As global mobility accelerates, travel insurance is being forced to rethink not just coverage limits, but how technology orchestrates the care and service journey during a trip. Telemedicine, once positioned as convenience, is increasingly functioning as a first point of clinical contact within integrated digital platforms that centralise assistance, documentation and claims.

For brokers and insurers, the relevance of this shift lies in meeting traveller expectations while improving cost control and operational efficiency by structuring care pathways for high-frequency, low-acuity medical events.

Predictable health needs, recurring friction points

Travel medicine data shows that a significant share of travel-related medical issues are non-emergencies, including gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory infections, mild fevers, skin reactions and urinary tract infections. While rarely severe, these issues are disruptive and, when access to care is unclear, often lead travellers to emergency rooms or private clinics, driving higher costs and friction.

“For brokers, these moments are critical: they influence client perception of coverage value and, ultimately, trust in the recommendation,” David Rendall, CEO and President of VUMI Group.

From telemedicine to digital-first care pathways

When telemedicine is positioned as the first step in the medical journey and supported by intuitive digital tools, including those in VUMI’s Travel VIP App, it becomes more than a point solution. It functions as a clinical triage mechanism, resolving minor conditions early while ensuring appropriate escalation for more serious cases.

From a distribution and service perspective, this model offers clear advantages:

• Immediate access to qualified medical guidance

• Fewer unnecessary in-person consultations

• Greater consistency and predictability in claims behaviour.

For brokers managing frequent travellers or corporate accounts, predictability and simplicity are often as important as coverage breadth.

The critical differentiator: local prescription capability

Not all telemedicine solutions deliver the same outcomes. Services limited to medical advice often require a second in-person visit to obtain prescriptions, undermining convenience and increasing claim severity.

Models that enable local prescription issuance and integrate telemedicine with provider search, geolocation, digital documentation and claims submission complete the care cycle in one journey.

This approach is particularly effective in managing high-volume, low-severity cases, where resolution is critical.

Within VUMI Travel VIP, telemedicine operates as part of a broader digital ecosystem. Through its mobile application, travellers can access telemedicine, locate nearby providers via geolocation and manage documentation and claims independently, reducing unnecessary touch points and burden.

Telemedicine, once positioned as convenience, is increasingly functioning as a first point of clinical contact

When experience and performance align

The impact of this approach extends beyond service perception. Travel VIP data shows that promoting telemedicine as a first point of care, supported by digital self-management tools, produced measurable outcomes in 2025 compared to 2024:

• More than 22% reduction in total claims cost

• Approximately 20% improvement in loss ratio

• Reduced incidence of high-frequency, low-severity claims. For brokers, these outcomes point to product stability and sustainability in increasingly competitive markets.

Implications for brokers and insurers

Telemedicine, when embedded within a robust digital ecosystem, evolves into a relationship and risk-management tool. Empowering travellers with clear digital pathways improves satisfaction while supporting sustainable economics and product design.

As travel continues to rebound, digitalfirst models like Travel VIP demonstrate how thoughtful technology investment can deliver better traveller experiences and stronger outcomes for the businesses that insure them.