Group Travel Insurance

A group travel insurance policy is created with an intention to protect a large number of people, who are not automatically a family, while they are traveling. Group travel insurances can be categorized as international travel and domestic travel insurance plans. And a group travel insurance policy can be taken for single or multiple trips depending upon the requirement.

Group travel insurance policy for employees provides a comprehensive coverage for travel emergencies such as trip cancellations, medical emergencies, evacuation, delays and many more.

• Emergency cover – Group travel insurance covers can compensate for expenses incurred due to accident or ailment while traveling in India or abroad. They can also cover expenses such as medical conveyance, emergency travel costs for self and family, medical repatriation, loss of baggage and many other expenses depending on the coverage of the travel insurance policy.
• Trip cancellation cover – There are additional expenses incurred due to unanticipated and last-minute trip cancellation. A group travel insurance policy safeguards all these expenses due to cancelation of the flight including expenses for any pre-paid activity
• Loss of documents cover – A group travel insurance can cover for loss of important documents, as important as a passport – which is essential while traveling abroad and traveling without it is an offense. If your travel insurance covers for this you can get a new passport as soon as possible.
• Disaster cover – A plan that covers damages or injuries due to natural disaster or other calamities will safeguard your business travel expenses. Some group travel insurance policies also pay for every 6 hours the insured is stuck on a hijacked vehicle.
• Less expensive – Group travel insurance policy, like any other group policy, works on distributed risk and hence the premiums are less for a wide range of coverage.
• Hassle-free – Obtaining a group insurance policy is much easier. It involves a lot of people under one umbrella plan and hence, the documentation process and time goes down.

For employees

• Group travel insurance plans cover for medical expenses incurred due to accident or illness while traveling
• Baggage loss or losses incurred due to baggage delays are also covered
• Employees can travel stress-free with a group travel insurance policy taken by the employer

For employers

• The premiums paid for a group travel insurance are low and thus, are cost saving
• The claim settlement process is easy and hassle-free
• Employees on business travel feel relieved when their travel is secured. A good travel insurance plan brings about goodwill and improved productivity among the employees

Below is a list of benefits that are covered as part of the group travel insurance policy.

• Emergency medical expenses
• Trip cancellation expenses
• Loss of baggage
• Loss of important documents
• Expenses due to natural calamities or unexpected disaster (including a hijacked carrier based on coverage)
• Expenses incurred due to delay or cancelation of flights

Note: This is not an exhaustive list, coverages and inclusions vary with policies and insurance companies.

Below is a list that are not covered as part of a group travel insurance policy.

• Cancellation made by the travel agent
• Wars or local strikes
• Pre-existing ailments
• Baggage delay for less than 24 hours
• Sports injury during the travel
• Maternity or childbirth
• Self-inflicted injuries and mental disorders
• Divorce as a reason for canceling a trip
• Detected intentional loss of documents

Note: This is not an exhaustive list, exclusions vary with policies and insurance companies.

Different claims, such as claim due to theft or loss of baggage, medical emergencies, trip cancellations, flight delays and so on, under a group travel insurance have different claim procedures and different documents that have to be produced along with the claim form. Some common steps involve:

• Intimating the insurance company about the mishap as soon as possible
• Properly filing a group travel insurance claim form and declaring all details correctly
• Not missing to add any additional document relevant to the claim
• Sending all the documents along with the duly filled claim form to the insurance company for availing the claim

Different claims under a group travel insurance require an insured to follow different steps. Below mentioned are some of the lists of documents required to claim for a mishap during a trip via a group travel insurance policy.

• Duly filed claim form with signature of the policyholder
• Copy of passport in case of international travel
• Valid identity proof
• FIR copy from police in case of theft and loss
• Booking confirmations and letter stating reasons for cancelation in case of cancelation of trips
• Confirmation letter from airline stating delays, boarding passes and ticket copies in case of flight delays
• Proof of emergency travel, original bills and invoices in case of emergency travel requirements
• Original receipt of medical bills and expenses in case of medical emergencies