Headline News

Woman making purchase on credit card in cafe

Nearly three in four customers use credit to pay for insurance policies

New research from Premium Credit has found that over the past year use of credit rose for almost all of the types of insurance it monitors

Ferry arrives at the port of Santorini Island, Greece. Blue sea and the blue sky with clouds

The 2025 cruise craze: boomers, Europe, and rising demand for travel protection

Squaremouth breaks down cruiser behaviour, demographics and top travel insurance cruise tips

Kenya launches new digital nomad visa

The government of Kenya has announced a new visa for digital nomads, allowing them to live and work in the country

Florida hurricane, palm trees in strong wind

Tornadoes and flooding: Hurricane Milton strikes Florida

The category three storm hit the US state of Florida with 120mph winds, leaving nearly three million homes without power

Obituary: Colin Plotkin

Industry veteran Colin Plotkin died on 6 October; his funeral was held on 8 October

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Berlin Direkt Versicherung launches new product

Berlin Direkt Versicherung, the online digital insurance arm of HanseMerkur Insurance Group, will offer a new travel insurance product bundle direct to its online customers

Cyber insurance market demand may rise as new threats emerge

Demand for cyber insurance is set to grow amid a spate of high-profile attacks, according to a new market report from Bloomberg Intelligence

Cover-More Europe appoints new Chief Operating Officer

Alp Eldem will be joining Cover-More from AXA – Global Healthcare, where he served as Head of Executive Office

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October 2024 Issue

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Training assistance company staff: best practice in training and HR

Robust employee training is an essential part of onboarding and retaining staff members. Chloe Fox speaks to assistance experts about how they approach training to maximise their team’s potential

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Hospital accreditation through the lens of assistance companies

Assistance experts discuss with Alysia Cameron-Davies the importance of accreditation and its role in selecting facilities for their networks

The perfect match: insurtech and the insured experience

Customer satisfaction and technological innovation are paramount for insurtech companies. Industry experts share with Lauren Haigh the novel digital solutions designed to meet insureds’ expectations

Read the issue

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Industry Voice: Pre-existing medical conditions are no barrier to travel

Peter Norman, Head of Partnerships at OneBefore, tells us about the problems and dilemmas policyholders face when applying for travel insurance

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Industry Voice: Debunking common myths in the US travel insurance market

The US Travel Insurance Association (USTIA) shares with us the five most common misconceptions of the travel insurance market in America

Penfield: new look, same great service

Faz Subhani, Head of International Business at Penfield, talks to ITIJ about acquisitions, cost containment, and their fresh new company branding

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Interview: Dr Abdul Aziz Aadam, Medical Director at Northwestern Medicine

Dr Abdul Aziz Aadam, Medical Director at Northwestern Medicine, discusses Northwestern’s International Health programme and cultivating personalised care for international patients

Aeromedical healthcare innovation

AMREF Flying Doctors tell ITIJ about a recent delicate repatriation, plus what’s next for the business

EURAMI Update

EURAMI October 2024 update

Global medical inflation

New Frontier Group give us their insights on where medical inflation stands, what’s causing it, and what insurers can do

Embracing innovation

Carlos Fernandez, CEO at Big Tree Services, spoke to ITIJ about using new technology, the importance of accreditation, and the Latin American market

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Interview: Erick Morazin

Erick Morazin, Founder and CEO of The Collaboration & Partnership Lab, talks to Michelle Royle about his career, the globalisation of the industry, and the importance of partnerships

Providing assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Oliver Cuenca explores what it takes to provide medical assistance to travellers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Dealing with culture shock among international students

Alysia Cameron-Davies examines the mental health support available for students in crisis

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International funeral service provision

Robin Gauldie explores how the international funeral repatriation industry is adapting to changing times and new challenges

Read the issue

Interview: James Henderson and Sue Williams, Healix

Healix International’s James Henderson and Sue Williams speak to Mandy Langfield about their roles and efforts to mitigate risks for international travellers

Why insurance companies need to charge more

Dr Simon Worrell, Founder and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Chiron International, posits that a minimum price for travel insurance may not be a bad thing

Insuring the Himalayan climbing season

Jonathan Frankham, General Manager, UK and Europe, at World Nomads, runs through what climbers and insurers should consider ahead of this year’s Everest climbing season

A transatlantic challenge with an unexpected layover

AMREF Flying Doctors (AFD) recounts a challenging mission to take an elderly woman back home to the US after a serious medical incident on holiday in Tanzania

Trouble on the high seas

New Frontier Group (NFG) describes how they provided medical assistance to a sea captain as he sailed home to the Netherlands

Assisting and repatriating an injured tourist from the US to Spain

When a middle-aged Spanish woman suffered a fall in San Francisco, Iris Global was called upon to provide assistance

Tragedy for brothers in paradise

After a dream holiday turns bad, Malteser AeroMedical helped in a traumatic incident

Critical planning and precision: the key to successful air ambulance transfers

Bluedot Air Ambulance came to the help of a patient in a high-risk area

Repatriating a schizophrenic patient from Indonesia to Russia

Marm Assistance successfully oversaw the safe transfer of a patient with schizophrenia from Bali, Indonesia, to Russia, demonstrating their expertise in handling such delicate situations

Cauda equina syndrome: mitigating risk for a high-litigation profile condition

Suspected CES in a student travelling in Indonesia highlights the need for a systematic approach to remote management

Crossing borders

Logimedex recounts a complex repatriation from the spectacular Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, to Mexico City

A breathtaking rescue operation on Mount Ararat

A critical situation in the mountains called for a dangerous and timesensitive rescue mission from Remed Assistance

Embalming a deceased Covid-19 patient in Japan

In March of 2020, Funeral Support Services Co. Ltd. did the first Covid-19 embalming in Japan when a Canadian man who arrived at Yokohama Port on the Diamond Princess cruise…

Repatriation of a patient with a brain injury: waiting for the right moment

Albanian Intercare Services (AIS) recounts the evacuation of a 45-year-old German tourist who sustained cranial injuries after falling from height while photographing waterfalls near Vjosa River in Albania

A psycho-geriatric repatriation from Canada to Ghana

Jet Companion describes a case where a patient suffering from dementia was escorted home on a commercial airline flight

When nausea reveals a brain haemorrhage

TBS Team 24 helped a patient whose simple symptoms of tiredness and nausea turn out to be much more serious

A midnight mission in Egypt

Dr Ahmed Monir, Founder of LGA Group, tells us about a recent rescue from Egypt

A case study in digital transformation

Air Doctor explained how they helped digitise the operations of a leading emergency assistance service

Helping the bereaved through tragedy

Fiona Greenwood, Operations Director at Rowland Brothers International, tells us about implementing change, their emphasis on training, and the importance of communication

A solo traveller’s medical emergency in Lisbon

Redpoint Travel Protection describes how it came to the aid of one traveller who fell ill while in Portugal

A critical repatriation from Saudi Arabia to Canada

UTA Assistance helped secure the safety of a patient when he was struck down with meningitis

Northcott Global Solutions & Athens Assistance

Medical repatriation from Greece: acomprehensive response by NGS in partnership with Athens Assistance

The two companies detail how they collaborated to medically evacuate and repatriate a Canadian yachter who was injured in Greece

A 32-hour sea-level air ambulance rescue

AXA Partners US recollects how they transported a young girl home from Thailand to receive reconstructive surgery

The hunt for ventilators in West Africa

Alliance International Medical Services (AIMS) managed a critical case involving an elderly patient diagnosed with a bowel obstruction, complicated by a cardiopulmonary arrest

A race against time: transatlantic transfer of a critically ill infant

In the high-stakes world of paediatric critical care, some cases test the limits of medical expertise and logistics. This is the story of a seven-month-old infant’s journey from Israel to…

XN launches IPMI MGA using CoverGo platform

The greenfield managing general agent is targeting markets in Europe, Asia and Africa

APRIL International UK launches Easy Pay Card

The new digital payment solution is for clients of the IPMI provider’s UK business, following a successful launch in other markets last year

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Risky business: underwriting medical conditions

Travel insurance underwriters face multiple challenges when developing products that include cover for medical conditions. Stefan Mohamed looks at some of the headaches they face – and potential solutions

Industry Voice: Pre-existing medical conditions are no barrier to travel

Peter Norman, Head of Partnerships at OneBefore, tells us about the problems and dilemmas policyholders face when applying for travel insurance

ITIC APAC 2024 | Tech in travel and healthcare – the next steps

In the final report from ITIC APAC, David Burns from First Assistance and Adrit Raha from CoverGo look at digital hospitals and the use of telemedicine, and examine what the…

Image of ITIC APAC 2024 Session 2 (day 2)

ITIC APAC 2024 | Recruitment, retention and staff wellbeing

Julien Tardivat, Consultant, and Alex Besson from aware24 speak about how the industry is struggling to attract and retain skilled staff, and ask if this can be improved through higher…

ITIC APAC 2024 | Travelling for treatment in APAC

Lily Chen from Essential Benefit Solutions Co, Dr Jacob Thomas from Vmarsh Healthcare, and Barry Iskandar Lim from Frost & Sullivan look at the most popular medical tourism destinations, and…

ITIC APAC 2024 | Medical Directors’ Forum

Dr Winston Jong from EMA Global presented his own case study and also moderated presentations by Garry Robinson, AeroMed Pacific division of GCH Aviation, and Dr Ekkit Surakarn from Bangkok…

Providing assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Oliver Cuenca explores what it takes to provide medical assistance to travellers in Sub-Saharan Africa

Dealing with culture shock among international students

Alysia Cameron-Davies examines the mental health support available for students in crisis

International funeral service provision

Robin Gauldie explores how the international funeral repatriation industry is adapting to changing times and new challenges

Interview: Agathi Kanellou, Medical Claims International

Agathi Kanellou, Managing Director of Medical Claims International, talks to Oliver Cuenca about the work of her company and its subsidiary, MCI Assist

Five AI and machine trends for healthcare providers

Looking ahead to 2025, Cambridge Advance Online has listed the key artificial intelligence trends that it says will change healthcare provision

AP Companies launches GlobalHealth Card

The new product aims to bridge the gap for cashless medical services globally

Checkup uterus, female reproductive system, women's health, PCOS, ovary gynecologic and cervical cancer, Healthy feminine concept

MAXIS GBN partners with Maven Clinic

MAXIS Global Benefits Network has launched a new educational toolkit in partnership with Maven Clinic, a virtual clinic for women’s and family health

Male doctor talking to large group of people on a seminar in a board room

Allianz Partners report highlights critical gap in awareness around chronic diseases

Generational Health Insights report emphasises the need for education and empowerment, to enhance quality of life and alleviate the burden on national healthcare systems