Travel Insurance Versus Search and Rescue Services

September 6, 2022

Travel Insurance and Search and Rescue Plans: Know the Difference

Travel insurance has been an essential part of safe international travel for many years, but many consumers don’t always understand the differences between travel insurance and search and rescue plans.

What’s the Difference Between Travel Insurance and Search and Rescue?

Travel insurance tends to address things like lost luggage, canceled trips, and reimbursement for medical emergencies. Most traditional travel insurance policies do not address all travel mishaps. They tend to have exemptions and clauses that can void coverage during hurricanes, high-risk activities, acts of war, political demonstrations, and civil commotions. More importantly, should you require the services of an air ambulance, almost all traditional travel insurance policies will not address such costs, leaving customers with a surprise bill.

Search and rescue plans, including Overwatch and Rescue, come without the exemptions that are included with travel insurance policies. This means that should you require the services of an air ambulance; they are included at no additional cost.

Overwatch and Rescue can also respond to war-related incidents, civil commotion, bad weather, and high-risk activities, helping you get home safely. Overwatch and Rescue can address either search and rescue expenses or medically necessary evacuations to the nearest appropriate hospital, either one or the other.

Travel Insurance Versus Search and Rescue: Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions related to travel insurance.

What is Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance offers “coverage,” which is essentially a promise to reimburse the costs of things like lost luggage, medical emergencies, and canceled trips. Should a customer incur such fees, they must then navigate the claims process to recover the costs incurred.

How Much is Travel Insurance?

Many base travel insurance policies cost anywhere from $50 to $100. For premium travel insurance policies, costs are well over $100.

What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

Travel insurance tends to cover the costs of lost luggage, canceled trips, and some medical emergencies experienced during travel. Travel insurance policies do not cover the costs of emergencies related to acts of war, political unrest, or inclement weather.

How Does Travel Insurance Work?

Travelers typically have to reach out to their travel insurance provider if they require assistance. Usually, travelers must pay upfront and out of pocket for emergency medical expenses and then submit a claim to their travel insurance provider.

Search and Rescue: Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions related to search and rescue plans, such as FocusPoint’s Global Overwatch and Rescue (O&R).

What is Search and Rescue?

Search and rescue travel plans such as Overwatch and Rescue offer a response to travel mishaps that are often excluded in travel insurance policies. This includes most high-risk travel activities, acts of war and civil commotion, and inclement weather such as hurricanes and flooding.

More importantly, “response” can include the services of an air ambulance or emergency relocation at no additional cost.

How Much is Global Overwatch and Rescue?

An O&R Search and Rescue Plan is $29.99 USD per year.

What Does Search and Rescue Cover?

Search and rescue plans such as Overwatch and Rescue (O&R) offer a response instead of coverage. This means that should you require emergency services, including relocation or air ambulance services, they are provided without any additional cost.

How Does Search and Rescue Work?

Customers who purchase search and rescue plans such as Overwatch and Rescue have access to a device with a one-touch SOS panic button or a satellite phone to initiate a response. Travel specialists then geo-locate the customer and commence emergency rescue plans to ensure the individual is returned to safety or a medical facility if required.

Travel Insurance and Search and Rescue

Overwatch and Rescue is the perfect complement to an existing travel insurance policy or even a standalone product. It is an amazing offering that is suitable for adventure travelers, remote campers, and those heading off to exotic travel destinations for either business or leisure. Ensure that all your bases are covered, and you will be taken to safety with a comprehensive search and rescue plan, such as Global Overwatch and Rescue.

FocusPoint International is now offering an all-encompassing and life-changing emergency assistance plan for every global traveler and those that like to get outdoors and be active. Building on the fundamentals of FPI’s flagship CAP Travel Medical and Security Assistance Plan, the Global Overwatch and Rescue (O&R) Plan responds to everything from common incidents associated with recreational activities, vehicle, motorcycle, and even snowmobile accidents, to the many hazards of adventure travel in the world’s most remote destinations.

O&R is an emergency assistance plan that includes unlimited on-demand advice, Satellite Emergency Notification Device (SEND)/GPS monitoring, Search and Rescue (SAR) escalation, and fully-funded assistance, including evacuations from the point of incident or a treating facility for those that become hospitalized due to injury or illness, to include COVID-19, and/or security incidents that impact customers during a qualifying event or period of travel.

O&R also includes a robust technology platform that integrates with 3rd party Internet of Things (IoT) and Satellite Emergency Notification Devices (SEND), allowing for seamless tracking and alert notifications to streamline the escalation to emergency response services if and when needed.

Find peace of mind knowing that FocusPoint International’s Global Overwatch and Rescue Plan is there when you need it most.