Finding dependable group health insurance
The professional yacht Captains and crew members need dependable coverage worldwide 24/7/365, that’s tailored to their needs and the yachts program. Global yacht crew group medical policies cover crew members while working on the yacht and in their leisure time. Coverage is available worldwide and in crew members’ home countries and can extend to family members.
INSURANCE POLICIES
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD GLOBAL EXPAT 2-20
Long-term International Group Health Insurance
Standard Medical Coverage
- Preventive care
- Inpatient and outpatient care
- Wellness services
- Mental Health & Substance Abuse Care
- Pharmacy
- Medical Assistance Services
- 24/7/365 customer service
- Worldwide coverage
International Marine Medical Insurance Series:
- Standard
- Gold
- Platinum
OVERVIEW
Standard Coverage
Coverage limit / eligible medical expenses: $1,000,000 / 5,000,000 per period of coverage
Gold Coverage
Coverage limit / eligible medical expenses: $5,000,000 per period of coverage
Platinum Coverage
Unlimited / Calendar year maximum limit
Health Insurance Solution
The group insurance plans commonly act “primary”, (pays first), to the vessel’s Protection & Indemnity insurance, (P & I), and cover both accidents and illnesses. P & I insurance is not “medical insurance” plan, it’s intended to provide Liability coverage for the yacht.
It is in the owner’s best interest to offer health insurance for the crew. It reduces the liability and has a positive impact on P & I insurance, since medical claims will be filed directly to the health insurance company. Some policies also cover alcohol-related claims, which is imperative, as there have been many accidents in the past years where alcohol played a role.
Health Insurance Eligibility
Group policies are offered to marine yacht crew members of all nationalities spending extensive time outside their home countries. Insurance companies often require that the yacht spends at least 6 months outside the US per year to meet eligibility.
Crew members must be professional and work full-time to be eligible. Most policies offer coverage for family members as well, who can be “land-based”, living in the home country and don’t need to travel internationally to be eligible.
Depending on policy, crew members may need to complete an enrollment form, answering medical history questions and any pre-existing conditions may be excluded from being covered. Some other policies cover marine crew members Day 1, whether they have pre-existing conditions or not. It’s understandable that the group insurance premium is higher when pre-existing medical conditions are included.
Suitable for
The group medical plan is a great solution for any vessel with at least two crew members. Most crew medical group policies require that the yacht spends at least 6 months outside the US per year.
Some group policies automatically accept new crew members on to the plan, whether you have a medical condition or not. You can add a dental plan or other optional benefits, to expand the coverage as well.
Group policies are usually easier to administer than individual plans. Some policies offer an online ADMIN portal, where new crew members can easily be added to the group health insurance and crew members leaving employment can be removed. The departing crew members can in some cases continue the group policy under “mini cobra” or apply for an individual crew medical plan.
Policy documents, ID cards, invoices etc., are usually available on the ADMIN portal as well, making it easy to always access online.