Help me select the right insurance!

[manishc]

Narendra,

After some extensive reading of the site, I think I'm inclined to shortlist the following three plans:

a. Protection America - from IMG.
b. Atlas America - from MNU.
c. Patriot America - from IMG.

I think I've read that Protection America is an enhanced version of Patriot America. Can you please specify what the enhancements we are talking about are?

In your thread at http://www.immihelp.com/forum/showpo...42&postcount=2, you have given a point by point answer to various things about Protection America. However I'm not able to see how those points can help me select one from above three. Can you please be more specific and list the key differences between these three plans. No need to list key points that are similar across all three plans, however please do list any common key similarities that must be kept in mind while deciding on the plan.

In addition to answers to above, I've few specific questions:

1. Can the plan be renewed in increments of 1 day for all these 3 plans?

2. In policy text of Protection America it's mentioned under PPO section "With Passport Protection Plus...", what is this new name here? The same name is used again at end of the Exclusions section.

3. In policy text of Protection America it's mentioned under Precertification section that request for precertification will be responded within 48 business hours. That's pretty long assuming 8 work hours per day. Better if you can mention it instead like how many business days.

4. Atlas America is offering Terrorism coverage without extra charge. However the specific exclusion "1. The injury or illness does not result from chemical, nuclear or biological weapons or events" makes it practically redundant! Any comments?

5. In Atlas America, I'm not clear if the details under 'Atlas Travel Assistance Services' are included or optional.

Now some general questions:

6. I read the desc of concept of coinsurance along with deductible. However would appreciate if you could explain it more as I think I'm not very clear yet on it.

7. Can you answer like 6 above also for 'Benefit Period'?

8. The insurance claim form of all the plans is exactly same in contents except that that of Atlas is condensed in terms of no of pages. Are these claim forms from you, or from the insuring company. If from company, how come they are that same!

9. There is a paragraph in each policy which says like following:

"Even if the insurance provider agrees to bill the insurance company directly, you should still file a claim form to expedite claim process...."


a. How does this expedites the process?

"... When the provider sends the bills to insurance company, insurance company would need to request medical records from the provider which provider can't give until they have authorization from you to release the records. Filing a claim form provides such authorization".
b. I do not agree with last sentence. When we are visiting the provider for the first time, they always get us to sign, amongst other things, a form that allows them to send the medical records to insurance company for the exact purpose that you are describing in this text.

I feel that by asking to 'in any case file a claim form', you are creating unnecessary problems for the insured. And I don't understand why this needs to be done?

Narendra, my post is rather long but would appreciate a quick reply since I need to finalize the decision asap. I know you will ask to call you, but would prefer to see a written reply. I would call once I'm able to short list the selection to just one plan.

[insubuy]

Yes, Protection America is an enhanced version of Patriot America. Please read https://www.insubuy.com/patriot-amer...e/enhanced.jsp

To find the minor differences between those 3 plans, please visit https://www.insubuy.com, enter your details and you will see prices from various companies. Select the plans you like to compare and you can compare them side by side to see the differences. Those are all the differences I would be able to tell you as well.

1. Protection America can be purchased for as little as 5 days and renewed for as little as 5 days. ($5 renewal fee)
Atlas America can be purchased for as little as 7 days and renewed for as little as 1 day. ($5 renewal fee) This feature is available when purchased exclusively through us. (Otherwise, min. 3 months initially and monthly after that.)
Patriot America is not renewable.

2. Passport Protection Plus is the official name of the plan. It has got 2 plans:
Protection America: For non-US citizens traveling outside home country
Prtoection International: For US citizens traveling outside US.

In other words, Protection America and Protection International are collectively called 'Passport Protection Plus'. Please look at official PDF brochure https://www.insubuy.com/patriot-amer...tor-insurance/
and you will understand.

For convenience, we have split that brochure into 2 separate brochures. One is Protection America at https://www.insubuy.com/patriot-amer...e/brochure.jsp and https://www.insubuy.com/patriot-inte...e/brochure.jsp

3. That is specified by the insurance company itself and we have no control over it, or the language it is written in.
Most times, it is done much faster. But insurance company has to officially write some duration just in case there is an unexpected delay.
Many times, pre-certification is done right over the phone instantly.

And so far, I have not heard any complains regarding this.

4. It will cover any terrorism incidents from other than those mentioned. like 9-11, for example.

5. Included.

6.
Deductible: https://www.insubuy.com/visitor-heal...ce/#deductible

Coinsurance:

https://www.insubuy.com/visitor-health-insurance/#coinsurance

You have to first pay the deductible before insurance company starts paying anything at all. Then you have to pay 20% for first $5,000 in eligible medical expenses, insurance company pay 80%. After that, insurance company pays 100% up to selected policy maximum.
Deductible and coinsurance are annual no matter how many times you renew Protection America or Atlas America.

This is true for all 3 plans that you are inquiring about: Protection America, Atlas America, Patriot America.
(True about several other comprehensive plans that we sell as well.)

7. read https://www.insubuy.com/visitor-heal...#benefitperiod

8. They are NOT from us. They are directly from respective insurance companies.

Most of the companies selling visitor medical insurance plans operate on a very similar rules and regulations and therefore the information they need to collect is quite similar.

9. I am not creating a problem here. Just trying to help expedite the process.
This is based on my several visits to the claims department of insurance companies and extensive discussions.

Visitor medical insurance and regular domestic insurance for US citizens/residents work on a different set of rules and therefore visitor medical insurance companies need to get their own form filled out. If you don't send one in, they will send you one before paying the claim.

For US citizens/residents, lot of medical history is available from various sources such as MIB (Medical Information Bureau), previous insurance companies, previous doctors/hospitals, but for visitors, in most cases, no such information is available and the company needs to start everything from scratch.

I don't see much difficulty in sending in this form earlier.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

[manishc]

Thanks Narendra, I appreciate you answering all questions in one go. I think I'm now deciding between Protection America, and Atlas America. Any recommendations on which one to choose?

As for deductibles are they per person or per total policy purchased (I need to buy for my father and mother both). I noticed that when I searched with $100, the premium increased by ~ $165 total against what the premium was for $250. So that means if I lowered my deductible by $150, I paid $165 more upfront! That does seems a bit strange. However if the deductible is combined for two persons for whom I'm purchasing it, then it does makes sense. Please advise which one is a correct understanding here.

What deductible you recommend buying with?

Also can the premiums be paid in installments, or is it necessary to pay in one go?

[manishc]

One additional question here. I understand that after purchase I can print a temporary card instantly. After the purchase, can the card also be retreived online by my parents in India and be printed from there as well?

[insubuy]

1. The major difference is in the network. Look at https://www.insubuy.com/img-first-health-ppo-network/ and https://www.insubuy.com/hccmis-ppo-network/

Choose whichever network you are more comfortable, if you are searching for your specific doctor (family doctor etc.) and then decide based on that.

Overall, they are both excellent plans with very minor differences (Already answered your query about differences).

2. Deductible is per person.
Deductible is annual.

3. $250 is most common.

4. Yes, you can do that.
In short term plans, buying and paying is one and same thing.
If you buy for 4 months, you pay for 4 months now.
Alternatively, if you buy for 1 month, you pay for 1 month now, and then renew the insurance later, before it expires.

5. You get the virtual id card in the email. You (or your parents) can print the id cards from there. You can forward them that email.

Alternatively, you can print at https://www.insubuy.com/img/id-card/ or https://www.insubuy.com/hccmis/id-card/-card/

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

[insubuy]

Clarification regarding 'Precertification timings'.

I clarified it with the insurance company and it was a typo.

It is '48 hours' and NOT '48 business hours'.

That would be corrected in next brochure version.

I received following reply
"We really appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We respond to precert requests within 48 hours (not business hours) and for emergency evacuations, we respond immediately. Our next brochure updates will include this clarification."