• 15
  Apr
  2010

• Major Illnesses May Mean Return of Minors: Travel Insurance Options

  
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Two parents and two kids on vacation (the picture postcard standard) is not the norm anymore. With increasingly busy schedules and the rise of single-parent families, people are trying to get out on vacation in a variety of combinations. When international travel includes children, it is always best to purchase adequate international travel health insurance.

Let’s say Kathy Miller is traveling to France with her grandsons, aged eight and five. Being just over 50, Kathy is reasonably confident of them having a good time, and her daughter plans to join them a week later, in any case.

If Kathy falls ill and needs hospitalization, her grandsons will be left unattended, and this can pose a huge problem, especially in cases when it is not possible for someone to replace the insured immediately. Most travel insurance plans cover the return of unattended minor children to the home country.

The Patriot Executive Group Plan, for example, covers the cost of a one-way economy fare for return to the home country. The plan also provides for the travel of a chaperone, if necessary. The maximum limit for this benefit is $5,000.

Travel Tip: Check with your insurance company what situations call for the travel of a chaperone. Some plans also provide a chaperone by default.