Executive Director’s Commentary
By Don Eversmann, F240000
July 2006
I am pleased to announce that the MEDEX PLUS emergency medical evacuation assistance program, a free member benefit, will continue for FMCA family members through the year 2008. FMCA recently purchased this coverage for you for this additional year. This benefit would cost much more than $200 a year if you were to purchase it on your own.
MEDEX PLUS coverage has been provided as a free member benefit since 2001. FMCA believes this coverage is important for providing you peace of mind while traveling. No sign-up is required. You are enrolled automatically by being an FMCA member in good standing with paid-up dues. If you are not familiar with MEDEX PLUS, please refer to page 199 of the January 2006 issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine for more information; click on the Membership channel on FMCA.com; or call FMCA at (800) 543-3622 and ask for a brochure.
MEDEX PLUS covers your need for emergency medical evacuation assistance while you’re traveling in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The MEDEX PLUS program covers the cost of emergency medical evacuation assistance only; medical treatment costs are covered by your traditional health insurance plan. However, when you travel outside these countries, this is not always the case, and many of you have a need for extended coverage. I am pleased to tell you that a program that will provide this coverage is now being offered as an option to FMCA members.
TravMed Abroad Overseas Travel Insurance
FMCA now has a new optional member benefit available for purchase that can provide you peace of mind when you travel anywhere outside of the United States. The new program is called TravMed Abroad.
I am personally excited about this benefit and plan to purchase this insurance next spring for a trip to Tokyo. I recently found out that our youngest son and his wife and their two children are moving to Japan for a new job. I now know that for $4 per person for each day of our trip (for example, $80 for 2 people for 10 days), my wife, Sharon, and I will have peace of mind while we are traveling abroad. This coverage will eliminate financial concerns about potential health issues during visits to see our son and his family.
Because most health insurance plans will not pay directly to foreign providers, nor will they usually cover 100 percent of medical bills incurred outside the United States, TravMed Abroad fills a gap in home health insurance plans. TravMed Abroad is a comprehensive travel medical insurance program for residents of the United States who are traveling internationally and incur a sudden illness or injury.
Following are some of the important features of TravMed Abroad:
- TravMed Abroad offers $100,000 major medical coverage with no coinsurance, and only a $25 deductible.
- TravMed Abroad pays directly to foreign providers.
- Evacuation coverage, not usually included in home health insurance plans, is included in TravMed Abroad.
- TravMed Abroad covers controlled pre-existing conditions.
- TravMed Abroad also offers 24-hour access to medical, travel, and security assistance services provided by MEDEX Assistance Corporation.
For people 70 years old and younger, TravMed Abroad costs just $4 per person per day of international travel. The cost is $5.75 per day for ages 71 to 80 and $8 per day for ages 81 to 85.
To learn more about TravMed Abroad or to arrange for enrollment, call TravMed at (800) 732-5309 or visit FMCA.com and click on the TravMed Abroad link. If you are not a U.S. resident, call TravMed at (800) 732-5309 for more information about a similar program available to you.
Monitronics Monitoring Systems & Services
FMCA also is introducing another member benefit that can be purchased to provide peace of mind while we travel and enjoy our motorhome lifestyle. FMCA has partnered with Monitronics to provide home security monitoring systems and monitoring services to FMCA members at a discount.
Monitronics was formed in 1994 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It is a single-source security company with nationwide coverage. Monitronics has more than 470,000 customers and approximately 500 employees, with $180 million in annualized sales. It is the largest independently owned security company in the United States. Monitronics is the fourth-largest of 10,000 security companies in the United States and provides nationwide coverage through 400 authorized dealers and an established network of service providers.
Monitronics can be your single source for:
- Sales and installation of monitored alarm systems with a wide range of optional sensors and accessories.
- 24-hour monitoring of systems from the Monitronics UL-listed Central Station.
- Conversion of existing systems to the Monitronics monitoring service.
- Customer service and phone support.
- Multilingual and hearing-impaired monitoring and support.
- Private response from participating patrol companies.
Monitronics prides itself on being able to offer customer service in many languages. Its current customer base stretches from Hawaii to New York and from Puerto Rico to Canada.
Monitronics is a leader in service. A majority (85 percent) of technical requests for assistance are resolved on the telephone, without on-site visits or delays. Remote programming and diagnostics are used to minimize requirements for on-site system support. More than 150 different systems and simulations are available to help solve problems over the phone. On the average, only one on-site service call is necessary every six years.
FMCA member benefits of this partnership agreement include the following:
- Reduced prices on a variety of security system packages.
- Free equipment and installation of a basic system; compare to more than $350.
- One-time activation fee of only $69.
- Discounted rates for 24-hour monitoring service: only $26.95 per month for a new basic system; only $22.95 per month for an existing system.
- Lifetime service plan included.
- Easy no-cost or low-cost options for transferring service when you move.
- Over the course of the required 36-month monitoring agreement, the total cost savings to the FMCA member versus other national providers could be more than $500.
If you are interested in learning more about the Monitronics home security monitoring systems and monitoring services available to FMCA members, contact Monitronics at (888) 663-0116.