In September 2022's ITIJ – with the ITIJ Air Ambulance Review

In the September 2022 issue, we begin with a focus on France – the world’s number-one tourist destination and birthplace of the assistance sector. We look in detail at its healthcare system, consider ease of access for international patients, particular challenges assistance and air ambulance companies must face, and the growth potential for travel insurance. The good news is that all the figures point to a growing market for travel insurers with business in France.

We also spoke to experts in the tech sector about how they see technology transforming payments in the travel insurance sector – now and in the future. As investment in tech solutions continues to grow, insurers are clearly open to new ideas and increasing customer satisfaction through offering innovative solutions that meet the needs of providers and policyholders.

Keeping with tech, ITIJ looks at where in the chain of cross-border care provision telemedicine can play a role, such as in pre-operative consultation and post-operative rehabilitation. In particular, we spoke to experts about the legalities of insurers providing such services when the doctor is in one country and the patient is in another – which country’s laws should be observed when it comes to privacy and data security legislation?

Our expert opinion piece in this issue come from ADAC, which centres on the issue of data security for medical assistance providers; interviews with Ruben Rivero, Head of Travel Insurance at Chubb, and Mark Carney, President and CEO of World Trips, round out this issue.

In the ITIJ Air Ambulance Review, we look at the rise of long-range jet provision for long-distance repatriation missions with no fuel stops, keeping crews safe during the pandemic, training for fixed-wing medical crews, and provide a wishlist from air medical providers about the information they really need from their assistance company partners.