Group Travel Insurance for Your Employees Abroad

Group Travel Insurance Plans – An Overview

It’s essential to sign up for travel insurance before heading out on any trip. But what if you’re traveling with a group of people? Perhaps your company is attending a work conference, your employees frequently travel to foreign locations throughout the year, you run a mission group and are arranging a service project abroad, or your church members are planning an overseas volunteer trip. For group travel, whether with employees, friends, or people you share a common interest with, it’s possible to purchase group travel insurance plans. However, to qualify for one of these plans, you need a large enough group of travelers, usually five or more people.

Travel insurance covers short-term trips of less than a year in duration. If your trip lasts longer than that, an individual international health insurance plan will better fit your needs.

What Are the Different Types of Travel Plans for Companies or Groups?

There are different basic types of travel insurance, including:

Travel medical insurance will handle the costs of medical care if you become ill or injured during your journey.
Medical evacuation insurance will cover the transport costs from your destination back to your home country in medical emergencies.
Extreme sports travel medical insurance is necessary for travelers who enjoy skiing, scuba diving, or even snorkeling.
Business Travel and Accident, or BTA, plans are specialty plans customized for larger groups with specific needs.

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Offering group plans for international health, life and travel
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What Additional Benefits Should Be Included in a Corporate Travel Plan?

Business Travel and Accident (BTA) insurance plans fill gaps in coverage and benefits for groups of employees, volunteers, or other trip participants while they are traveling abroad. They offer a range of important insurance benefits, services, and resources in a single plan.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage
Emergency Evacuation, Repatriation, and Medical Transportation
Security Evacuation in the event of political unrest or a natural disaster
Benefits for spouses and dependents while traveling on business with an insured employee
24/7 access to medical and travel assistance services
Travel Intelligence App that provides a hotline for travel assistance and alerts about local medical, security, and travel-related concerns
Telemedicine services for remote access to qualified medical and emergency personnel

Some plans offer optional benefits that provide additional coverage for disability, rehabilitation, mortgage assistance, liability, workplace violence, post-traumatic stress, childcare, and much more.

How are Group Travel Plans Different from Individual Plans?

Most group travel insurance policies offer the same level of coverage to everyone on the policy, though every traveler will receive their own insurance card. You might not have the option to adjust your level of coverage to include something like trip cancellation coverage or extreme sports coverage. And even if you can adjust the policy to include extra coverage, one person’s needs could affect everyone’s policy. For example, if one person wants to go cliff diving during your trip, you could end up paying for a plan that covers extreme sports for everyone.

Yet some plans offer the flexibility of individual add-ons. In that case, the traveler who wants extra insurance, such as a policy that includes trip cancellation coverage, could independently purchase a rider with that coverage.

Though each traveler will have the same level of coverage, each person is covered separately. They will have policy limits and deductibles and file their own claims. You don’t need to worry that one accident will use up every traveler’s medical expense coverage.

Because everyone in the group will either have the same plan or need to buy individual insurance riders, you should discuss personal needs before purchasing coverage. Individual travel insurance plans may be a better option if a group’s needs are too different. When do you need group travel insurance? One of our licensed brokers would be happy to help you figure out if your situation is better suited for group trip insurance or if individual travel policies are the better choice.

Global Benefits for Organizations

Offering group plans for international health, life and travel
Request a quote from the leading insurers around the globe
A licensed agent will provide quotes and expert advice

Get a Group Quote

Is It Better to Buy Travel Insurance as a Group or Individually?

One reason travelers prefer group travel insurance plans is convenience. Your group must only complete one application to get coverage for all participants. A simple one-time application process saves time for everyone going on the trip.

Buying group coverage can sometimes deliver better prices than individual plans. This is particularly true if there are seniors traveling in your group, as they won’t have to pay individual insurance rates that are based on age. Yet because some group plans have age limits, you’ll need to make sure you select a plan that will cover everyone in your group.

Another benefit of a group travel plan is that everyone on the trip will know which insurance company to contact if necessary. Imagine if someone you’re traveling with falls down and needs medical care—without group travel insurance, you might have to desperately search for the injured person’s insurance card to know where they can get medical care. With group travel insurance, everyone will know the insurance company to contact if there’s an accident because it will be on every traveler’s personal travel insurance card.

Last but not least, you can tailor your benefits to fit the activities on your group trip. For example, if your family reunion includes a day of parasailing, you can opt for extreme sports travel insurance. If you’re heading to a destination wedding with older family members who have ongoing medical needs, you might choose a plan with a higher level of medical coverage, as well as medical evacuation coverage.

Group Trip Insurance Isn’t Always the Right Choice

Group travel insurance offers many benefits. However, it isn’t always the right choice for all groups. Remember, you need a big group, usually with five or more people who are traveling together during every step of the trip. Your group members must also fit any nationality and age requirements that a group trip insurance policy may have.

Another thing to remember is that overall, there’s less flexibility in coverage with group plans. If someone in the group wants medical evacuation or trip cancellation coverage when other group members don’t, it might be better for each traveler to purchase an individual plan that suits their needs.

Are you unsure about whether your group members should sign up for individual travel insurance or group travel insurance? Reach out to one of our licensed brokers. We will help you find the best group travel insurance or individual travel insurance plans for your upcoming trip!

How Can I Buy Travel Insurance for a Group?

You become eligible for a plan when you have a large group — generally five people or more. In smaller groups, each individual traveler should buy his or her own travel insurance policy. Larger groups may have the option to customize a plan to meet their specific needs.

Another requirement for group trip insurance is that your group must travel together for each trip step. If Aunt Maria is flying in a few days late for the big family reunion, or if one couple wants to join the group whitewater rafting trip for just a weekend, they won’t be eligible for coverage.

Some group travel plans require that every group member be of the same nationality. There are also age limits on some group travel plans, so groups with seniors may have to look to individual travel insurance to get covered.

Request Quotes Today!

If you’re ready to get group insurance for an upcoming trip, Request a Group Quote. We have licensed brokers who can gather quotes to give your organization the best coverage and rates.

Global Benefits for Organizations

Offering group plans for international health, life and travel
Request a quote from the leading insurers around the globe
A licensed agent will provide quotes and expert advice

Get a Group Quote

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Author: Andrew Blomberg is the Vice President of Global Benefits at �鶹��ýAV. Andrew is a licensed insurance broker with expertise in the areas of international group travel, global health, life, and disability insurance. Having worked and traveled throughout the world, he has the experience to provide personal insight along with his industry knowledge. Andrew is dedicated to providing group benefits to organizations, large and small, for today's global workforce. Connect with him on .