Insurance

Core Travel™ Insurance Program
Quick Information for Volunteer Travelers

This is a brief outline of the insurance program that is not intended to be a comprehensive description of coverage. Additional conditions, definitions, terms and exclusions apply to this coverage and govern how it responds. For more detailed information, see the document called Frequently Asked Questions about the Core Travel Insurance Program. In the event of a claims question, the policy wording will govern. You may request a copy of the policy wording from the Plan Administrator.

Benefits:

There is no deductible or co-pay required.

Medical Evacuation Unlimited
Repatriation of remains Unlimited
Medical expenses $50,000
Home Country coverage $10,000
Accidental Death & Dismemberment $10,000
Permanent Total Disability benefit $10,000
Dental due to accidents  $1,000
Dental for alleviation of pain $250
Trip interruption coverage   $3,000
Trip cancellation $1,000

 

Upgrade options:  You can add limits and benefits to the Core Plan

    • You can increase medical expense limits up to $500,000
    • You can increase AD & D /PT Disability benefit up to $ 25,000
    • You can increase Trip interruption limits up to $10,000
    • You can increase the Follow-me-home benefit up to $25,000 and expand the timeframe to within 60 days of return
    • You can purchase Personal Effects and Baggage coverage with limits of  $2500 with $50 deductible
    • You can increase trip cancellation up to $5,000
    • You can extend your insurance to cover travel before or after your program, up to 12 months total
      • Extension travel can be in any country except for your home country and/or the USA
      • For travel after your program is over, you must purchase the extension while the program is still going on.  The opportunity to get an extension ends when you r program is over.

For more information about  upgrades, extensions and applicable premiums, see the document called “Frequently Asked Questions about the Core Travel Insurance Program”.

Important Summary Terms and Conditions of Coverage

Medical Expenses.  Covers inpatient and outpatient hospital expenses, including average semi private room and board; floor nursing;, diagnosis, treatment and surgery by a physician; administration of anesthetics; prescriptions and medications, x-ray and laboratory tests and services;  Intensive Care at 2 times the average semi-private room rate;  physician office visits, and physiotherapy.  Reasonable and customary rates apply.

Scope of Coverage.  Coverage applies overseas during international travel while you are on your program (and during any extension you have purchased that has been confirmed by the plan administrator.)  It also covers international travel to and from your program or international terminal.  This policy is meant to cover expenses that can’t wait until you return home, and those not covered under any other source of insurance.
Home Country Coverage.  Also known as “Follow Me Home”, it pays expenses from covered illness or injuries that originate on your program but require continued medical care within 30 days of return.  Coverage does not include new illnesses or injuries you get after you return home.

Trip Interruption.  This covers extra traveling expenses arising from  

  • Family reunion, where a family member must join you because of your hospitalization overseas lasting seven days or more
  • Your return home because of death or serious illness of a family member
  • Your return home early because you have a medical condition that does not  warrant a medical evacuation

“Family member” means your parent, parent-in-law, sister, brother, husband, wife, domestic partner, children, or grandparent.  Consult the FAQs when there is a trip interruption issue; specific documentation, travel arrangement requirements and sometimes insurer approval may need to be satisfied order for the expenses to be covered.
Cancellation.  This covers trip costs that cannot be refunded because your trip was cancelled due to health reasons.  Cancellation coverage can be triggered only by your serious documented medical condition, or the serious documented medical condition or death of a family member.   Consult the FAQs for important details.
Pre-Existing Conditions. There is an exclusion for pre-existing conditions.  This means that medical expenses arising from an injury or illness for which you have incurred charges, received medical treatment, or taken prescribed drugs or medicine in the 30-day period immediately preceding the dates of travel are not covered. There is a benefit of $2,500 available to you for emergency care of pre-existing conditions.

Pregnancy.  There is an exclusion for pregnancy.  There is an emergency medical services benefit of up to $2,000 for medical expenses arising from pregnancy.

Sports. There is coverage for most sports.  Sports that are excluded are mountain climbing with the use of ropes, sky diving, piloting any aircraft, bungee jumping, and spelunking (caving).   Note that mountain climbing without the use of ropes is covered, so trekking is a covered activity.
WarRisk. There is war risk coverage except for travel in the following countries:  Afghanistan, Chad, Chechnya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Somalia and Sudan.  In addition, no war risk coverage is payable in the United States or in your country of citizenship.

List of Exclusions

  • Routine physical examinations, dental care or treatment, routine eye care, or nursery care
  • Mental/ nervous conditions
  • Pregnancy or Childbirth. 
  • Pre-existing conditions.  See definition above.
  • Expenses that are payable by any other form of insurance, including expenses covered by an     employer or government sponsored plan
  • Expenses arising from Injuries or Illnesses that occur in your Home Country
  • War risk activity in the countries specified above.
  • Self-inflicted Injuries or attempted suicide
  • Injuries arising from intoxication or from the use of any drug unless administered under the advice and consent of a doctor.
  • Air travel other than as a fare-paying passenger of a scheduled commercial or scheduled charter flight
  • Active participation in riot, or insurrection or commission of, or attempt to commit a felony, an assault or any other criminal activity.
  • Cosmetic surgery, except for reconstructive surgery needed as the result of an injury
  • Services, supplies or treatment including any period of hospital confinement which were not recommended, approved and certified as necessary and reasonable by a doctor, or expenses which are non-medical in nature
  • Treatment or service provided by a private duty nurse.
  • Treatment by any immediate family member or member of the Covered Person’s household

Insurance Company

The insurer is ACE American Insurance Company.                                                                                                                        

Plan Administration

  • Global Medical Management Inc. (GMMI)  is the plan administrator. They can answer your questions about the insurance program and process your  upgrade requests.  They do not process claims.
  • See the FAQ document for more information about upgrades, including the upgrade application.  Please review the information before contacting the administrator.
  • Upgrade applications are accepted by fax or mail.  Payments  for upgrades can be made by credit card or by check
  • Telephone: 800-533-0168 inside the USA; 954-370-8853  outside the USA—can be a collect call
  • Fax:  954-308-3925
  • Email:  CoreTravel@gmmusa.com

Medical Assistance: 

  • In the event of a medical emergency, call for local medical assistance first.  As soon as possible, contact Core Travel Assistance and provide details about your medical situation
  • Telephone number for Core Travel Assistance is : 
    • 866-690-5111 inside the USA
    • 202-659-7776 collect outside the USA
  • Core Travel Assistance operates in more than 200 countries, many with alarm centers
  • Medical Assistance services include
    • Worldwide medical information
    • Worldwide hospital and physician referral
    • Medical monitoring
    • Dispatch of physician or specialist
    • Emergency prescription replacement
    • Medical evacuation
    • Return of remains
    • Payment guarantee of medical expense
  • Core Travel Assistance must make the arrangements for all medical evacuations and most trip interruption transportation in order for it to be covered by the insurance
  • Up-front payment is guaranteed
    • For hospital emergency admission
    • For outpatient emergencies excess of $100 (traveler can claim that back  from the insurer). 
  • Up-front payment is not guaranteed for non-emergency outpatient care.  Be prepared to pay those costs and submit them as a claim to the insurer.
  • The  definition of an emergency is “ a condition caused by accident or illness that manifests itself by symptoms of sufficient severity that a prudent layperson possessing an average knowledge of health and medicine would reasonably expect that failure to receive adequate medical attention would place the health of the person in serious jeopardy”. 
  • Core Travel Assistance can also provide personal travel assistance services.  These include:
    • 24-Hour emergency travel arrangements
    • Emergency translation service and referral 
    •  Embassy and consular assistance
    •  Lost document assistance
    •  Worldwide legal referral assistance
    •  Bail bonds assistance
    •  Credit card replacement
    •  Lost Baggage assistance.

 

Claims

To make a claim, wend the completed claim form and original medical bills within 30 days to ACE, the insurance company.

  • For medical expense claims,  use the Accident and Health Claim Form
  • For cancellation claims, use both the Cancellation Claim form and the Accident and Health Form
  • For Baggage and Personal Effects claims, use the Baggage Claim form

At your request, and of course subject to coverage, the insurer will either compensate the medical provider directly, or reimburse you if you have already paid the bill. 
Mail claims to:  ACE USA
1 Beaver Valley Road
PO Box 15417
Wilmington, DE  19850  USA
The fax number is (302) 476-6154.  The e-mail address is diane.basa@ace-ina.com.  If you want to speak to ACE about your claim, you can call from inside the US at 800-336-0627 or from outside the US at (302)476-6194.                           
(April 2007)