War & Terrorism

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in the USA in 2001 and the London Underground in 2005 have highlighted terrorism as an issue all over the world and not just in countries where there is political unrest.  Terrorism can affect all of us, wherever we are.

What is terrorism?

There are many dictionary definitions of the word terrorism, but the most common understanding and the one we are talking about here is the general term used to describe acts of violence carried out to create fear amongst the general public.

The terrorists who commit the act often have a political goal and, while terrorism is illegal in all countries, it can be carried about by political parties as well as religious groups, revolutionaries and others.

Terrorism has been used throughout history by various groups to attempt to achieve their aims.  There is documented evidence of terrorist attacks against the Roman Empire as far back as the 1st century AD.

In recent years, media attention has focussed on attacks occurring in or originating from the Middle East and Asia.  The attacks on the World Trade Center and London Underground, mentioned above, are alleged to have been carried out by al-Qaeda.  Bombings in Bali in 2002 and 2005 are alleged to have been carried out by a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda.

The high profile of terrorism in the news and the attacks close to home means that we all have some awareness of the potential danger of attack.  But what can we do to minimise our risk?

Reducing the risk

There is nothing that most of us can do to stop these attacks happening and, while we can avoid travelling to areas of high risk, we cannot make ourselves immune from attacks.  However, there is some positive action that can be taken for peace of mind and to ease the burden if the worst happens.

International private medical insurance (IPMI) can cover treatment needed as a result of an act of war or terrorism.

IPMI gives planholders access to private healthcare wherever they are in the world.  The plans have been developed for the needs of expatriates, frequent international travellers, overseas employees and local staff of international businesses.

There are over 20 IPMI providers, each offering a number of plans with medical treatment ranging from in-patient only through to cover for most in- and out-patient treatment.  Many providers cover individuals, families and groups.  Providers will differ in the way that they underwrite plans (usually either through full medical underwriting or moratorium) and in the small print of their benefits, conditions and exclusions.

Always check the small print

It is in this small print that you can find out whether treatment needed as a result of war or terrorism will be covered by the plan.  Some plans will not give any cover for this at all but some only exclude the cover if the patient has been an active participant in the war or terrorism.  In these cases, if the person was an innocent bystander, their medical treatment could be covered.

The wording to look out for will usually be in the benefit exclusions section of the plan wording, plan guide or plan rules.  To make sure that you will be covered if you are a victim of a terrorist act, you need to look for wording that specifically excludes “Participation in war, riots, strikes, lock-outs, civil commotion, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, terrorism… etc” or includes a qualifying phrase such as “unless the insured person sustains bodily injury whilst an innocent bystander.”

In these cases, treatment for victims of terrorist attacks will be covered (subject to all other benefits, conditions and exclusions of the plan).

If the wording makes no mention of “participation” or being “an active participant” or there is no “unless…an innocent bystander” statement, the plan may not cover the treatment, even for passive victims.

Also check whether there are any other rules that might affect cover.  For example, some providers stipulate that treatment needed as a result of war or terrorism will not be covered if a government has issued a travel warning to the country where the act of war or terror has taken place.

Political instability

In most areas, the risk of being caught up in a terrorist attack is minimal.  But there are some places, like Iraq, where terrorist attacks have become a part of daily life and others, such as parts of Africa, where the risk of attack is lower but access to medical facilities and treatment is limited.  This is where the benefits of IPMI become most valuable.

Some providers will not cover people based in certain countries, for example Iraq or Afghanistan as the high risk of injury means that they are more likely to make a claim.  This in turn pushes up premiums, which is never good news for plan holders or providers.  However, some providers will cover these places with a premium loading.  This means that the base premium is increased by a certain percentage.  For example, InterGlobal will cover people in Iraq with a 300% loading.

Emergency medical evacuation

Emergency medical evacuation is one of the benefits that sets IPMI apart from a domestic private medical insurance plan.  There are many parts of the world where medical facilities are not as comprehensive, as easily accessible or as hygienic as they are in the UK.  Emergency evacuation can give you access to the right treatment wherever you are.

However, you must read the small print in the benefit conditions to check whether an emergency evacuation will be guaranteed if needed.  Some providers state that they may not be able to evacuate if a local situation makes it impossible, unreasonably dangerous or impractical to enter the area.

Of course, in most situations, an IPMI provider would do their utmost to make sure that you were evacuated if your life was at risk.  Most providers will evacuate when there is a medical emergency (this usually means suffering from a medical condition which means you need to be put on a critical list).  Some providers offer a more comprehensive emergency evacuation benefit that means they will also evacuate when adequate treatment is not available locally.

Check, as well, exactly who will be evacuated.  Some providers take not only you but also all of your dependants.  In a time of crisis this can ease the stress for you and your family.

The case for cover

IPMI may seem like an optional luxury; something to get if you have the money and like to have all bases covered or want access to private, rather than public, healthcare services.  The following example shows that it is always worth serious consideration when embarking on any sort of overseas venture.

The 2005 Sharm al-Sheikh bombing in Egypt left over 80 people dead and 200 people wounded.  Many of the injured people needed ongoing, expensive medical treatment.  Some of these victims were not able to get compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authorities and were not covered by their medical or travel insurance policies, which excluded cover for treatment needed as a result of a terrorist attack.  These people are now relying on savings, charity and friends and family to help pay for their treatment.  This shows just how important it is to read the small print of a policy.

Of course, we always want to hope that these sorts of things are not going to happen.  The majority of governments are fighting against terrorism, with the support of the public.  However, IPMI can offer peace of mind and protection, as well as access to professional private medical and assistance services wherever and whenever you need them.

If you are living or working outside of their home country or travel a lot, international private medical insurance is an essential consideration.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism

2 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4800478.stm

Andrew Sandilands

Compliance Officer

InterGlobal

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