Embracing innovation

You are a US-based company, but work globally. How are current political situations influencing how you work, if at all?

Political situations are very important for our activities because there are several factors that impact not only the service but the revenues too. Service in countries where liberty is restrained is basically one of our exclusions. Medical facilities in those countries have very limited resources and it’s not possible to sign providers where the quality is not guaranteed.

There are also countries where there are no problems with human rights, but there are economical issues due to factors like devaluation or inflation. In those cases, medical costs could be very high or very low and we need to be able to be flexible and accommodate our rates to the needs of our client.

On the other hand, stable countries give us other challenges like a battle of prices, ferocious competitors giving commissions to the travel trade or large credit lines to distributors regardless of their sales volume. All of these are handled with care to avoid a loss of quality or reputation in the business.

What new technology is Big Tree Services embracing when it comes to cost containment, why is it so vital, and how can it help?

We are embracing cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to optimise cost containment in our services. These innovations are becoming increasingly vital for several reasons: Predictive analytics for risk assessment By leveraging AI and data analytics, we can better assess risks before they materialise. Predictive models help us analyse historical data, traveller profiles, and travel patterns to identify potential high-risk situations. This allows us to offer more tailored travel insurance products, ensuring that we are proactive rather than reactive in addressing potential medical emergencies or travel disruptions.

Telemedicine and virtual care

Telemedicine is a key area where technology is transforming cost containment. By providing travellers access to virtual healthcare consultations, we can reduce the need for expensive in-person hospital visits, particularly for non-urgent medical issues. Telemedicine allows us to offer immediate medical advice regardless of the traveller's location, avoiding unnecessary medical evacuations or hospital stays. Additionally, we have developed the Big Tree Medical Scanner, which is a digital health-monitoring solution that uses AI and data analytics to provide quick and comprehensive health assessments. It typically uses a smartphone or tablet camera to analyse a user’s vital signs in real-time, such as: heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen levels (SpO2), stress levels by analysing facial blood-flow patterns captured by the device’s camera.

In a fast-evolving landscape of global travel, where emergencies can arise anywhere at any time, cost containment is essential in maintaining affordable insurance premiums without compromising on service quality. By implementing these technologies, we ensure that we can offer our customers the best possible protection at competitive prices. 

How do you choose the partners you work with? Is accreditation important, and how do you retain those relationships?

At Big Tree Services, choosing the right partners is a critical part of delivering exceptional service to our customers. Our Quality and Providers area, lead by Sebastian Ramirez, is highly selective in this process – ensuring that we work with reputable, reliable, and high-quality service providers around the world. Here’s how we approach it:

Choosing partners

We prioritise quality and reliability when selecting our partners, whether they are healthcare providers, assistance networks, or local service operators. Our travellers need access to trusted medical facilities and emergency services no matter where they are in the world. To ensure that, we carefully evaluate potential partners based on their:

• Track record in delivering high-quality care or services

• Ability to handle medical emergencies quickly and efficiently • Capacity to provide comprehensive care, including telemedicine or specialised treatments.

Importance of accreditation

Accreditation is essential for us. Working with accredited healthcare facilities and service providers guarantees that they meet internationally recognised standards of care and operations. We typically look for:

• Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for hospitals and medical providers, which is a global benchmark for quality and patient safety

• ISO certifications for service providers, ensuring that they meet rigorous quality management standards. Accreditation ensures that our partners maintain high standards in medical ethics, safety protocols, and operational excellence, which directly impacts the safety and wellbeing of our clients.

Building long-term relationships

Once we establish a partnership, maintaining and nurturing that relationship is equally important. We do this by: regular performance reviews, customer feedback, claims data, and case outcomes, open communication and incentives for high performance

The Latin American market is becoming more and more important to the industry. Tell us about your presence there and your plans for the future in the region.

Big Tree delivers travel assistance services to Terrawind Global Protection, one of the largest distributors in the region. They have presence in 21 countries from Mexico to Argentina. Also, partnerships through white labels with insurance carriers have been very important for the steady growth of our business during the last five years. Medical assistance is the most popular benefit but we can also deliver other travel and nontravel services like hotels for pets, theft at the ATM, spectator assistance for football fans, ticket event and Tripcan, amongst others.