If you came here, then look for where it is written in simple language which is the best insurance to choose in Thailand and why. I go to Thailand every year and am also always faced with this choice, especially when you start to delve into all the nuances and realize that the insurance company has changed its assistance and now all the reviews about it are no longer relevant. But after reading this article, you will know exactly which insurance in Thailand is right for you.

Before the first winter, my head was spinning from a large number of conflicting reviews. I spent about a week choosing insurance but it was worth it. The insurance company paid for my broken knee after falling off my bike.

Treatment after falling from a bike under insurance at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, the insurance company paid for everything

Then I started compiling a rating of insurance and assistance services for Thailand. Every six months I sit down and re-read new reviews on insurance on all popular forums: Vinsky Insurance Forum, Sravni.ru, Otzyv.ru, I write personal messages on the forums and find out how it all ended in complaints: did the insurance company pay for the treatment, what problems did I encounter? .

This way I collect the most relevant and useful information for you. Because each insurance company has its own working rules: some will always take hours to get through, some work well only in large cities, some refuse complex treatment. I hope that here you will find all the answers to your questions and you won’t have to spend hours re-reading forum threads.

Very reliable but expensive

• The only choice for pregnant women and people with chronic diseases
• An excellent choice for a child because there is no surcharge for age
• Covers motorbike, local diseases, burns, allergies
• An annual policy costs 14,500 rubles. Price 306 rubles for 1 day.
• View prices on polis812,

• 15% discount promo code “FORUMAWD” when purchasing at polis812.
• The only opportunity now to buy Mondial assistance
• Cover the fever and the motorbike
• An annual policy costs 11,730 rubles, Price 130 rubles for 1 day
• View prices on polis812 (15% discount), instore.travel,

• There are representatives at all major tourism forums who monitor the reputation and solve all problems.
• for a trip longer than 34 days there is a deductible of $50
• Motorbike is included by default.
• An annual policy costs 20,098 rubles. Price 200 rubles for 1 day.

Inexpensive, but working

Sberbank Insurance is in first place

• Suitable for pregnant women (but up to 12 weeks)
• Covers bike, burns, allergies
• An annual policy costs 3,300 rubles. Price 52 rubles for 1 day.
• View prices for polis812 (15% discount),

In second place is Tinkoff insurance

• Good service, many positive reviews
• An annual policy costs 6,600 rubles. Price 100 rubles for 1 day.
• For children under 14 years of age, it covers allergies and sunburn. Fever for any age
• View prices for

How to choose health insurance in Thailand

First of all, you need to understand who will treat you and who will pay. Insurance companies only work in their own country; they have no idea about hospitals in Thailand, how easy it is to get to them, the profiles and qualifications of doctors. But each insurance company has an agreement with the Assistance company (Assistance). Assistas enters into contracts with hospitals around the world and is responsible for your treatment. Your policy shows the telephone number of the assistance service, not the insurance company.

This means that you should always read reviews about the Insurance + Assistance combination. For example, Consent + ISOS worked great, then Consent began working with Savitar, and in 2016 they switched to Balt Assistance. And now all the reviews on the forums about the work of the insurance company Consent are worth nothing at the moment, because the assistance has changed.

Now I will tell you in more detail who is responsible for what, because one assistance can work with many insurance companies and in one case there will be positive reviews, and in the other negative.

What is the assistance responsible for?

• For confirming payment to hospitals, for quickly answering calls and calling a doctor.
• Decides in which hospital you will be treated, whether a doctor will come to your home or whether you will have to go somewhere; if the assistance does not have contracts with hospitals in your area, you will have to pay everything on the spot and compensate it with the insurance company after returning.
• Can only manage a certain amount for your treatment. This amount is quite enough for the most common cases. But any expensive operation must be approved by the insurance company. Often, insurers additionally hire local doctors to confirm your diagnosis. That is why, when reading reviews about complex cases, do not be afraid of the phrases “the insurance company is still silent.” Always read how it all ended and who paid for what. It’s a pity that people rarely write about this, because for them it’s no longer important =) I have to write to many people personally.

What is the insurance company responsible for?

• The main task of the insurance company is to sell you a travel policy. Therefore, it is the insurance company that comes up with various additional options: travel cancellation insurance, luggage loss insurance, trip cancellation insurance. If the cancellation of the trip is not paid for, then the insurance company is to blame.
• All expenses are borne by the insurance company. She is the one who decides whether your treatment will be paid for or not. Simple cases have already been worked out and no problems arise, but if the treatment is complex, then the insurance company may refuse. It happens that the assistance manager organizes treatment, but the insurance company then refuses according to its internal rules (I collect these rules in the pages about insurance) and you have to pay for everything at your own expense. (and then sue).

In good hospitals, medications are provided there under insurance.

Which assistance is better in Thailand: updated rating 2019

To understand which assistance works best in Thailand, I compiled a rating, and it takes into account not only reviews, but also the capabilities of each: does the assistance have a representative office in Thailand, does it work with hospitals in small towns (if, for example, you go trekking through the jungle ), is it possible to call a doctor to the child’s home, and much, much more. You can find all my conclusions and why I made them in the article about a specific assistance. You also need to understand that the cost of services also varies. It is impossible to find cheap insurance with assistance from Mondial. Well, an expensive policy with GVA is nonsense.

1. Balt assistance
2. Best Service Assistance
3. Global Voyager Assistance (GVA)

This list contains Assistances that are most often found in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

Today, very often some companies order something from others. For example, you can choose an insurance company only because of Mondial assistance, and it will connect the Best service (which is cheaper) and ask their employees to deal with you. And absolutely everyone uses this now. I'm not saying that this is good, but it exists and we need to live with it somehow.

Therefore, let's figure out what to do in such a situation: In most cases, everything will be fine, but if you called the phone number in the policy and your problem was not resolved within an hour, or you were sent to a hospital with a low rating, or it is very far away, then you should call the insurance office immediately!

Unfortunately, this doesn’t always help either; more precisely, this step rarely helps at all. Therefore, you call or write to the website of the aggregator where you bought the policy (This is most often Cherehapa, Polis812, Tripinsurance, Sravni.ru). And now they can really help, because out of this entire system, only they make contact with clients, value their reputation and try to help. About this and much more.

This is the usual first aid board at Bangkok Hospital, it really looks so clean and everyone who is brought in with an injury is placed here

Best insurance for Thailand

This is my personal rating of insurance for Thailand. Next to each insurance company, I wrote why it deserved special treatment. For each company, I have included the cost of a policy for 1 day for a short trip, and the cost of an annual policy, so you can easily compare the cost of policies. But keep in mind that many companies have increased rates for children and the elderly.

1. - the best travel insurance in Thailand in 2019, because they insure pregnant women, chronic diseases, allergies, sunburn and at the same time provide all the assistance at a very high level. The only negative is the price; this year they raised the annual policy from 6,000 to 15,000. They work through their own assistance, Euro Center Holding. Cost for 1 day - 306 rubles, Price when purchasing an annual policy - 160 rubles/day.
2. — quite working and cheap insurance to Thailand. Insures against local fever and has a large number of positive reviews. They work through Europ Assistance. The cost for 1 day is only 60 rubles. When purchasing an annual policy, the cost is only 44 rubles/day.
3. - the only way to buy a policy with AAA-assistance Mondial assistance. So far they have been given credit for such good assistance, because they started selling it a little over a year ago. On the plus side: riding a bike is included by default; on the downside, it costs from 130 rubles for 1 day.
4. Since 2018, it has stopped working with Mondial assistance and created its own. It’s difficult to say anything yet, but they remain. The cost for 1 day is 226 rubles. When purchasing an annual policy, the cost is 248 rubles/day. They work through their own assistance.
5. Consent - Balt Assistance, AP Companies, Savitar, Best Service. Price and assistance depend on the method of purchase, so read the detailed article:. On average, the policy costs from 110 rubles per day.
6. — They cover fever, for children under 14 years of age they provide treatment for allergies and sunburn, it costs 100 rubles a day, so it’s worthy of attention. They work through Europ Assistance.
7. takes 3rd place in the popular rating on Banki.ru, with many positive and negative reviews. The big disadvantage of the company is that they cover almost nothing and cost a lot. The cost for 1 day is 250 rubles. They work with 4 assistances and the choice depends on the purchase method, so read the detailed article.
8. , a company with good recommendations, but there is a deductible of $50. Cost for 1 day - 146 rubles. Currently working through AP Companies.
9. Until 2016, I had excellent insurance and I bought medical insurance from them for wintering, I used the policy and was satisfied, they paid for treatment for more than 30,000 baht. But now they have changed the assistance to Remend, which has not proven itself at all, and have introduced a deductible of $50. The cost for 1 day is 499 rubles. At this price they seem to shout “Don’t buy us, please”!
10. — AP Companies, GVA. A large company that has been on the market for a long time. This causes all the problems, because they are trying to protect themselves from literally everything: they don’t insure pregnant women, they don’t insure people over 65, the sports option includes any activity, including a simple game of volleyball on the beach. If you fulfill all the conditions of their big contract, then there will be no problems with them.
11. in 2018 it completely deteriorated, all resources have only bad reviews and not a single positive one. Even with a policy price of 60 rubles per day, I don’t really recommend them, because you may not receive treatment at all. Works through Savitar
12. They very much ruined their reputation with various clauses under an asterisk in the contract, very often refused to pay the victims, and in addition introduced a deductible of $30. Although the policy costs only 113 rubles, I do not recommend them. Works with Class Assistance.
13. If you received a policy along with your voucher, then there is most likely a deductible of $200, and the company’s rating is very low. I would recommend an additional policy.
14. — GVA. There is no need to buy it separately, because it is an attachment to a card or loan. It is advertised in bank branches so that you can open an account with them, but when it comes down to it, there is quite a lot of negativity towards the insurance company. It’s all here: the insurance company is trying its best not to pay you compensation and sends assistance to hospitals that are easier to self-medicate.

This is the interior of the Bangkok Hospital, which is why everyone is trying to get here.

Where to buy insurance in Thailand online

Secondly, you receive not only insurance support, but also aggregator support, which often responds to everything more quickly and helps resolve controversial situations.

Polis812

I always compare insurances through them first because they themselves say they sell policies at the lowest cost. And this is often true, because I have found a permanent promotional code for 15% off almost all insurances.

Also, this is the only company with operating sales offices, so you can physically meet and communicate with them. This indicates the seriousness of the company.

Instore.travel

The main advantage of the service is telemedicine and free calls to insurance companies. They made their own application for mobile phones and through it you can call the insurance company without spending money on international calls!

The second plus is telemedicine, which comes free of charge to policies over 5,000 rubles and to any ERV policies.

But you can purchase additional telemedicine for any policy for only 100 - 250 rubles! It’s very cool when, when a case occurs, you can instantly get advice from a doctor in Russian. Therefore, I advise everyone to install the application immediately, just in case!

If the prices are the same, then it’s better to buy here and get all these bonuses.

Cherehapa

The most proven aggregator, which has been operating since 2012 and since then there has not been a single negative review about it.

At the moment they have the most convenient search, a large number of filters. If you want to compare not only the price, but also see what is included in the policy, then it is better to do it with them.

Sravni.ru

A very large service that often offers individual offers, for example Tinkov insurance.

Everyone who is limping is placed on a gurney; they can also assign a special nurse who will transport

Answers to the most frequently asked questions

Do you need insurance to enter or exit Thailand and is it checked at the airport? No, there are no mandatory requirements for this and it is entirely voluntary.

Can I buy a policy while abroad? Not always. Some insurance companies prohibit the purchase of policies while traveling, but do not stop selling them. You can easily buy any policy, but it will not work and you will only find out about it at the time of application. This is checked by the stamps in the passport at the time of application. At the hospital they scan your passport and send it to the insurance company, and then they look at the border crossing stamp. Some companies allow you to buy a policy while you are already traveling, but it will take effect after a few days (from 3 to 6) to exclude the case that you get sick and only then buy the policy.

Please note that the policy does not have a deductible. Anything below this amount will have to be paid by yourself. For example, the contract will finely indicate that the deductible is $200 - this means that if you have a cold and your examination costs $50-150, then you will have to pay out of your own pocket

If the insured event occurs at the end of the trip, then it is extended or not. Most often, the treatment will end there, but the expensive medical insurances in my rating provide for an extension; you will have to be provided with hotel and meals for a certain amount and a plane ticket after recovery.

A common occurrence in Thailand is falling off a bike.. The important rule is the presence of rights. This is different for everyone: some require that you have international rights, while others require Russian ones. But I would just say at the hospital that I fell hard.

The policy is not valid if alcohol is found in the blood, and a test for it is required upon your application. Although now more and more companies are removing this clause from the conditions.

All insurance companies offer additional services! And torture agents for each of these services. Let me give you a simple example: Liberty has “interrupted vacation insurance”; if you have to return urgently, then you will be paid for all canceled excursions, flights, etc. So they have a note that all these services must be paid within 3 days from the date of payment of the insurance, which makes this point practically useless.

Accident insurance

All insurance companies offer you insurance against accidents, the additional payment there is minimal, but they will pay you as much as $5,000 if something happens. Frankly, this was the first time I fell for this bait myself.

In practice, this means the following: You will not be covered for treatment costs, and in the event of an accident, you will be paid a small compensation, more precisely a % of the total amount. For example, for a broken arm you will receive only $100. It's certainly not worth it. “Against accidents” is more of a bonus than protection.

Insurances with dengue fever coverage

Dengue fever has recently become very active not only on the islands, but also in resort towns. Before the tourist season, Thai authorities regularly spray tourist areas against mosquito carriers.

Unfortunately, most insurers include it as an exception because the only cure is to lie in the room for several days and actively drink fluids. The treatment is simple, but requires a lot of money, because hospital care in Thailand is very expensive.

Insurance for children in Thailand

The most common problems among children in Thailand are allergies, dehydration, food poisoning and sunburn. Unfortunately, most of this list is included in the exclusions of most insurance policies. Therefore, I made a separate article where I described all this in detail, and also made a selection of insurance companies with conditions and prices.

If you are a representative of a service company or insurance company and notice an inaccuracy in the post, please contact me and I will make changes.

Briefly summarizing this long post about insurance companies and their assistance:

• choose your assistance company carefully, your service abroad will depend on this;
• travel insurance must have no deductible(or with a minimum deductible), your expenses when seeking medical help will depend on this;
• take out insurance in advance, insurance companies have a time deductible (the policy starts working a few days after purchase), a kind of protection against fraudsters;
• read the insurance contract carefully, clarify which risks are covered by the policy and which are not.

If you are traveling with children, then I recommend not saving and taking out more reliable insurance from Tripinsurance, if you need a simple and cheap one, then it will do

Assistance companies on the Russian market

Most assistance companies operating on the Russian market and having beautiful names in English are ordinary Russian companies; they do not have any long history. Similar assistance companies with English-language names are ordinary LLCs (Limited Liability Companies), some have Ukrainian registration or offshore registration. You can check this yourself, just look at the extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities for the company you are interested in.

From a legal point of view, these assistance companies are no different from a beer kiosk near the metro, since the maximum they are responsible to the client is their authorized capital, which, according to Russian law, an LLC must have at least 10,000 rubles (or equivalent property, for example, an old laptop is excellent will do), but they take responsibility for up to $100,000 for one insured event. There is nothing wrong with this, but a tourist should understand and make a choice, it’s good that there is a choice.

Fortunately, there are foreign assistance services on the Russian insurance market with half a century of history and European roots; there are few such companies and the cost of their services is much more expensive.

List of foreign assistance companies:

• Euro-Center Holding;
• Allianz Global Assistance (formerly Mondial Assistance);
• Europ Assistance.

Rating of assistance and insurance companies

• green color - mostly positive reviews;
• yellow color - there are positive and negative reviews from tourists;
• red color - a lot of negative reviews or no reviews at all.

Rating of assistance and insurance companies

Assistance	Insurance	Where can I buy
Allianz Global Assistance (formerly Mondial Assistance) (Europe)	Allianz	Tripinsurance
Europ Assistance (Europe)	Absolut-Insurance RESO - Guarantee Tinkoff
Euro - Center Holding (Europe)	ERV
Class Assistance (Russia)	Liberty Alfa Insurance
AP Companies (Russia)	Agreement Russian standard Renaissance
Balt Assistance (Russia)	Support Rosgosstrakh
Savitar Group (Russia)	URALSIB
Global Voyager Assistance (Russia)	VTB - Insurance Rosgosstrakh
Smile Assistance (Ukraine)	Ingosstrakh

Allianz Global Assistance (formerly Mondial Assistance)

Mondial Assistance was born in 1974 in France; in 2007, the Mondial Assistance company entered the Russian insurance market. In 1978, Mondial Assistance became part of the Allianz group. The Allianz company itself dates back to 1890. The company was founded in Munich, the founder was the head of the Munich Reinsurance Society - Karl von Thieme, who was also the founder of the Europaische Reiseversicherung Aktiengesellschaft (ERV).

More recently, in 2014, Mondial Assistance was renamed Allianz Global Assistance. Today, the Allianz Global Assistance brand is the world leader among operators providing insurance services. It should be remembered that the current brand name of Mondial Assistance is Allianz Global Assistance, but in the market and on the Internet you can see information and reviews about these two brands.

The service company Allianz Global Assistance (formerly Mondial) cooperates with various insurance companies, Allianz policies or Absolut Insurance Company

Assistance Europ Assistance

Europ Assistance is a fairly young company, it was founded in France in 1963, but today it belongs to the Italian company Assicurazioni Generali. On the Internet you can find negative reviews about the work of this assistance, which is upsetting.

The assistance company Europ Assistance cooperates with insurance companies Tinkoff, Absolut-Insurance and RESO-Garantiya,

Assistance Euro-Center Holding

Assistance Euro-Center Holding is a European company, represented in the Russian travel insurance market by the insurance company ERV. The Russian insurance company ERV is a German subsidiary of Europaische Reiseversicherung Aktiengesellschaft (ERV), which is part of the Munich Re Group. This company has more than 100 years of experience in the global insurance market.

The service company Euro-Center cooperates with the insurance company ERV,

Class Assistance

Limited Liability Company "Class-Assist" belongs to individuals. persons, the company is registered in St. Petersburg, registration date 2004. The authorized capital of Class-Assist LLC does not exceed 4 million rubles. This is one of the Russian companies with many positive reviews, but the company also has dissatisfied customers (depending on the region).

The service company Class Assistance cooperates with insurance companies Liberty and Alfa-Insurance,

Assistance AP Companies

Limited Liability Company "Medlabel" (legal entity) or AP Companies (trade name of the company) has an authorized capital of 500 thousand rubles, the company is owned by individuals. persons. Medlabel LLC was registered in 2009 in Moscow. There are many reviews on the Internet about the work of this assistance, they are all different, you need to study the reviews for the region in which you will be traveling.

Service company AP Companies cooperates with insurance companies Soglasie, ZETTA, Russian Standard and Renaissance,

Assistance Savitar Group

Limited Liability Company "Savitar Group" with an authorized capital of 1.8 million rubles was registered in 2016 in Moscow, there is an additional office in Egypt (Hurghada resort). The company is owned by individuals. persons. The company is young, so there are not many reviews yet.

The service company Savitar Group cooperates with the insurance company URALSIB,

Assistance Balt Assistance

Limited Liability Company "Balt Assistance" has an authorized capital (ATTENTION!) - 10,000 rubles (the minimum possible according to the laws of the Russian Federation). Balt Assistance LLC was registered in 2007 in Kaliningrad, where the company’s office is located. There are no reviews on the Internet about the work of this assistance.

The service company Balt Assistance cooperates with insurance companies Opora, Rosgosstrakh, Soglasie, Ingosstrakh, MAKS, Arsenal, Absolut, Advant Insurance and others.

Global Voyager Assistance

Limited Liability Company Global Voyager Assistance (GVA) has an authorized capital (ATTENTION!) - 84,000 rubles. Global Voyager Assistance LLC was registered in 1998, the company is actually owned by an offshore company from Belize. Reviews about the work of GVA assistance are extremely negative, there are many reviews.

The service company Global Voyager Assistance (GVA) cooperates with insurance companies Rosgosstrakh and VTB Insurance,

Smile Assistance

The Ukrainian company Smile Assistance was registered in 2011. There are very few reviews on the Internet, so it is extremely difficult to talk about the quality of service.

The service company Smile Assistance cooperates with the insurance company Ingosstrakh,

Insurance erv (euro center) or insurance allianz (mondial)

The choice between two worthy insurances is always difficult, let’s try to figure out when it is more profitable to buy erv insurance, and when allianz. There are small but significant differences between these insurance products; now we will talk about this in detail.

Insurance erv, when is it better to choose an erv policy

1. erv insurance is great for trips to Thailand, the amount of coverage is $100,000, and the cost of a policy from erv is much cheaper than a similar policy from allianz;
2. Insurance erv is not against your alcoholic habits, you can buy a policy from erv (additional option) which covers risks in the event of an insured event while intoxicated;
3. Erv insures tourists with chronic diseases, please include this additional clause in your policy.

Insurance allianz, when is it better to choose an allianz policy?

1. allianz insurance is great for traveling around Europe (Schengen), a policy from allianz with a minimum insurance coverage of 30,000 Euros is much cheaper than a similar one from erv;
2. If you travel a lot, then insurance from allianz with the “whole world” option will cost less than its competitors;
3. In the insurance policy from allianz, some additional options (insurance of baggage, civil liability, flight delays, etc.) are already included in the Standard and Premium rates;

How does travel insurance work abroad?

Service companies do not sell insurance; insurers sell poles; below I will describe the most popular insurance company-assistance combinations.

ERV insurance company (assistance Euro Centr)

ERV insurance is considered one of the most reliable insurance services on the market; the medical policy works especially well in conjunction with its own Euro Centr assistance. On the Internet you can find negative reviews about the work of ERV, here it is worth looking in which country the insured event occurred and who was the assistance. In the vast majority of cases, negative things happen on last-minute tours, where travel agents package tours with cheap insurance with assistance that is “not native” to ERV.

If you buy ERV insurance yourself, then choose only Euro Centr as assistance.

Tripinsurance insurance (assistance from Mondial)

Important changes since April 2018: There are several new features when purchasing an insurance policy through Tripinsurance.

You can still count on premium service- the price of insurance implies this.

Insurance now comes with its own service company- the company cooperates with several assistance agencies, including the world-famous and reliable Mondial. The company guarantees that it will direct exactly where the best conditions will be for the insured.

Reliability, quality and speed of work- since now all internal processes of the service company are under control, the quality of service has improved. Given the opportunity to choose between several assistance services, the company can choose only the best and refuse to cooperate with less reliable ones.

New technologies and ease of use abroad- creating its insurance product, Tripinsurance introduces modern technological solutions (telemedicine, communication with assistance via instant messengers, etc.). As an example, telemedicine, i.e. In the near future, the opportunity to have an insurance policy in hand and contact a doctor directly via the Internet will be fully realized.

Buy insurance from the Allianz company with reliable Mondial assistance through the Tripinsurance company (it sells insurance online), and the insurance policy itself will be from the Allianz insurance company.

This insurance is a little more expensive than the others, but it provides tourists with more favorable conditions, and for those already traveling it is absolutely priceless, as it allows you to issue an insurance policy in cases when you are already abroad. It is also beneficial for winterers and longstays (who live abroad for a long time), since there is a Multitrip program under which your policy will work 365 days a year.

Tripinsurance has several undeniable advantages:

• insure the risk of “Trip Cancellation”, including the risk of not receiving a visa;
• you can take out a policy while traveling, the insurance will begin to operate with a temporary deductible (on the 6th day after purchase);
• insure professional athletes;
• you can ride a rented car and bike without overpaying for additional options (but you must have a license of the appropriate category, a helmet, comply with traffic rules and you must be sober!);
• falling from an elephant is not scary, while other insurers regard the usual resort activities of tourists (biking, rollerblading, banana riding, visiting a water park, snorkeling, animal riding, etc.) as extreme sports (biking in Kemer - it turns out to be an extreme sport, after all), Tripinsurance sees this as a normal human recreation and does not require additional payment;
• you can be a citizen of the world, the policy is not tied to citizenship, it can be issued by a citizen of any country traveling outside the country of permanent residence;
• insurance for a year, the duration of one trip outside the country of permanent residence is no more than 90 days, the number of trips per year is not limited;
• Multitrip, the policy is valid 365 days a year when purchasing a policy from the Russian Federation.

Zetta insurance (assistance AP Companies)

The Zetta insurance policy can be purchased with the service company AP Companies; services are provided in full and the policy itself is not very expensive. An ideal solution for trips lasting no more than a month; in some countries Zetta sells policies with the possibility of staying no more than 30 days.

VTB insurance (GVA assistance)

VTB insurance policies have one important feature: they insure for today, while most insurance companies only insure for tomorrow. Such insurance can be convenient for spontaneous trips, when you catch last-minute deals and fly out on vacation the same day.

You can find a lot of negative things about the work of GVA assistance, but in the connection between VTB insurance and GVA assistance, there are no particular complaints. Insurance from VTB is perfect for budget travelers, as it is quite affordable in price.

Liberty insurance (Class assistance)

The Liberty company has a long history, the essence of which can be explained in a nutshell, rebranding and change of ownership. However, policies from Liberty insurance are in demand and have many advantages for tourists and independent travelers (most of my Asian trips were with Liberty).

Liberty insurance uses Class-assistance; at one time it was one structure and was called the Class company. Perhaps the long-term cooperation of these companies allows them to provide quite decent services, but there are many complaints on the network.

I won’t tell you a special secret, Liberty sells a huge number of policies, most of which are cheap (insurance program A) and are only suitable as “technical insurance” for obtaining a Schengen visa, what is it? After the occurrence of an insured event, clients with the cheapest insurance (program A) they begin to express indignation, and this is how hundreds of negative posts are born on the Internet. When purchasing a policy, you should take into account the recommendations of the system and choose coverage for additional risks, in which case the policy will be reliable.

Be careful, in some regions there is a $30 deductible.

Pleasant features of Liberty insurance policies:

• you can buy insurance for tourists already traveling, although there is a temporary deductible (insurance starts working on the 6th day after purchase);
• Liberty applies to children's insurance without additional coefficients or other restrictions;
  affordable prices for travel insurance services;
• there are programs for longstays and winterers (who spend a lot of time abroad), the insurance works 182 days during the year, in one country;
• the opportunity to purchase a policy both on the Liberty website and on the Cherekhapa website.

Tinkoff insurance (assistance Europ Assistance and Mondial)

If you have the opportunity to choose assistance from Tinkoff, then choose Mondial (a reliable company), but Europ Assistance is also a good option. Travel policies from Tinkoff Insurance are on par with more expensive insurance products from Tripinsurance and ERV, but a little cheaper, and if you have a Tinkoff Bank credit card, then it’s completely free.

Consent insurance (assistance Savitar, Balt Asistance and AP Companies)

Using policies from Consent Insurance for family travel is not very profitable and here’s why. When traveling with an infant (up to 1 year old), you will have to pay an increase factor of 5, if the child is from one to three years old, then factor three, from four years to eight years, factor 2.

Otherwise, the insurance is unremarkable, and the assistance is also so-so.

Sberbank insurance (Europ Assistance)

If you are a premium client of Sberbank and have a Sberbank Premier bank card, then you have the opportunity to get free insurance. After the emergence of a separate structure, Sberbank Insurance, anyone can take out travel insurance. The only negative will be the assistance, now it is Europ Assistance, not Mondial.

Ingosstrakh insurance (assistance Smile)

Ingosstrakh sells insurance with a $50 deductible, which in itself is not a good idea given the slightly inflated cost of the policy itself from Ingosstrakh. People have good reviews about the work of the Smile service company, but you can also come across angry reviews, here you need to study the latest reviews, specifically for the country where you are going to travel.

Alpha insurance (assistance Savitar and Class)

Alfa Insurance sells policies both for upcoming trips (when you are still at home) and for tourists already traveling (when you are already abroad) - this is a big plus. Insurances from Alfa Insurance do not have a temporary deductible - this is also good; probably Alfa insurers know how to check an insured event for fraud in a different way.

Alfa Insurance cooperates with several service companies, and you can get the most undesirable assistance (GVA) if you have issued a policy on the official website of the insurance company. When purchasing through the Cherekhapa online service, you will receive a policy with Class assistance; other Alpha partners sell poles with the Savitar service company. Here is such a feature from Alfa Insurance. Insurance is inexpensive and there are not many complaints about it, but a lot depends on the choice of assistance.

Medexpress insurance (Mondial assistance)

Medexpress insurance works in partnership with international assistance Mondial, perhaps for this reason there are practically no bad reviews about Medexpress insurance. One of the disadvantages of policies from Medexpress is the inability to buy their insurance product online; you need to go to the office. One of the advantages is the absence of a franchise.

Transneft insurance (assistance Class)

This insurer is perhaps one of the most unfriendly, judge for yourself:

• there is no online purchase of a policy, you need to go to the office;
• it does not insure babies under one year old, but for older children there is an increasing coefficient;
• differentiated cost of insurance, the longer the insurance period, the cheaper each day of insurance costs;
• average assistance

One gets the feeling that everything possible has been done to ensure that no one is insured by this company; travel insurance is probably not the main activity of this insurance company.

Insurance Reso guarantee (Europ Assistance)

Before insuring insurance with this company, be sure to check about assistance; they offer different ones for different countries (Fidelitas, Remed), but in most countries the service company will be Europ Assistance.

For small children, winterers and long-stays (those who spend a lot of time abroad), Reso guarantees have limitations, so carefully study their terms before concluding a contract.

Renaissance insurance (assistance from FIRSTassist, GVA and AP Companies)

You can buy a policy from the Renaissance insurance company while traveling - this is a huge plus, which can sometimes outweigh all the disadvantages, and they also exist.

Here is a list of disadvantages of Renaissance insurance:

• There is a $50 deductible;
• depending on the country of travel, there are several assistance services (when purchasing a policy through the official website of the insurance website);
• The official website of Renaissance Insurance is very uninformative; it is much convenient to buy this insurance on Cherekhap.

Rosgosstrakh insurance (assistance GVA and Europ Assistance)

Rosgosstrakh insurance is useful for those people who have chronic diseases; not many insurance companies take on such responsibility. A list of chronic diseases and more accurate information should be obtained from your insurance company.

Of the obvious disadvantages, you will learn about the assistance company only at the time of the insured event. Agree that such “sports lotto” is not suitable for all tourists.

MSK insurance (Europ Assistance)

Take a look at any forum where insurers are discussed and you will definitely find negativity towards this insurance company. Try to carefully study the angry posts and you will understand that everything is not so bad (it could be much worse), but nevertheless, think several times before choosing an insurance company.

I think my hint is understood correctly, if you need Europ Assistance, it is also available from other insurers.

VSK insurance (assistance MedAssist International)

The military insurance company sells policies with a deductible of $200, and the service company is MedAssist International. In addition to a fairly large deductible, VSK has an unspoken restriction on visits to the doctor, the insurance company will pay for the first few visits, and then everything is very vague. These are the “pitfalls” that can be found if you carefully read the forums with reviews from VSK clients.

Allianz insurance (GVA assistance)

Allianz insurance policies are not very popular among travelers, but there were times when insurance from this company was popular. Today's Allianz company is the former Rosno, which collaborated with Mondial assistance.

Allianz does not sell insurance online, only going to the office. Alliance's assistance is GVA, which also does not give weight to this insurance company.

Assistance is an intermediary company that organizes the most optimal procedure for all actions of the clinic, insurance company and tourist in the event of an insured event. Its main task is assistance, organization and control over the proper fulfillment of its obligations by each party to the contract: the clinic must provide the tourist with all medical services agreed upon with the insurance company, the insurance company must promptly pay for the tourist’s treatment in accordance with the terms of travel insurance, while the tourist himself must just call the assistance service in a timely manner and follow the operator’s instructions.

Why is assistance so important?

If an insured event occurs, the assistance will help you find the nearest clinic with which your insurance company cooperates, tell you how to provide first aid before the doctors arrive, what certificates and documents are required to receive insurance payments, etc. In other words, assistance is your overall flight control center, and the better this center works, the smoother the flight will go.

In addition to organizational services, assistance from insurance companies also provides consulting services. Many leading assistance companies have their own practicing doctors and lawyers who advise tourists on particularly complex insurance cases.

The quality and speed of medical assistance is one of the most important criteria when choosing insurance. If the assistance service is not organized correctly, this will directly affect the end consumer - the tourist, so it is in the interests of the insurance company to enter into an agreement with the most experienced assistance company possible.

However, some insurance companies are still trying to save money and begin to cooperate with inexperienced, but cheaper assistance companies with an insufficient number of operators.

Such cooperation can end for a tourist with a three-hour wait for an ambulance, long disputes about the approval of each specific medical procedure and the unprofessionalism of doctors in the clinic chosen by the assistance.

Therefore, no matter what functionality and capabilities your policy has, their full implementation is only possible with a sufficiently high degree of professionalism of the assistance service operators.

How to choose assistance?

To find a good assistant, pay attention to:

Host country. To choose insurance assistance, you need to decide which country you will go to. The more branches and call centers an assistant has in this country, the better quality assistance the operators living in this country will be able to provide you. Without knowledge and understanding of the laws, customs and regulations of a particular country, the operator may have difficulties already at the stage of determining the clinic closest to you. The local operator will always find a shortcut, tell you where and what certificates you need to get, etc.

Assistance website will help you find out all the most important information: how long has it been working, how many operators and practitioners does it have, what insurance companies cooperate with it, how many full-time translators do they have... All this will help assess the experience, reputation of the company and the size of its staff, which directly affects on speed and quality of service.

When concluding a travel insurance contract for traveling abroad, the role of the assistance company usually remains in the shadows. The tourist negotiates a list of services, pays money to the insurance company, expecting help from it in situations of risk, but it should be clearly understood that the insurer in this scheme is only an intermediary. The provision of paid services on site is organized by his partner - a service company, which helps the client in the event of an insured event.

When purchasing a policy from an insurance company, a tourist must clearly understand which company will help him abroad. Sometimes not only the health, but also the life of the client depends on the competence of the assistance company. In this article we will look at what assistance companies are, what services they provide and what their role is for the policyholder.

The role of insurance and assistance companies in travel insurance

A voluntary travel health insurance policy usually provides for minimal medical care in case of sudden health problems during travel. This minimum is set depending on the insurance conditions and is estimated on average from 30 to 50 thousand $/€.

When purchasing insurance, a tourist usually enters into an agreement with any travel company that has a license to carry out such activities. The policy lists all insured risks (accidents), for which the insurer undertakes to pay all expenses incurred within the established limit. If an insured event occurs and there is a need to receive medical care outside the home country, the policyholder simply needs to present the policy at a medical institution and provide the telephone number of the company that issued it.

The only task of the insurance company is to pay for all services related to the provision of medical care to the injured tourist. Specific assistance abroad is provided by an assistance firm (service company) connected with the insurer through contractual relations.

The types of assistance provided and their volume depend on the conditions specified in the policy. For a traveler purchasing a policy, it is not at all indifferent to what kind of service he will encounter in a foreign country - that is why it is very important to choose an insurance company that cooperates with the best assistance companies.

Main tasks of assistance companies

Assistance translated from French means “help”. The most important task of assistance companies is to provide assistance to people who find themselves in a foreign country and do not know its realities. The largest assistance companies have a wide network of operational centers in the largest tourist centers in the world. Their employees organize medical and other assistance services for foreign travelers.

The first organization of this kind - Europ Assistance - was founded in 1963 in Paris by the Frenchman Pierre Desnos. Having had an accident abroad, he realized the extent to which foreigners need qualified assistance. Europ Assistance teams of multilingual operators, doctors and correspondents began working in Europe, East Asia, Africa, and Russia, helping tourists in difficult situations. Around this time, a whole industry of supporting foreign tourists was formed - medical assistance - the organization of emergency medical assistance abroad, providing support in the “365 - 7 - 24” mode, i.e. 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. day.

Almost all assistance companies offer standard types of medical care:

1. Medical services - calling a doctor, hospitalization; treatment monitoring; transporting the sick person to a hospital or airport for repatriation in case of death; translation of medical documents.
2. Auto services – providing technical assistance in the evacuation and repair of a car or motorcycle.
3. Tourist support – hotel accommodation; calling a taxi; booking tickets; assistance in case of lost luggage and in obtaining funds.
4. Home assistance – organization of relocation, repair of household appliances; regulation of relations with the police; searching for a translator.
5. Legal and economic consultations.

Main characteristics of assistance companies

As mentioned above, if an insured event occurs, the client should contact not the insurance company, but a representative of the service assistance company specified by the insurer. The timeliness and volume of assistance received depends on the quality of service provided by the service company. Here are the main criteria for the quality of service work:

1. Availability in a critical situation - quick response to a phone call 24 hours a day, seven days a week - is the first and most important indicator of quality work.
2. Language of communication - in difficult times, consultation in your native language is preferable, which is why the largest assistance companies have staff who provide support in different languages.
3. Efficiency and comprehensive assistance are the main indicators of our work. In a matter of hours, the company’s specialists must:
   • conduct an examination of the insured event;
   • determine the nature and extent of possible support;
   • calculate its cost;
   • organize adequate assistance;
   • monitor the execution of services provided;
   • coordinate your actions with the insurance company.

Professional support is usually provided by specialists from the assistance company itself or service providers in amounts that the insurer agrees to pay.

For example, client A. bought a policy with the “Active Leisure” option for a holiday at a ski resort in Austria. On the descent she suffered a knee injury. She had to undergo an emergency operation to preserve the elasticity of the ligaments at a cost of 1.5 thousand euros at her own expense. When applying for compensation, the insurance company decided that the medical care provided to the client did not meet Russian standards. As a result, the client received a refund of 200 euros only for undergoing tests in an Austrian hospital, but she was denied reimbursement for the costs of the operation.

Sometimes, when it comes to expensive medical intervention, negotiations between the insurer and the company providing assistance can drag on. In this case, the patient who does not receive timely treatment may die. In hospitals in South Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam, etc.), emergency care is provided on the security of a passport, without waiting for the consent of the service company. After the provision of medical services, the client must pay for them himself, seeking compensation from the insurer for the expenses incurred.

How to choose the right assistance?

When choosing a travel insurance policy, you should take a responsible approach to the choice of both companies: the insurance company, which will pay for the event that occurs, and the service company, which will assist the tourist in a difficult situation.

You need to choose the optimal insurer-assistance combination, and you should clarify:

• whether there is a branch of the company declared by the insurer in the country of departure;
• does the insurance company have an agreement with this company;
• Is there a phone number available to contact the assistance company, and does it answer calls quickly?

If the insurance company is not ready to provide this information, buying a policy from them is risky. When choosing a service company, it is useful to find out about its capabilities in the country you are planning to travel to: how many call centers it has there; is there support for Russian-speaking employees; what is the size of the staff; connections with hospitals, reviews, etc.

Assistance companies represented in Russia

The Russian travel insurance market features a number of assistance companies working in close cooperation with insurance organizations (see table below). The right column shows the rating of service providers based on reviews left by customers. Read more about each of the assistance companies in other materials on our website.

Assistance companies	Insurance companies

Reading time ≈ 5 minutes

What is Assistance

Assistance (from English assistance - help) is a company that provides intermediary services in various situations. The main task is to ensure and guarantee the provision of timely and qualified assistance to tourists in a foreign country. Assistance can be provided in various social spheres, for example, medical, technical, informational, legal and others.

Involvement of service companies for comfortable customer service is carried out by insurance companies that enter into travel insurance contracts. Banks enter into cooperation agreements with assistance agencies as privileges and benefits for clients with premium plastic cards. In this case, when traveling abroad, a bank client can use the list of customer service services included in the program.

When planning a trip, tourists try not to think about the troubles that can happen abroad, ranging from minor poisoning to participation in an accident with serious injuries. Where to go and how to act in such situations - the assistance company’s specialists will answer these and other questions.

Intermediaries between insurance companies and tourists - assistance, provide a full range of services and advice within the framework of the travel insurance policy. Each insurer enters into a direct contract for servicing its clients with assistance and, when concluding an insurance contract for those traveling abroad, indicates information and contacts of specialists in a particular country.

Services and procedure

Assistance companies receive information about concluded contracts with tourists online. The insurer transmits policy details, coverage and liability limits. If you do not have insurance information, please provide a copy of your policy to assistance to obtain appropriate services.

The service department provides services strictly within the framework of the concluded contract; additional assistance is paid for by the client at his own expense. The main functions of assistance companies include:

• consultations and referral to clinics if medical care is needed, as well as related services (transportation of the sick person to their homeland, repatriation in case of death, transfer and translation of medical documentation, etc.);
• accompanying tourists in a foreign country, including assistance with booking and searching for luggage;
• provision of services when operating a vehicle - assistance in repair and evacuation, advice in case of accidents and repair of damage caused;
• personal - consultations when resolving issues with the local police, searching for the necessary specialists, such as a translator, a notary, and others;
• consultations on legal and economic issues.

Assistance services, in contrast to contacting the insurer’s hotline, have the following advantages:

• the contact phone number is local in the country of residence - this allows you to contact specialists at the hotel reception and save on telephone calls while roaming;
• knowledge of legislation and other features of a foreign state;
• possession of up-to-date information about nearby medical and other institutions;
• absence of a language barrier; as a rule, insurers choose multilingual intermediaries whose specialists speak Russian;
• wide regional network - one company covers several foreign countries that are popular among tourists;
• "one-stop" service - this means that the traveler first calls the service company, regardless of the situation.

Service specialists work 24/7 - this allows you to promptly seek help, including medical help. When concluding a contract, check with the insurer for the contact telephone number of assistance in the country to which you are planning a trip. If possible, call the number provided and check whether the service department cooperates with a specific insurer.

Choosing Assistance: what to look for

When planning a trip choose NOT an insurer from whom to take out travel insurance, but an assistance providing services in a specific country. When choosing a service company, pay attention to the following factors:

• experience in this field;
• availability of direct multi-channel telephone for communication;
• availability of Russian-speaking staff;
• the ability to contact at any time without long waiting on the line;
• providing real and qualified assistance;
• prompt resolution of any issue, including agreement with the insurer of all mandatory conditions.

After choosing a service company, enter into an insurance contract with a reliable insurer that it serves. As a rule, assistants work simultaneously with several insurers. The rating of large assistance companies that cooperate with Russian insurers includes the following:

• Euro-Center Holding(www. euro-center.com) - founded in the Czech Republic in 1971, has about 12 branches in various countries, and provides assistance throughout the world through partner companies. Collaborates with ERV Travel insurance;
• Europ Assistance (www.europ-assistance.ru) - founded in 1963, France, cooperates with RESO-Garantia;
• Mondial Assistance (www.mondial-assistance.ru) - founded in 1950 in Europe, part of the Allianz Group. Collaborates with Allianz and Tripinsurance;
• Class Assistance (www.class-assistance.com) - founded in Russia in 2004. It is the most popular among domestic insurers and cooperates with AlfaStrakhovanie, Rosgosstrakh, RESO-Garantiya, Uralsib, ERV Travel Insurance and others;
• Global Voyager Assistance (www.gvassistance.com) - founded in Russia in 1998. It is a member of the International Assistance Group - an international service association cooperating with 50 insurers around the world, including AlfaStrakhovanie, VTB-Insurance, Renaissance;
• AP Companies (www.ap-companies.com) - founded in Russia in 1997, headquartered in Spain. It provides assistance in Russia, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Balkans, cooperates with insurance companies Soglasie, Renaissance, ZETTA Insurance.

remember, that the traveler is not bound by a direct contract with the service company. If you receive unqualified advice, as well as a refusal to serve due to the lack of information about the client or recognition of the event as a non-insured event, you should not quarrel with the assistance employees. In such a case, call the insurer’s call center and explain to the operators the problems that have arisen. The insurer, with whom the insurance contract has been concluded and the insurance premium has been paid, will resolve service problems and resolve current situations.