Family Vacations Tend to Exploit Unfamiliar Financial Vulnerabilities

The summer travel season is winding down. Mom and dad are loading the kiddies into the RV for that almost cliché “end of summer” trek across the country to locales like Yellowstone, Orlando and the Grand Canyon only to return home with seriously drained bank accounts, piles of stinking laundry and some nasty sunburns. But our parents did it, we do it, and we will continue to do it. Why? Because we’re suckers to appease our kids and grandkids? No, not entirely. We travel away from home because of a fondness for lasting memories and the simple truth that it is nice to get away once in a while – to escape from the mundane and usual.

More common today are family holidays to Europe, Asia and South America. Children of the twenty-first century are seeing more of the world, its cultures and histories than ever before. It is a fine time to be an American child.

As parents break the bank and haul the flock to more exotic destinations, many travelers are unaware of how financially vulnerable they become once they venture outside the United States. Most health insurance providers (HMOs, PPOs, Medicare) don’t provide comprehensive benefits past the U.S. border. Benefits for international claims are severely reduced or limited to “emergency only” coverage, and for most budget-minded families, that is not acceptable. Comprehensive medical insurance including medical evacuation benefits is a requisite for any conscientious traveler.

Petersen International offers the USAway International Major Medical Plan for U.S. citizens and residents traveling outside the United States on a short or long term basis. Guaranteed issue coverage is available anywhere in the world, and best of all, the Petersen USAway premiums are the most competitive in the travel medical market. Instant quotes and policies are issued electronically through online enrollment, and customized, corporately-branded web portals are available to any agency or brokerage working with Petersen International.

As an insurance professional, do your due diligence, and suggest to your clients to inquire about the actual benefits and restrictions provided by their domestic health insurers before they take that next family cruise or international holiday. When Americans travel outside the country, there is a definite need for international medical insurance because most foreign claims don’t fall within standard U.S. carrier guidelines. It is important for your clients to remember the great moments of their vacations, not the extensive medicals bills with which they got stuck.