Headline News

WorldWide Medical and Roy Medical Assistance announce International TPA agreement

Sixteen countries will be covered and have medical assistance services provided

Squaremouth appoints new CEO

Travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth has appointed Rupa Mehta as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Germany to launch Deutschland-Ticket on 1 May

Subscribers will get unlimited travel throughout the country for €49 a month

Spanish insurance industry to be worth €82.9 billion by 2027

Spain’s insurance industry is forecast to be worth €82.9 billion (US$101.1 billion) in 2027, rising from €64.1 billion in 2022

New platform for monitoring business travel emissions

Thomas Cook India has launched ‘Green Carpet’ – a global platform for managing business travel emissions – in partnership with digital solutions firm LTIMindtree

Surging Filipino demand for Hong Kong trips

Klook’s latest Travel Pulse report also found that travellers from the Philippines prefer longer trips away

ACKO purchases Parentlane digital platform

Indian general insurer ACKO has purchased digital health platform Parentlane, with plans to improve patient access to healthcare

battleface launches pet travel insurance

Travel insurer battleface has partnered with pet travel support website BringFido to provide pet travel insurance coverage

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Insights from ITIC

ITIC Americas: Attracting and retaining staff in insurance and assistance

Lauren Gumport and Daniel Durazo discuss the current best practices on attracting talent, retaining staff and employee wellbeing

ITIC Americas: Hospital billing best and worst practice

On the second day of our ITIC Americas conference, Serge Avice du Buisson, Victor E. Navarro and Diane Lynn discussed in-depth the process of hospital billing – both good and…

ITIC Americas 2023 Disaster Preparedness Panel

ITIC Americas: Disaster preparedness

In the second of our ITIC Americas sessions, Jose Marchand, Yanni Jota and Edmund Santiago discuss what have we learned from the pandemic

ITIC Americas: Cruise assistance

In the first of our ITIC Americas sessions, Federico Tarling, Thomas Lescot and Sergio Abril discussed the availability and quality of care in popular cruise destinations

Navigating US Healthcare

The issue of American medical costs has been a poisoned chalice for many a president. Mandy Langfield investigates the current landscape and how new legislation is being implemented

A Peru rescue mission to remember

Dana Ketzf reports on tensions in Peru during December, where dozens were killed in clashes between anti-government demonstrators and military officers – and how PassportCard helped rescue tourists in the…

Understanding the Travel Insurance Model Act

ITIJ rounds up the latest updates from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), alongside expert opinions on the Travel Insurance Model Act

Go to issue

NEW | Air Ambulance Review

Geopolitical chaos: The European response

Megan Gaen investigates how air ambulances and assistance companies were affected by Brexit, Covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Wing-to-wing transfers and the need for strong partnerships

Wing-to-wing patient transfers are sensitive, complex missions – and success relies on partnerships that are exceptional in every way. Air ambulance operators share with Lauren Haigh the crucial considerations when…

Can I get a quote? Providing accurate quotes to clients for time-sensitive missions

Oliver Cuenca talks to members of the air ambulance community about how they provide accurate quotes to clients when responding to time-sensitive missions

Go to review

Interview: Sergio Abril, on Helidosa's commitment to succeed

Sergio Abril, Chief Commercial Officer, HELIDOSA, speaks to Michelle Royle about the company’s 30 year anniversary, their plans for the future, and why accreditation is so vital

Interview: Claudia Schmiedhuber on EURAMI's future

Michelle Royle speaks to Claudia Schmiedhuber, Managing Director of EURAMI, about their latest launch, recent lessons for the organisation, and how to make it in the industry

Interview: Elad Schaffer of Faye Travel Insurance

Mandy Langfield spoke to Elad Schaffer, Co-Founder and CEO, Faye Travel Insurance, about his passion for the sector and why he believes innovation is so important

Interview: Dr Ferial Ladak of Global Excel

A wealth of experience: Dr Ferial Ladak of Global Excel is uniquely placed to analyse the international medical assistance landscape – and the high expectations of patients, clients and members

Mexico – how risky is it for travellers?

It’s one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, but regular reports of violence paint a concerning picture of Mexico. Cathy Hudson looks at how real the risks are

Snowbirds – an opportunity and a challenge

Snowbirds are an important segment of the Canadian travel insurance market. Cathy Hudson takes an in-depth look at this group – and the extent to which they get travel insurance…

The power of parametric - Part 2

Carl Carter, Chief Commercial Officer of Blink Parametric, shares more about its parametric real-time solutions

A new era for travel protection: what's trending and what's here to stay

Jeff Wright, CEO of Allianz Partners USA, on the shifting landscape in travel insurance, growing awareness and evolving support

How Southern Cross Travel Insurance is navigating a new normal

Southern Cross Travel Insurance is looking to take positives from the pandemic, with several initiatives, explains CEO Jo McCauley

Should insurers be wary of medical screening?

Dr Paul Beven, Strategic Advisor at Verisk Life, Health and Travel and Director Healix Group of Companies, talks about the benefits of medical risk assessment in travel insurance

Pushing the buttons of remote control

Digital nomads are here to stay, so insurers need to adapt quickly, explains the President of International Citizens Insurance, Joe Cronin

Case study: Malteser AeroMedical face challenges in Mombasa

As with many cases received by the operations team at Malteser AeroMedical, this case started rather harmlessly, but quickly turned into a mission full of challenges and difficult decisions.

European Air Ambulance case study header

Case study: European Air Ambulance Challenger 605 raises the bar

A little more than a year after its start of operations, Luxembourg-based European Air Ambulance (EAA) is more than pleased with the overall performance of its first longrange aircraft, the…

Case study: Redstar Aviation on a double transport from Turkey and Greece back to Germany

It was early October on a beautiful afternoon at Redstar Aviation’s headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, when the operations centre received a call from a client in Germany, enquiring about a…

Case study: AIRLEC Ambulance transports mass casualties from France to Asia

A single patient requiring repatriation is a challenge in itself, so four at once involves exceptional pre-planning and execution – especially from France to Asia. Fortunately, Airlec was more than…

All things Air Ambulance

ITIJ Assistance & Repatriation Review - October 2022

Travel risk management evolution of technology and skillsets

With a new awareness of travel risks facing globally mobile workers, travel risk management companies are offering new tools to mitigate the perils faced around the world. Mandy Langfield reports

Medical evacuation plans for cruise passengers

Transporting patients from cruise ships to appropriate hospitals often involves a lot of planning and efficient communication between assistance companies and cruise lines. Clara Bullock spoke to both parties to…

Assistance in Ukraine – case studies from security providers

Security and medical assistance firms stepped up to evacuate clients from Ukraine as the crisis escalated and Russia's bombing campaign began

Read Assistance & Repatriation Review

Hospitals & Healthcare news

International Hospital Federation calls for abstracts for 46th World Hospital Congress

The event will take place from 25–27 October 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal

AMII disappointed at lack of tax breaks for private medical insurance in the Budget

Tax relief would encourage the uptake of health cover according to the association

CareHQ extends telehealth service to international visitors

Telehealth consultations will be more convenient for travellers to New Zealand

Orienda International Hospital opens in Cambodia

New facility is in Phnom Penh, with a ceremony held on 6 March

Simplifying insurance with tech and tailored protection

Angus McDonald, Co-Founder and CEO of Cover Genius, spoke to Megan Gaen about embedded insurance and its future in the insurtech industry

Interview: Noam Shapira, Co-Founder and President of Pattern Insurance

Noam Shapira, Co-Founder and President of Pattern Insurance, spoke to Mandy Langfield about his plans for ongoing disruption to the insurance sector

Innovation is the word of the day

Chris Price, Global Head of Travel for SiriusPoint, spoke to Mandy Langfield about the future of the industry, from investment in technology, to climate change concerns and the importance of…

Interview: Volker Lemke, FAI

ITIJ spoke with FAI’s Volker Lemke about lessons learned during the pandemic, and a return to ‘business as usual’ – at least to some degree – for air ambulances

Interview: Sumit Gaurav, Roy Medical Assistance

Sumit Gaurav, CEO of Roy Medical Assistance, shared details about the company’s development and recent activity

marm assistance share their preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is scheduled to take place from 21 November to 18 December, which is the first time the world’s biggest football tournament has been held…

Stepping up when people need it most

Christian Deloughery, an industry veteran currently working for Penfield Care, spoke to Mandy Langfield about his deeply personal involvement and experiences in helping refugees from Ukraine reach safety

Interview: Dr Robert Quigley, Medical Director at International SOS

ITIJ spoke to Dr Robert Quigley, Medical Director at International SOS, about game-changing technological advancements in assistance and extreme weather events