26 Mar Comparing Business Travel Medical Insurance With Onsite Concierge Care

Prioritizing health and caring for your employee’s medical needs is a requirement for modern businesses. However, as business models shift and more employees see frequent travel and work offsite for their jobs, the way we incorporate and implement medical care has transitioned. That means that to stay effective, now is the time to look at new ways to care for those medical needs.

Traditionally, businesses covered their employees with business travel medical insurance. However, companies are now adapting and have begun offering concierge care for their traveling employees to meet their needs in an ever-changing work environment and reduce costs on insurance premiums while providing a higher overall level of care.

Today, we will discuss the differences between the traditional travel medical insurance model and onsite concierge care for businesses and their employees.

What is business travel medical insurance?

Employer-provided health insurance typically does not cover medical expenses related to travel, particularly for business trips outside of the United States. To counter this, employees can purchase what is known as a business travel medical insurance policy.

These policies are a separate addition to ¹ covering expenses like emergency room visits, medication, and loss of work while injured overseas.

One thing to note is that business travel medical insurance typically covers medical emergencies,² not routine care or associated costs.

Additionally, these policies do not cover the up-front cost of these expenses but rather reimburse you for them, meaning you will likely have to pay out of pocket first and then recuperate your money through your policy later. The full extent of the coverage can vary depending on the policy and provider.

Some will provide compensation for additional business-related expenses such as time lost from work, rental cars and other transportation-related costs, and medication, but typically these policies are more expensive and only cover short term travel. Long-term international travel insurance is a different type of policy.

What is onsite concierge care?

Due to the difficulties and inconsistencies stemming from business travel medical insurance, many businesses and professionals are switching to a different model of medical care for traveling workers: onsite concierge care.

Concierge care involves a doctor or medical professional who travels with employees³ and sets up a medical suite in the same hotel, where employees can come directly for medical treatment. Doctors are available during working hours at the medical suite, but employees can also schedule appointments after hours at their hotel rooms or in the medical suite based on need.

The primary purpose of concierge care is to provide quick and efficient access to medical care while traveling overseas, where businesses may need more time to travel for both routine and emergency medical care.

Concierge care allows employees to access the care they need while keeping up with meetings and other timely business appointments.

Concierge medical care provides a wide range of services, including Covid 19 testing, over-the-counter medication for pain, fever, and allergies, limited prescription support, treatment for cuts, burns, and minor injuries, and vitamin IV therapy. Services are available for long-distance travel, work retreats, and other business functions for easy accessibility for large groups and individuals.

Which option best fits your needs?

While concierge medical care is more prevalent, business travel medical insurance also has benefits, so determining which suits your situation is essential.

Perks of business travel insurance

For businesses that require extensive overseas travel, business travel medical insurance may be more appropriate than concierge care.

Employers that suffer a serious injury have more coverage with travel insurance, making it easier for them to get compensated if injured while on business.

Additionally, business travel insurance may be combined with other policies to cover expenses and potential issues while traveling internationally. It is also easier to get medical care with an international plan than by trying to allow employees to access local emergency services on their own. Business travel insurance may be more economical and provide better coverage depending on how many employees travel and where they are.

As an individual, purchasing an insurance policy for your specific needs, such as covering travel, rental car, and other costs, as well as time away from work in the event of an unforeseen emergency, can provide the peace of mind that many people traveling overseas need. Additionally, many insurance providers will operate internationally, so higher levels of care may be possible depending on your coverage and provider.

It is also possible to carry business travel insurance as merely a supplement to concierge care so that if a significant issue occurs outside of concierge care, employees can still access emergency facilities to receive treatment with minimal interruption to the workday. 

Concierge care

Concierge care is incredibly beneficial for large groups of employees and for managing basic and minor emergency healthcare needs.

Rather than having employees seek medical care on their own in an unfamiliar location, they can access it in the comfort of their hotel. This way, preventative care, medication, and other minor treatments are available without disrupting work. Being constantly on call also makes it so that if an unexpected issue pops up, such as in the middle of the night, medical help is there when it is needed most.

Concierge care can benefit older employees, employees with chronic health conditions, and those susceptible to travel stress and related illnesses.

It makes managing these conditions and situations much more manageable without losing time away from work.

Another benefit of concierge care is the ease of access needed when medical care is challenging for foreigners. Not all healthcare systems work the same, and accessing essential medications and routine care during international travel can quickly become more complicated than many realize.

Last Words

Whether you are an employer trying to take care of your employees or an employee wanting to cover their bases, travel medical insurance and concierge care are valuable and helpful investments.

If you are still determining which option will work best for you, consult your doctor and consider how much traveling you will need for business, where you will be traveling, and any medical concerns. Suppose emergency coverage for overseas trips is the best fit for your situation. In that case, consider getting business travel medical insurance and additional coverage for other expenses.

However, suppose you have ongoing medical conditions requiring treatment and feel that immediate medical care is more beneficial. In that case, concierge care may be the best option for you. This way, you can conduct your business and have 24/7 access to a doctor for basic medical needs.

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