ITIJ Issue 223 August 2019

FEATURE:

The price is right But is the cover?

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FEATURE:

Making waves

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The evolution of cruise insurance

ESSENTIAL READING FOR TRAVEL & HEALTH INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS

Chernobyl – you have been warned Thanks to the recent exposure from the HBO and Sky Atlantic drama, the perception around Ukraine nuclear disaster zone Chernobyl is changing, though it does still pose a danger to intrepid tourists

AUGUST 2019 • ISSUE 223

GDPR bites back It has been revealed that the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) intends to fine airline British Airways (BA) £183.39 million for infringing General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Last year, ITIJ reported on a cyberattack that targeted BA, which at the time was thought to have compromised the data of some 382,000 customers. The cyberattack in question, which began in June 2018, involved user traffic from BA’s website being redirected to a fraudulent site, where customer data was harvested by hackers and uploaded to the dark web.

The ICO now says that, rather than 382,000, the number of customers whose data was affected is more in the region of 500,000; this included login, payment card and travel booking details, as well as names and addresses.

“People’s personal data is just that – personal,” said Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham. “When an organisation fails to protect it from loss, damage or theft it is more than an inconvenience. That’s why the law is clear – when you are entrusted with personal data you must look after it. Those that don’t will face scrutiny from my office to check they have taken appropriate steps to protect fundamental privacy rights.”

The ICO has pointed out that BA has co-operated fully with its investigation and implemented new security measures to avoid a repeat of the incident. The airline will now have an opportunity to make its own case to the ICO regarding the organisation’s findings and its proposed sanction.

Javvad Malik, a security awareness consultant at cybersecurity firm KnowBe4, commented: “While there is no denying that it is a large fine, it is commensurate with the breach, which saw

Where before Chernobyl was an eerie, desolate region that many felt was best avoided (and to some degree, this is still the case), it is now set to become a popular tourist attraction. But while Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly keen to encourage this, consumer awareness initiatives have warned that tourists need be aware that they will not be covered for any long-term complications that arise from exposure to the unstable environment.

In truth, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – an area of approx. 2,600km2 that was evacuated in 1986 (and cordoned off for many years after) after a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, causing nuclear fallout and radioactive contamination – has seen a rise in visitors since 2013. Alexandro Chalenko, a tour guide for Gamma Travel, told The Independent online newspaper that between 2013 and 2018, the number of yearly visitors to the area rose from 8,000 to 65,000.

But since the HBO series first aired, the uptake of visitors has increased dramatically. Chalenko noted that visitor numbers were expected to reach as high as 100,000 in 2019.

And in many ways, this change is positive.

Indeed, President Zelensky believes that the region should be given new life. “Until now,

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Ebola emergency The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) “It is time for the world to take notice and redouble our efforts. We need to work together in solidarity with the DRC to end this outbreak and build a better health system,” said WHO DirectorGeneral Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Extraordinary work has been done for almost a

year under the most difficult circumstances. We all owe it to these responders – coming from not just WHO but also government, partners and communities – to shoulder more of the burden.”

The declaration occurred following a meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for Ebola in the DRC and emerged from recent updates in the outbreak, including its spread to Goma. The Committee stressed the need to protect livelihoods of the people most affected by the outbreak by keeping transport routes and borders open.

“It is important that the world follows these recommendations. It is also crucial that states do not use the PHEIC as an excuse to impose trade or travel restrictions, which would have a negative impact on the response and on the lives and livelihoods of people in the region,” said Professor Robert Steffen, Chair of the Emergency Committee.

“At the heart of this are communities and individual tragedies,” said Dr Tedros. “The PHEIC should not be used to stigmatise or penalise the very people who are most in need of our help.”

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Editorial comment @ITIJeditor

Editor-in-Chief:

Ian Cameron ian@itij.com

Sarah Watson - editor sarah@itij.com

Editor:

Sarah Watson sarah@itij.com

Deputy Editor: Although the human fascination with the macabre seems intrinsic, dark tourism isn’t for everybody. Yet, the attraction of sites associated with death, tragedy and dereliction is on the rise and with it travel insurers’ pulse rates, as intrepid travellers head off to all manner of ‘visitor attractions’ that present a host of specific hazards and risks. Take Chernobyl for example, the subject of our lead story this month, where visitor numbers have hiked since its starring role in a recent TV series.

Despite the obvious radiation risk of visiting this area, derelict places present a whole other host of safety risks, an issue that we’ll be exploring in more detail next issue when we take an in-depth look at the growing phenomenon of dark tourism.

Elsewhere in this issue, we explore the challenges aggregator sites face in their work to educate customers on the importance of exploring cover options rather than solely focusing on price, and look at how the cover needs of a burgeoning cruise travel contingent are being met. We also hear from the Head of Analytics

at UK insurer Collinson about the myriad benefits that come from harnessing the power of data; we have the latest from the Spanish Private Healthcare Alliance on their concerns over some UK travel insurance policy wording; and we have a plethora of exciting product and partnership announcements in our ‘Company News’ section.

Seasoned readers might notice that some of our sections are in a different order, with new names and even a sprinkling of colour coding. I mean, no worries if not, but expect more exciting format changes in our print and digital versions very soon!

In other ITIJ-related news, we’ve been overwhelmed with this year’s nominations and entries for the ITIJ Awards and look forward to announcing the finalists in September.

Enjoy this issue and our latest edition of the International Hospitals & Healthcare Review!

Stefan Mohamed stefan@itij.com

Assistant Editors:

Mandy Langfield Lauren Haigh

Writer & Copy-Editor:

Robyn Bainbridge

Advertising sales:

James Miller Marton Modis Kathryn Zerboni sales@itij.com

Marketing:

Kate Knowles

Finance:

Elspeth Reid Alex Rogers

CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS

Kirstin Reid Design team:

Headline News

p5 Company News

Are Brits in Spain underinsured?

The Spanish Private Healthcare Alliance seems to think so

Health News

Approach to outbreaks must change

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Claims-free travel insurance from Omio

Tommy Baker

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William McClelland Robbie Gray Rosi Yip Webmaster:

Online platform aims to attract millennials

Tom Reed

Director of events:

Denise Clements denise@itic.co

+44 (0)117 922 6600 editorial desk: extension 3 advertising desk: extension 1 subscriptions desk: extension 247 Telephone:

Ebola outbreak is a ‘wake-up call’

subscriptions@voyageur.co.uk accounts desk: email: web:

General Insurance News p18

Prepare for the worst, California warned At least eight badly injured in Pamplona bull run

news@itij.com www.itij.com

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Bracing for the ‘Big One’

Travel News

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Published on behalf of: Voyageur Publishing & Events Ltd. The information contained in this publication has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Neither the publisher nor Voyageur Publishing & Events Ltd can accept any responsibility for any error or misinterpretation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on the information contained in this publication, or in the event of bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of the trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

What did they expect, to be honest

Printed by Pensord Press, South Wales, United Kingdom

Industry Voice

Demystifying data science in insurance

p25

Copyright © Voyageur Publishing & Events Ltd 2019. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL & HEALTH INSURANCE JOURNAL

ISSN 2055-1215

Expert insight from Collinson

PEFC/16-33-447

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HEADLINE NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

GDPR bites back nearly half a million customers’ personal and financial data impacted. After the introduction of GDPR last year, many wondered when the large fines would begin, and this seems to be it.”

Expanding on this, Anna Russel, VicePresident of data protection firm Comforte AG, said that it was important for companies to understand that GDPR is a regulation ‘that has teeth’. “Google was already fined €50 million in France earlier this year, and now with the case of British Airways, it is becoming clear that more big fines will be handed out if organisations fail to take data privacy seriously,” she said. “Elizabeth Denham has pointed out something that many companies don’t yet seem to understand – the personal data that they are processing and storing is not their property. They have only been entrusted with it. That’s a big difference.”

She went on to say that BA and other organisations handling large amounts of customer data need to take their responsibility seriously, and approach data security with the thoroughness it deserves.

‘Tokenisation’ of data is one method that she suggested companies could adopt.

This approach involves all sensitive data being replaced by ‘tokens’, so that in the event of a breach, it is not the actual underlying personal data that is lost, but rather the tokens. This also means that as the data itself is what is protected – rather than the system that holds it – the security measures travel with the data, so it is always protected, wherever it goes.

Cases such as this illustrate that the new cyber battleground, where data takes the

Many companies don’t yet seem to understand [that] the personal data that they are processing and storing is not their property ... they have only been entrusted with it place of the gold and silver that pirates of old would once chase down on the high seas, remains dangerously misunderstood by big organisations. Many have seemingly failed to take a proactive approach to data security, which unfortunately means that it will take huge high-profile cases like this – in which trusting customers have had their personal information compromised – for the message to sink in. For better or worse, money talks, so maybe the threat of a hefty fine will be enough for businesses across the travel, insurance and every other industry to start taking this issue seriously.

Chernobyl – you have been warned

Chernobyl was a negative part of Ukraine’s brand,” he said. “It’s time to change it.”

However, Travel Insurance Explained has since weighed in on the subject, hoping to caution tourists against putting their health at risk before they are aware of the consequences.

Brand Manager Rebecca Kingsley pointed out that although most travel insurance policies offer cover for this trip (the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has given the all-clear to travel to the site), travellers should note that they are no longer covered for any ill-effects they suffer once they return home.

In addition, another spokesperson detailed that levels of radioactivity in Pripyat (which is the closest town to the nuclear power plant) can be dangerously high, and advised that travellers visiting this area on a guided tour should be careful to stay within the allocated guide zones and not touch anything found in the area.

“The Ukrainian Government recommends that

you do not enter any buildings, touch anything, eat anything, and always follow the advice of your guide,” said Travel Insurance Explained.

It is also illegal to take any ‘souvenirs’ found in the exclusion zone as they will be ‘highly irradiated and a danger to your health’.

“Once you land back home after the trip, any

Between 2013 and 2018, the number of yearly visitors to Chernobyl rose from 8,000 to 65,000 cover for medical assistance also ends at that point,” said Kingsley. “So, if you become sick after returning from Chernobyl, your travel insurance won’t cover the costs.”

Travellers have been warned – but will they listen? Hopefully insurers can step up and make sure their customers are well informed, so that potential tragedies can be avoided.

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HEADLINE NEWS TRAVEL

Editorial Tourists flee Stromboli volcano eruption Blog

One person died and many tourists fled in terror after a volcanic eruption on the Italian island of Stromboli on 3 July. Falling stones from the eruption struck a 35-year-old hiker from Sicily, who sadly died from his injuries; his Brazilian companion was found by fire and rescue teams suffering from shock and dehydration. Many holidaymakers reportedly ran into the sea after they saw smoke and ash rising from the volcano, which is one of the most active on the planet.

Two eruptions took place one after the other at approximately 4:46 pm local time, a few minutes after a sizeable lava spill. The first of the explosions was, according to volcanologist Boris Benhcke, the biggest since 2007, if not before.

OMG seriously? Nuclear tourism (see front page)?

Who in their right mind wants to walk through a fallout zone, which still retains radioactive levels that could fry an egg (and therefore your brain, body and the nuts you’ve got in your pocket)?

Well, 100,000 people this year appear to want to do exactly that ... oh, the power of television.

Apparently, they’ll be insured against any normal accident while in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – like falling over a six-legged cat and breaking a leg, or being bitten (twice) by a two-headed snake, which is coincidentally being eaten by a bird the size of an elephant, at the same time.

Yep, all the normal stuff.

But, of course, they won’t be insured for anything caused by contact with excessive amounts of radiation, such as vomiting, diarrhoea and their skin peeling off.

Which is quite surprising really, as insurers and assistance companies have never really complained about covering such illnesses before (vomiting, diarrhoea and skin peeling).

I mean, that’s all in a normal day for those using the beaches and bars of Benidorm, Bali or Cancun.

So, there you have it … or let’s hope so ...

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

A popular tourist destination, many overseas visitors were on Stromboli when the eruptions occurred. One British holidaymaker was quoted by BBC News as saying: “We turned around to see a mushroom cloud coming from Stromboli. Everyone was in shock.

Then red-hot lava started running down the mountain towards the little village of Ginostra.”

While the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office does not at the time of writing advise against travel to Italy or Stromboli, its travel advice was updated in the wake of the eruptions: “There are no reports of significant impact on populated areas, but local authorities are assisting those on the island who wish to leave; if you’re in the area, you should follow the advice of local authorities.”

Are Brits in Spain underinsured?

Following a recent press conference, the Spanish Private Healthcare Alliance (Alianza de la Sanidad Privada Española, or ASPE) has announced that it is taking measures to educate British tourists who it claims are being poorly served by their travel insurers, and heading on holiday to Spain with inadequate cover that only pays for public healthcare

of local public healthcare systems. It has been reporting what it sees as underhand practices for a number of years but claims that nothing has been done about them.

Frustrated at a perceived lack of response from relevant authorities, ASPE has published information that will be made available at member health facilities in tourist areas, so that travellers can be made aware of their rights up front. It

has also launched a new website, www. safetraveltospain.com, where more detailed information can be found – the website will be promoted via various digital campaigns.

ASPE also hopes to use next year’s International Travel & Health Insurance Conference in Windsor, UK to open constructive dialogue between the UK and international insurance sectors on this fraught topic.

ASPE, which represents over 80 per cent of the private hospitals and healthcare organisations in Spain, claims that neither UK or Spanish agencies have implemented measures to bring clarity to – or, if necessary, question the sale of – policies that are ‘opaque’ about which medical providers British tourists should attend if they require medical treatment while in Spain. The consequence of this lack of clarity, ASPE suggests, is threefold: public healthcare systems in the UK and Spain face higher costs, as do Spanish private healthcare organisations, and British travellers face potential risks to their health.

Unknowing travellers think that they can be treated at any healthcare facility – public or private – says ASPE, but this is often not the case.

The private medical healthcare business association even goes so far as to suggest that there may be fraudulent practices afoot, inferring that some companies in the UK may be deliberately taking advantage

TRAVEL

Drugs use increasing in fatal Spanish road accidents Spain has promised to get tougher with drivers after it was revealed that 43 per cent of those who were killed in road accidents in the leading holiday destination last year had consumed drugs or excess alcohol. David Ing reports Pedestrians are also highly vulnerable, with 80 per cent of those hit by vehicles having consumed drugs or drunk more than four times the legal limit for driving.

Yet while the level of drunk drivers has tended to stabilise in recent years, the number of drug-taking drivers has nearly doubled in the last decade, a new government report has shown.

Speaking at the presentation of the study, Pere Navarro, Director-General for Traffic at the Interior Ministry, blamed the increase in drug related accidents on a growing acceptance among society regarding their consumption as being ‘inoffensive’.

The judge who is the country’s chief of road safety, Bartolomé Vargas, said that the government is already studying the possibility of tougher sanctions. Without going into details, he said that the government is telling courts to ‘act with all the competencies it has’ on what he described as a ‘very dangerous curve’.

Ten years after the publishing of the first government report on the effects of drug and alcohol use on road safety, figures

from the Memoria toxicological study showed the number of drug users among drivers had risen by more than nine percentage points in that time. Antonio Alonso, Director of the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, said that autopsies showed more than 43 per cent of drivers had consumed drink or drugs before their deaths. Some 94 per cent of them were male, with the most common profile being a man aged between 25 and 54 who had consumed cannabis or cocaine, often mixed with drinking as well – but pharmaceutical drugs also played their part, with sleep inducers and tranquilisers top of the list.

Of those who had been drinking,

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more than 70 per cent had over 1.2 grams of alcohol per litre in their blood, over four times the legal limit.

HEADLINE NEWS

A bone to pick Bones. We all have them. And sometimes we break them. In this bone-afide story, we seek to report on news relating to bones and travel insurance Travel insurance comparison site Medical Travel Compared has expressed concerns that travellers may be unaware that if they have suffered a broken bone in the last two years that resulted in hospital treatment, they may not be covered under their insurance. With 79 per cent of British travellers incorrectly identifying what they need to disclose when purchasing medical travel insurance, the company wishes to shed some light on the issue.

The site stated that travellers need to declare broken bones in the following instances: if they have been prescribed

Preventing tourists from balcony jumping medication, received treatment or attended a medical practitioner’s surgery; if they have attended a hospital or clinic as an outpatient or inpatient; or if there were any complications such as infections, nerve or blood vessel damage due to surgery, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It pointed out that DVT would be classed as a circulatory condition and should always be declared.

Medical Travel Compared also advised travellers that, if they suffer from bones that have been weakened by disease, the main condition must be declared where any of the warranty questions are answered yes and the broken bone will then have to be declared separately. It also said that travellers with broken bones should consider if their cast is approved by their airline and if the mobility aids are protected under the baggage cover.

Tour operators bring in new rules to prevent balcony jumps, writes David Ing UK tour operators have begun ordering Spanish hoteliers not to give their clients rooms with low guard rail balconies in the latest move to try and thwart the threat of youngsters trying to jump off them, usually into a swimming pool below.

Hoteliers say the move follows an increase in the number of claims for compensation from injuries or deaths, some of which are claimed to be accidents.

At the same time, health authorities and insurance companies are worried about the rising costs of treating patients from a practice that started around 2010 and has become widely known in Spanish as ‘balconing’. At least two operators, TUI and Jet2, are known to have told hotels not to accommodate their clients in rooms where the guard rail is low enough to be used as a ‘diving board’ or where there are gaps in the rails that can be used to climb up. A TUI spokesperson said that ‘client security is our main priority’ and that the company is ‘working very closely with hotels to guarantee that the balconies comply with the recommendations’.

One of the first hoteliers to comply with the new rules was the Binibeca resort on the south coast of Menorca in the Balearic Islands.

Director Francisco Gene said there had been ‘a multitude of such accidents’ in the islands in recent years, especially at the popular

young people’s resort of Magaluf on the neighbouring island of Mallorca. “From now on,” he said, “if someone insists on asking for a room with a balcony we will ask them to sign [a form] exonerating us from responsibility.”

Among the attempted claims made earlier this summer was one by a young British tourist who blamed spilled water near a hotel pool in Magaluf for him slipping over and injuring himself. He tried to claim €37,000

While it is important to have consistency across the sector, consistency is only one element in creating good outcomes for medical bills for a broken shoulder bone and various ribs, but when the hotel passed the incident on to its insurance company the insurer found the jump attempt recorded in a video circulating on social media. It showed the young man trying to leap from his balcony on to the top of a nearby tree.

Compulsory travel insurance in Thailand

MEDFLIGHT

Compulsory travel insurance could be enforced in Thailand this year. The Bangkok Post reported that travellers will be required to pay for a special policy at immigration offices in airports and the proceeds will be directed to Thailand’s Tourism Promotion Fund to cover payments in the event of claims.

According to the Thai Office of the Insurance Commission, the policy will cost 20 baht (52p) for 30 days’ cover. It has been reported that it will offer up to one million baht (£26,000) of cover in case of death.

It is hoped that the introduction of compulsory insurance will promote greater confidence among travellers to Thailand. The idea was mooted following a number of tragedies involving tourists,

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including a boat catastrophe near Phuket in which 47 Chinese tourists were killed.

As such, insurers have advised that travellers should continue to purchase their own insurance, even when the new policy has been rolled out: “We recommend that UK tourists holidaying in Thailand continue to buy a travel policy in the UK no matter what,” urged Nel Mooy, Head of Travel at AXA Insurance. “It will cover medical expenses and other costs linked to cancellations, delays, luggage loss and other mishaps. It remains a must.”

It is anticipated the scheme will be rolled out later in the year, pending approval from the Tourism and Sports Ministry, and having been subsequently forwarded to the cabinet.

HEADLINE NEWS

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HEADLINE NEWS

A sign of the times The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK has launched a two-month consultation on proposals to help travellers with pre-existing medical conditions (PEMCs) find travel insurance products via ‘signposting’ Specifically, the FCA is looking for feedback on its proposal to introduce a directory of travel insurance firms that are willing and able to cover the kinds of serious PEMCs that may make finding cover difficult.

Under the proposal, travel insurers would be required to signpost consumers if their coverage was declined or cancelled mid-term due to their PEMC; if coverage was offered with a PEMC-related exclusion that cannot be removed; or if a consumer is offered cover where their PEMC results in an additional loading to their base premium.

As well as this initiative, the FCA plans to work with other industry stakeholders to improve consumer understanding and awareness of travel insurance, and the importance of disclosing and properly covering PEMCs. According to FCA estimates, every year there are around 14.1 million consumers in the UK with PEMCs who seek to purchase travel insurance; of these, around 0.7 per cent are declined cover and 11 per cent purchase policies with an exclusion for the PEMC in question.

“We want to reduce the numbers of consumers who are currently faced with a choice of not travelling or travelling without insurance and running the risk of incurring significant costs, including medical bills abroad,” commented the FCA’s Executive Director of Strategy and Competition, Christopher Woolard. “The changes proposed today will be an important step in helping people to navigate the market more easily and also in reducing the number of customers who are overpaying significantly for travel insurance.”

Industry reaction to the proposals has been mixed. Hugh Savill, Director of Regulation at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), sounded a cautious note: “Insurers see the value of a system to signpost travellers who cannot get adequate cover because of their medical history. But the FCA’s proposals would sweep up every single medical condition, however slight its impact on a premium. Travellers need a more proportionate approach, which avoids confusion and disruption to the customer journey. As the FCA itself says, ‘further shopping around will not always help’. We will be urging the regulator to establish a more targeted approach to

While it is important to have consistency across the sector, consistency is only one element in creating good outcomes

help those who could genuinely benefit.”

Liz Foster, Managing Director of the Society of Insurance Broking, was more enthusiastic, though she advised the FCA that it should seek to build on the work that the industry has already done. “We agree with the decision to introduce a requirement to signpost,” she said. “We believe the duty to offer signposting is already implied by the requirement in the insurance distribution directive for anyone selling insurance to ‘act in the best interests of their customers’. We also agree with the focus on high-quality communication during the screening process, and on being clear to clients about how their condition is taken into account when making decisions about setting premiums and offering cover.”

However, she added: “We would also urge the FCA to build on existing good practice as it develops its new signposting service.

While it is important to have consistency across the sector, consistency is only one element in creating good outcomes.

It is essential that the FCA develops a

happen a second or third time if the correct providers are not included on the list, leaving the consumer further frustrated.

“We agree customers should be signposted where they have been either declined travel insurance or are only offered travel insurance where they exclude some/all of their medical conditions.

However, we believe it is disproportionate to require signposting where a small additional premium has been added for a minor medical condition. This would incorporate too broad a pool of consumers that are already adequately served by the general insurance market and would not benefit from shopping around. A customer already speaking to a specialist that can offer the cover that meets their needs may become confused if that specialist is forced to signpost them to a directory.”

A signposting system such as the one proposed, said Rolland, should only be triggered when people are finding it very difficult to get cover, and where signposting would be of direct benefit.

“The insurance industry already has an

A signposting system should only be triggered when people are finding it very difficult to get cover system to measure consumers’ experience throughout the signposting service, which can fully assess its benefits.”

Specialist over-50s travel insurer AllClear, which focuses on helping travellers with difficult medical conditions to obtain cover, has also shared its thoughts on the FCA proposals. CEO Chris Rolland said that while he and his company do, in principle, fully support the idea of signposting, they believe that the proposals as they currently stand require clarity in certain areas.

“Our concerns,” he said, “are around which consumers will be signposted and to which companies. It is important that the signposting provides a helpful customer journey, which is a major improvement on the status quo. Consumers should only be signposted to providers who are able to cover almost every scenario, and that means the true specialist providers.

Consumers will need to have faith in the system, and this will quickly evaporate if they are declined cover by a provider to whom they are directed. This could

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established service in place,” he went on to say, “which, if promoted and supported by the FCA, could provide a more helpful and cost-effective part of the solution to help any consumer who is struggling to access travel insurance. The BIBA Find Insurance Service has a proven track record of signposting consumers directly to medical travel insurance specialists with more than 600,000 enquiries per year.”

AllClear also said that it will be issuing a formal response to the consultation.

While we at ITIJ wholeheartedly support any initiative that enables more people to get the coverage they need – after all, the endgame should surely be that everybody can travel safely and without fear of huge bills – it is important that the industry presents a united front on this issue. Hopefully through the consultation, all stakeholders will be able to make their voices heard, and an appropriate way forward can be devised that takes all requirements into account, from both a business and a consumer angle.

HEADLINE NEWS

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IMAGE ED SIGN.

SALES SIGN. 1

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PAGE UPDATE

HEADLINE NEWS HEALTH

Drug resistant malaria rising in Asia

Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and University of Oxford, both in the UK, and Mahidol University, Bangkok, have discovered that in Vietnam, Laos and northeastern Thailand, descendants of a multi-drug resistant malaria strain are replacing the local parasite populations. The research was published in The Lancet Infectious Disease, and represents the most up-to-date and comprehensive whole genome study of malaria parasites in Southeast Asia, and has highlighted the importance of ongoing genomic surveillance to inform public health malaria control strategies.

“We discovered that the multi-drug resistant malaria strain had spread aggressively, replacing local malaria parasites, and had become the dominant strain in Vietnam, Laos and northeastern Thailand. Our large-

scale genomic approach demonstrates how surveillance can provide crucial information to malaria control programmes, supporting them in evaluating available treatment options,” stated the study’s first joint author, Dr Roberto Amato of the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Professor Dominic Kwiatkowski, a senior author on the paper from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Big Data Institute at the University of Oxford, also commented on the findings: “Our study provides a clear picture of how malaria that is resistant to the first-line treatment is spreading, and demonstrates the importance of using genetics to detect patterns of resistance in each area. Active genomic surveillance is now vital to inform national malaria control programmes, to help reduce the risk of a major global outbreak.”

TRAVEL

Six tourists killed by storm in Greece A deadly storm struck northern Greece on Wednesday 10 July, causing six fatalities.

An elderly couple were killed when their vehicle was overturned by high winds, a mother and son were killed when an outdoor restaurant’s roof collapsed, and a father and son were killed by falling trees.

According to emergency service officials, a further 65 people were injured, with 35 taken to hospital.

Witnesses stated that the storm lasted around 20 minutes, during which time people frantically sought shelter. A state of emergency was declared, and around 140 rescue workers were deployed.

The Nea Moudania Medical Centre treated many people injured by the storm.

“It is the first time in my 25-year career that I have lived through something like this,” said the Centre’s Director Athansios Kaltsas. “It was so abrupt, so sudden.”

The storm is believed to have been caused by high temperatures, which reached 37°C (98.6°F) over the period in which the incident took place.

Michalis Chrisochoidis, the Citizen Protection Minister overseeing operations in the area, extended his condolences to those affected by the tragic incident: “I want to express my sorrow on behalf of all … we mourn for the loss of these souls. We are in solidarity with their relatives, with the people who have lost their families.”

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Lights, camera, industrial action!

A number of industrial strikes are planned for airports across the UK, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, over the course of August. Additionally, staff at airlines including British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair will be striking at the same time. The industrial action is set to continue over the peak holiday period for the UK, so Allianz Assistance UK has offered some advice to holidaymakers to ensure that they can continue with their trips and avoid too much disruption.

“If the strike action means that any flights are cancelled or rescheduled before an individual leaves their home to start their trip, the airline would be responsible for making alternative travel arrangements for the customer or would have to provide a full refund,” explained Kate Walker, Allianz Assistance UK’s Head of Direct Business. “If, however, the announcement of the flight cancellation or delay is made after the individual has left for the airport then they will likely be covered by their travel insurance policy under the ‘Travel

Delay and Abandonment’ clause.

“This will, of course, depend on the travel insurance policy that an individual has purchased so they will need to check the terms and conditions in order to understand exactly what they will be covered for.

“If a strike announcement is made by an airline or aviation authority before the individual books their trip or buys their travel insurance policy, then they will not be covered under the terms and conditions for any impact the strike has on their trip.

It is, therefore, crucial that individuals take out a suitable travel insurance policy at the point of booking their trip and before any strikes are announced in order to be covered for this type of eventuality.”

It is very possible that consumers will be unaware of these stipulations – they may in fact be unaware that strike action is planned – so such advice will hopefully serve to reduce the chaos, so that workers’ right to strike and travellers’ right to a peaceful holiday do not have to come into too much conflict.

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HEALTH NEWS

Approach to outbreaks must change In conversation with the Guardian newspaper, Head of the World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted a worrying trend when it comes to the spread of infectious diseases He stated that the world’s second worst Ebola outbreak – the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in which there have been more than 2,100 cases and more than 1,412 confirmed deaths in just over a year – should serve as a ‘global wake-up call’.

According to Dr Ghebreyesus, it’s only when there is ‘fear and panic’ in the headlines that the international community invests money in responding to such outbreaks. He believes the real issue is a lack of day-to-day funding for preparedness to combat serious epidemics and stem their spread, and highlighted the need for a preventative rather than reactive approach: “Preparedness is the solution, not firefighting. The problem is that [donors] refrain from paying until there is fear and panic. That has to change. We should not be funding huge amounts when we panic, but should be funding to avoid panic.”

He told the Guardian that he believes the outbreak in the DRC can be controlled in the short term, but that it will inevitably return, pointing out the unstable political

situation in the country and a lack of understanding, which are causing problems. “What concerns me is the lack of understanding about how to make our world safe,” he said. “We’re not investing in preparedness to detect outbreaks quickly. We are investing after the problem comes and knocks on our door when it’s too late. So how can we move on from that mindset? We have to be as strong as the weakest link and we need to invest in strengthening the systems of the weakest link.”

Dr Ghebreyesus also highlighted unsettling feedback from the community: “When I talk to the community it is embarrassing for me, because they say, ‘You are only interested in Ebola because you do not want it in your own countries and you are trying to protect yourselves while mothers and children are dying here’.”

It is clear that in order to combat disease in developing countries, support from developed countries is crucial. We must form a united front and ensure that the right tools, education and support are reaching the countries that need it most.

If better prevention can be enacted, we have a chance to stop the spread before it has even begun, and this should be the goal. And for ongoing outbreaks, we must continue to pool our tools and resources and ensure that the countries affected are not left behind.

New swimwear to help fight skin cancer An insurance company has teamed up with a cancer association to help spread awareness in battling one of the biggest health threats facing sun-seeking beach tourists, writes David Ing

Generali and the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) have launched what they call the Melanoma Summer Collection – a range of male and female bathing wear featuring patterns that resemble the first signs of the skin cancer for sufferers.

SEOM forecasts that in Spain alone, more than 6,000 cases of melanoma are expected to be diagnosed this year, without counting those among the millions of foreigners who flock to the country’s beaches each year to relax in the sun. A spokesperson for the association said the aim of the joint promotion is to make people ‘aware of the importance of prevention for avoiding this type of tumor, especially in summer when exposure to the sun and the consequent risks to health increase’.

To help achieve this, the association has published an accompanying advice guide that enables people to recognise the signs of melanoma and encourages them to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

The campaign is being further supported by actress Marta Hazas and sporting commentator Jaime Astrain with a video emphasising the need to take precautions to protect the skin, and social media influencers have promised to sustain the campaign by donning the swimwear and continuing the warnings.

SEOM said that the swimwear – which includes two styles available for men and two for women – ‘has a pattern that

Goma Ebola patient dead The first patient to be infected with Ebola in Goma in the DRC has died This was confirmed by North Kivu province’s Governor Carly Nzanzu in an Ebola response meeting on Tuesday 16 July. “Unfortunately, I can confirm that the patient died,” he said. “He died during transfer by road.”

According to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Health Ministry, the patient, a pastor, tested positive for the virus after arriving at a centre in Goma, having travelled there by bus on Sunday 14 July. He had previously been in Butembo, where he had been in contact with people with Ebola, having preached at seven churches during his visit. The World Health Organization said that health officials had identified 60 people who had come into contact with the pastor since he was taken ill and that half of them had been vaccinated.

Minister of Health in the Cabinet of Rwanda Diane Gashumba said that 2,600 health workers have been vaccinated. She also advised vigilance: “This Ebola epidemic has now reached close to Rwanda.

There is a need to be more vigilant and to avoid unnecessary visits to Goma.”

Communities have been advised by officials to take precautions such as hand washing and avoiding physical contact with anyone suspected of being contaminated with the virus.

WHO had already identified that the outbreak in the DRC poses a high risk of introduction into neighbouring countries, including Rwanda, and these countries have been advised by WHO to ‘urgently strengthen their surveillance and alert systems for early detection of potential cases, and overall preparedness for timely and effective response’.

The Health Ministry stated that the risk of the virus spreading to the rest of Goma is not high: “Due to the speed with which the patient has been identified and isolated, as well as the identification of all passengers from Butembo, the risk of spreading to the rest of the city of Goma remains low.” It also said that the bus driver and passengers who were on the bus with the infected person will be vaccinated.

represents the real form of the melanomas so that bathers can compare their own skin blemishes with these’. The clothing also carries a label featuring the ‘ABCDE of melanoma – a simple guide rule that helps improve early detection’.

Dr. Margarita Majem, a SEOM board member who works at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona, described melanoma as ‘the most aggressive of the skin cancers’ – one that claimed almost 1,000 lives in Spain alone in 2017. Early detection of the melanoma can increase the survival rate from 10 per cent to 80 per cent, she added.

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HEALTH NEWS

People travel – but so does measles The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided an update on the state of play of measles outbreaks worldwide and advised that people travelling internationally should be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before they set off.

It has warned that there are ongoing outbreaks in popular destinations, including Israel, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Ukraine, England, Brazil and the Philippines and that it has issued a Global Travel Notice: Watch (Level 1) for these outbreaks.

The disease is extremely contagious, and it is therefore important that travellers who are sick do not travel and avoid contact with others. The CDC advises that wouldbe travellers without evidence of measles immunity should contact their doctor and make an appointment to get the MMR vaccine. It pointed out that for those who are unsure whether they have had two doses of the vaccine, it is safe to get additional doses.

Vaccination with two doses is nearly 100-percent effective at preventing the disease.

Advice for healthcare providers when it comes to providing counsel to patients is, before travel, to advise them to take all doses of their malaria medication, prevent bug bites, and seek immediate care if they have a fever after travel. Advice for healthcare providers relating to after travel is to consider a diagnosis of malaria for patients who have travelled to countries with malaria in the past year.

Measles is regularly making the headlines these days and not for the right reasons

and vaccinate their families, hopefully the disease can be halted in its tracks.

– the disease hasn’t been eradicated, although perhaps this could have been achieved without the damage caused by anti-vaccination campaigns. With continued education and the subsequent willingness of people to be vaccinated

The CDC advises that would-be travellers without evidence of measles immunity should contact their doctor and make an appointment to get the MMR vaccine

Zika: an update

New case in Brisbane A new case of measles has also been reported in Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, in a child who developed symptoms after returning home from a holiday overseas.

This brings the total number of cases this year in the Metro North area to four.

According to Queensland Health, the child visited Just Pharmacy at Murrumba Downs Shopping Centre between 7pm and 7.45pm on Tuesday 2 July and Taigum Square Shopping Centre, Beams Road, Taigum,

Rabies and Legionnaires’ scares A hotel in downtown Atlanta in the US has closed after three cases of Legionnaires’ disease were confirmed there. The Georgia Department of Health is investigating, and the Sheraton Hotel released a statement from Ken Peduzzi, General Manager: “The health and safety of our guests is our greatest priority. We are working closely with public health officials and outside experts to conduct testing to determine if Legionella is present at the hotel. As a result, out of an abundance of caution we have made the decision to close the hotel while we await the results. The Sheraton Atlanta is currently working to relocate its guests to nearby hotels. It is also reaching out to guests with upcoming reservations to assist in directing them to other nearby hotels. Guests whose reservations have been cancelled will receive a full refund.”

A new update from the World Health Organization (WHO) provides information on Zika virus for travellers visiting countries where transmission is present. Although WHO advises against any restriction of travel to countries, areas and territories with Zika transmission, travellers should practise precautions before and during travel, such as keeping a close eye on travel recommendations and avoiding exposure to mosquito bites.

Recommendations for pregnant women tend to be more strict, and WHO recommends that pregnant women, women who may become pregnant within two months of travel, and male travellers whose partner may become pregnant within

between 10.15am and 11.15am on Friday 5 July. The Metro North Public Health Unit has issued a measles alert, with Metro North Public Health physician Dr Rosie Muller advising people who were in these areas at the same time as the child to seek medical advice if they develop measles symptoms.

“Measles is one of the most infectious of all communicable diseases and is spread by tiny droplets generated through coughing and sneezing,” Dr Muller said. “It’s very important to call the medical practice first to say you could have measles, so that staff can take precautions to avoid spreading the disease to others.”

three months of travel check with their healthcare providers and carefully consider the risks and possible consequences of Zika infection before travelling to areas where there may be Zika virus transmission.

This is necessary because Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her foetus and cause birth defects.

Precautions are also advised for travellers following their return home. These include continued use of insect repellent and, for returning travellers with symptoms of possible Zika, it is advised that they contact their healthcare provider and inform them of their travel history.

WHO said that it will continue to monitor the situation and provide regular updates.

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In other disconcerting news, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County has issued a 60-day rabies alert for a two-mile radius around the intersection of Interstate 4 and Epcot Center drive, which includes Disney World’s Epcot park. This is after a nearby feral cat tested positive for the disease.

Guests to the park are on high alert and the Department of Health issued a statement: “Contact with feral cats, stray dogs and all wildlife, particularly raccoons, bats, foxes, skunks, otters, bobcats and coyotes should be avoided. The public is asked to maintain a heightened awareness that rabies is active in this area of southwest Orange County.”

Advice to those who come into contact with an animal in the area is to wash the wound with soap and water, seek medical attention and call the Orange County Animal Services.

Scary stuff all round!

TRAVEL NEWS

737 grounding impedes Ryanair operations At least eight badly injured in Pamplona bull run Following the ongoing investigations into Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft, and in line with the groundings that have taken place across the world, Irish-headquartered budget airline Ryanair has announced that it will be cancelling flights this winter, through to summer 2020, with talks of base closures rumoured as well.

Ryanair ordered an additional 135 Boeing 737s to add to its fleet this year, and a further 58 were to be added by next summer.

However, due to the worldwide grounding of the aircraft that followed the tragic plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia – killing 346 people – Boeing has been forced to take the model off the market until further investigations have convinced authorities that modifications made to the aircraft will ensure its safety and airworthiness.

There is talk of rebranding the aircraft: recent images from the Boeing factory have shown Ryanair’s aircraft branded 737 8200, rather than 737 MAX, and this is likely a plan set out to curb the negative connotations associated with the plane. But still, the fleet is unlikely to be ready until early 2020, and as such, it has been reported that Ryanair will fly five million fewer passengers than planned next year.

In addition, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary explained that the delay in aircraft deliveries would likely mean some base closures over the winter period: “That will have ramifications for pilots and cabin crew, and we will have to enter into intensive negotiations with our people and unions,” he added.

In line with the delay, the airline has announced that it will be cancelling flights and the website has confirmed that passengers due to travel on flights that have

been cancelled are entitled to a refund or can change their flight free of charge. Otherwise, Ryanair will look into flying customers to alternative airport or booking customers onto alternative flights with other airlines.

Still, for those who have booked accommodation, car hire or a package travel deal, there’s only so much

Recent images from the Boeing factory have shown Ryanair’s aircraft branded 737 8200, rather than 737 MAX compensation that Ryanair can offer.

Travel insurance will be the saving grace for many that will face travel disruption as a result of the Boeing 737 groundings.

At least eight people have been hospitalised in this year’s annual bull running festival in Pamplona, Spain.

Officials announced that one Spaniard, aged 43, two Americans, aged 23 and 46, and two Australians were injured during the opening run of the San Fermin festival in Northern Spain. The 46-year-old American required surgery after being gored in the neck towards the end of the 850-metre course. The other men were gored, but did not sustain life-threatening injuries. In addition, two young Spanish men also sustained head injuries.

The event runs for nine days, and each day six bulls are released to run down the narrow streets of Pamplona, before being killed in the afternoon bullfights. The opening run

Tourists evacuated due to French fires More than 2,500 people, many of them tourists, were evacuated from camping sites in Argeles-sur-Mer in the south of France in the week of 15 July, due to sudden forest fires. High winds caused the flames to spread, with local temperatures reaching approximately 31°C; no injuries have been reported at the time of writing, with a spokesperson for the rescue initiative describing it as a precautionary measure.

The area, which is near France’s border with Spain, is the site of over 50 camping grounds – extremely popular with tourists from the UK, in peak season it is referred to as the ‘Capital of Camping’, with as many as 150,000 people travelling there.

this year lasted for just under three minutes and emergency responders from the Red Cross revealed that a total of 48 people were treated at the scene by the charity.

To date, the annual bull running has claimed at least 16 human lives since records first began in 1910, the most recent of which occurred in 2009, when Daniel Jimeno Romero died. The number of bulls that have lost their lives remains to be recorded.

It is estimated that roughly one million people line the streets in celebration of San Fermin each year. Most who are willing to partake are well aware of the risks, but ITIJ urges insurers to encourage travellers against engaging in such an unnecessarily cruel and dangerous sport and hopes that those who do are aware of where their coverage ends.

Website helps chase airline compensation

It is also very popular with Dutch tourists, and a number of those evacuated were of Dutch nationality. One was quoted by a Dutch news source as saying that ‘it rained ash particles’, while another said that ‘our eyes were bothering us a lot and people had cloths over their mouths’. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that no Dutch nationals required extra assistance.

Some of those evacuated were sent to local facilities such as gyms, while others were forced to find alternative accommodation themselves.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown, though it seems a fairly safe bet that climate change has something to do with it.

A specialist website in Spain claims to have helped recoup €3 million in compensation for airline passengers in just over two years of operating.

David Ing reports

During that time, Reclamacióndevuelos. com says that in 98 per cent of the cases it has brought – either through court action or settled out of court – the airlines have ended up paying out.

Founded at the start of 2017 and based in the northern Spanish city of Bilbao, most of the website’s clients are from its home market, but it has also begun building up an international client base, especially in other Spanish-speaking countries, according to CEO Rafael De La Peña. Its basic services centre on acting as a platform to ‘advise on and manage incidents on flights that violate the rights of passengers based on regulation 261/2004 of the European Union and the Montreal Convention’ of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

For most passengers, that means compensation for delays to flights, cancellations, cases of overbooking, refusal to allow boarding and damage to or lost luggage.

According to the company, the payments it wins are on average 30-per-cent more than what a client would receive acting on his or her own, and in some cases the payouts have surpassed €10,000.

The lack of upfront charges for the claimant is one of the main attractions of the service

for passengers, says De La Peña: “The client does not advance any quantity of money, so their risk on claiming is zero.

Our professional fees are discounted from the indemnities we achieve, so if we don’t get one it costs the client nothing.”

Another secret of their success that he

The lack of upfront charges for the claimant is one of the main attractions of the service for passengers points to has been the high level of personal attention offered to customers: “Although to be able to manage the volume of claims it is absolutely necessary to automate and digitalise [processes], we get in contact with all those affected if we have the minimum of doubt to find out all the details.”

The website’s target is to reach 20,000 cases handled this year, ‘but above all maintaining the ratio of success that we have’.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Outage causes delays at Sydney airport It has been reported that an IT glitch caused an outage across passport control machines at airports in Australia on 15 July, leading to delays and long queues at immigration control.

The Australian Border Force has yet to reveal exactly what caused the failure at the control gates but has cited a processing issue and confirmed that the outage affected services nationwide. The problem was rectified by 11.30am Australian time, but the disruption still caused frustration among passengers, many of whom had already arrived at the airport two hours in advance of their flight.

In addition, just days before, severe winds resulted in the cancellation of over 50 flights and left only one runway operational, leaving some Jetstar customers stranded at the airport.

In response, a statement from the airline read: “We appreciate delays are frustrating – however, safety is our highest priority.”

Unfortunately, however, this is not an isolated incident – back in April, the passport control machines went down in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane international airports, and massive queues piled up at immigration.

Safety will always be a priority for the

authorities, and though a frustrating eventuality, most should rest assured that they will be able to claim compensation for unforeseen delays and cancellations if they’ve purchased the appropriate cover.

At the point of purchasing travel insurance, insurers should work to inform travellers of the risks of unpredictable weather and how this can disrupt their travel plans, as well as urging travellers to check what is and isn’t covered by their airline. Purchasing a plan that includes travel delays and abandonment cover can make these frustrating

Back in April, the passport control machines went down in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane international airports, and massive queues piled up at immigration occurrences a little more bearable and ensure peace of mind for customers, and – hopefully – less in the way of bad publicity for airports and airlines.

Thomas Cook in rescue talks

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British travel company Thomas Cook, which has been struggling financially for some time, is reportedly in rescue deal talks with Chinese investor Fosun, its biggest shareholder. The deal, purported to be worth £750 million, would see Fosun – which also owns holiday resort chain Club Med and UK football team Wolverhampton Wanderers – obtain a majority stake in the nearly 200-year-old travel business, as well as a minority holding in Thomas Cook Airlines. Discussions are said to be at an ‘advanced’ stage.

Thomas Cook has been struggling since 2011, when its value plunged, and it became saddled with hundreds of millions of pounds of debt. Other subsequent factors such as the boom in agile online competitors, uncertainty around Brexit and last year’s unprecedented heatwave have strangled recovery efforts; the new deal will make a significant dent in the company’s debt, with some lenders reportedly agreeing to forfeit what they are owed in exchange for shares.

“Today’s announcement is really about a plan that ensures the business to continue to trade and operate as normal, and the deal preserves our brand,” commented Thomas Cook’s Chief Executive Peter Fankhauser. “So that is principally really good news for our employees.”

Customers who have already made bookings with Thomas Cook have been assured that their holidays will not be impacted.

While Thomas Cook’s travails have been well publicised, it still remains a shock to see a legacy operator with such an iconic brand pushing for an unprecedented debt-for-equity deal like the one currently being negotiated. It is of course good news that customers will not suffer – but it remains to be seen whether loyal employees will lose their positions.

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COMPANY NEWS

AllClear wins national award

ITIJ extends its congratulations to UK-based AllClear Travel; the insurer recently took home the Personal Lines Broker of the Year Award from the British Insurance Awards.

Thanks to AllClear’s ‘happy colleagues equals happy customers equals business growth’ motto, the company has been seen to be going the extra mile in responding to the demands of personal lines consumers, and has even provided assistance to vulnerable customers through its support of the Financial Conduct Authority’s ‘Access to Insurance’ campaign.

AllClear set up a charity Action Group to better understand the needs of those with medical conditions accessing travel insurance and used its risk algorithms to cut cancer premiums by as much as 15 per cent. In addition, its bespoke pricing

platform means that it can offer insurance to an industry-leading 99 per cent of customers, with no upper age limit.

“It is a credit to the commitment of the whole team at AllClear, both new and long-serving staff, as well as their partners. Their dedication to our Customer Experience Programme has resulted in a TrustPilot score of 9.5 out of 10, with 97 per cent voting us as excellent or great,” said Chris Rolland, AllClear CEO. “Despite Brexit and the hottest summer on record reducing the travel insurance market by 13 per cent, AllClear has grown by 32 per cent year on year – we are immensely proud of these achievements, recognised in this award, and look forward to taking the company from strength to strength in the coming year.”

Allianz extends Eurotunnel partnership Allianz Partners UK has announced that it is extending its partnership with Eurotunnel, a service that transports passengers and their vehicles between the UK and Europe via high-speed train. Allianz Partners, which has been providing travel insurance services to Eurotunnel’s customers for nearly 15 years, will now provide exclusive roadside assistance services as well.

Customers will be able to purchase roadside assistance and travel assistance as discreet standalone policies, but the opportunity is also available to purchase a combined product on either a single or multi-trip basis.

Allianz has extensive experience in the roadside assistance market already, handling over four million cases in Europe annually on behalf of various motor

New mental health provision from Aviva

manufacturers. This was, according to Eurotunnel, a major factor in its decision to adopt Allianz’s services in this area; every year, approximately 600 Eurotunnel customers need roadside assistance when driving in Europe. Allianz and Eurotunnel have redesigned Allianz’s roadside product on a collaborative basis, adding unique benefits and optional extra tiers of coverage.

“Allianz Partners’ track record speaks for itself,” commented Ian Harrison, Head of Customer Engagement at Eurotunnel, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary.

“We’ve been delighted with the travel insurance services that they deliver to our customers, so it was a natural step for us to join forces when we decided to increase the roadside assistance benefits available to our customers.”

Greenlight Re invests in Battleface Greenlight Re Innovations, Greenlight Capital Re’s technological innovation division, has announced its intention to make a strategic investment in Battleface, Inc., a specialist travel insurer.

Battleface is a travel management agent that focuses specifically on insurance services for customers travelling to dangerous and/or remote locations. Its platform is designed to service contractors, journalists, humanitarian workers, freelancers and other such parties who are not catered for by traditional insurance solutions; supported by a network of assistance co-ordinators available 24/7, it also has many agents operating on

Aviva has announced the introduction of a new strand to its corporate mental health policy, Mental Health Pathways Plus, which enables large companies to support their employees through any addictions they may be dealing with, including alcohol, drugs, gambling, gaming and social media.

The new provision is an extension of the mental health policy that Aviva launched last year; it will also be available through Optimum, the private medical insurance scheme that Aviva provides for organisations with 250 or more employees. The policy also covers the children (aged 13 and over) of employees.

“Addictions can have a huge impact on an individual’s mental wellbeing, and to their home and working life,” said Dr Doug Wright, Medical Director at Aviva. “While there’s no doubt that digital technology offers many benefits,

the ground who can provide emergency travel, medical and claims assistance.

Battleface’s platform, according to the company, creates bespoke and white-label products, which allows customers to tailor benefits and servicing according to their needs.

“Battleface is led by a team of experienced travel insurance professionals who have identified a niche demand for insurance that is not adequately met through traditional travel insurers,” said Simon Burton, CEO of Greenlight Re. “We are excited to support them as both a strategic investor and risk partner.”

Etiqa’s Transit Travel Protection

it’s also driving behaviours which could increase people’s health risks. Previously, addictions have mainly been associated with drugs and alcohol, but now the internet and smartphone apps are leading to technology-driven addictions such as online gaming and sensation-seeking entertainment, as well as preoccupation with social media. We have responded by broadening our mental health cover to ensure businesses can opt to extend their support for employees affected by these emerging addictions.”

It is good to see insurers taking a proactive approach and attempting to fill gaps in coverage; every day seems to bring with it a new potential problem for citizens of this confusing modern landscape to deal with, but as we always like to say in the ITIJ offices, a problem is merely an opportunity you haven’t met yet.

Travel insurance provider Etiqa Insurance has made waves in the Singapore insurance marketplace with the announcement that it will be offering transit travellers online travel insurance that they can purchase while in Singapore, enabling them to conveniently adopt the plan should they decide to take return trips from the island city.

Etiqa’s Tiq Travel Insurance marks the first instance of protection plans being offered to tourists on foreign visas in Singapore, and will greatly benefit foreigners travelling to the city to see friends and relatives.

As of June 2018, foreigners, permanent residents and new citizens made up over 40 per cent of the population in Singapore.

“When travellers come to Singapore to visit their friends and relatives who are working

or studying here, they may have plans to travel together. We see the potential of Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) travel in Singapore and wish to extend simple and convenient travel protection to all,” said Sue Chi Kong, CEO of Etiqa.

Tiq Travel Insurance includes features such as three-generation family plan and automated flight delay benefits upon three consecutive hours of delay, as opposed to the industry average of minimum six hours’ delay. At present, overseas visitors with travel plans that begin and end in Singapore can be covered under the Group, Family and Married Couple plans, as long as the Policyholder is a Singapore citizen, permanent resident of Singapore or foreigner residing in Singapore with a valid pass.

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COMPANY NEWS

Claims-free travel insurance from Omio Online booking platform Omio (previously GoEuro) has introduced a new competitive benefit to attempt to win over millennial customers.

The platform has teamed up with insurance and protection-as-a-service company Setoo to offer claims-free travel insurance for flight delays and cancellation. Setoo enables Omio to easily create, distribute and test personalised, transparent insurance offerings according to the preferences of individual customers, with the aim of generating additional ancillary revenue from the sale of more appealing and millennial-friendly products.

Chris Hall, Commercial Director at Omio, said, “We are delighted to partner with Setoo as we look for new and innovative ways to help our customers travel. I’m excited by Setoo’s innovative approach and I look forward to what the future holds for our customers.”

Leveraging parametric insurance, Setoo’s platform enables automated dispensation of compensation

in response to a pre-agreed trigger, such as flight delay, stormy weather or late train. This renders the claims process unnecessary and removes the associated hassle for customers. It also implements advanced technological capabilities such as AI, machine learning, parametric capabilities and APIs. “Omio is revolutionising the travel experience and has recognised the strength of our offering to support its unique approach,” commented Noam Shapira, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Setoo.

It’s great to see these two companies modernising the approach to insurance, and in doing so, making it more appealing and accessible to a whole generation of customers. It also a very timely development considering how the nature of claims is evolving; with extreme weather and flight delays causing travel disruption, this latest offering is well-timed. It will be interesting to document the success of this approach and see whether it is adopted more widely across the industry.

What is ‘proactive’ travel insurance?

Air France and Allianz Travel have announced the launch of a new ‘proactive’ travel insurance policy for customers who book air tickets via the airline.

Any traveller who purchases their tickets on Air France’s website – and takes out Allianz travel insurance when they do so – will automatically receive a payment of €50 per person if their flight departure is delayed by two hours or more. There is no need to file a claim or provide receipts, the compensation is entirely automated and will be paid within five days.

It is the first time that this type of cover has been offered in France, and it will be valid for all flights operated by the airline, whether inbound or outbound, heading to or coming from any destination.

“We are very happy to strengthen our

VisitorsCoverage enjoys Indian boost Silicon Valley, US-based travel insurtech VisitorsCoverage has reported a significant increase in the number of Indian customers using its online portal to search for travel insurance policies. Indian tourists are travelling to the US in increasing numbers – over 1.4 million trips were recorded in 2018, a seven-per-cent increase compared with the year before – and this seems to be reflected in travel insurance searches; VisitorsCoverage saw a rise of 172 per cent in the number of Indians looking for cover through its website between Q1 last year and Q1 this year.

These searches were mostly for short-term visitors’ insurance, though long-term visa, student, visiting parents and immigrant

travel medical insurance were also popular searches. Positively for VisitorsCoverage, over half of these searches were from returning customers; India represents a major global market for the company.

“Not only do more US-based providers recognise and accept US-based insurance,” pointed out Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO and Founder of VisitorsCoverage, “but non-US policies are generally reimbursement-based, travellers with India-based insurance may be required to pay out-of-pocket medical costs at the time of treatment. Filing a claim for reimbursement in India following the return home could be complicated, frustrating and lengthy as a result of different time zones and countries.”

joint offer with Allianz Travel with this new service,” said Patrick Alexandre, Executive Vice-President of Air France.

“With proactive insurance, we offer the customer an even simpler trip with minimum stress, notably in the event of travel delays. Customer satisfaction remains at the heart of our commercial strategy.”

Air France states that the payment ‘can be combined with the financial compensation offered by the airline under European regulations’.

Moves such as this are savvy ones for airlines and insurers alike – the offer will ultimately not affect the bottom line too much, but it is an attractive proposition for customers, driving loyalty and hopefully making them more likely to purchase insurance in the first place.

Meet the ‘virtual nerd’ Australians with credit cards who may be confused about the insurance and other benefits that come free with their cards can rest easy; they will now have access to Virgil Assist, a ‘virtual nerd’ that tells them exactly what benefits they are and are not entitled to.

Virgil Assist has been designed to trawl the Product Disclosure Statements that come with credit card and related insurances and tell users everything they need to do – including the criteria for activation.

According to a recent market report from Finaccord, some 47 per cent of Australian credit cards offer some form of free travel insurance, while 93 per cent of premium cards do. Cardholders simply need to head to the Virgil Assist website and the ‘virtual nerd’ will help them find the information that they need – users do not need to give any personal data, and if they find that they do not meet the criteria to activate the free policies, they can purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy without having to leave the website.

“When credit card providers first started offering benefits to entice customers, the quality of the insurance products was poor,” commented Cameron Pearson, Founder and CEO of Virgil Assist, “but this isn’t the case today. The insurance coverages vary significantly depending on the type of credit card; however, cardholders can enjoy good quality benefits for free if they know what

17

they need to do to access them. It just makes sense to get the most out of your credit card.”

Pearson says that he developed Virgil Assist in response to a perceived gap between the quality of the free insurance that comes with credit cards and consumer awareness; a canny move, but not just because some customers don’t know that they have the option of free cover. There have been many high-profile incidents in recent years of customers activating the free travel insurance benefits that come with their cards, only to discover at the point of claim that they did not actually qualify for the policies – something that should obviously be made clear at the point of purchase. Hopefully, should the concept of the ‘virtual nerd’ catch on, this problem of – sometimes inadvertent – misselling may become a thing of the past.

GENERAL INSURANCE NEWS

Prepare for the worst, California warned In light of the recent earthquakes in California, US that occurred on 4 and 5 July, many are anticipating the ‘Big One’, and authorities are urging those based in the region to be prepared California is now spending over US$16 million on the installation of thousands of quake-detecting sensors across the state – and though these will give utilities and trains mere seconds to shut down before the shaking starts, these will be the seconds that count, officials say.

Luckily, the earthquakes that occurred recently were centered in the remote location of the Mojave Desert, and nobody was hurt. But regardless, the shakes caused several house fires, power losses, snapped gas lines, cracked buildings and flooding in homes where water pipes burst. California Governor Gavin Newsom estimated that the damage amounted to more than $100 million and some nearby towns, such as Tona, southwest of Death Valley, were still experiencing problems with water and gas services several days after the quakes struck.

What this all means, officials warn, is that people need to start being more prepared for a much worse eventuality. Though the fault system that the July quakes occurred along is not known to be linked to the San Andreas fault line, it is possible that the

San Andreas Fault may have sustained some additional stress from the recent quakes, and this could cause it to ‘slip’.

Experts assert that there is still much to learn about the complicated fault system, which may run much deeper than we are able to tell. “Because they are buried, we probably do not know them all,” said Glenn Biasi, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey in Pasadena, California, speaking to Live Science. “This area does not fit the textbook picture of sides of a plate sliding past one another.”

And it is because of these mysteries that many are anticipating the ‘Big One’.

Michele Cooke, a geoscientist at the University of Massachusetts, noted that the recent earthquakes could add just enough stress to the San Andreas Fault to cause it to slip, or alternatively unclamp to the point

The recent earthquakes could add just enough stress to the San Andreas Fault to cause it to slip, or alternatively unclamp to the point that is much more likely to slip that is much more likely to slip. She also suggested that there could be a bigger shakeup occurring underground that the recent earthquakes have been masking;

possibly a migration of the active plate boundary away from the San Andreas Fault, which is hinted at by the ruptures that have all occurred along the Eastern California Shear Zone – in contrast, the southern portion of the San Andreas Fault hasn’t experienced a major rupture in 150 years.

“Any time that we can go through a sevenpoint earthquake and we do not report a fatality, a major injury, do not suffer structure damage that was significant, I want to say that that was a blessing and a miracle,” Kern County Fire Department spokesman Andrew Freeborn said.

And Lucy Jones, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology, explained that Southern California is likely to experience a magnitude six

Back to the future (of insurance)

Global insurance premiums hit $5 trillion

A new paper released by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) highlights that average earnings before interest and taxes at the top 29 global insurers are declining by nine per cent every year The consultants warn that the market slowdown is particularly bad in Australia, and that insurers there may suffer a 50-per-cent decline in profits within five years if they don’t find a way to deal with slowing growth, market disruption and shorter insurance cycles.

The report, titled Future of General Insurance: Improving profitability in a changing industry, explores the risks, opportunities and challenges that every insurance CEO is up against right now. It details the ‘seven significant challenges’ that modern insurers face.

First of the seven challenges is slow growth and volatility. The report states: “A humble 2.5-per-cent growth in gross written premiums suggests that top-line growth is stagnating or flat.” It also adds that return on assets is falling by around nine per cent per year, amongst other things. The report estimates that insufficiently addressing these problems will lead to a significant decline in profitability within seven to eight years.

Second, the report notes that capital is cheaper and easier to access, citing a diminishing difference in value between high-cost and low-cost models. “Today, underwriting cycles are typically three years, with some as short as two years,” the report reads.

Changing customer needs and rapid advances in technology are the third and fourth challenges, while new market entrants, such as low-cost challengers, and

increasing regulatory scrutiny, mark the fifth and sixth. “It is worth noting that, relative to most nations, Australia typically takes a conservative approach to regulation (e.g. driving speed limits, swimming pool guard rails, etc.),” the report notes. “According to the World Economic Forum, Australia’s ranking on the ‘burden of government regulation’ is 80th out of 137 in the world.”

Finally, an increased frequency of natural hazards as a result of climate change is the seventh issue that PwC identifies. “The combined total losses from storms, floods, cyclones and bushfires make up more than 95 per cent of the total losses from disasters in Australia. Based on longitudinal data from the past 50 years, financial loss from severe storms is increasing,” the report states.

(on average) earthquake every few years. “Geology keeps on moving,” she said, “and we should be expecting a higher rate. And when it happens near people, it is going to be a lot worse.”

There is little excuse for a lack of preparation, and travellers should be vigilant when it comes to ensuring they are safeguarded. In the eventuality of getting caught in a quake far worse than those that occurred in early July, evacuation and medical care can amount to a costly sum, not to mention the cost of uninsured property losses. In the wake of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, earthquake insurance was key to helping communities rebuild; let’s learn from the past and secure the future.

The report then goes on to detail the ‘three horizons where insurers should focus’ in order to secure their future, and also dictates how insurers can continue to build for the future.

“Tomorrow’s winners will be those who refocus their strategy around the four

A humble 2.5-per-cent growth in gross written premiums suggests that top-line growth is stagnating or flat

In its latest Sigma study, the Swiss Re Institute has revealed that global insurance premiums reached an all-time high in 2018. Reaching US$5 trillion for the first time ever, the premiums were equivalent to more than six per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Within the report, World Insurance: The great pivot east continues, the increase was attributed to solid growth in non-life premiums, while life insurance premiums were ‘subdued’.

The study detailed that the US is still the largest insurance market, followed by China and Japan. However, the report did confirm the ‘ongoing shift’ of business to the east; by 2029, it said, the Asia-Pacific will account for 42 per cent of global premiums, while China’s share of global insurance will grow to 20 per cent. In fact, China was marked as the country expected to become the largest insurance market by the mid-2030s.

“The strategic importance of Asia and China will become more and more eminent across the world,” said Moses Ojeisekhoba, CEO of Reinsurance at Swiss Re.

strategic priorities and focus on the three horizons of market disruption,” the paper concludes. “Doing so will require strategic discipline, careful consideration of the tradeoffs, and bold strategic decision-making.”

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GENERAL INSURANCE NEWS

Picking up the pieces from June 2019 The latest Global Catastrophe Recap Report from Aon plc may well send insurers reeling, as it uncovers the cumbersome financial impact caused by severe weather across the globe in June 2019 The report delves into the impact of the natural disasters that occurred worldwide across the one-month period and cites

record-setting heatwaves and severe weather across Europe, a US$6-billion economic toll caused by flooding in China and $575-million economic losses caused by severe weather in the US, where public / private insurance payouts are estimated to reach $400 million.

Including record-setting temperatures such as the 45.9°C measured in France on 28 June – the highest ever recorded

The magnitude-5.8 earthquake that struck China’s Sichuan Province on 1 June caused 13 fatalities and a further 226 people were injured in the country – Europe played host to widespread severe weather. Damages from thunderstorms and flooding in Germany between 4 and 5 June amounted to an estimated $785 million in insured costs, and severe winds, intense rainfall and large hailstones in France led to the declaration of a state of disaster on the weekend of 15-16 June. The total economic loss across this weekend period for the portions of Western and Central Europe that were affected is expected to top €500 million ($560 million).

In the US, no fewer than 10 separate instances of severe weather and flooding affected the country during the month of June. Most of the damage was attributed to straight-line winds, with the Storm Prediction Center citing nearly 3,800 instances of winds gusting beyond 60 mph (95 kph). And most

damage was incurred from the Rockies to the Northeast. Total combined monthly economic losses are likely to exceed $1 billion, Aon’s report says, and insurers are due to cover much of the hail and wind-related impacts.

The magnitude-5.8 earthquake that struck China’s Sichuan Province on 1 June caused 13 fatalities and a further 226 people were injured. A minimum of 156,000 homes were damaged and the total economic losses were minimally estimated at CNY8.9 billion ($1.3 billion).

Many more cases of heavy rainfall, flash flooding and drought caused havoc across other parts of the world, resulting in numerous casualties and huge economic losses, with insurers picking up a large portion of the bill in many cases.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – instances of severe weather are only likely to increase as the world begins to witness the rapidly worsening effects of global warming and climate change, and insurers should take this opportunity to adapt to the growing demands of damaged infrastructures, property losses and medical emergencies that the changing climate brings.

Collaboration provides Setoo with What’s in your GloveBox Visa Direct Payment service company SafeCharge has announced a collaboration with real-time push payments platform Visa Direct that will enable faster payouts for insurance-as-a-service company Setoo.

The new partnership allows Setoo to provide customers with an improved insurance experience that removes the need for any claims processes and provides immediate compensation. The Visa Direct service can be used for more efficient payments across a number of use cases, including cross-border payments, insurance disbursements and contractor payments for gig economy jobs.

“Insurance payouts represent a great use case for Visa Direct, providing more efficiency for insurers and a smoother experience for beneficiaries,” said David Josephs, Head of Visa Direct for Visa Europe. “Setoo is one of the companies leading the way for these types of payouts.”

Indeed, Setoo is amongst the first innovators in the industry adopting the technology. And with SafeCharge’s involvement in the process, the transfer flow is easy and secure: the merchant sends the payment instructions to SafeCharge, SafeCharge sends a single authorisation and a clearing message to Visa, and the issuer posts funds to the cardholder account on receipt of authorisation.

“Nowadays, real-time delivery is a must when we buy goods and services.

When it comes to disbursements and movement of money, expectations are exactly the same” explained Eyal Gluska, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Setoo. “We are enabling our customers to deliver a new type of insurance experience by removing the need for any claims process and providing real-time compensation.

Visa Direct fits in perfectly with the quick, smooth disbursement we require.”

GloveBox, a new insurtech startup based in Denver, US, officially launched its new app recently.

The proprietary app, also called GloveBox, enables users to aggregate all of their insurance documents in one centralised location, regardless of provider. It was developed in response to the perceived difficulty of collecting personal insurance data, as consumers are frequently faced with complex online portals where it’s not immediately clear what they have to do to access what they want to access – although it also aims to make life easier for insurers, potentially relieving them of the burden of having to assist their customers with requests for basic information.

“Our goal is not only to create a unified policyholder experience inclusive of all carriers for the consumer,” said Ryan Mathisen, Co-Founder and CEO of GloveBox, “but also to take care of our agency owners and carriers. By

offering a simplified process and a positive client experience, GloveBox can help increase both revenue and client retention, all while eliminating the requirement for additional staffing to help with those Tier-1 service tasks.”

Currently, the focus will be on auto insurance and other property and casualty lines such as home, but there are plans to expand into the life and health insurance segments as well. And of course, there is no reason why similar technology could not be adopted for travel insurance in the future.

“We have grown up together, both in life and the insurance business,” said Drew Lewellyn, GloveBox’s Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. “Our team has a vast understanding of what policyholders want from their insurance carriers and what carriers and agencies need to be successful.

We think GloveBox will be a game-changing technology for the insurance industry, and are inspired by what’s to come.”

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INDUSTRY VOICE

Demystifying data science in insurance Jean Ortiz-Perez, Head of Analytics, Collinson Group, gives a unique insight on how best to harness the power of consumer data to enable a personalised customer experience and enhance customer loyalty In today’s data-rich world, insurance customers are savvy. They are acutely aware of the value of their data yet are willing to share their information – if it is used responsibly and in a manner that benefits them. Furthermore, the availability of data is expanding exponentially, along with the value that companies attribute to it, while analytics tools are becoming more accessible and sophisticated.

So, why have insurance companies been so slow to respond to this opportunity?

In a sector that has historically suffered from high customer attrition, poor levels of loyalty and the rise of aggregators, customer data should be the holy grail for insurers. After all, so many have expressed a desire to get closer to customers and drive up lifetime value; skilfully mining customer data to gain meaningful insights must hold the key to this.

One of the biggest barriers to data success is that data is often misunderstood, perceived to be complex and filled with jargon or buzzwords, which can lead to it being siloed within data teams. In turn, other departments are less likely to see the benefits data science can bring to the business as a whole, from informing new product development to implementing personalised marketing campaigns.

While there are some elements around data science that are incredibly sophisticated and technical – particularly when it comes to deep learning or artificial intelligence – you don’t need a computer science degree to understand the basic principles. In fact, by understanding some basic principles, insurers are taking an important step to improving data use and business success.

Here we seek to demystify data, to enable insurers to look beyond the buzzwords to the potential customer data has to transform their businesses.

The value of customer data Before making any investment in data, it’s vital to understand its importance, as leveraging data is no longer best practice, but rather the difference between success and

failure. Insurers should search deep within the data to find those key customer insights that give a competitive edge. As we have seen in our Winning customer experiences report, 81 per cent of UK consumers are willing to share their information and personal data in return for a better shopping experience. Only those organisations that are astute enough to extract real value from customer data will be able to deliver this.

Despite the importance of data, many companies are still not maximising its value, as was highlighted in a recent study commissioned by Collinson and conducted by Forrester Consulting.

Decision makers at financial services and insurance institutions with revenues exceeding $300 million were surveyed. On average, only 20 per cent of respondents had plans to increase their investment in analytics by five per cent or more.

Our research amongst consumers also found that 21 per cent will not engage with insurers that fail to personalise their customer experience or communications.

Without a deep understanding of customers, their needs, motivations and behaviours, truly recognising and rewarding advocates will remain an elusive goal.

defined by the three V’s: volume, variety and velocity.

Volume. The data architecture needs to be set up in such a way that it can handle huge volumes of data streaming in near real time.

Variety. The appropriate mining techniques need to be in place to handle the wide variety of structured and unstructured sources of data such as images, voice and feeds.

Velocity. It’s important to have adequate velocity to react to market changes with speed, and to anticipate and predict behaviour – even prescribe actions.

For example, a health insurance company might stream Internet of Things (IoT) data from wearable health monitors in near real time, to predict when a customer will benefit from a health check, and subsequently encourage positive behaviours by giving incentives for a healthy lifestyle, heart monitoring and physical activity.

This can eventually reduce the customer’s risk profile and give the insurer a healthier book.

Driving meaningful customer insights In addition to breaking down the data silos, there are two key strands to data success.

The first is investment in a dedicated resource to interpret and analyse data; the second is instilling a data-aware culture across the whole organisation. It’s essential that all employees have at least a working understanding of the power of customer data and how to make best use of it.

This is particularly important in the case of insurance companies that are custodians of a significant amount of customer information, and there are some key considerations for data teams when building and managing a data lake.

•

•

Data infrastructure In order to maximise the value from data, it is key to have the right resources to store, organise, clean, manipulate and process it with the necessary care, security and agility.

This is of even greater importance when it comes to ‘big data’ and is

Data quality Data quality can only be achieved if data is organised appropriately. But, in order to have a full end-to-end quality and governance function, cultural and organisational change is needed – changes that focus on data ownership, responsibilities and

a clear data stewardship model.

•

Data expertise Data expertise is clearly fundamental to the success of any data initiatives.

As well as expertise from a technical, data engineering and data science perspective, it’s vital to have expertise and knowledge within the insurance company’s core functions, such as underwriting, commercial and marketing to interpret what the data is telling you.

Conclusion One of the reasons data is often overcomplicated and underutilised is that the expertise and knowledge tends to sit in silos within insurance companies, contributing to this sense of mystery that permeates data in insurance.

By encouraging all employees to have a basic understanding of how data is collected and used, it is possible to decentralise data expertise and create an army of data advocates across the business. Once we strip things back to why data is so important, rather than focusing on the intricacies of technology, success will be so much easier to achieve.

With the right investment and organisational culture, insurers will be primed to improve processes and utilise data more effectively.

By harnessing customer data, they will build a more detailed view of the individual customer to provide a highly personalised experience. In doing so, insurers will be well-poised to foster loyalty with customers, building a more emotional connection – and ultimately a higher lifetime value.

Author bio Jean is responsible for building and maintaining a data-driven culture and driving the growth of Collinson from an analytics perspective. Her responsibilities at the firm include advising management on decision making based on data modelling, as well as using predictive models, AI applications and big data management to maximise the use of Collinson data assets. She is a keen public speaker and a contributor to multiple advanced analytics magazines.

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FEATURE

The price is right ‒ but is the cover?

How are aggregator websites moving away from selling travel insurance as a cheap commodity and adapting to ensure they are helping consumers buy cover appropriate for their needs? Lauren Haigh spoke to industry experts to garner their thoughts on the situation

T

ravel insurance is, of course, a crucial accompaniment to any trip or holiday, yet for many it is still perceived as a ‘grudge purchase’ rather than an essential holiday expense.

Many travellers are keen to purchase the cheapest option available, even though this can mean that they are not buying travel insurance that is suitable for their needs and may be at risk of incurring high costs later down the line; in the form of an expensive excess, for example.

This desire for a ‘cheap fix’, combined with a tendency to purchase online, has led to a surge in the popularity of aggregators, or price comparison websites, where consumers can easily find the cheapest options available to them. However, one danger associated with the use of aggregators is that they tend to focus the consumer’s mind on price, rather than quality and relevancy of cover. These

websites usually focus more on mass market appeal and have been accused of rarely communicating with the consumer to discover their individual needs.

In discussion with UK newspaper The

There needs to be a balance between educating the customer and assessing their product needs to serve them the right product, and this is what aggregators need to work towards improving Telegraph, Fiona Macrae, Head of Client Engagement at Travel Insurance Explained, astutely summarised the situation: “Too often, consumers are being led by price comparison websites to make their choices based primarily on price. This is often not the best option

26

for travellers’ individual circumstances and can lead to dissatisfaction at claims stage. When buying travel insurance based on price, people don’t necessarily check or understand the excess they will need to pay, should they have to make a claim. Many consumers don’t realise that any excess applied is per person and per section, and not the total excess for everyone covered on the policy ‒ which can and does lead to disappointment. This highlights the need for consumers to be offered guidance to ensure they are armed with the knowledge they need in order to purchase personalised and fit-for purpose cover.”

There is a growing awareness of the situation, luckily. For example, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK recently completed a review into price comparison websites to assess their effectiveness in achieving

fair outcomes for consumers buying policies, and although it found that there were examples of good practice, issues were discovered in terms of presenting sufficient information to allow an informed choice and making clear the role and services provided. As a result, the FCA stated that it would more closely supervise price comparison websites to ensure they address specific issues, and engage with consumer groups to support efforts to improve consumer awareness.

Varied perspectives Carol Mueller, Vice-President of US-based travel insurance company Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, indicated that the situation may be a little different in the US. She gave ITIJ her perspective on the matter: “I’ve worked with or alongside aggregators for more than 15 years. In the US market, travel insurance

FEATURE

aggregators provide great value to the consumer looking for information and comparative pricing on travel insurance.

Many US leisure travellers are still in the

valuable partners in our goal to provide consumers with the best possible travel insurance products and services.”

MoneySuperMarket is a UK-based

Technological developments in comparison tools and AI enable aggregators to provide the customer with detailed policy information before making a selection early phases of understanding the benefit of travel insurance and the aggregators provide not only a price comparison, but an informative, transparent look at products and benefit limits geared toward a specific type of travel.”

Daniel Durazo, Director of Marketing and Communications at Allianz Global Assistance USA, shares a similar perspective: “We work with a couple of different aggregators and find them to be

price comparison website-based business. Using the service, consumers can compare more than 250 travel insurance policies from over 55 travel insurance brands. ITIJ spoke with MoneySuperMarket’s Head of Travel Helen Chambers, who revealed that ensuring consumers are given adequate information to help them make informed decisions about the cover they choose to purchase is a challenge.

“This is the toughest area that we certainly struggle with on MoneySuperMarket Travel Insurance,” she explained. “In other channels, such as car and home, we created our own ‘Quality Score’ metric, which takes into account the level of cover, service and claims rating to give one overall rating. Unfortunately, this is not something we have been able to productionise for travel, although we are looking at how we can bring the claims element into the journey.”

The relationship between aggregator and provider has been and continues to be inherently positive and mutually beneficial Chambers explained that many of the ‘big’ aggregators use Defaqto star ratings, which can be useful but also present

27

challenges. “This helps customers to a degree, especially when they are making a quick purchase,” she said. “However, any rating can be misleading for customers who really need to consider what it is they want their product for; for example, there is little point in a customer getting a product with a high cancellation amount when they are taking their trip that day.”

She highlighted that, when it comes to travel, there are so many elements that the customer needs to consider: “We need to understand which are the most important to them in order to support them better.

There needs to be a balance between educating the customer and assessing their product needs to serve them the right product, and this is what aggregators need to work towards improving.”

The importance of technology Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO and Founder

>>

FEATURE

of US-based insurtech company VisitorsCoverage, believes that technology can play an important role in ensuring the consumer is adequately informed about what they are purchasing.

“With technology as the driving force, aggregators strive to simplify the quote, comparison and purchase process for the user. Technological developments in comparison tools and AI enable aggregators to provide the customer with detailed policy information before making a selection. With more than a decade of experience and extensive knowledge of the travel insurance space, we know that educational materials, such as videos, blogs and infographics, are critical in ensuring the customer is able to make a well-informed decision,” he told ITIJ. Squaremouth is a travel insurance review comparison site headquartered in Florida in the US. A spokesperson from the company highlighted to ITIJ the importance of transparency and customer education: “Squaremouth’s website design and software prioritise transparency and customer education throughout their policy purchase process.

During the search process, consumers are able to use our in-depth benefit filters that help them find policies that fit their specific needs. A visual comparison tool allows for easy side-by-side comparisons of popular benefits and product costs.

Clear and concise policy summaries with simplified coverage language and digestible information help consumers review coverage details in simple terms.

Should consumers have questions during the process, they have access to our award-winning customer service team via live chat and phone.”

A positive relationship When it comes to the relationship between aggregators and travel insurers, the feedback gathered by ITIJ indicates that this is largely positive.

For example, Simon Neicho, Head of Commercial at World First Travel Insurance, highlighted an effective

synergy: “World First Travel Insurance has a mutually beneficial relationship with the key price comparison sites. This relationship allows us to provide open and honest feedback based on our own experiences and on behalf of customers to help improve the customer journey.”

The feeling is mutual, with Squaremouth expressing equal positivity: “We’ve found that the relationship between aggregator and provider has been and continues to be inherently positive and mutually beneficial. As partners moving towards the same goal, we consistently work as a team to provide customers with products that meet their needs, along with a highquality user experience. We’re able to rely on our providers’ high-quality products and in return provide them with access to our unique market of customers.”

Neicho believes that the key challenge insurers face in their relationship with aggregators relates to price. “Aggregators’ primary form of ranking is still price, which poses challenges for insurers,” he told ITIJ. “Differentiating your product from your competitors is difficult when consumers

The undeniable fact is, one travel insurance product does not fit every traveller’s specific needs are only given high-level benefits to use as a comparator. It can be argued that the terms that sit behind each of these benefits is what really differentiates one product from another, yet aside from a link to a policy wording, these terms are not clearly displayed to a customer. These terms can dramatically influence premiums across the same or similar benefit limits.”

A utopian vision So, in an ideal world, how would aggregators sell travel insurance to consumers? MoneySuperMarket’s Chambers told ITIJ that the company is looking at a number of ways to support customers in making the right purchase.

“One way to make travellers think more about their answers is to ask questions in a more conversational way,” she said. “For example, instead of asking ‘How much cancellation cover do you require?’, could we instead be asking ‘If you suddenly had to cancel your trip for an unexpected reason, how much would you need to claim back per person to cover all of your costs of the trip?’. We recently tested slowing down the question set, asking one question per page, and it seemed to have the desired effect – slightly fewer customers got through the journey, but they bought slightly higher tiered products,

It is an inescapable truth that travel insurance is not a one-size-fits-all product, and it therefore makes no sense for it to be sold as such so moving in this direction might work.”

However, there is a balance to be struck between convenience and speed, and education and a thorough process.

Chambers explained more: “In reality, we know customers are in a rush and so we need to work to serve them relevant information when we think they need it, highlighting any risks they need to consider and ensuring all the products we show them are fit for purpose and at a competitive price.”

VisitorsCoverage’s Shrivastava believes that the biggest challenge for any aggregator is effectively matching each individual traveller’s need to the right insurance product. “This is where customer education and simplification of a complicated concept is key,” he told ITIJ. “We strive to make this information readily available, through educational materials and a user-friendly platform, to make it easy for each traveller to find the appropriate plan for their trip. In an ideal world, all travel insurance would be bought conveniently online, with abundant information and education readily available, and each traveller would have access to his or her own custom policy. We are edging ever closer to this ideal world, with the development of technology, AI and a growing selection of plans with varying benefits, prices and niche offerings.”

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Education and customisation Neicho agrees that education is paramount, noting that this is something that extends beyond aggregators.

“Educating customers throughout the journey about the features and benefits of a product and the offering of a broader range of comparators will assist customers in their understanding of the product being purchased,” he told ITIJ. “It is appreciated that this is a challenge for the entire industry and not unique to purely price comparison sites.”

It is an inescapable truth that travel insurance is not a one-size-fits-all product, and it therefore makes no sense for it to be sold as such. “The undeniable fact is, one travel insurance product does not fit every traveller’s specific needs,” explained Shrivastava. “As an aggregator, we strive to provide an educational platform that allows users to compare plan benefits and costs side by side, while also stressing the importance of understanding the terms, limitations and exclusions of their coverage. Technological advancements and the development of proprietary tools help to empower the consumer to make a well-informed decision.”

It is clear that aggregator websites have a duty to not only help consumers to find affordable travel insurance, but also to ensure that they are purchasing cover that is appropriate for their needs. The constant rise in online purchasing and the desire for convenience is sure to mean that consumers will continue to use these websites, and awareness of the pitfalls will hopefully mean that the aggregator websites continue to make improvements and be mindful of consumer needs that extend beyond initial upfront cost.

Travel insurance is in the midst of a digital revolution and, within this, aggregators should continue evaluating how their model can evolve to ensure improved compatibility with insurers and consumers alike. Tools such as live chat and the ubiquity of smartphones mean that education around insurance is improving. Awareness of issues, positive relationships between aggregators and insurers, growing technology and AI availability and education for consumers can ensure that travel insurance is not viewed merely as a commodity, but as the important resource that it is. ■

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MAKING WAVES The cruise industry is expanding and evolving. How is insurance cover for cruise passengers adapting to match a changing cruise passenger demographic – and how can travel insurers and cruise lines collaborate more closely to make sure their clients are adequately covered? Robin Gauldie investigates

C

ruising is, according to Nigel Lingard, a cruise and travel industry management consultant in the UK, ‘a surprisingly small industry with a long way to go’. The cruise sector represents only two per cent of the overall global travel industry, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world’s largest cruise industry trade organisation, based in the US, yet it shows respectable year-on-year growth.

Cruise lines carried 28.5 million passengers in 2017-18, according to the CLIA, showing growth of seven per cent.

Around half of those (14.2 million) came from the US, where passenger numbers grew by nine per cent in 2018, making it the fastest growing, as well as by far the largest, cruise market in the world.

Led by China, growth in the Asian market for cruising slowed slightly in this period, but still increased by five per cent to a total of 4.2 million passengers. The CLIA Cruise Review industry report also showed that the UK and Ireland cruise industry hit a record 2,009,000 passengers in 2018, surpassing the two million mark a year earlier than predicted and up two per cent from 2017. The overall European market for ocean cruising grew by 3.3 per cent against 2017, to 7.17 million, following a two-per-cent growth the previous year.

The global cruise industry has more than 100 ships on order for delivery in the next few years. Some are oceangoing giants capable of carrying 6,000 passengers. Others are 'expedition vessels' carrying fewer than 1,000 in search of 'undiscovered' destinations. “That trend is bound to continue because it is no longer possible to build a smaller ship that is not a premium product,” says Lingard.

Just a number There's a perception – carefully fostered

by the world's cruise lines – that cruising is no longer the preserve of an ageing clientele of relatively wealthy retirees. They point to figures that indicate that cruise passengers are, on average, significantly younger and more adventurous than in the past. A generation ago, on-board activities might include nothing much more energetic than a game of deck quoits.

Now, even a mid-market, mainstream cruise offering may tempt guests with experiences and activities ranging from scuba diving to sea kayaking to jet skiing.

concurs Huet. According to the CLIA, the average age of a cruise passenger has now fallen to 46 years – but the average UK cruise passenger increased sightly, according to the organisation's latest figures, from 53.5 to 55.2 years. Over the same period, the over65 segment became even more dominant, accounting for 42 per cent of cruise passengers in 2015 compared with 33 per cent in 2005, whereas the market share of all under-65 age groups stagnated or declined.

The cruise sector represents only two per cent of the overall global travel industry “The cruise industry is very focused on creating attractive propositions that are aimed at a younger and more active audience,” says Kate Huet, Managing Director of UK insurer International Travel and Healthcare Limited. “They are packaging cruising in such a way as to challenge the all-inclusive land-based holiday. Shorter five-day, seven-day and 10-day itineraries are also aimed at a younger, working audience.”

CLIA spokesperson Charlotte Humphrey agrees: “Recent trends show that cruise guests are seeking more active experiences and cruise lines are accommodating to this trend."

However, in the UK, the cruise industry has failed to make significant inroads into younger markets, claims Nigel Lingard.

“There are too many wheelchairs on cruise ships for younger people to want to join in,” he stated at the recent ITIC UK conference.

“The UK cruise market is still very much the domain of the more mature traveller,”

Pushing the envelope Even if the older market is more dominant, there is no doubt that cruise companies are working towards making cruising more attractive for younger and more active travellers. But, as insurers point out, more excitement may mean higher risk and not all 'adrenaline activities' are limited to younger cruisers. In fact, both ends of the age spectrum may pose challenges for assistance companies and insurers.

The good news is that younger cruise travellers seem to understand the importance of insurance cover for their

The global cruise industry has more than 100 ships on order for delivery in the next few years trip, though. “Year over year, we’ve seen a 25-per-cent increase in travellers of all ages buying travel insurance specifically for cruise trips and a whopping 61-per-cent increase in millennials purchasing policies for vacations involving cruises,” says Hummer.

Which is good news, as the risks for younger cruise passengers are just as pressing as those for older travellers.

“Younger travellers are prone to some

slightly bizarre things, especially when alcohol is involved,” commented Huet.

Statistics bear her out. The average age of a passenger going overboard from a cruise ship is 41, states Cruisemapper, a specialist website. Most such incidents involve males who are ‘either drunk, on drugs or engaged in tomfoolery [such as] climbing between staterooms [or] playing on railings’, Cruisemapper claims.

“Alcohol is a problem for older people too,” Huet noted, citing 'slips, trips and serious fractures as a result of one nightcap too many'. “This is impossible to retrospectively detect or decline a claim for,” she said. Such accidents are often the start of some of the largest claims.

“Minor accidents cause some really big issues. Slips in showers, tripping over door-wells, trapped fingers in self-closing doors, self-administered non-prescription medicines that create havoc with prescription medicines, have triggered some seriously big claims,” said Huet. “These seemingly small events cascade into life-threatening situations when they impact on preexisting medical conditions. But then that's what travel insurance is for.”

Problems arise, however, when the activities on offer are not actually covered by travel insurance. As Jenna Hummer, Public Relations Director at Squaremouth, a US travel insurance comparison website, points out: “Cruises are offering a wider array of adventure and hazardous sports activities not covered by standard travel insurance policies such as on-board simulators, bungee jumping or rock climbing walls, and water and land sport-related activities such as scuba diving, jet skiing, and zip-lining.”

Huet agrees: “Onboard facilities for the most active can push the boundaries in the standard activity lists that accompany most >> retail travel policies.” The so-called 'Arctic

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FEATURE Challenge' offered to guests on some polar cruises is a case in point, she says. “It's a timed 60-second dip in extremely cold sea water – it's possible that a fit young 20-something can cope with this, but that's not the audience on Arctic-bound ships, with their declared age-related pre-existing medical conditions listing cardiovascular conditions and some BMIs well over 30, yet this is classified as swimming – and what policy doesn't cover swimming?”

Also on the risk radar are outbreaks of onboard illnesses, and bigger ships mean bigger outbreaks of on-board diseases, claims Huet. “Ten years ago, we saw far fewer claims for gastroenteritis, because cruise ships over-compensated their passengers. Now, with bigger ships and bigger outbreaks when they happen, they can't afford to do this. We now see a significant increase in gastroenteritis claims, not only in frequency, but also the cost we have to settle. Ten years ago, the cost [of such a claim] would have been below US$1,000. It's now rarely below $6,000 per person. Is this a new cost centre? It's certainly not a cost-contained environment for insurers,” she said.

After a significant outbreak, a ship must be completely sanitised in port, delaying its next departure or forcing cancellation at short notice. “Cruise ships are quick to offer a replacement cruise and free onboard spend, but they won't cover all the extra costs a traveller may have incurred and they won't offer to refund the travel insurance premium,” Huet said.

Pneumonia and other respiratory infections are also prolific claim inducers, she adds.

Community-acquired pneumonia can generate much higher claim costs than norovirus, Huet says, as passengers are often quickly offloaded into a hospital, then treated and repatriated. “By the time antibiotics have been administered you stand no chance of requested blood tests to detect the vital source.”

Trouble ashore Resolving claims arising from incidents ashore can be complex. Cruise lines stand accused of trying to pass on responsibility to the local excursion company operating the tour, even when it may have been purchased on board or through the cruise line at the time of booking the cruise. Cruise companies may try to evade liability by claiming that the land tour operator is completely independent.

Maritime injury lawyers, however, have successfully argued that in some cases the

operator was acting on behalf of the cruise company or in a joint venture in which most aspects of the contractual relationship were under the cruise line's control.

“Most cruise passengers are lulled into a false sense that they are on an idyllic vacation to a tropical destination where nothing can go wrong and they instinctively let their guard down while on their dream vacation and this leads to not recognising signs of danger,” says Jim Walker of Miamibased maritime law practice Walker & O'Neill.

He points out that a number of popular cruise destinations close to the US have very high rates of violent crime. In fact, he says, 99 per cent of onshore crime incidents that lead cruise vacationers to contact his firm occur during shore excursions in Caribbean ports. “We continue to receive enquiries from passengers who have been victimised while ashore, almost exclusively during cruises to the Caribbean,” he stated.

Take better control Yet too many passengers still travel without adequate cover or any cover at all. “Around two out of three clients we

There's a perception – carefully fostered by the world's cruise lines – that cruising is no longer the preserve of an ageing clientele of relatively wealthy retirees represent do not have travel insurance,” said Walker. “Many accidents turn into nightmares because vacationers have not purchased insurance. Many of our clients thought ‘this could never happen to me’.”

A huge part of cruising's appeal for many (especially older) passengers is a holiday experience that begins at a port in their home country and does not involve the stress of flying. But according to Dr Lynn Gordon, Chief Medical Officer at UKbased assistance provider CEGA, that can lull some cruisers into a false sense of security. Also speaking at the recent ITIC UK event, Dr Gordon warned of a 'basic lack of understanding' among passengers regarding the risks inherent in cruise travel.

“Just because they are getting on a ship in Southampton, for example, passengers may think they are in safer hands,” she said. “The perception tends to be that because I’m not flying anywhere, I am fine to go – I wouldn’t dream of flying

uninsured but will go on a cruise,” she said.

Should cruise companies insist on seeing proof of adequate medical and evacuation cover before allowing passengers to board? Operators in some specialist sectors of the cruise industry already do so, as do most companies selling their products in European markets. “In the UK and in most EU countries, you can't get your tickets until you can show that you have insurance in place,” says Lingard.

One such example of a specialist cruise company is Freighter Expeditions, a Sydney company that specialises in selling cruises aboard long-haul cargo vessels. Julie Richards, advisor and cruise master at the company, told ITIJ: “We have been selling cargo ship travel for over 20 years and you must have this [insurance cover].”

However, destinations are also putting their foot down when it comes to demanding proof of cover. This year, notes Richards, New Caledonia, a popular

Onboard facilities for the most active can push the boundaries in the standard activity lists that accompany most retail travel policies cruise stop for Australians, became the latest destination to require passengers going ashore to show proof of adequate medical insurance and repatriation cover.

“I guess they are tired of having to keep clients who do not have evacuation cover in hospital in Noumea,” she said.

Other destinations that may specifically require cruise travellers be insured before they enter include Austria, Belgium, Cuba, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey, according to Squaremouth's Jenna Hummer.

Mainstream cruise lines usually ask if customers have travel insurance, even if they don’t insist on it as a prerequisite to travel, and even if the law prohibits them from making travel insurance mandatory, as in the US, for example. “When booking a cruise, whether it's through the cruise line directly or through a travel agent, customers are asked if they have travel insurance or not,” says CLIA's Charlotte Humphrey. “If they have not, they are asked this again before embarking on their cruise.”

Huet confirms this but provides a warning: “The cruise industry [in the UK] now does

32

routinely ask all passengers to provide the emergency assistance company number and the name of the insurer before ticketing.

The problem lies with not checking that the insurance is adequate. The entire travel and insurance industries need to educate consumers far better about what the risks are and what sort of costs a cruise traveller could realistically face if it all goes horribly wrong.”

With regards to the adequacy of some cruise policies, it seems not all is plain sailing. Under particular scrutiny are policies provided by the cruise lines themselves. Although many cruise lines now offer their own policies, some in the insurance industry compare some such policies unfavourably with the broader market, according to Jonathan Breeze, CEO of AardvarkCompare, a USbased online travel insurance comparison site. Cruise lines have also been warned to ‘take better control’ of ‘excessive charges’ to insurers by onboard medical facility providers, says Huet. “If they don't,” she said, “insurers will take a view and refuse to insure some of the most loyal and frequent cruisers.”

There are certainly many loyal and frequent cruise customers all over the world and whether insured adequately or not, the risks remain the same. There’s some good news in this regard, though. As Charlotte Humphrey of CLIA pointed out: “More people are cruising than ever before, while incidents continue to decline. From 2009 to 2018, the industry's capacity has grown by 55 per cent. During that same time, the overall number of operational incidents declined by 37 per cent.”

And, the CLIA pointed out, norovirus outbreaks at sea are statistically rare.

“A cruise passenger has about a one in 1,500 risk of getting laboratory confirmed norovirus during a shipboard outbreak,” the organisation claims, citing figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Outbreak Reporting System.

All indications are that cruising will continue to grow and will attract an everwidening range of age groups. Accidents and outbreaks of illness on board and incidents ashore will always occur and will inevitably attract a disproportionate level of media coverage – part of the price that cruising pays for the image it projects.

Policies that cover cruise passengers of virtually all ages and for all but the most extreme activities are on the market. The challenge is, as always, persuading punters to buy a policy that gives them the cover that's right for them – and to take some responsibility for their own behaviour on board and ashore. Going easy on the complimentary rum cocktails might help. ■

“L ife ” I s To Be By Your Si d e D ur i n g T h e H a rd T ime s

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33

ON THE MOVE

Collinson makes key changes to its global medical assistance team

New International Head of Marketing at Sedgwick

Collinson, a provider of medical, security and travel risk management services, has announced two strategic appointments to its global medical assistance team.

Marianne Jackson will now serve as Chief Medical Officer and David Spicer as Nurse Consultant. These strategic hires follow the appointment of Dr Simon Worrell as Global Medical Director earlier this year.

Marianne, a qualified surgeon, A&E Consultant and General Practitioner, has over 30 years of experience in emergency medicine. She formerly held the role of Regional Medical Director at AIG, where she had responsibility for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, amassing a wealth of knowledge relating to the medical risks and life-threatening scenarios faced by travellers.

As CMO, she will manage Collinson’s clinical cases, liaising between administrative and medical staff to ensure customers receive high standards of medical advice and care. She will report to Dr Worrell.

“Collinson is recognised worldwide for its high-quality medical assistance, a field I am enormously passionate about,” said Marianne. “I am delighted to join as we continue to enhance the medical assistance

Sedgwick, a global provider of technologyenabled risk, benefits and integrated business solutions, has appointed Zoë Kay as its new International Head of Marketing.

Zoë completed the Lloyd’s of London graduate training programme and brings over 18 years of insurance sector experience in global marketing to her role, with a strong focus on branding, campaign management, strategic planning and marketing tactics.

In the role, she will be responsible for overseeing Sedgwick’s international marketing initiatives and developing and executing effective marketing

services we offer to our clients, supported by an ever-increasingly experienced team to ensure we provide travelling employees with the right level of medical care.”

As Nurse Consultant, David will be responsible for leading, teaching and mentoring the nursing team. He joins from Healix, where he managed a team of nurses and cared for patients from a diverse range of clients within the insurance industry, banks and media companies, as well as some of the largest multinationals in the world. In addition, he managed the healthcare of the 27,000 crown servants worldwide under the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) healthline contract and was seconded in-house at the FCO for two years.

“We pride ourselves on offering clients the highest standards of protection when their staff travel abroad,” said Scott Sunderman, Head of Assistance at Collinson, “so we employ only the finest medical talent. Marianne and David have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and bring significant capability to what is already an extremely strong global team of doctors and nurses.”

Marianne Jackson

Russell Scanlan appoints Tadd Nottingham, UK-based independent insurance broker Russell Scanlan has welcomed a new appointment to its growing team. The firm of 35, which is based in Wellington Circus, has appointed Julian Tadd as a commercial account handler as part of its plans for continued growth.

Julian brings over 13 years’ industry experience working as an account handler, having held similar positions working across a range of corporate and commercial accounts at various brokers. In his new role, he will be responsible for renewing accounts, liaising with account executives and helping them to manage client needs as well as building and maintaining

Julian Tadd

New appointments at MAXIS GBN International employee benefits network MAXIS Global Benefits Network (GBN) has expanded its member management team to cater for the continued growth of its network of local insurers. Trudie Roberts and Greg Tew have both been promoted to the position of Member Manager for the EMEA region; the appointments mean that the firm now has five dedicated professionals focused on serving members and supporting the growth and development of its network.

Before joining MAXIS GBN in October 2016, Trudie spent almost 10 years in the financial services industry, with roles in relationship management and sales in the pensions, insurance and employee benefits sectors for firms such as Friends Life and MetLife. Greg moved to MAXIS GBN in 2018 as a reinsurance and reporting analyst, having gained extensive reinsurance experience from roles held previously at Munich Re and SCOR, mainly

covering the life and pensions market.

As Member Managers, Trudie and Greg’s main priorities include taking responsibility for and managing a portfolio of members in the EMEA region. They represent local insurers and their needs across MAXIS GBN projects and initiatives, deliver ongoing local insurer training and education, maintain MAXIS GBN member relationships and encourage open and regular communication.

“We are delighted to be able to expand our team and to welcome two very high-calibre individuals to Member Management,” said Matthew Richards, Director of Member Management at MAXIS GBN. “Working with, and supporting, our insurance partners is fundamental to the business model and success of MAXIS GBN, and we believe our dedicated approach, coupled with our in-depth reporting solutions and unparalleled data analytics, differentiates us significantly in the employee benefits marketplace.”

and communications strategies that drive growth. She will also develop programmes that align with Sedgwick’s business plans, growth priorities, global brand guidelines and regional marketing communications strategies.

“It is an exciting time for Sedgwick as the company continues expanding globally,” said Zoë. “I very much look forward to embarking on this new role and to working with our executives and international marketing and communications team to build strategic and innovative marketing campaigns that will enhance and strengthen the Sedgwick brand.”

relationships with new businesses.

“I’ve always heard very positive things about Russell Scanlan, it has a good reputation within the sector for customer service and being a fantastic place to work, so I’m absolutely thrilled to have been offered the role,” said Julian. “All of the team are incredibly passionate and dedicated, and have been nothing but welcoming and supportive from day one.

My appointment comes at an important time of development and growth for the company, so I’m very much looking forward to getting stuck in, particularly with building new and existing relationships across Russell Scanlan’s varied client base.”

Hiscox names Managing Principal for its ILS business

Andrew Hughes

34

Specialist global insurer Hiscox has promoted Andrew Hughes to the role of Managing Principal for Hiscox ILS, subject to Department of Immigration and Bermuda Regulatory approval.

Andrew joined Hiscox ILS in Bermuda in 2015 as its General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Over the last four years he has played a major role in growing the team and its ILS capabilities; in his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the ILS business, ensuring the company is meeting investor

demand for high-quality, innovative products.

Prior to joining Hiscox, Andrew worked at Queensland Investment Corporation, specialising in alternative asset class structuring and investments, and King & Wood Mallesons, where he advised on structured finance and securitisation transactions.

Mike Krefta, CEO of Hiscox Re and ILS, commented: “Andrew’s tenacity and leadership qualities are exactly what we need to drive our ILS business forward, so I am delighted with this appointment.”

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CareJet Anthony Decoste – President & CEO

Eva Kluge – Director of Sales & Business Development

Level 24 Robinsons Cyberscape Beta, Topaz & Ruby Roads, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, PHILIPPINES email: tel: +63 2491 8000 website:

SIEGERLAND AIRPORT, Werfthalle G1, 57299 Burbach, GERMANY mob: +49 170 366 4933 24/7 tel: +49 2736 4428 45

ops@carejet.com carejet.com

email: website:

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

AIRLEC Air Espace

EDS AVIATION PTE LTD Shik – Managing Director

Paul Tiba – Managing Director

66 Seletar Aerospace View, #02-09, SINGAPORE, 797509

Zone Aviation Générale, 33700 Mérignac Cidex 05 FRANCE

tel: +65 9836 3265 fax: +65 6846 9542

email: website:

24hr tel: +335 56 34 02 14 +335 56 55 98 18 fax

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

email: website:

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

Capital Air Ambulance

EMA Global Pte Ltd Dexter Tan – Business Development Director

Lisa Humphries – Sales DirectorManager

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

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

tel: +65 6570 2552 tel: +65 6244 0030

email: website:

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

tel: +44 845 055 2828 fax: +44 1392 350 039

email: sales@capitalairambulance.co.uk website: www.capitalairambulance.co.uk

CEGA Group

EMA Global Pte Ltd Jay Bajas – Senior Manager - Operations

Mr Nick Simon – Business Development Manager

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

Salamanca St. Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City - 1210, PHILIPPINES

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

24hr tel: +63 (02) 555 5228 fax: +63 (02) 863 0650

tel: + 44 (0) 1243 621 107 fax: + 44 (0) 1243 621 006

email: jay@emaglobal.com.ph website: www.emaglobal.com.sg

36

email: privaterepats@cegagroup.com website: cegagroup.com

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

DRF Luftrettung / German Air Rescue

Get Listed Now

Dr. Peter Huber – CEO

German Air Rescue – Claim-Variante rot / schwarz

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

24h tel: +49 711 7007 3010 fax: +49 711 7007 3119

AVAILABLE ONLINE - itij.com/servicedirectory

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

email: ops@drf-luftrettung.de website: www.drf-luftrettung.de/air-ambulance

AC Global Air Ambulance

DRK Assistance Andreas Speich – Managing Director

AC

Milan Floribus – Vice President

GLOBAL

8775 Aero Drive, Suite 120, San Diego, CA 92123, USA moc@drkassistance.com www.drkassistance.com

email: website:

AI

tel: +49 211 301 805-0 fax: +49 211 301 805-21

R

CE

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY AMBULAN

tel: +263 (4) 302 141 fax: +1 858 408 7856

email: acglobalmedicaltransports@gmail.com website: acglobalmedicaltransports.com

Aeromedevac Air Ambulance

European Air Ambulance

Adam Williams – President

Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing

1860 Joe Crosson Drive, Hangar I, El Cajon, CA 92020, USA

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

toll free: +1 619 284 7910 +(619) 284 7918 fax:

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

email: website:

email: website:

ops@aeromedevac.com www.aeromedevac.com

AirEvac International

FAI – rent-a-jet AG

Raul Mendoza – President / CEO

Volker Lemke – Director Sales and Marketing CSO Flughafenstasse. 124; 90411 Nuremberg; GERMANY tel: +49 911 36009 31 fax: +49 911 36009 59

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

email: website:

tel: +1 619 754-6755 fax: +1 619 330 4551

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

email: website:

info@aeiamericas.com www.aeiamericas.com

CEGA Group

Jet Executive International Charter

Mr Nick Simon – Business Development Manager

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

Funtington Park, Funtington, Chichester, UK, PO18 8RG, UK tel: + 44 (0) 1243 621 107 fax: + 44 (0) 1243 621 006

email: privaterepats@cegagroup.com website: cegagroup.com

Global Jetcare, Inc.

JOIN JET Carsten Vistisen – General Manager

Bart Gray – President

Cumulusvej 10, 7190 Billund, DENMARK

15421 Technology Dr. Brooksville, FL 34604, USA

24hr tel: tel:

+45 701 040 90 +45 701 040 90

email: website:

tel: +1 352 799 7771 fax: +1 352 799 7776

ems@joinjet.com www.joinjet.com

Malteser Service Center

email: website:

JET ICU

Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation

Mike Honeycutt – President

Erna-Scheffler-Strasse 2, 51103 Köln, GERMANY

2561 Rescue Way, Brooksville, FL 34604, USA

tel: +49 221 98 22 9333 fax: +49 40 694597 61339

bart@globaljetcare.com www.globaljetcare.com

email: website:

tel: +1 352 796 2540 fax: +1 352 796 2549

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

email: website:

Jet-Rescue Air Ambulance

Medic’Air International Dr Herve Raffin – General Manager

Carlos Salinas – CEO

35 rue Jules Ferry, 93170 Bagnolet, Paris, FRANCE

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

tel: +33 141 72 1414 fax: +33 148 57 1010

ops@jeticu.com www.jeticu.com

email: website:

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

tel: +1 786 619 1268

North Flying a/s

email: operations@jet-rescue.com website: www.medjetsUSA.com

Latitude Air Ambulance

Jesper Kragelund – Sales Manager

Diana Iaquinto – Director Sales & Medical Ops

North Flying Terminal, Aalborg Airport, DK-9400, Nørresundby, DENMARK

John C. Munro/Hamilton International Airport,9300 Airport Rd. Mount Hope. Ontario, L0R 1W0, CANADA tel: +1 289 426 1133 email: 24.7@latitude2009.com website: www.latitude2009.com fax: +1 289 426 1132

tel: +45 9632 2900 fax: +45 9632 2909

email: jkr@northflying.com website: www.northflying.com

Skyalta

Quick Air Jet Charter GmbH

David Ewing – Executive Vice-President, Global Markets

Philipp Schneider – Account Manager

Montreal/PE Trudeau Int Airport, 9025 Avenue Ryan, Montreal (Quebec), H9P 1A2, CANADA tel: +1 514 497 7000 email: alert@sky-alta.com website: www.sky-alta.com fax: +1 514 636 0096

Hangar 3, Cologne Airport, 51147 Cologne, GERMANY tel: +49 2203 955 700 fax: +49 2203 955 7020

email: website:

ops@quickair.de www.quickair.de

Swiss Air-Ambulance Ltd. Rega

S O U T H

Wolfgang Seeger – Customer Relationship Manager Rega-Center, PO Box 1414, CH-8058 Zurich, SWITZERLAND tel: +41 44 654 33 11 fax: +41 44 654 33 22

email: website:

wolfgang.seeger@rega.ch www.rega.ch

Tyrol Air Ambulance

Helidosa Aviation Group Karla Vinas – Air Ambulance account Executive Hangar 1, 10 & 14 La Isabela Airport, Santo Domingo, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC email: tel: +18293457219 website:

k.vinas@helidosa.com www.helidosa.com

Brasil Vida

Manfred Helldoppler – Managing Director

João Paulo Silva – Air Ambulance Account Executive

Fuerstenweg 180, A-6026 Innsbruck-Airport, AUSTRIA

Av. Santos Dumont, Hangares Norte, Hangar Brasil Vida - Setor Santa Genoveva 74.672-420 Goiânia - Go BRAZIL 24/7 tel: +55 62 3207 5566 email: fretamento@brasilvida.com.br website: www.brasilvida.com.br 24/7 mob: +55 62 9997 15370

tel: +43 512 22422 100 tel: +43 512 288 888

email: website:

taa@taa.at www.taa.at

37

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

AVAILABLE ONLINE - itij.com/servicedirectory

CareJet

Assistance Companies

Anthony Decoste – President Level 24 Robinsons Cyberscape Beta, Topaz & Ruby Roads, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, PHILIPPINES

Providers of assistance services for the global travel and health insurance industry, including travel, medical and security assistance and repatriation services

email: website:

tel: +63 2491 8000

AIMS

ops@carejet.com carejet.com

Covermore Assistance Online Bernadette Breton – Chief Executive Officer

Wilson Chan – CEO 7/F Unit 702, 58 Changliu Road, Zendai Cube Edifice, Pudong, Shanghai, CHINA 200135 email: ops-shanghai@covermore.com.cn tel: +86 21 12591222 website: www.covermore.com.cn

AIMS House, 3 West St, Bryanston 2191, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA email: operations@aims.org.za website: www.aims.org.za

tel: +27 11 783 0135 fax: +27 11 783 2950

EMA Global Pte Ltd

AMREF Flying Doctors

Dexter Tan – Business Development Director

Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

1 Farrer Park Station Road, #15-18, Farrer Park Medical Centre, SINGAPORE 217562 tel: +65 6570 2552 email: website: tel: +65 6244 0030

Wilson Airport, LangataRoad, PO Box 18617, Nairobi, KENYA tel: +254 20 6000 090 fax: +254 20 344 170

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

email: website:

CONNEX Assistance

EMA Global Pte Ltd

Dr Helmy El Tanahy – CEO

Jay Bajas – Senior Manager - Operations Unit 2314 Centuria Medical Makati, Century City, Kalayaan Ave. cor.

Salamanca St. Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City - 1210, PHILIPPINES

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

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

alarm@connexassistance.com www.connexassistance.com

email: website:

24hr tel: +63 (02) 555 5228 fax: +63 (02) 863 0650

email: website:

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

Emergency Assistance Japan

Inter Secours Assistance Mr. EL MOUADDEN Abdelhamid – Directeur Général

Takaaki Chiyo – Executive Officer, Head of Network Division

8, Rue Grasset, Quartier des hôpitaux, CP 20360,Casablanca, MOROCCO tel: +212 5 22 46 72 22 fax: +212 5 22 26 00 27

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

mouaden@isas.ma www.isas.ma

tel: +81-(0)3-3811-7520 fax: +81-(0)3-3811-7511

AA International Indonesia

email: website:

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

Global Assistance & Healthcare

Brandon Heng – CEO

Alain Durand – President Director

Tifa Building, 10th Floor, No.1003, Jl. Kuningan Barat 1 No. 26, Mampang Prapatan, Jakarta 12710, INDONESIA

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 website: www.global-assistance.net fax: +62 21 299 78 9555/66

tel: +62 21 2927 9600 24/7: ops-jakarta@aa-international.co.id

email: marketing@aa-international.co.id website: www.aa-international.co.id

Global Assistance Partners Co.,Ltd.

AIG Travel

Gna KH CHUNG – CEO

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: website: fax: +603 2685 5673

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

martin.villarino@aig.com aig.com/travel

Asian Travel And Medical Services

Global Doctor China

Rahul Gupta – Sr. Manager - International Business

Regina Zheng – Operations Manager Suite 306, Building 8 Bai Huan Jia yuan / No.66 Yuan, Guangqu Road,Chaoyang District, Beijing P.R.China Post Code 100022 CHINA tel: +86 10 5815 1188 Ext. 812 email: regina@globaldoctor.com.au website: www.globaldoctor.com.au fax: +86 10 8775 9138

131/1 , PICNIC GARDEN ROAD , KOLKATA - 700039 , INDIA tel: +91-9836309173 fax: +91 033-23440170

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

email: website:

email: website:

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

Global MediCALL Assistance

Asia Rescue & Medical Services Pvt. Ltd Dr.Anraj Singh – Director

Sridhar K – Chief Operations Officer

Flat 2B, Jaivijay Apartment , 61 B Palm Avenue Kolkata – 700019 West Bengal, INDIA

MALAYSIA - www.globalmedicallassistance.com

24/7 tel: +91 983 1090 831 24/7 tel: +91 033 4060 4013

email: website:

tel: +6 03 3359 6969 fax: +6 03 3359 6161

arms@armsindia.com www.armsindia.com

AP Companies KAZAKHSTAN

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

4, 148 Mamir, Auzovskiy region, Almati, KAZAKHSTAN email: KZT@ap-companies.com website: www.ap-companies.com

Orient Air Medical Association (OAMA)

AP Companies UZBEKISTAN Ilhom Sadikov – Business Development Manager

Connie Zhang – Medical Network Manager No.8 North Building, Qingtian, Haitang District, Sanya, 572013, CHINA

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

marketing@globalmedicallassistance.com ops@globalmedicallassistance.com

MEDIKA PLAZA

Elmira Turmagambetova – General Manager

tel: + 7 727 350 52 76

email: email

email: website:

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

+86 898 8898 3120 tel: 24/7 tel: +86 180 1646 1628

BrightCare Assist

email: website:

operation@oama.cn www.oama.cn

ADAC Ambulance Service

Gloria Lee Carmen V. Matti – CEO

Christoph Ullrich – Senior Manager International Network

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 website: www.brightcare-assist.com fax: (+632) 224-4152

Hansastr. 19, D - 80686 Munich, GERMANY tel: +49 897 676 29 12 mob: +49 171 555 29 12

38

email: christoph.ullrich@adac.de website: www.adac.de/ambulance

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

AIG Travel

Global Voyager Assistance - Black Sea Sally Waithe – General Manager, AIG Travel EMEA

Oxana Razorenova – General Manager

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

77-79 Nezhinskaya Str., 65023, Odessa, UKRAINE tel: +38 048 7373 441 fax: +38 048 7373 442

AP Companies Natalya Butakova – Business Development Manager

Costas Danilenko – CEO

17 Varshavskoye Shosse, Moscow 117105, RUSSIA

PO Box II, 125124 Moscow, RUSSIA

email: website:

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

tel: +7 495 775 0999 fax: +7 495 775 0998

Argos Assistance Srl

email: website:

cdanilenko@gvassistance.com www.gvassistance.com

IFRA Assistance GmbH – Austria

Marco Rinalducci – Claims & Administration Director

Mr. Christian Steindl M.D. – CEO

Via Torino, 2 20123 Milano, ITALY / FRANCE

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

tel: +39 027 254 6325 fax: +39 069 933 5053

tel: +43 (0) 2742 49 11 fax: +43 (0) 27 42 89165

operations@argosassistance.com www.argosassistance.com

email: website:

Athens Assistance

email: website:

office@ifra.at www.ifra.at

Interamerican Assistance S.A.

Dr. Dimitris Koliniatis – CEO

Inez Tissink – Coordinator International Activities

Bouboulinas 20, TK 185 35, Piraeus, Athens, GREECE

Syngrou Avenue 350,17680 Kallithea, Athens, GREECE

tel: +30 210 4296 631 fax: +30 210 4296 661

tel: (+30) 210 94 61 750 fax: (+30) 210 94 61 004

email: operations@athensassistance.gr website: www.athensassistance.gr

email: website:

tissinki@interamerican.gr www.interamerican.gr

Malteser Service Center

Au International Service / Assist Ukraine Andrey ZIMIN – Director

Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation

Str. Sholudenko 3, 04116 Kiev, UKRAINE

Erna-Scheffler-Strasse 2, 51103 Köln, GERMANY

email: website:

tel: +38044 251 28 11

tel: +49 221 98 22 9333 fax: +49 40 694597 61339

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

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

email: website:

Marm Assistance

BMC HEALTH SOLUTIONS 24HR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE Antonio Magliocca – Medical Director

Hamdi Inan – CEO

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

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

24hr tel: +39 0823 966 694 +39 0823 966 694 fax:

email: website:

tel: +90 216 560 07 24 fax: +90 216 560 07 07

info@assistenzamedicah24.it www.medicalassistanceh24.com

email: website:

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

Medicall AG

CNAS Carole Luisy – Managing Director

Markus Detel – Manager International Network

80 rue des alliés, 38100, Grenoble, FRANCE

Zurichstrasse 38, CH-8306 Bruttisellen, SWITZERLAND

tel: +33 438 49 83 49 fax: +33 438 49 83 40

email: website:

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

email: mservices@medicall.ch website: www.medicall.ch

tel: +41 44 655 16 67

DRF Luftrettung / German Air Rescue

German Air Rescue

gmbs@gvassistance.com www.gvassistance.com

email: website:

Global Voyager Assistance - Russia

tel: +7 495 989 1120 fax: +7 495 989 1130

German Air Rescue – Claim-Variante rot / schwarz

AVAILABLE ONLINE - itij.com/servicedirectory

National Health Service LLC

Dr. Peter Huber – CEO

Dr. Ashfaq Rizvi – Financial Director

Rita-Maiburg-Str. 2, D-70794 Filderstadt, GERMANY

101000 Russia, Moscow, Potapovsky lane 5-2, RUSSIA

24h tel: +49 711 7007 3010 fax: +49 711 7007 3119

tel: +7 (495) 374-88-24 fax: +7 (495) 374-88-24

email: ops@drf-luftrettung.de website: www.drf-luftrettung.de/air-ambulance

DRK Assistance

drrizvi@nhsassist.ru www.nhsassist.ru

Save Assistance France

Andreas Speich – Managing Director

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

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY tel: +49 (211) 301 805 0 fax: +49 (211) 301 805 21

email: website:

moc@drkassistance.de www.drkassistance.com

blanchet@saveassistance.com www.saveassistance.com

Savitar Group Ltd.

EgyCross Assistance

Maria Berkova – General Manager

Dr. Hany Benyamen – CEO

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

Av. del General Perón, 25 . Planta 10 F, 28020 Madrid, SPAIN tel: +34 910 602 414 tel: +20 100 6222 910

email: website:

email: website:

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

Semesur

Eurocross Turkeya

Eugenio Crenes – General Manager

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

Paseo de la Castellana 18, 7ª Planta, 28046 Madrid, SPAIN tel: +34 911 010 470 fax: +34 902 001 410

email: info@semesur.com website: www.tangiersinternational.com

Tangiers International

Global Assistance a.s.

Ing. Marek Jaroš – General Manager

Jane Hegeler – Managing Director

Dopraváku 749/3, 18400 Prague 8, CZECH REPUBLIC

54 Melita Street, Valetta, VLT 1122, MALTA

tel: +420 266 799 770 fax: +420 266 799 797

tel: +356 277 800 16 fax: +356 272 055 00

email: ops@1220.cz website: www.1220.cz

39

email: website:

info@tangiersinternational.com www.tangiersinternational.com

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

AVAILABLE ONLINE - itij.com/servicedirectory

CONNEX Assistance JLT

Assistance Companies

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 website: www.connexassistance.com fax: +97 14 420 49 12

Providers of assistance services for the global travel and health insurance industry, including travel, medical and security assistance and repatriation services

Eagle Assistance International

TBS Team 24 d.o.o Edvard Hojnik – General Manger

Ossama Trambley – Chairman

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

38 Dr Mohammed Ali Al Baqli, El-Nozha, Cairo Governorate, EGYPT

tel: +386 2616 5819 fax: +386 2618 5800

email: website:

tel: email: website:

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

Marcos Morgan – Founder & CEO tel: email: website:

+20 122 216 1133 Trambley@eagleassistance.com +20 120 242 4444

+20 127 373 1478 Marcos@eagleassistance.com www.eagleassistance.com

Fakeeh International

Tyrol Air Ambulance

Dr. Fatih Mehmet GUL – Executive Director

Manfred Helldoppler – Managing Director

Palestine Street, Al Hamra District P.O. Box 2537 21461, JEDDAH/SAUDI ARABIA email: ops@fakeehinternational.com tel: +966 12 6603080 website: www.fakeehinternational.com

Fuerstenweg 180, A-6026 Innsbruck-Airport, AUSTRIA tel: +43 512 22422 100 fax: +43 512 288 888

email: website:

taa@taa.at www.taa.at

GORAL ASSISTANCE LTD

Active Care Management

Marcel Kadoche – International Network and Development Manager

Paul Schlosser – Client Relationship Manager 3430 Wheelton Drive, Windsor, Ontario, N8W 5A7, CANADA tel: +519 945 8256 ext.1111 fax: +519 251 5165

|

Maskit 27 str. Herzeliya Industrial Park 46733, ISRAEL tel: +972 9 9579930 fax: +972 9 9579931

email: pschlosser@active-care.ca website: www.active-care.ca

email: info@goralassist.com website: www.goralassist.com

IRAN ASSISTANCE

AIG Travel Jim Koziol – General Manager, North America

Ashkan Lahiji – International Network Manager

3330 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point WI 54482, USA

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

tel: +1 715 295 9105

email: website:

tel: +98-21-88648620 - 24 fax: +98-21-88648502

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

email: website:

operation@iranassistance.com www.iranassistance.com

LGA  LIFE GULF ASSISTANCE

ASSIST CARD

Dr. Ahmed Monir – CEO

Federico Tarling – Chief Service Officer 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 website: www.assistcard.com toll free--: +1 800 874 2223

Al Salam Tower, Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES tel: +971 55 314 5045 mob: +971 52 758 1032

AXA Partners US

dr.ahmed@lgadubai.com www.lgadubai.com

Marm Assistance

Simon Jackson – Chief Commercial Officer

Hamdi Inan – CEO

122 South Michigan Ave, Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60603, USA tel: +1 312 935 1771

email: website:

email: website:

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

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

tel: +90 216 560 07 24 fax: +90 216 560 07 07

CanAssistance

email: website:

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

Swan International Assistance – Mutual Care Fabienne Lavoie – Director, International Operations and Claims

Mr. Joseph Akiki – CEO

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

P.O. Box 2265 Jounieh, Lebanon tel 24/7: +961 9 224 008/009 +961 9 224 010 fax:

email: website:

request@swanassistance.com www.swanassistance.com

GORAL ASSISTANCE CANADA INC.

Catastrophic Claims Specialist

David Ohayon – Local Manager 2155 Vincent St, Montreal, QC H4M 1M6, CANADA tel: +1 514 448 1343 fax: +1 514 448 1835

email: website:

info@goralassist.ca www.goralassist.com

Specialist management of high-cost claims, particularly medical

MDabraod

Global Excel Management

Ignacio C. Marquez – COO

John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing

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

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

tel: +1 (786) 475-5475 fax: +1 718 847 0533

tel: +1 819 566 8833 fax: +1 819 566 8447

email: website:

operations@mdabroad.com www.mdabroad.com

SunMed International, LLC

email: corpinfo@globalexcel.com website: www.globalexcel.com

New Frontier Group

Dra. Kinyi Haber – Medical Director. VP International Operation

Gitte Bach – President and CEO

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

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

tel: +1 786 888 6792 fax: +1 786 551 0763

email: email

khaber@sunmedint.net www.sunmedint.net

TMCA Group Corp

Plotkin Health Inc – A Subsidiary of MacroHealth LP

Crystal Wharton – President

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

217 Broadway Suite 608, New York, New York 10007, USA

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

tel: +1 646 398 9021 fax: +1 646 398 9025

tel: +1 604 241 9639 fax: +1 604 241 0733

email: Crystal@tmcatravel.com website: www.tmcatravel.com

40

email: website:

shaun@plotkinconsulting.com www.plotkinconsulting.com

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

AVAILABLE ONLINE - itij.com/servicedirectory

Claims at TuGo

Claims Management

Taka Katsube – Director Assistance & Cost Managment 10th Floor, 6081 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC V6Y 2B2, CANADA

Companies offering specialist third-party claims management, case management, advice and assistance

tel: +1 604 303 2113 fax: +1 604 276 4593

Eurocross Turkey

email: website:

tkat@tugo.com www.tugo.com

Global Excel Management

Mehtap Baylam Akkaya – CEO

John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing

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

73 Queen St, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 0C9, CANADA tel: +1 819 566 8833 fax: +1 819 566 8447

email: corpinfo@globalexcel.com website: www.globalexcel.com

Global Medical Management

Get Listed Now

Soraia Arroyo Lynch – VP of Marketing & Networks 880 SW 145th Ave., Suite 400, Pembroke Pines, FL, 33027, USA

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

tel: +1 (954) 334 4802 fax: +1 (954) 370 8613

Global Assistance & Healthcare

email: website:

SLynch@gmmi.com www.gmmi.com

MD ABROAD

Alain Durand – President Director

Ignacio C. Marquez – COO

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 website: www.global-assistance.net fax: +62 21 299 78 9555/66

2999 NE 191st Street, Suite 608, Aventura, Florida, USA tel: + 1 (786) 475-5475 fax: +1 718 847 0533

email: website:

operations@mdabroad.com www.mdabroad.com

New Frontier Group

Claims at TuGo Taka Katsube – Director Assistance & Cost Managment

Gitte Bach – President and CEO

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

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

tel: +1 604 303 2113 fax: +1 604 276 4593

tel: +1 949 429 7130 fax: +1 949 666 6520

email: website:

tkat@tugo.com www.tugo.com

Global Excel Management

email: Bach@NewFrontierGroup.com website: www.newfrontiergroup.com

Penfield Care

John Spears – VP Business Development & Marketing

Mr Stephen Zatylny – President

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

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

tel: fax:

+1 819 566 8833 +1 819 566 8447

email: website:

tel: +1 613 703 9861 fax: +1 819 200 0281

corpinfo@globalexcel.com www.globalexcel.com

New Frontier Group

info@penfieldcare.com www.penfieldcare.com

email: website:

Plotkin Health Inc – A Subsidiary of MacroHealth LP

Gitte Bach – President and CEO

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

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

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

tel: +1 949 429 7130 fax: +1 949 666 6520

tel: +1 604 241 9639 fax: +1 604 241 0733

email: Bach@NewFrontierGroup.com website: www.newfrontiergroup.com

Star Healthcare Network, Inc.

email: website:

shaun@plotkinconsulting.com www.plotkinconsulting.com

Star Healthcare Network, Inc.

Gigi Galen Grobstein – President

Gigi Galen Grobstein – President

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

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

tel: + 1 914 358 9121 fax: + 1 914 358 9206

email: website:

Ggalen@starhealthcarenet.com www.starhealthcarenet.com

tel: + 1 914 358 9121 fax: + 1 914 358 9206

email: Ggalen@starhealthcarenet.com website: www.starhealthcarenet.com

AIMS

Cost Containment

Bernadette Breton – Chief Executive Officer AIMS House, 3 West St, Bryanston 2191, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA

Companies controlling medical expenditure for insurers and assistance providers

tel: +00 27 11 783 0135 fax: +00 27 11 783 2950

email: website:

operations@aims.org.za www.aims.org.za

AP Companies

Eurocross Turkey

Natalya Butakova – Business Development Manager

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

17 Varshavskoye Shosse, Moscow 117105, RUSSIA tel: +7 495 989 1120 fax: +7 495 989 1130

Global Excel Management

email: website:

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

Travel Agents

Mary-Jo McDonald (MJ) – Managing Director Sanderum Centre, 30a Upper High Street, Thame, OX9 3EX, UK tel: +44 1865 400 007 fax: +44 845 003 1351

email: website:

24/7 medical travel agency and medical repatriation specialist, uniquely skilled in routing passengers home worldwide

corpinfo@globalexcel.com www.globalexcel.com

Voyageur Aeromedical Travel

Marm Assistance Hamdi Inan – CEO

Marc Banting – Director

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

19 Lower Park Row, Bristol, UK

tel: +90 216 560 07 24 fax: +90 216 560 07 07

tel: +44 (0)117 921 0401 fax: +44 (0)845 384 7008

email: website:

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

41

email: marc@voyageur.co.uk website: www.voyageur24.com

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

AVAILABLE ONLINE - itij.com/servicedirectory

Menuha Laad Ltd

Critical Care Patient Transport

Eitan Kariv – CEO 30 Hashaham St. Petach Tikva, ISRAEL

Specialist transport service providers for critical care patients

tel: fax:

DRK Assistance of MacroHealth LP

+972 3 639 9990 +972 3 687 2950

email: website:

replaad@gmail.com www.menuhalaadrepatriation.com

Rowland Brothers International Ltd.

Andreas Speich – Managing Director

Fiona Greenwood – Operations Director

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY

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

tel: +49 211 301 805-0 fax: +49 211 301 805-21

tel: fax:

email: moc@drkassistance.com website: www.drkassistance.com

European Air Ambulance

+44 20 8684 2324 +44 20 8684 8000

email: website:

info@rowlandbrothersinternational.com www.rowlandbrothersinternational.com

Singapore Casket Company Ltd

Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing

Calvin Tang

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

131 Lavender Street, Singapore, 338737, SINGAPORE

24hr tel: +352 26 26 00 +352 26 26 01 fax:

tel: +65 6293 4388 fax: +65 6296 5993

email: website:

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

Malteser Service Center

email: customerservice@singaporecasket.com.sg website: www.singaporecasket.com.sg

Spain Funeral Services

Johannes Hoischen – International Network and Repatriation

Mourad Messaoud – General Manager

Erna-Scheffler-Strasse 2, 51103 Köln, GERMANY

calle jesus 25-29200- ANTEQUERA, SPAIN

tel: +49 221 98 22 9333 fax: +49 40 694597 61339

email: website:

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

tel: +34 902 008 407 tel: +34 627 053 979

Skyalta

email: website:

contact@spainfuneralservices.com www.spainfuneralservices.com

Ground Transport - Medical

David Ewing – Executive Vice-President, Global Markets Montreal/PE Trudeau Int Airport, 9025 Avenue Ryan, Montreal (Quebec), H9P 1A2, CANADA tel: +1 514 497 7000 email: alert@sky-alta.com website: www.sky-alta.com fax: +1 514 636 0096

Medical transportation for patients who need to be transferred by road

CNAS

Funeral Directors

Carole Luisy – Managing Director 80 rue des alliés, 38100, Grenoble, FRANCE

Organisers of international funeral repatriations or the repatriation of mortal remains

tel: +33 438 49 83 49 fax: +33 438 49 83 40

Crossing World Group

email: website:

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

DRK Assistance

Anuska Meliá – CEO

Andreas Speich – Managing Director

Calle San Vicente Ferrer, 141 46184 San Antonio de Benageber, Valencia, SPAIN tel: +34 96 135 3438 email: info@crossingworldgroup.com website: www.crossingworldgroup.com fax: +34 96 135 3438

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY tel: +49 211 301 805-0 fax +49 211 301 805-21

Flying Home Pte Ltd

email: website:

moc@drkassistance.com www.drkassistance.com

GroundMed Australia

Mr Ang Ziqian – Director

Matthew Kline & Mark Wardrop – Executive Directors

Blk 4 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh #01-1345A, SINGAPORE

Hangar 650 Drover Road, Bankstown Airport. NSW, Sydney, AUSTRALIA 2200

tel: +65 6253 0001 fax: +65 6353 5801

email: website:

enquiry@flyinghome.com www.flyinghome.com

tel: +61 2 8700 0685 fax: +61 2 8700 0663

Funeral Home AURIGA Ltd.

email: website:

ops@airmed.com.au www.airmed.com.au

Medresponse Ambulance Services

Helena Sulikova – Chief of International Department

James Bautista – Business Development Manager

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

Unit 26-A Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave., Makati, Metro Manila, PHILIPPINES tel: +63 921 225 7470 email: email 24/7: +63 917 185 9911

email: enquiry@flyinghome.com website: www.flyinghome.com

tel: +420 724 257 899 fax: +420 416 732 582

Funeralia

ops@medresponse.ph www.medresponse.ph

Gateway International EMS Oleg Antoni Milinski – Funeral Director

Oliver L. Müller – Managing Director

International funeral services, UKRAINE, POLAND, ITALY

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

tel: +38 0971 498 785 fax: +48 5131 236 78

email: website:

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

tel: +1-888-828-5258 fax: +1-201-205-2239

Funerarium International repatriation and embalming

email: operations@gateway-ems.com website: www.gateway-ems.com

LifeMed Worldwide

Maurizio Fantozzi – Director

24/7 Chauffeured Transportation & Ground Ambulance

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

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

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

tel: +1-305-501-2009

email: segreteria@funerarium.it website: funerarium.it

ops@lifemedworldwide.com www.lifemedworldwide.com

One Call Medical Transports

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

24 Hour Worldwide Ground Transports

Via Clelia, 26 / 28 - 00181 Roma, ITALY tel: +39 06 78 40 300 fax: +39 06 78 02 488

email: website:

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

info@zega.it www.zega.it

tel: +1 630 444 2100 fax: +1 630 823 2900

42

email: ops@ocmt.com website: www.ocmt.com

For all Service Directory enquiries email: sales@itij.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY

or please call +44 (0) 117 925 5151 (opt. 1)

AVAILABLE ONLINE - itij.com/servicedirectory

Medical Wings

Hospitals

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 24hr tel: +662 247 3392 email: m.w@medicalwings.com website: www.medicalwings.com +662 535 4734 fax:

Facilities offering medical diagnosis and treatment, including clinics and urgent care centers

Prime Nursing Care, Inc.

Antalya Life Hospitals Fadil Aksu – International Network Supervisor

Franziska Hollenstein – CEO / Founder

Şirinyali Mahallesi,1487 Sokak, No:4 Antalya, TURKEY

2005 Van Buren Street, Suite 215, Hollywood, Florida, 33020, USA

tel: fax:

24/7: + 1 754 999 0460 fax: + 1 754 222 5051

+90 549 784 88 60 +90 242 310 80 70

email: antalya@lifehospital.com.tr website: www.lifehospital.com.tr

email: website:

contact@primenursingcare.com www.primenursingcare.com

PARKVIEW AIR MEDICAL

Luz Saúde SA Eve Jokel, MPH – International Director

David Ewing – Executive Vice President, Global Markets

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

9025 Avenue Ryan, Montréal (Quebec), H9P 1A2, CANADA

tel: +351 213 138 260 fax: +351 213 530 292

tel: +1 519 942 8143 fax: +1 519 941 4213

intlpatientservices@luzsaude.pt luzsaude.pt/en

email: website:

Quironsalud

email: repat@parkviewairmedical.com website: www.parkviewairmedical.com

SkyCare Global LLC. Miguel Torregrosa – International Inbound Business ManagerBusiness Manager

Stephen Avise – VP of Operations

SPAIN

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

tel: +34 901 123 456

US tel: +1 727 230 2263 EU tel: +39 345 461 8122

email: g24@quironsalud.es website: www.quironsalud.es/international

Jackson Memorial Hospital International

info@skycareglobal.com www.skycareglobal.com

email: website:

Medical Provider

Dominick Destefano – Associate Director of Sales 1500 NW 12th Avenue, Suite 829 East, Miami, FL 33136, USA tel: +305-355-1211 fax: +305-355-5545

Providers of medical services such as telemedicine, remote medical assistance, and doctor visits

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

email: website:

AMREF Flying Doctors

Sharp Global Patient Services Jacquie Schwoerke – Vice President, Sharp GPS

Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

8695 Spectrum Center Blvd., San Diego, CA 92123, USA

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

toll free: +1 619 471 0466 +1 858 499 4967 fax:

tel: +254 20 6000 090 fax: +254 20 344 170

email: website:

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

email: website:

Doctorcall

UC San Diego Health System International Patient Program Stacy Holberg – Director of International Program Operations

Joe Beeltah – Client Liaison Executive

136 W. Dickinson Street, Suite 109, San Diego, CA 92103-8222, USA

121 Harley Street, London W1G 6AX, UK

tel: +1 619 471 0466 fax: +1 619 543 5282

24/7 tel: +44 0344 257 0345 int. tel: +44 161 214 1906

sholberg@ucsd.edu health.ucsd.edu/international

email: website:

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

Medical Escort On Commercial Airlines

email: website:

guarantees@doctorcall.co.uk www.doctorcall.co.uk

Technology

Providers of nurses and doctors to accompany non-critical patients onboard commercial flights

Providers of specialist software for the insurance and assistance industries

Cambridge Global Payments

AirMed Australia Matthew Kline & Mark Wardrop – Executive Directors

Brad Loder – VP Marketing & Corporate Sponsorships

Hangar 650 Drover Road, Bankstown Airport. NSW, Sydney, AUSTRALIA 2200

212 King Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M5H 1K5 CANADA

tel: +61 2 8700 0685 fax: +61 2 8700 0663

email: website:

ops@airmed.com.au www.airmed.com.au

tel: +1 (416) 646 6401 ext. 2392

email: bloder@cambridgefx.com website: www.cambridgefx.com

Aquarium Software Ltd

AMREF Flying Doctors Dr Bettina Vadera – Medical Director

Mark Colonnese – Director

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

Poplar House, 126a Ashley Road, Hale, WA14 2UN, UK

tel: fax:

+254 20 6000 090 +254 20 344 170

email: website:

tel: +44 (0)161 927 5620 tel: +1 213 205 2200

emergency@flydoc.org www.flydoc.org

mark.colonnese@aquarium-software.com

www.aquarium-software.com

Firemelon (Magenta Insurance System)

DRK Assistance

Zena Carter – Managing Director

Andreas Speich – Managing Director

5th Floor, Moneda House, 25-27 Wellington Place, Belfast, BT1 6GD, NORTHERN IRELAND email: zena.carter@firemelon.com tel: +44 07859 053970 website: www.firemelon.com

Aufm Hennekamp 71, 40225 Düsseldorf, GERMANY tel: +49 211 301 805-0 fax: +49 211 301 805-21

email: website:

email: Bach@NewFrontierGroup.com website: www.newfrontiergroup.com

Nordic Insurance Software

European Air Ambulance Patrick Schomaker – Director Sales & Marketing

Elliott Draga – Head of Sales and Marketing

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

Aarhusgade 88, 6th Floor, 2100 Copenhagen, DENMARK

24hr tel: +352 26 26 00 +352 26 26 01 fax:

email: website:

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

tel: +1 (905) 866-8262

43

email: website:

elliott.draga@nisportal.com www.nisportal.com

WHEREVER THEY GO, WHATEVER HAPPENS YOUR MEMBERS CAN RELY ON GLOBAL EXCEL Our 24/7 Directional Care makes the difference Contact Global Excel at corpinfo@globalexcel.com or at +1 819 566 8833

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