Archive for the ‘Specialty coverage’ Category

Most U.S. colleges and universities require health insurance for their international students

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Good Neighbor Insurance, www.gninsurance.com, provides international student insurance coverage in the U.S. for non-U.S. citizens studying in the U.S.  Our web page at www.gninsurance.com/students.asp provides many student plans for international students studying in the U.S.

It is not a US. Federal requirement to have student insurance for your students but it can be and should be a financial requirement.  Not having international student coverage for your students here in the U.S. not only is a moral obligation but also keeps the college and university from possible liability concerns;  especially when your international student does not have financial pockets to pay for possible medical bills.   

Today, most colleges and universities either require international students to carry medical insurance, or they are in the process of implementing a mandatory medical insurance requirement. When asked why, the schools have responded with the following reasons:

1.   It reinforces the federal policy requiring international students to be financially responsible.   A medical insurance requirement is a logical and legal extension of this government requirement.

2.   The school must protect itself from medical providers that might look to the host school for payment of medical bills on uninsured or underinsured students, especially for those schools who have an insurance requirement that is not being properly enforced. 

3.   The college has a moral obligation to the community, the medical profession, and its students to make sure the international students can afford the high cost of medical care. Host families require coverage with Major Medical Benefits for liability reasons. 

4.   International students come from countries with some form of socialized medicine and don’t understand how the health care system in the United States works. 

5.   International students are not insured under a parental policy nor are they eligible for public assistance in the United States.  Travel insurance is short-term coverage and inadequate.

Doug Gulleson is one of the two principles of Good Neighbor Insurance, Inc and does enjoy traveling the world to scuba dive.  He travels overseas throughout the year with his underwater camera in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.  Doug never forgets to have his travel medical insurance,  www.overseashealthinsurance.com/short-term.asp, with him at all times.

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Sports travel medical insurance to cover you while you travel to exotic countries

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Good Neighbor Insurance (www.gninsurance.com and www.gnazhealth.com) agents understand the importance of having adventure sports coverage while overseas.  Most travel plans do not cover extra sports coverage.  Yes, the average travel insurance, which Good Neighbor Insurance provides works exceptionally well wherever you go outside your home country.  But if you are planning to do sports while you travel like scuba diving, surfing, flying a private plane, jet skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, windsurfing, or any other adventure sports it is best to have travel insurance that includes these activities.   

There are a couple plans that include these sports activities already packaged into your travel insurance and there are other travel plans where you can add their sports rider for an added premium.  Good Neighbor Insurance provides both types of plans and you may view our adventure sports web page by going to www.gninsurance.com/extreme-sports

We provide four travel plans that include adventure sports coverage:

Atlas international with sports rider:

  • Add the sports rider for 20% of your travel premium
  • No height restrictions on mountaineering and rope climbing

Travel Guard trip insurance:

  • All adventure sports is covered except participation in contest of speed, motor sport or motor racing including training or practice for the same
  • This plan is used as your primary insurance
  • Coverage also can be in the U.S. only or outside the U.S.

BUPA adventure sports travel insurance:

  • Full contact sports covered plus no restrictions on hazardous sports or occupations (except motorsports).
  • No deductible
  • Unlimited medical and evacuation coverage
  • Amateur and Professional sports covered

Patriot adventure sports insurance:

  • Non U.S. citizens traveling outside their country of citizenship with coverage to also include the U.S.
  • May include trip cancellation coverage as an added benefit
  • Coverage period from 30 days to 6 months for non-contact sports

Check out Good Neighbor’s Insurance You Tube channel on sports insurance coverage at  http://www.youtube.com/user/gninsurance#p/u/6/TU2xFPuAFp4 or go to our You Tube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/gninsurance#p/a.

Doug Gulleson is one of the two principles of Good Neighbor Insurance, Inc and does enjoy traveling the world to scuba dive.  He travels overseas throughout the year with his underwater camera in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other but Doug never forgets to have his travel medical insurance with him at all times.  Good Neighbor Insurance provides many different types of international insurance including medical and evacuation coverage outside the U.S.  Visit Good Neighbor Insurance’s corporate site at www.gninsurance.com  and www.overseashealthinsurance.com/trip-protection.asp for different travel medical insurance options that may fit your needs.

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The resurgence of gap-year programs: for students volunteering, here’s a checklist.

Friday, October 15th, 2010

Popular in Europe, taking a “gap-year” off of college to go serve nationally or internationally has once again taken U.S. college campuses by storm. Even major news outlets and magazines have been picking up on the trend, from articles in TIME Magazine1 to MSNBC2 to U.S. News and World Report3.

(PRWeb) October 12, 2010 – “It’s an exciting trend to be sure,” says Jeff Gulleson of Good Neighbor Insurance, who has helped thousands of students serving overseas. “The brightest, well-to-do, but often insulated students from universities in the U.S. are going off to deliver solar power to rural India or to do statistical research on nutrition in Southern Sudan.” It’s now becoming so popular that some universities are actually encouraging students to defer matriculation.

But what should you know before informing your family and packing your bags?

  1. Consider why you are volunteering overseas.

Is it to practice your expertise/skills, take a break from study, or discover if you want to remain in your major? Trying to pad your resume? Trying to save on tuition? Realize that volunteering overseas isn’t much of a break from tuition costs, and you could work a year at home to help pay next year’s tuition.

  1. Look for reputable help and advice either online or at your campus. (Many Gap-Year sites are geared towards Europeans. If you are a U.S. student, some things may/may not apply.)
  2. Consider your budget. Be realistic and try to avoid using credit.
  3.  Buy good travel/health insurance. Most U.S.-based health insurance policies will not cover you overseas, and do not cover medical evacuation or cancelled flights, let alone bungee jumping or getting stepped on by an elephant. For the small cost, it doesn’t make sense to go without it. Good Neighbor Insurance4 is a reputable broker that helps students and others whether they plan to visit multiple countries or do some adventure travel along the way.
  4. Protect your health. The Telegraph newspaper5 and other online sources,6 including the internationally recognized book Where There is No Doctor7 offer advice to keep you from getting sick or can help mitigate the symptoms when you are far from a good hospital8.
  5.  Learn as much as you can, listen as much as you can, be as sensitive as you can. Nothing is worse than a 20-year-old “know-it-all” telling locals how to tie a knot. Or organize a community. Or work their way out of poverty.
  6. Decompress and debrief9 when you get back home. Don’t immediately jump back into school. Talk to a trusted and wise friend. Consider where you struggled and have grown, as well as what you most enjoyed.

A Gap Year can be a great opportunity for students (especially from the U.S. that often are far removed from the complexities and struggles of the third-world) to serve selflessly and expand their knowledge in a way that few other experiences can match. While they may not be for everyone, a Gap Year can improve your leadership and communication skills while improving the world. Or a single child’s life in the nation of Belize.

About Good Neighbor Insurance

Jeff Gulleson established Good Neighbor Insurance in 1997 to provide global health and life insurance services after working with an NGO for 30 years in Indonesia.

GNI uses their expertise to help clients find good, cost-effective international health, travel, and life insurance while providing caring service based on integrity. The company serves students traveling overseas, short-term teams, aid organizations, foreign and domestic corporations, universities, and volunteers both from the U.S. and abroad.

With knowledgeable staff that have lived and worked for extended periods overseas, GNI has the expertise to counsel individuals, families, and groups on their international insurance needs.

Contact Information

For more information, contact Jeff Gulleson at Good Neighbor Insurance, Toll Free: 866-636-9100 or in Phoenix, AZ: 480-813-9100

Good Neighbor Insurance, 690 E. Warner Rd., Ste. 117, Gilbert, AZ  85296, USA  info@GNInsurance.com

http://www.gninsurance.com

SOURCES:

  1. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2015783,00.html
  2. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24260521
  3. http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/best-colleges/2010/08/16/the-lure-of-the-gap-year.html
  4. www.GNInsurance.com
  5. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hubs/gapyear/7956096/Ten-tips-to-keep-the-doctor-away.html
  6. http://www.gninsurance.com/medical_advice.asp
  7. http://www.hesperian.org/publications_download_wtnd.php
  8. http://ezinearticles.com/search/?q=best+hospitals
  9. http://www.globalconnections.co.uk/OneStopCMS/Core/CrawlerResourceServer.aspx?resource=db2f33aa30e044ff922ae264082ef5d9&mode=link&guid=c363a4a7555144f6b3c85d3db066fa3e
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International sports insurance covers everything from kayaking to mountain climbing

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Each summer Good Neighbor Insurance, www.gninsurance.com/extreme-sports/ , provides travel and health insurance for sports teams on good-will assignments overseas.  This year, we will insure soccer teams going to Japan, Mexico, Bahamas and the Czech Republic.

We also help individuals find sports insurance that covers their adventure sport. Travelers who bungee jump, jet ski, rock climb, sky dive, scuba, paraglide and do other hazardous sports need the protection of extreme sports insurance.  You may want to watch our video at www.gninsurance.com/video-library.asp explaining this.

Sports insurance covers such things as:

  • In-country hospital and doctor fees
  • Medical evacuation
  • The return of the body back home should someone die
  • A bed-side visit by a friend or family member

Insurance companies have different exclusions for what they won’t cover. BUPA adventure sports travel insurance covers full contact sports, but not motorsports. ATLASwww.gninsurance.com/extreme-sports/ , sports coverage is good for mountaineering and rope climbing because it has no height restrictions. PATRIOT EXTREME offers sports coverage for international trips from 30 days to 3 months.

Fees are conditioned by age, length of stay and the nature of the sport. 

Doug Gulleson loves to scuba dive overseas. He makes sure he always takes his credit card AND international travel insurance policy. Visit Good Neighbor Insurance and view the BUPA plans at http://www.onlineglobalhealthinsurance.com/short-term/sports-coverage.asp  for your next overseas trip and to get a free quote.

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Tips From a Wise Man (My Father) for the Over 65 International Traveler

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Before he took on the challenge of a second career when others were retiring, my father traveled extensively around the world. He is now in his 70′s. He’s picked up a thing or two about travel for those over 65, which I share with you.

First, did you know that Medicare won’t cover most medical expenses outside the United States?

Let’s say you want to rock-climb in Italy, rebuild in Haiti, and whale watch in Norway. Medicare offers few benefits beyond the United States’ border. Medicaid offers nothing. Medicare Part D coverage for prescriptions also stops at the border.

Therefore, remember to bring all the medication you need with you in their original bottles, along with a letter from your doctor explaining your need for them. This includes over-the-counter medication.

Second, if you have a medical emergency while outside the USA, the State Department cannot pay to bring you home. Proper medical evacuation costs tens of thousands of dollars even from nations close to the USA. Beyond the border neither Congress nor the President can be of much help when natural disasters or political upheavals strike.

The third thing to keep in mind is that there are insurance plans that specifically cater to older travelers. Travelers with many different pre-existing conditions can be covered up to age 84. Now that’s great news.

With travel insurance you will get:

  1. A call-collect phone number that you can call 24/7
  2. Access to board certified medical personnel
  3. Medical evacuation, if you need it
  4. Reimbursement for travel delay, lost baggage, and health care costs

And you may be surprised to know that international travel insurance is rather inexpensive. Rates vary from $1.50 to $6.00 per day depending on age and benefits.

Travel Insurance from Good Neighbor Insurance is a simple and an inexpensive way to make sure you are covered for any medical emergencies.

Doug Gulleson loves to scuba dive overseas and he makes sure he always takes his Amex card AND international travel insurance policy. Visit Good Neighbor Insurance at www.gninsurance.com for your next overseas trip and get a FREE quote. Or call us at 480 813 9100.

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