The Importance of Requiring Travel Insurance Information

In any given year, we generally see several costly medical evacuations and numerous hospitalizations of travelers. Unfortunately, we discover that many people travel without the protection of travel insurance. Some are under the assumption that they are covered by their domestic insurance, while others think Medicare will provide for them while they travel abroad. For these reasons alone, it is wise for travel providers to ask for travel insurance information on a Personal Information Form.

You should ask your travelers if they have coverage for medical expense and medical evacuation while traveling outside the country. Ask for specific policy information including contact phone numbers. When you require an answer to the questions, it should result in their having to investigate their coverage  in order to discover if it is adequate. This will help protect them as well as lessen your liability should something go awry on the trip.

Your travelers will naturally look to you for assistance and guidance since they are traveling on a trip sponsored by your organization. The more you can do to be prepared, the better off you and your traveler will be. If you aren't currently requesting this information, it's a good idea to start collecting it.

If you need help with the verbiage or need a sample form, give me a call at 1-800-937-1387 or email me at linda.witt@travelinsure.com.

Promote Study USA-HealthCare While It's Hot

The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 3% to 690,923 during the 2009/10 academic year, according to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This represents a record high number of international students in the United States. The growth was primarily driven by a 30% increase in Chinese student enrollment in the United States to a total of nearly 128,000 students, or more than 18% of the total international student population, making China the leading sending country. Students from India increased by 2% to a total of nearly 105,000. Indian students represent 15% of all international students in U.S. higher education.

Open Doors 2010 reports 2009/10 enrollments, affected by decisions made in a period of economic downturn in the United States and in many countries around the world. The data reveal a complicated picture of international student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities, with enrollment patterns varying widely according to place of origin and academic level. There were strong increases in the number of students from a few countries, but more than half of the top 25 sending countries showed decreases, resulting in a slower rate of overall growth than had been seen in recent years. Each of the top five host U.S. states - California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois - saw increases in the number of international students they hosted.

Early indications of international enrollments for fall 2010, based on a "snapshot" Fall 2010 Online Survey conducted by IIE in cooperation with seven other higher education associations, show that campuses are seeing similar or higher rates of increase for both new and total international student enrollments compared to the previous year. Of the responding institutions, 52% (350) reported seeing an increase in their total international student enrollments, and 21% (137) reporting seeing a decline, while 27% (181) reported no change from the prior year.

"American colleges and universities have attracted a record number of international students for the 2009-2010 academic year. The State Department, through partnerships with U.S. colleges and universities, has made it a priority to reach out to talented international students, particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds. A global education prepares them to become leaders in their own countries and societies," said Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.

"The United States continues to host more international students than any other country in the world," said Allan Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education. "Active engagement between U.S. and international students in American classrooms provides students with valuable skills that will enable them to collaborate across cultures and borders to address shared global challenges in the years ahead."

Together, the top three sending countries - China, India and South Korea - comprise nearly half (44%) of the total international enrollments in U.S. higher education.

Study USA-HealthCare Renewal Season is Here

It is time again for international students to renew their health insurance plan, so if you have clients enrolled in Study USA-HealthCare, you may want to follow up and remind them to renew to continue their coverage. There is a 30-day grace period after expiration date to renew. Online renewal is quick and easy, and each renewal is recorded as your sale. Plus renewals are unlimited.

If you have questions, feel free to email me at wendy.miller@travelinsure.com.

New Information for Trip Planners, Educational Travel, Brokers, Students, Customers, and More

Travel Insurance Services is proud to introduce new blog topics and authors!

Topics will include travel and insurance information for:

Trip Planners, Associations, and Educational Travel
Linda Witt, who has been at TIS for over 21 years, will be sharing her expertise in the unique needs of travelers and trip planners in the educational travel community. Much of her knowledge also applies to associations that have travel programs or want to offer them.

Brokers and Insurance Professionals, including Chinese-Speaking Brokers and Travel Agents
Wendy Tian Miller draws from 6 years of experience to assist insurance professionals and customers. Her posts will focus on agents and brokers, who can in turn pass important information along to their clients. 

Students and Schools
Kris Lavezzoli has worked for TIS for more than a decade, and she uses her experience to help schools navigate the confusing world of student health insurance so they can make sure their students have the coverage they need.

Customer Questions and Issues
At TIS, we receive lots of questions about all kinds of travel insurance issues. It's important to us that customers understand insurance details and feel comfortable with the policy they choose. Posts from "Customer Care" are another way for us to get these answers and explanations out to more people.

We hope the new topics are helpful to you. Feel free to ask our new authors specific questions by commenting on their posts or contacting them directly.

Of course, we'll still post general travel articles and alerts that you may be interested in. If you'd like to see a post about a specific topic, let us know in the comments!