Atlas America Insurance FAQ

It is advisable to have insurance from an American company while in the United States, even if the premium for these plans are more expensive. The reason is that while almost all Doctors/hospitals in the United States accept American insurance company cards, they will be reluctant to acknowledge overseas insurance coverage. The medical office can easily contact an American insurance company for clarification, while the same will not be true for an overseas insurance company.

Typically medical offices in the US will bill directly to known American insurance companies. For overseas insurance companies you most probably will have to pay the bill, and then try to get the claim reimbursed from the insurance company.

You should purchase the insurance only after being certain of your travel plans (having the passport/visa papers and the airline tickets in order). It is safest to start the insurance coverage from the date of departure from your native country.

Yes. You can purchase the insurance coverage on behalf of others in their absence.

A month is calculated as 30 continuous days from the start date requested and it can include two partial calendar months.

Yes you can purchase for only partial duration of the entire stay. However the purpose of purchasing insurance is in the event of unanticipated medical emergencies. One can never be sure when such an emergency can happen. Having purchased insurance for part of their stay will not help in the event of an emergency during the uninsured period.

Purchasing insurance online is very simple. From our (compare engine), you can click on the ‘Buy’ button in the first column. This leads you to the appropriate online application form. You have to complete the appropriate online application form and you will immediately receive an email acknowledgement which is the virtual ID card. The coverage will start from the start date as indicated on the form. Within a week you will receive a package from the insurance company, which will include the insurance card and a hard copy with details regarding the insurance plan.

When you purchase insurance online, you will immediately receive a confirmatory email with details of the insurance. This is the virtual insurance card, and it is prudent to print this and to keep a backup of this email. You will also receive an insurance card from the insurance company by mail. This card will have your name, policy number, group number, insurance company’s contact information such as the toll-free telephone number and the address where claims should be submitted.

Some insurance plans do refund money if given enough advance notice, however since travelers insurance is typically for a short duration, they are often not refundable. If this situation is a concern for you, you should look out for insurance plans which are renewable. Such plans are available among the plans listed in our comparison page.

You may initially enroll into Atlas America for as little as 5 days duration.

The insurance companies are rated by an independent standard rating company known as A.M.Best. The carrier or plan administrator company for Atlas America Insurance plan is Tokio Marine HCC Medical Insurance Services Group, which is owned by Tokio Marine HCC [NYSE:HCC] which is rated A++ “Superior” by the A.M. Best Company.

No, you can complete the online application form using just the name of the insured individuals and the visitors passport number (optional).

This will vary for different insurance plans. Some plans allow you to visit any medical practitioners, while others have their provider network. This information is provided as PPO Network.

In the latter case, if you visit a doctor/hospital within the provider network, the fee will be a standard rate that has been agreed between the insurance company and the provider.

However, if you visit a provider outside of the insurers provider network, there may be a difference between the amount charged to you and the amount the insurance company considers reasonable. In this event, you will have to pay the difference between the two.

This information is displayed in the PPO Network. You can also get this information by calling the toll free number of the insurance company or by visiting the insurance company web site. The toll free number should be on the insurance card that you receive on purchasing the insurance plan.

On purchasing insurance from an American insurance firm, you will receive an insurance card with details about your insurance. When you visit the doctor/hospital, the billing office at the hospital will usually make a photo-copy of your insurance card, call the insurance company to verify your policy, and will then bill the insurance company directly. You will have to pay the deductible amount.

n some instances if the medical office has not dealt with this particular insurance company, they might insist that you pay the bill on receiving medical treatment. In this scenario, you would get an detailed bill, which should be sent to the insurance company for reimbursement. ServeGlobe Inc., advises policy holders to visit hospitals with in the provider network wherever possible.

If your plan has a $100 deductible, you pay the first $100 of expenses and then the insurance company picks up the rest. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium cost and vice versa.

Typically, the deductible for comprehensive plans, like Atlas America, is an accumulated amount, and you don’t have to pay the set amount on every visit to a doctor or any other provider or caregiver.

For fixed benefit plans, like Visitor Secure, they work like a co-pay amount and you pay that amount on every visit.

Per incident deductible: You pay the deductible every time you get a new medical ailment (be it sickness of accident related) before the insurance company pays anything. Atlas America and Atlas America from SRI have deductible per incident.

Per visit deductible: You pay the deductible every time you you visit a health care provider (doctor, hospital, laboratory etc..) before the insurance company pays anything.

Per policy period deductible: You pay the deductible only once during the entire policy period, irrespective of how many times you get sick or injured during the policy period.

Annual deductible: You pay the deductible only once in a year irrespective of how many times you get sick or injured during the entire year.

You can call us at 877-778-4562 or email us and we will have the changes made to your policy and have a corrected policy sent to you.

After your deductible is met, co-insurance is the percentage of the covered medical expenses that you, the insured person, must pay.

For instance, if your health plan has an 80/20 co-insurance rate, your insurance plan pays for 80% of your eligible medical expenses and you are responsible for the remaining 20%.

Yes. The application forms are in a highly secure ordering environment so you can enroll in the insurance plans with confidence. The insurance providers use Secure Socket Layers (SSL), for transferring information to process your orders. The SSL encrypts, or translates, your order information into a highly indecipherable code, which is processed immediately. You will remain in this secure zone for the entire purchase process.

The Beneficiary is the person who receives the Accidental Death benefit if the Insured dies in an accident while insured under the policy. Typical examples of beneficiaries are your spouse, your children or your parents.

No, there is no medical test required for purchasing any of these policies. You can buy the policies online any time and get coverage from the same day or a future effective date.

A policy period represents the amount of time you have purchased insurance. In Atlas America Insurance, policy periods can be as short as 5 days and as long as 36 months. For example, if you complete an application and pay for 6 months of insurance, the policy period for that program will be 6 months.

The cost for both alternatives will remain the same, in other words there will be no price differential.

The main disadvantages are:

• (a)You have to pay two renewal fees should you renew the policies.
• (b)It can get cumbersome to deal with different companies should you choose to buy from different insurance providers.

There are however many advantages of having separate policies. They are:

• This gives you the flexibility to buy different policies for each of them depending of the specific needs of each of your parents. You might want to have different maximum coverage’s, different deductible or different coverage period’s, all of these can only be achieved through separate insurance policies.
• One of your parents might want to return earlier, you can claim a refund for this individual policy which you cannot do if it is a combined policy.
• Likewise one of your parents might extend their stay. It will not be possible to extend the policy for only one person if it is a combined policy.

In many insurance plans, only one passport number per family is required per application. This insured person is referred to the primary insured.

Yes, it is possible to renew the Atlas America Insurance policy.

No, there is no medical examination required to purchase the policy.

UC & R (or Usual, Customary & Reasonable):

UC & R (or Usual, Customary & Reasonable) Charges represent the average or most common amount charged by providers for a particular service, treatment, or supply in the same geographic area. Typically information on rates for procedures is compiled into a data bank and updated periodically. So when a claim is submitted for a plan with UC & R benefits, the insurance company before making the claim payment reviews the UC & R rate and double checks that hospitals and doctors are not billing excessively for the particular service or procedure. Most well respected plans from Blue Cross, Aetna, Lloyd’s, Unicare etc. follow the UC&R schedule.

Acute Onset of Pre-Existing Conditions:

The Atlas America plans offers coverage for acute onset of pre-existing condition as detailed in the plan brochure. This includes a sudden relapse or reccurrence of a pre-existing condition that existed or manifestated in the lookback period prior to purchase of the policy. If a treated medical condition in stable condition, and which is not excluded, requires medical attention due to an unexpected relapse and with no prior advance warning or forewarning by a medical doctor, by way of physician recommendations or medical symptoms. To be eligible, one needs to be below age 70 and treatment must be sought and obtained within 24 hours of the sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence.

The Atlas Travel plan does not offer blanket coverage for all pre-existing conditions which could vary from person to person depending on their unique medical history or treatment record, such as chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, etc. or chronic injuries like back pain also.

The answer is easy. Whether you travel for business or pleasure, international travel involves risk. You may arrive at your destination to find that your luggage with personal items has disappeared. A personal emergency may necessitate your early return to your Home Country. A medical emergency may require hospitalization or even air evacuation. In most cases, your existing insurance will not provide adequate protection for these and other risks. Without appropriate travel insurance, you may be exposed to significant financial liability. Tokio Marine HCC Medical Insurance Services Group has designed The Atlas Series to take the risks out of international travel, so you can have an enjoyable and productive trip.

If you are traveling outside of your Home Country and are at least 14 days old, you are eligible for coverage. If you are under age 65, you may select your Overall Maximum Limit, ranging from $50,000 to $2,000,000. If you are age 65 to 79, the Overall Maximum Limit available is $50,000 or $100,000. If you are age 80 or older, the Overall Maximum Limit available is $10,000. The minimum coverage period is 5 days and the maximum coverage period is 364 days (nearly 12 months or 1 year). You may purchase coverage for exactly the duration of travel outside home country, depending on your needs. The plan is renewable or extendable prior to expiration date of the policy.

Your coverage becomes effective on the latest of: the start date as early as today (or future date) in the case of online application, or the date the plan administrator receives your application with the correct requisite premium amount in the case of paper application, the moment you depart from your Home Country or the date you request on your application. Your coverage will end on the earliest of: the end of the period for which you have paid a premium, the date requested on your application, or the moment of your arrival upon return to your Home Country (unless you have started a Benefit Period or are eligible for Home Country Coverage under the Atlas America plan).

If you are a US citizen, your Home Country is the United States, regardless of the location of your Principal Residence. If you are not a US citizen, your Home Country is the country where you principally reside and receive regular mail.

All benefits, except Lost Checked Luggage, Accidental Death & Dismemberment and Common Carrier Accidental Death, are subject to the Deductible and Coinsurance. Policy Limits apply to all benefits:

Medical Coverage:

1. Inpatient and Outpatient charges made by a Hospital.
2. Charges made by a Physician, surgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist, and any other medical specialist to whom the Physician has referred the case.
3. Charges made for dressings, sutures, casts or other supplies prescribed by the attending Physician or specialist.
4. Charges for diagnostic testing using radiology, ultrasonographic or laboratory services.
5. Charges for oxygen and other gases and anesthetics and their administration.
6. Charges for prescription drugs, for treatment of a covered Injury or Illness, but not for the replacement of lost, stolen, damaged, expired or otherwise compromised drugs.
7. Charges made by a licensed Extended Care Facility upon direct transfer from an acute care Hospital.
8. Emergency local ambulance transport incurred in connection with Injury or Illness resulting in hospitalization.

Emergency Dental:

1. Emergency Dental treatment and Dental surgery necessary to restore or replace sound natural teeth lost or damaged in an Accident which is covered under this insurance.
2. Emergency Dental treatment necessary to resolve acute, spontaneous and unexpected onset of pain.

Emergency Medical Evacuation:

If recommended by your attending Physician, who certifies that Evacuation is necessary to safeguard your life and that Medically Necessary treatment is not available locally, and if approved in advance and coordinated by MultiNational Underwriters, Inc., the Atlas Series will provide the following benefits: Emergency air and/or ground transportation to the nearest Hospital that is qualified to provide the Medically Necessary treatment.

Emergency Reunion:

In the event of a covered Emergency Evacuation, the Atlas Series will provide the following benefits: The cost of an economy round trip air and/or ground transportation ticket for one of your relatives (parent, spouse, sibling or child age 18 or older) for transportation to the area where you are hospitalized following Emergency Evacuation and reasonable expenses for lodging and meals for your relative, for a period not to exceed 10 days.

Trip Interruption:

1. If, after you have departed, you learn of the death of a parent, spouse, sibling or child, or you learn of the substantial destruction of your Principal Residence by fire or weather, the Atlas Series will provide the following benefit: The cost of an economy one way air and/or ground transportation ticket for you to the area of your Principal Residence; or
2. Following a covered Emergency Evacuation, the attending Physician states that it is Medically Necessary for your return to your Home Country or to the area from which you were initially evacuated for continued treatment, recuperation and recovery, the Atlas Series will provide the following benefit: The cost of a one way economy air and/or ground transportation ticket for your transportation from the area where you were hospitalized following the Emergency Evacuation, to the area where you were initially evacuated from, or to the terminal serving the area of your Principal Residence.

Repatriation of Remains:

In the event of a covered Injury or Illness resulting in your death, the Atlas Series will provide the following benefit: Air and/or ground transportation of bodily remains or ashes to the area of your Principal Residence, and reasonable costs of preparation of your remains necessary for transportation.

Lost Checked Luggage:

In the event your checked luggage is permanently lost by the carrier, the Atlas Plan will provide the following benefit: Up to $250 for replacement of clothes and personal hygiene items, not to exceed $50 for any one item. You must file a formal claim with the transportation provider and provide the Plan Administrator with copies of all claim forms and proof that the transportation provider has paid you its normal reimbursement for the lost checked luggage.

Accidental Death and Dismemberment:

In the event of your Accidental Death (except while traveling on a common carrier) or Dismemberment resulting from a covered Injury, the Atlas Series will provide the following benefit:

1. Accidental Death – Principal Sum of $25,000 to the Beneficiary designated on your Application. The Principal Sum shall reduce by 50% (to $12,500) if you are age 70 to 74 at time of Death, and an additional 50% (to $6,250) if you are age 75 or older at time of Death.
2. Accidental Dismemberment
   a. Loss of 2 eyes or 2 or more limbs — Principal Sum of $25,000 to you.
   b. Loss of 1 eye or limb – One-half of the Principal Sum ($12,500) to you.
   c. The Principal Sum(s) shall reduce by 50% if you are age 70 to 74 at time of Dismemberment, and an additional 50% if you are age 75 or older at time of Dismemberment.
3. The Accidental Death Dismemberment benefit is deleted during participation in a hazardous sport

Common Carrier Accidental Death:

In the event of your accidental death while traveling on board a commercial common carrier, the Atlas Series will provide the following benefit: Principal Sum of $50,000 to the Beneficiary designated on your Application

Return of Minor Child(ren):

If you are the only person age 18 or older, traveling with one or more Minor Children under the age of 18, who are also covered by the Atlas Series, and you are Hospitalized for treatment of a covered Illness or Injury, resulting in the child(ren) being left unattended for a period of time expected to exceed 36 hours, the Atlas Series will provide the following benefit: The cost of a one way economy air and/or ground transportation ticket for each covered Minor Child to the terminal serving the area of Principal Residence of each covered Minor Child.

Atlas Travel Assistance Services:

The following Travel Assistance Services are available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while your Atlas plan is in effect.
Pre-Trip Health and Safety Advisories (available after your purchase of the Atlas Series, and before your departure) – call us for current passport, visa, inoculation and vaccine requirements, as well as up-to-date travel safety advisories.
Livetravel Services – we will make emergency travel and itinerary changes for you including rebooking flights, hotel reservations and ground transportation arrangements.
BagTrak – we are the industry leaders in tracking lost baggage. We will help you locate your lost baggage, and deliver it to you anywhere in the world.
Emergency Message Relay – we will relay messages to your family, friends and co-workers, helping you to maintain contact during an emergency.
Emergency Cash Transfers – we will assist you in arranging and obtaining cash transfers anywhere in the world.

Other important Atlas Travel Assistance Services include:

• Medical referrals
• Up-to-the-minute travel medical advisories
• Assistance with prescription drug replacement
• Dispatch of a doctor or specialist
• Emergency travel arrangements for family members
• Lost passport or travel documents assistance
• Embassy and consulate referrals
• Legal and accounting referrals
• Bail bond assistance
• Translation and interpretation assistance

Atlas Travel Assistance Services are not insurance benefits and provision of any Atlas Travel Assistance Services is not a guarantee of any other benefit under the Atlas Series.

The following charges, treatments, surgeries, medications, conditions and circumstances:

1. Pre-existing Conditions – Charges resulting directly or indirectly from any Pre-existing Condition are excluded from this insurance, except, if you purchase Atlas America or Atlas International, you are covered for charges resulting from an Acute Onset of a Pre-existing Condition, up to the limit set forth in the Schedule of Benefits and Limits. A Pre-existing Condition is any Illness, Injury or medical condition or chronic or recurring Illness or Injury or medical condition, including any associated complications or consequences, which existed at or during the 5 years immediately preceding your effective date. An Acute Onset is a sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a Pre-existing Condition, which occurs spontaneously and without advance warning either in the form of Physician recommendations or symptoms. Treatment must be obtained within 24 hours of the sudden and unexpected outbreak or recurrence.
2. Treatment for or related to any congenital condition.
3. Pregnancy, child birth, birth control, artificial insemination, infertility, impotency or sexual dysfunction, sterilization or reversal thereof.
4. Mental Health Disorders or Substance Abuse.
5. Not incurred during the Certificate Period or the applicable Benefit Period, and charges which are not presented to Underwriters for payment within 60 days from the end of the Certificate Period or the applicable Benefit Period.
6. Charges for use of Emergency Room for treatment of Illness unless the patient is directly admitted to the Hospital as Inpatient for further treatment of that Illness.
7. Not Medically Necessary and administered or ordered by a Physician.
8. Provided at no cost, or by a family member, or by a person who ordinarily resides with you, or which are attributable to or recoverable from any other party including government sponsored plans.
9. Charges which exceed Usual, Reasonable and Customary.
10. Investigational, Experimental or for Research purposes.
11. While confined primarily to receive Custodial Care, Educational or Rehabilitative care.
12. Venereal Disease, AIDS or ARC.
13. Dental treatment, including treatment of the temporomandibular joint, except for Emergency Dental treatment necessary to replace sound natural teeth lost or damaged in an Accident covered hereunder or for the relief of Acute, spontaneous and unexpected onset of pain.
14. Eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, hearing implants, eye refraction, visual therapy, orthoptics or visual eye training or eye surgery (including cataract surgery and radial keratotomy) or for any examination or fitting related to these devices or procedures.
15. Injury sustained while taking part in the following activities: Amateur or professional sports or athletics, except this does not include Amateur sports or athletics which are non-contact and undertaken solely for leisure, recreational, entertainment or fitness purposes unless such sports or athletics are otherwise excluded by this provision. The following are excluded: Mountaineering where ropes or guides are normally used or at elevations of 4,500 meters or higher. Aviation, except when traveling solely as a passenger in a commercial aircraft. Hang gliding, sky diving, parachuting or bungee jumping; Snow skiing or snowboarding, except for recreational downhill and/or cross-country snow skiing or snowboarding (no cover provided whilst skiing away from prepared and marked in-bound territories and/or against the advice of the local ski school or local authoritative body); Racing by any animal or motorized vehicle; and spelunking; and subaqua pursuits involving underwater breathing apparatus unless NAUI/PADI certified, accompanied by a certified instructor, and at depths of less than 10 meters; jet skiing; and any other sport or athletic activity which is undertaken for thrill seeking and exposes you to abnormal or extreme risk of injury.
16. Injury sustained while under the influence of or due wholly or partly to the effects of intoxicating liquor or drugs other than drugs taken in accordance with treatment prescribed and directed by a Physician but not for the treatment of Substance Abuse.
17. Willfully self-inflicted Injury or Illness and immunizations and Routine Physical Exams.
18. The Deductible, and Coinsurance and charges which are not included as Eligible Expenses as described in the Master Policy, and charges which exceed the policy limits.
19. Treatment required as a result of complications or consequences of a treatment or condition not covered hereunder.
20. Charges for travel or accommodations, except as provided for in the Local Ambulance, Emergency Medical Evacuation, Repatriation of Remains, Emergency Reunion and Trip Interruption sections of this insurance.
21. Treatment incurred as a result of exposure to non-medical nuclear radiation and/or radioactive material(s).
22. Organ or tissue transplants or related services.
23. Acts of terrorism, war, insurrection, riot or any variation thereof.
24. Treatment by a Chiropractor.
25. Diseases of the skin.

This is a summary of exclusions. For more details, or for a complete copy of the Master Policy