A Year-Long Travel Accident Policy Can Pay Off

Many travelers purchase travel insurance on a per trip basis or expect coverage through their credit card company, but a new Chubb travel accident policy, called Signature Passport, provides a comprehensive range of features to policyholders traveling outside the U.S. for an entire year, including $50,000 for medical costs (with no deductible) and up to $250,000 in coverage for emergency medical transportation through MEDEX, an international travel assistance provider. While terrorist attacks and fear of such attacks may concern travelers, there is statistically a much greater chance of having a run-of-the-mill medical emergency while traveling, points out Peter Spicer, new product manager for Chubb Personal Insurance. Such emergencies can cause greater concern for travelers in remote and exotic locales where there very well may be a language problem or more primitive medical facilities, and that’s where this policy can be particularly helpful, says Spicer. Moreover, MEDEX will pay local medical providers on the spot–other policies only reimburse the policyholder after the fact. The policy costs $365 per year, and is now available in 21 states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas; Chubb is actively pursuing approval from all the states.