Pro vs Pro Plus: Which travel insurance plan should I choose?

Arch RoamRight recently launched two plans on our website, replacing the long-standing Elite, Preferred and Essential plans. At first sight, the new plans: Pro and Pro Plus, may seem identical. However, as the names imply, Pro Plus has additional benefits that you may want to consider.

Primary vs. Excess Coverage

The Pro Plus plan pays on a primary basis for several benefits; whereas the Pro plan pays on an excess basis for the same benefits.

Travel insurance plans that includes Medical Expense and Medical Evacuation benefits paid on a Primary basis is when that plan pays for any covered events, regardless of any other insurance plans that an individual may have.

For example, consider a person who has a health insurance plan through their employer, but also has an insurance plan that offers primary emergency medical coverage through Arch RoamRight. If that individual experiences a covered medical emergency abroad, Arch RoamRight would pay for all of the medical expenses up to the plan maximum, regardless of their other plan.

Travel insurance plans that includes Medical Expense and Medical Evacuation benefits paid on an excess basis pays out only after any other insurance policies have been applied.

For example, if the same person in the scenario above has an Arch RoamRight plan with medical expense benefits paid on an excess basis, they would rely on their employer health insurance plan to cover all medical expenses incurred in accordance with that plan’s provisions, and Arch RoamRight would pay the remaining unreimbursed expenses up to the plan maximum and in accordance with the plan provisions.

However, in the case of a covered medical emergency that occurs while traveling and requires advance payment prior to receiving care, Arch RoamRight would pay for the initial, emergent expenses, but would then try to recoup those costs from the individual’s primary health insurance provider. At no point in time should payment for care interfere with acquiring care in a covered emergency.

Cancel For Work Reasons

The other main differentiator between the Pro and Pro Plus plans is the inclusion of Cancel For Work Reasons. When the policy is purchased within 21 days of making the initial trip deposit, the Pro Plus plan automatically includes the Cancel for Work Reasons benefit. This benefit includes additional trip cancellation triggers that are linked to your place of employment.

The Cancel for Work Reasons coverage is applicable when any of the following unforeseen events occur:

• Your or Your Traveling Companion’s transfer of employment of 100 miles or more by the employer with whom You or Your Traveling Companion are employed on Your Effective Date that requires Your or Your Traveling Companion’s principal residence to be relocated;
• You or Your Traveling Companion, neither of whom is a company owner or partner or is self-employed, are required to work during the scheduled Trip, as attested in writing by an unrelated company official and/or the company’s Human Resources Department;
• Your or Your Traveling Companion’s company is directly involved in either a merger with another company or is being acquired by another company. You or Your Traveling Companion must be an active, full-time employee and cannot be a company owner or partner or self employed, and You or Your Traveling Companion must be directly involved in such merger or acquisition; or
• Your or Your Traveling Companion’s place of employment is rendered unsuitable for business or company operations or is interrupted due to burglary, vandalism or a Natural Disaster, product recall, Bankruptcy or Default and You and/or Your Traveling Companion are required to work as a result.

It’s important to note that these events must be unforeseen at the time of booking and several of them are not available to business owners, partners, or people who are self-employed.

Read a detailed description of the Arch RoamRight Pro & Pro Plus Plans or see details about all of the travel insurance policies available from Arch RoamRight.

Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.