Travel Insurance Information relating to the Haiti Earthquake

The U.S. Department of State has issued a Travel Warning related to the recent earthquake in Haiti.

Travelers are encouraged to visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_4632.html for the official U.S. Department of State Travel Warning.

Following are the released information statements from our travel insurance providers.

CSA Travel Protection | Travel Guard | Travel Insured | Travel Safe | International Medical Group

CSA Travel Protection
Earthquake in Haiti
01/13/2010

A major earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday January 12, 2010, may have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, according to current media reports. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused massive destruction affecting over 3 million people. Certain CSA Travel Protection plans offer coverage for some effects of natural disasters. Customers are strongly encouraged to read their Certificate of Insurance or Insurance Policy for details regarding their available coverage. Travelers flying to Haiti are encouraged to contact their airline for cancellation information. For those CSA plans that do offer coverage for natural disaster, please note that there is no coverage for this specific event under any plans purchased on or after January 12, 2010. Please contact CSA Travel Protection with questions at 1-800-711-1197.

Travel Guard
Travel Guard Offers Free Assistance to U.S. Travelers, Families Affected by Haiti Earthquake
01/14/2010

Stevens Point, WI – January 14, 2010 – Travel Guard announced today that it will provide free emergency travel and medical assistance services to travelers and families affected by this week’s earthquake in Haiti. Services available through Travel Guard include coordination of emergency medical arrangements and evacuations, temporary lodging, cash wire transfers, passport replacement, translation services, message relay, emergency travel arrangements, and luggage tracking for items lost during the quake.

Travel Guard is also coordinating with its network of medical and evacuation specialists and air ambulance providers to monitor evacuation and assistance needs and facilitate evacuations from the area. Travelers in Haiti or their family members are encouraged to contact Travel Guard’s assistance coordinators for travel help or assistance in communicating with family members at home.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all whose lives have been devastated by this tragic event," said Dean Sivley, CEO of Travel Guard North America. "We have a number of Travel Guard customers who are in the area and we are diligently working to provide the assistance they need including medical case management, relaying messages to family members and coordinating emergency travel arrangements. We are also extending these services to any U.S. travelers and their family members who have been affected by the quake, because we feel it is an important part of our social responsibility as a global provider of travel insurance plans and assistance services."

Family members seeking these services for their relatives can call Travel Guard’s 24-hour World Service Center at 866-644-6811. From Haiti or areas outside the U.S., travelers can call Travel Guard collect at 715-295-1209.

Travel Insured International

For people traveling to Haiti, our policy will not cover medical, medical assistance or evacuation if purchased after January 12, 2010 as this was a known event at that time. Travel Insured offers a leisure travel insurance product that is not intended to be used by aid workers or others traveling to provide assistance to inhabitants of a natural disaster.

On Call International, (Travel Insured International's) medical and travel assistance company, has set up an emergency hotline for the family and friends of travelers visiting Haiti, who might have been affected by the earthquake. The company said anyone attempting to connect with family members or friends traveling or living in the region can call the hotline at 800-576-5172. Or, they can call On Call International collect at 603-328-1924. Callers should have as much information as possible readily available at the time of call, including tour operator name, itineraries, hotel information or cell phone numbers. On Call International provides customized medical, security and travel assistance for international business and leisure travelers, as well as expatriates, students and others away from home. For more information, visit www.oncallinternational.com.

For policies underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company:

The following applies to policies purchased prior to January 12, 2010 for anyone traveling to Haiti.

Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption — The policy provides a benefit in the event a trip is canceled or you must interrupt your trip because your destination is made uninhabitable due to a natural disaster within 10 days of your departure. The natural disaster must occur after your effective date.

Travel Delay — The policy provides reimbursement for reasonable accommodations, meal, and local transportation if your trip is delayed for 8 hours or more due to a natural disaster.

Medical and Medical Evacuation — If you are traveling in Haiti and have been injured, please contact the assistance company, One Call International, for assistance by calling collect to 1-603-894-4710. The policy provides reimbursement on an excess basis for medical expenses incurred due to injury. It also provides evacuation to the nearest adequate medical facility for treatment and medically appropriate transportation home. For travelers in Haiti with an effective date on or after January 12, 2010, medical and medical evacuation benefits may still be available if your sickness or injury occurred after the date your coverage became effective.

Non-Medical Emergency Evacuation — The policy provides reimbursement for reasonable transportation to the nearest place of safety or to your home in the event of a natural disaster. The evacuation must occur within 10 days of the event and the arrangements must be made by One Call International. Please call 1-603-894-4710 collect for assistance.

International Medical Group
IMG Alert: (Subject Haiti)
01/14/2010

(INDIANAPOLIS - JANUARY 14, 2010) - Following the powerful earthquake in Haiti, International MedicalGroup® (IMG®) responded immediately and began assisting its customers affected by the disaster. According to IMG, it has been working with customers in Haiti and many are reporting first hand the substantial damage within the country.

"Our initial news is of the mass devastation," said Joseph Brougher, President of IMG. "We have representatives in Haiti and we are working with service providers and military personnel in coordinating medical evacuations of several of our customers that require immediate treatment for life-threatening injuries."

The 24 hour clinical staff of IMG's medical management service division, Akeso Care Management® (ACM®), is assisting those in need of immediate service, as well as working with those not requiring emergency evacuations due to injuries. ACM's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jonathan Hart, has directly dealt with several natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina.

"We're currently working with cases of those severely injured and are expecting to see additional requests from those not wounded by the earthquake, but who fall ill with the ongoing impact of food and water shortages," said Dr. Hart.

The extensive damage from the earthquake has created significant communication problems with those in Haiti. According to Mr. Brougher, "We've been working through the limited communication sources that are available, ranging from social networks to satellite phones. Whatever it takes to get our customers taken care of is our focus right now. As we were during the tsunami in South Asia and other global disasters, we are fully equipped and prepared to help our customers. Their safety is our number one priority."