It’s amazing how quickly a dream vacation abroad can turn ugly. We go travelling to experience new sights, sounds, tastes and smells, but travel also exposes us to new and complex risks. That’s where travel insurance truly comes into its own.

Seven Corners travel insurance customers Daniel and Felipe were halfway through a four-month trip to Southeast Asia and Central America, when Felipe contracted a rare stomach virus in Myanmar and was told by local physicians he could require surgery.

Daniel immediately contacted Seven Corners’ 24-hour assist number where he was connected with a Global Case Coordinator who reassured him Felipe would get the appropriate medical care, as written in the Seven Corners Liaison travel medical plan. The plan offers comprehensive medical coverage, access to an extensive network of worldwide healthcare providers, and 24-hour multilingual travel assistance.  

In order to help Daniel and Felipe, the Seven Corners assist team had to work through a 10.5-hour time difference and communicate through a language barrier in rural Myanmar to set up an emergency evacuation. In less than 24-hours, Felipe was evacuated by air ambulance to Thailand, where he was treated in a state-of-the-art medical facility. After being discharged, Seven Corners secured the couple flights home to Canada, where Felipe continued to rest and recuperate.

“This case illustrates one of the most important reasons for purchasing travel insurance – it provides coverage and assistance for unexpected travel issues,” commented Justin Tysdal, co-founder and CEO of Seven Corners. “As a travel insurance provider, our customers contact us daily for help.

“For this case study, Felipe was in an area that did not have appropriate medical care, so we arranged and paid for an emergency medical evacuation to ensure he received the care he needed. Travelers who do not have this type of insurance protection do not have the funds or the know-how to arrange an evacuation of this type.

“In addition, most domestic health insurance plans do not cover you while traveling abroad except for specifically defined emergencies. To be covered, the injury or illness must fit the domestic insurance company’s definition of an emergency, and the benefits typically do not include coverage for an emergency medical evacuation.”

No-one expects to get struck with a strange illness while traveling abroad. In fact, it’s the last thing most travellers think about when they’re excited to make a dream trip. This “lack of knowledge” and expectation is one of the greatest challenges for travel insurers and brokers, according to Tysdal. 

“There’s a large percentage of travellers who remain unaware of the existence of travel insurance,” he added. “And for those who are aware of travel insurance, they do not understand the many ways this type of coverage can help travellers if they need to cancel or interrupt a trip or become sick or hurt while traveling.”

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