462, USA +1 949 429 7130 +1 949 666 6520

tel: fax:

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

Bach@NewFrontierGroup.com www.newfrontiergroup.com

email: website:

tel: fax:

Penfield Care

Funeralia

Mr Stephen Zatylny – President A1-130 Terence Matthews Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, K2M 0J1, CANADA +1 613 703 9861 +1 819 200 0281

tel: fax:

(NORTH AMERICA)

email: website:

Flying Home Pte Ltd

Gitte Bach – President and CEO

info@penfieldcare.com www.penfieldcare.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 tel: fax:

Plotkin Health Inc – A Subsidiary of MacroHealth LP

+38 0971 498 785 +48 5131 236 78

email: website:

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

Funerarium International repatriation and embalming

Shaun A. Plotkin BA (Uvic), LLB (Monash), GDLP – President

Maurizio Fantozzi – Director

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

Indirizzo dell’Azienda: Via Roma 255, Capistrello, Aquila, ITALY

+1 604 241 9639 +1 604 241 0733

tel: fax:

shaun@plotkinconsulting.com www.plotkinconsulting.com

email: website:

tel: tel:

Star Healthcare Network, Inc.

+39 327 328 7979 +39 (0) 863 186 1635

FUNERARIA OFFICIA ROBERTO ZEGA - Worldwide Repatriations Specialist Cristina Zega – Repatriations Manager

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

Via Clelia, 26 / 28 - 00181 Roma, ITALY

+ 1 914 358 9121 + 1 914 358 9206

segreteria@funerarium.it funerarium.it

email: website:

Gigi Galen Grobstein – President

tel: fax:

email: website:

tel: fax:

Ggalen@starhealthcarenet.com www.starhealthcarenet.com

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

To have your company listed in our service directory

Christian Correa – Operations Director

contact the sales department now:

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

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

+359 882 52 9557

tel:

tel: tel:

+1 203 343 8111 +57 4 562 1142

email: website:

info@g7ms.com www.g7ms.com

Rowland Brothers International Ltd.

DRK Assistance Andreas Speich – Managing Director

Fiona Greenwood – Operations Director

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY

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

+49 (211) 917 499 38 +49 (211) 917 499 27

tel: fax:

email: website:

tel: fax:

moc@drkassistance.de www.drkassistance.com

+44 20 8684 2324 +44 20 8684 8000

email: website:

info@rowlandbrothersinternational.com www.rowlandbrothersinternational.com

Singapore Casket Company (Pte) Ltd – Worldwide Repatriation

European Air Ambulance Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing

Calvin Tang

Luxembourg Airport, B.P.24, L-5201, Sandweiler, LUXEMBOURG

131 Lavender Street, Singapore, 338737, SINGAPORE

24hr tel: fax:

+352 26 26 00 +352 26 26 01

email: website:

tel: fax:

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

+65 6293 4388 +65 6296 5993

email: website:

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

Spain Funeral Services

Malteser Service Center Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation

Mourad Messaoud – General Manager

Erna-Scheffler-Strasse 2, 51103 Köln, GERMANY

calle jesus 25-29200- ANTEQUERA, SPAIN

tel: fax:

+49 221 98 22 9333 +49 40 694597 61339

email: website:

tel: tel:

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

+34 902 008 407 +34 627 053 979

email: website:

contact@spainuneralservices.com www.spainfuneralservices.com

DRK Assistance

Skyservice Air Ambulance

Andreas Speich – Managing Director

David Ewing – Executive Vice-President, Global Markets

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, 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

tel: fax:

+49 (211) 917 499 38 +49 (211) 917 499 27

email: website:

moc@drkassistance.de www.drkassistance.com

Gateway International EMS

To have your company listed in our service directory

Oliver L. Müller – Managing Director

contact the sales department now:

1440 G St. NW, Washington DC, 20005 , USA

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

tel: fax:

44

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

email: website:

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

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

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

LifeMed Worldwide

24/7 Chauffeured Transportation & Ground Ambulance 990 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 502 Miami, FL 33132, USA +1-305-501-2009

tel:

email: website:

ops@lifemedworldwide.com www.lifemedworldwide.com

One Call Medical Transport 24 Hour Worldwide Ground Transports 3815 E Main St., Suite C St. Charles, IL 60174, USA +1 630 444 2100 +1 630 823 2900

tel: fax:

ops@ocmt.com www.ocmt.com

email: email:

To have your company listed in our service directory contact the sales department now:

MEDICAL ESCORT ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINES

GROUND TRANSPORT - MEDICAL

SERVICE DIRECTORY

HOSPITALS

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

Andreas Speich – Managing Director Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY +49 (211) 917 499 38 +49 (211) 917 499 27

tel: fax:

email: website:

moc@drkassistance.de www.drkassistance.com

European Air Ambulance Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing Luxembourg Airport, B.P.24, L-5201, Sandweiler, LUXEMBOURG +352 26 26 00 +352 26 26 01

24hr tel: fax:

email: website:

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

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.

Dr. Irfan Erdogan – General Coordinator

Franziska Hollenstein – CEO / Founder

Caybasi Mh 1352 Sk No 12 , 07100 Antalya, TURKEY

1918 Harrison Street, Suite 215, Hollywood, Florida, 33020, USA

+90 242 249 33 00 +90 242 311 67 78

tel: fax:

email: website:

+ 1 754 999 0460 + 1 754 222 5051

24/ 7 tel: fax:

drirfan@anatoliahospital.com www.anatoliahospital.com

Jackson Memorial Hospital International

email: website:

www.primenursingcare.com contact@primenursingcare.com

PARKVIEW AIR MEDICAL

Dominick Destefano – Associate Director of Sales

Graham Mitchell – President

1500 NW 12th Avenue, Suite 829 East, Miami, FL 33136, USA

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

+305-355-1211 +305-355-5545

tel: fax:

email: website:

1 519 942 8143 1 519 941 4213

tel: fax:

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

email: website:

repat@parkviewairmedical.com www.parkviewairmedical.com

SkyCare Global LLC.

Luz Saúde SA

Stephen Avise – VP of Operations

Eve Jokel, MPH – International Director

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

Rua Carlos Alberto da Mota Pinto, 17-9.º 1070-313 Lisboa, PORTUGAL

Sharp Global Patient Services Jacquie Schwoerke – Vice President, Sharp GPS 8695 Spectrum Center Blvd., San Diego, CA 92123, USA toll free: tel:

+1 888-265-1513 +1 858-499-4967

email: website:

US tel: EU tel:

intlpatientservices@luzsaude.pt luzsaude.pt/en

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

AMREF Flying Doctors

Cambridge Global Payments

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

tel: fax:

email: website:

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

AC Global Medical Transports

email: website:

TRAVEL AGENTS

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

Wilson Airport, Langata Road, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA tel: fax:

+254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

email: website:

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

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

To have your company listed in our service directory

AMREF Flying Doctors Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

contact the sales department now:

Wilson Airport, Langata Road, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA +254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

tel:

milanfloribus@gmail.com acglobalmedicaltransports.com

AirMed Australia

tel: fax:

info@skycareglobal.com www.skycareglobal.com

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

8775 Aero Drive, Ste 120, San Diego, CA 92123, USA +1 858 437 5131 +1 858 408 7856

email: website:

David Corney – Managing Director

Milan Floribus – President

tel: fax:

+1 727 230 2263 +39 345 461 8122

MEDICAL PROVIDER

email: website:

TECHNOLOGY

+351 213 138 260 +351 213 530 292

tel: fax:

MEDICAL ESCORT ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINES

DRK Assistance

email: website:

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

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

45

APPOINTMENTS

LOOKING TO RECRUIT?

Head of Travel Insurance ABTA is recruiting for a Head of Travel Insurance to join the Financial Protection and Financial Services department on a permanent contract. The successful candidate will be responsible for the commercial and brand leadership of ABTA’s participation in the travel insurance market.

ABTA has been involved with travel insurance for many years, but now wishes to significantly increase its participation in the travel insurance market and to develop a new product offering that will serve both consumers and Members.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL:

By posting a job ad in ITIJ, you reach our global readership of industry representatives.

• Be an established leader in this field, with a proven track record of commercial success.

• Recognise the potential of the ABTA brand and the opportunities to do things differently in a market that has experienced relatively limited innovation.

• Have a vision for what can be achieved and the appetite to take this new opportunity from concept development to success.

• Relish the opportunity to be involved from the early stages of this exciting project and to have the opportunity to build a small head office commercial and marketing team, to work with our chosen partner.

To discuss your vacancy, please contact James Miller

ABTA offers a supportive work environment alongside other additional benefits such as flexi-time, private health insurance, pension, life insurance, income protection, season ticket loan, childcare vouchers, buy/sell leave, a cash plan and training opportunities.

SALARY: Competitive salary dependent on experience, plus company benefits.

LOCATION: Borough Market area near London Bridge.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 12 October 2018.

FIRST ROUND INTERVIEWS: Week commencing 22 October 2018 onwards.

START DATE: As soon as possible.

JamesM@itij.com +44 (0)117 9226600 ext. 217

To view the full job description and to apply please visit: www.abta.com/headoftravelinsurance ABTA Ltd is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

46

ON THE MOVE

Anvil Group hires new Head of Physical Operations

Paladino joins AeroCare Jay Paladino recently joined AeroCare Medical System, Inc. as the Vice-President of Strategic Growth & Development. President and CEO of AeroCare Joseph D CeCe says: “We are excited about adding Jay to the executive team here at AeroCare. His past experience in transforming organisational growth and expanding customer relations will benefit our programme and our patients.” In his new role, Jay will be adding non-traditional solutions to expand the service offerings of AeroCare.

Jay started his emergency medical career at Austin/Travis County EMS, where he spent eight years working as a Special Operations Rescue Paramedic and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. In 2008, he was recruited to work in Qatar for Hamad Medical Corporation as a Flight Paramedic and Clinical Supervisor. After a move to Saudi Arabia in 2010, Jay served as the Chief Flight Paramedic for the Saudi Red Crescent and successfully established three HEMS

bases. Building upon those successes, Jay was asked to provide air medical consultation to the Ministry of Interior (MOI) in Saudi Arabia. There he developed the MOI’s medical aviation resources, which included four helicopter and four fixed-wing bases that were placed into service for the MOI and the commercial operator, Alpha Star Air Ambulance. He later served as Vice-President for the Jay Paladino Air Ambulance Division, which followed the guidelines established by CAMTS. Most recently Jay served as the Executive Director for AMR Air Ambulance, a division of American Medical Response. As Executive Director, he was instrumental in establishing the AMR brand in the Air Medical Industry and oversaw triple digit financial growth. “The success secret at AMR was working with clients to provide industry changing alternative transport models and solutions to patient transport,” Jay said.

LSM appoints new leader in Germany

Ronan Gerety

Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has announced the appointment of Ronan Gerety as its General Manager of Insurance in Germany.

Rowan replaces Wolfgang Weis, who is moving to broaden LSM’s footprint in Austria and Eastern Europe. Wolfgang had held the position for many years, but LSM says it believes that these territories offer significant opportunities both with existing and new clients.

“Our European business has aggressive

profitable growth targets,” said Kadidja Sinz, Liberty Specialty Market’s Head of Europe. “Ronan’s excellent track record in business development and extensive knowledge of the German insurance market mean he will make a major contribution in delivering that growth.”

Ronan joins LSM from Ironshore International, where he was Head of Continental European distribution since 2016. He has over 30 years of experience in the insurance market, and was previously a founding Board Member of Catlin Europe SA.

Generali names travel insurance president Generali Global Assistance has announced that it has appointed Philippe Gervais as President of Generali Global Assistance’s travel insurance company.

Phillipe will be located in Generali’s travel insurance headquarters, in San Diego, US, and will report to Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance North America.

Phillipe has previous experience in global leadership; having been appointed Europ Assistance’s Director of Strategy and Acquisitions in 2003 and in 2010, he was named CEO of Océalis and President of Europ Téléassistance in charge of the French Business Unit. In 2014, he was named the CEO of Europ Assistance Belgium.

“Philippe’s global experience and

ITIJ SelectCare 0918.indd 1

leadership are invaluable as we set forth our aggressive expansion plans to become the world’s best travel insurance and assistance provider,” Chris said. “I have worked with Philippe for over 10 years, and I’m looking forward to his knowledge and council as part of the executive team.”

Phillipe said of the appointment: “Being part of the team that helped bring in the companies that have now formed into Generali Global Assistance, I’m truly impressed with what they have become under the North America team’s guidance.

I’m excited to be joining on the Generali Global Assistance executive leadership team and helping guide the travel insurance activity through its next stage of growth.”

47

Award-winning travel and operational risk company Anvil Group has announced the appointment of Lee O’Sullivan as its new Head of Physical Operations. In his new role, he will be responsible for managing, controlling and delivering physical security operations on behalf of the company’s global client base.

“It’s an exciting time to join Anvil,” said Lee, who brings over 20 years’ experience in the Royal Marines, police and commercial security risk management sector to the role. “The group is investing heavily in enhancing an already impressive suite of risk management and business resilience solutions to help client organisations deal with both the expected and unexpected challenges of doing business today on a global scale. I’m looking forward to utilising my own experience to contribute to the ongoing delivery and future development of Anvil’s world class solutions.”

Lee has extensive Lee O’Sullivan experience in security

risk management system planning, implementation and execution and has worked with multinational organisations, developing and delivering their business continuity, security, crisis and travel risk management programmes.

He is a certified ISO 31000 Lead Risk Manager and ISO 9001 Quality Management System Lead Auditor, and has a Masters in Project Management, specialising in Risk Management.

Matthew Judge, Anvil Group’s Group Managing Director, commented: “As we continue to further develop our market offering, attracting experienced high calibre professionals is essential and we are delighted to have Lee on board.

He has the strategic expertise required to help us provide the wide-ranging resilience solutions vital to our clients and the handson experience he’s gathered over the years will prove invaluable in further enhancing our tactical on-theground capability.”

New Chief Medical Officer for Capital Air Ambulance Capital Air Ambulance (CAA), the UK-based EURAMI-accredited air ambulance operator, has appointed senior aviation physician Dr Simon Forrington as its new Chief Medical Officer, as part of its plans to spearhead significant expansion for the company.

Dr Forrington will lead the recruitment of an enlarged airborne medical team, appointing senior clinicians in key specialisms to support CAA’s rapidly growing global operations.

A HEMS consultant with North West Air Ambulance, Dr Forrington joins CAA during a period of sustained growth.

“Since we announced our growth strategy less than four years ago, expansion has been rapid and sustained, with increased demand from both international and domestic clients for dedicated air ambulance capacity driving a corresponding expansion of our fleet,

ground support and medical staff,” said CAA Founder and Director Lisa Humphries.

“As an experienced senior flight physician with a great deal of experience in the field of aviation medicine, Dr Forrington brings a wealth of expertise to the company and precisely the skill set we need to maintain the high clinical and service standards that have brought CAA this far. I have every confidence that both he and his new team will continue to build on the excellent foundations laid by our former CMO, Dr Terry Martin.”

Dr Forrington commented: “This is an exciting time to be appointed as Chief Medical Officer for Capital, and certainly with all the medical and operational personnel I have grown to know in my engagements with CAA over several years. It’s a service where big ambitions are matched by high standards, and I’m delighted to be part of it.”

2018-09-25 7:22 PM

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