TRAVEL

Travel insurance: the case of the Meier’s.

The Meier’s case shows how to save yourself a lot of trouble and money in an emergency.

06.01.2023,
reading time 4 minutes

Off on a long weekend somewhere in Switzerland in the car. Travel insurance can be valuable even if you’re going on a short trip, as you’ll save a lot of money, time and trouble in the event of an emergency. The Meier family is a good example of this.

The example of the Meier family

The holiday home is booked, the car is packed and they can barely contain their excitement: Monika and Pascal are going to Ticino with their two children Joel and Mia. On a walk on the first day, Joel trips on a tree root and breaks his leg. In hospital, the doctor gives a diagnosis of a complicated fracture. It needs surgery. The family cut their trip short and come home early so that Joel can receive further medical care closer to where they live. The Meier family has travel insurance with Generali, including the personal assistance basic module.

What the Meier's should do after the accident

The accident has happened and Joel is receiving initial medical care. This is the point at which Monika and Pascal should notify their travel insurance provider to get support. Their provider is there for them before and during their trip.

Generali’s travel hotline is available 24/7, 365 days a year on +41 848 800 400. Generali’s experts discuss how to proceed with the Meier family:

If necessary, they will arrange an ambulance to transfer Joel to a hospital near where they live. This will be taken care of by our partner Europ Assistance, a global market leader in the field of assistance services.
The Meier family will need to keep hold of documents from the hospital and holiday home, etc. for making a claim later on.

What personal assistance includes

The Meier family selected the personal assistance basic module for their travel insurance. This consists of two parts:

Medical assistance: The family is entitled to medical assistance during their trip in the event of illness, accident, death and pregnancy complications. Costs of search and rescue operations are also included in this cover in case someone goes missing.

Travel assistance: Insurance for early, late and temporary return journeys in the event of:

illness, accident, pregnancy complications, missing persons and death. This also applies if these events happen to a travel companion or relative.
Extraordinary events and transport breakdown.
Loss of travel documents or essential medication.

What really matters in the end

Yes, the Meier family had imagined their long weekend turning out a little different. But thanks to their travel insurance, the parents did not have to discuss financial matters, and were instead able to spend this time with their son who had had an accident. Safe in the knowledge that they’ll receive the best advice and support around the clock when their next adventure calls. 

What does the personal assistance module cover?

Medical assistance

Help in medical emergencies

Search and rescue costs

Emergency transport costs, return journey and recovery

Early, late and temporary return journeys

In the event of illness, accident, death of an accompanying person, transport cancellations, loss of travel documents

Travel assistance

Postponing your trip free of charge

Illness, accident, missing person, death

Complications during pregnancy

Illness, accident or death of your pet

Loss of employment

Exceptional events such as earthquakes etc.

Flight, train or bus breakdowns or cancellations

Medical assistance

Help in medical emergencies

Search and rescue costs

Emergency transport costs, return journey and recovery

Early, late and temporary return journeys

In the event of illness, accident, death of an accompanying person, transport cancellations, loss of travel documents

Travel assistance

Postponing your trip free of charge

Illness, accident, missing person, death

Complications during pregnancy

Illness, accident or death of your pet

Loss of employment

Exceptional events such as earthquakes etc.

Flight, train or bus breakdowns or cancellations

Questions and answers

Our partner Europ Assistance will pay the remaining amount. If you have booked a holiday apartment, the landlord may also be so kind as to charge only for the days you actually stayed there. If so, your travel insurance will not come into it at all. Do note the following, though: take a close look at your rental agreement, because they usually have a clause covering early departures.

You will need to report the claim on the eClaims portal and upload all relevant documents. This might include medical reports, the booking confirmation and trip cancellation documents, including costs, etc. All evidence will then be on file and Europ Assistance will be aware of all further costs incurred. You will be sent the link to the claims portal by Generali.

The cost of your insurance policy depends on the basic and additional modules you select. It also depends on whether you are taking out insurance as a family or as an individual, the price for which will vary.