By Jerry Yeatts, F390000
FMCA Executive Director
FMCA Executive Director
April 2015
My wife and I have enjoyed watching “NBC Nightly News” with anchor Brian Williams for many years. In fact, I try to make it home from the office in time to catch the familiar and soothing fanfare of John Williams’ composition The Mission, which accompanies the opening credits of each broadcast. For some reason, hearing that theme song and seeing the images of the lights of Manhattan bring a sense of calm to me, even when the news of the day may be disturbing.
Unfortunately, Brian Williams may have become confused between what is fact and what is fiction with some elements of his broadcast journalism. It’s probably natural for us to begin believing something that we have heard over and over again to be truth when, in actuality, it has been embellished through misunderstanding and misinformation.
I recently received a communication titled “Dare to Compare,” which compares FMCA’s association-paid FMCAssist medical evacuation and repatriation program to a program offered by another company. The flier was presented in such a way as to give the appearance that the FMCAssist benefit, which is included with your annual FMCA membership dues, is something less valuable than a voluntary program costing you hundreds of dollars per year. The company attempted to diminish an excellent complimentary program provided to you as a member of FMCA rather than to promote the advantages of purchasing its product.
While many pages of print have been devoted to describing the FMCAssist program to you in the past few months, please allow me to more fully explain some key advantages of this program and to address the assertions made by the other company. After that, I hope you will be able to judge for yourself the true value of this benefit.
FMCAssist is provided by Seven Corners, a company based in Carmel, Indiana, that has been in existence since 1993. It is considered one of the most experienced international travel health insurance, trip insurance, and specialty benefit management companies in the industry, illustrated by an A+ rating through the Better Business Bureau. This is an insurance policy underwritten by Lloyd’s of London, a pioneer in the insurance industry, with more than 325 years of experience, and a reputation as the world’s leading market for specialist insurance.
“Dare To Compare” Questions 1 & 2: Transport MUST be medically necessary. And, Transport will be to your HOME hospital by whatever means necessary, including medically equipped and staffed air ambulance. Yes or No?
As one compares the programs, the benefits seem to be essentially the same. The flier raises the question about transporting the member and states that with FMCAssist, it MUST be medically necessary.
With regard to the FMCAssist policy, if the insured receives treatment at a local medical facility as a result of an emergency medical evacuation and his/her medical condition warrants transportation with a qualified medical attendant to his/her home country (permanent home and fixed establishment) to obtain further medical treatment or to recover, the policy will pay for it, using the most direct and economic route.
If you study all the programs related to medical evacuation, you most likely will find that the provider wants to make sure you are stable before being transported. Most programs state that a medical director will consult with the attending physician prior to any transportation. In the case of the other company, the verbiage in its Member Services Agreement states that the “member services director in consultation with the Member’s attending physician will certify the need for emergency air evacuation.”
“Dare To Compare” Question 3: Return of grand/great grandchildren is covered when traveling with you without their parents. Yes or No?
The FMCAssist policy defines “dependent” as “the FMCA member’s unmarried children from birth and under age 19; or under age 27 if enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited college, university, or vocational or technical school; and children whose support is required by a court decree. Children include natural children, stepchildren, legally adopted children, or adult children with mental or physical disabilities. The children must be primarily dependent on the member for support and maintenance. This plan shall also cover the member’s grandchildren when traveling with the member in the motor coach.”
Under the Member Services Agreement of the other company, “‘Eligible Family Member’ means (i) an unmarried natural or adopted child of the Primary Member or Companion Member who is either (a) under nineteen (19) years of age; (b) under twenty-four (24) years of age and a full-time student at an accredited college or university; or (c) mentally or physically handicapped, incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of such handicap, and substantially dependent upon the Primary Member or Companion Member for support and maintenance; or (ii) a grandchild of the Primary Member or Companion Member who (a) is under eighteen (18) years of age; (b) is traveling with the Primary Member or Companion Member grandparent(s); and is NOT accompanied by his or her parents.”
If I am actually comparing the two programs, I see that the FMCAssist program increases the age of coverage of dependents to 27, if a student; and no additional stipulations are placed on children with physical or mental disabilities. Are grandchildren included in the FMCAssist policy? Yes, definitely!
“Dare To Compare” Question 4: Vehicle(s) are brought home at plan expense even if there is a capable driver in your party. Yes or No?
Through FMCAssist, Seven Corners will return the vehicle(s) to the member’s primary permanent residence within the United States, Mexico, or Canada if no other driver is able, willing, or comfortable to drive. It is wrong to imply that the FMCAssist plan, or any plan, for that matter, will condition the benefit to require someone to do something they are unwilling or unable to do. If there is not a person capable and willing to drive the RV, the plan will pay for the return of the vehicle. If the member would like a family member or friend to drive the vehicle, Seven Corners will arrange and pay for transportation of that person to the location of the vehicle and will reimburse the member for gas and tolls during the return. In addition, the plan will provide a $100-per-day benefit, up to a maximum of five days, for incidental expenses while driving. The maximum total expenses permitted per incident is $5,000.
“Dare To Compare” Question 5: A bedside visitor is brought to you even if you are not traveling alone. Yes or No?
According to Seven Corners, “bedside visitor” is defined as follows: “When Emergency Medical Evacuation or Repatriation is ordered and the attending physician recommends that a family member travel with the member, Seven Corners will provide transportation for one individual of the member’s choice to be at their side while they are hospitalized and then accompany them during their return to their permanent primary residence. Costs incurred for transportation and lodging are covered by the insurance policy. Approval and coordination of this benefit must be provided by the Seven Corners medical director in consultation with the attending physician to be considered a covered expense.
By comparison, the other company doesn’t completely address the question that is raised regarding the FMCAssist program. Rather, an attempt is made to define visitor transportation, stating in the event that a member has suffered a critical illness or injury, the company will pay for one round-trip commercial airline ticket within the area of service to send one person selected by the member from a commercial airport near such person’s home to a commercial airport near the hospital where the member is being treated.
Differences
Differences exist between the companies and policies. The competing company does waive the 100-mile requirement if you sign up for the premium program, or if you pay an additional fee. As a consumer, my question would be the value of coverage for ground ambulance or helicopter transport to an emergency medical facility if it is medically necessary due to a critical injury or illness. Since I live in a metropolitan area with excellent medical facilities, I don’t see a need for this premium coverage. If I lived in a rural area with limited adequate medical facilities within a 100-mile radius, this might be more appealing to me.
When does coverage begin for these medical evacuation programs? As far as FMCAssist is concerned, as long as you are current with your membership dues, you will be covered during the contractual time of the benefit. If you have just joined FMCA as a member, you also are covered by this program. There is no waiting period involved, and you will not be excluded from the program based upon pre-existing conditions. In addition, FMCA will not terminate your membership and cancel this important benefit as long as your membership dues are up-to-date, and as long as FMCA maintains this benefit as a mandatory association-paid benefit.
The other company’s website provides the following caveat:
“In order to provide the utmost in emergency transport during your time of need, the company needs to know what specific medical conditions you are experiencing. The company reserves the right to decline membership applications based on medical history. Experiencing any one of these conditions or illnesses are not necessarily causes for declination of your application.”
So, as I “dare to compare” the benefits of FMCAssist to other medical evacuation and repatriation programs, I think having this benefit included in your $40 FMCA annual membership dues is money pretty well invested. I hope you think so, too.
Safe travels.