ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 7, 2011 — The Independent Agents & Brokers of America Big “I” Markets has formed a new partnership with Travel Insured International®, the leading independently-owned travel insurer, to provide Big "I" members with two of the travel insurance industry's leading comprehensive travel insurance plans. The newly-offered products have been designed to include robust coverage that protects traveling clients before and during their trips from a wide range of potential unforeseen events that can disrupt or cancel their travel plans.
“It’s impossible to predict or prepare for all possible events that could cancel or interrupt a trip,” says Gary Heiligman, the associate vice president of Big “I” Advantage. “Big ‘I’ Markets is proud to provide our members with additional protection from Travel Insured International covering almost any possible scenario.”
As a result of the new partnership, Big “I” agent members now can offer their clients Travel Insured’s Worldwide Trip Protector and Worldwide Trip Protector Gold plans, each providing a comprehensive suite of inclusive and optional travel insurance benefits. Both plans include trip cancellation, trip interruption and trip delay, missed connection, baggage and personal effects protection, baggage delay, emergency accident and sickness medical expense coverage, emergency medical evacuation, travel accident protection, and 24-hour worldwide emergency assistance services.
A menu of Travel Insured's value-added coverage options are offered to clients in both plans. The choices include upgraded accident and sickness medical protection, additional emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage, flight insurance in a choice of benefit amounts, and a sports coverage upgrade to eliminate contact sports exclusions and cover golf club or ski rentals required when a traveler's own equipment is delayed by common carrier. Car rental collision insurance is included coverage in the Worldwide Trip Protector Gold plan and available as an option in the Worldwide Trip Protector plan. Primary medical coverage, eliminating the excess coverage provision, is included in the Gold plan and is a value-added benefit with a medical upgrade in the Worldwide Trip Protector Plan. Additionally, deductibles are eliminated with the medical coverage upgrades in either plan.
Travel Insured International owner and chairman Peter Gehris proudly welcomed the new Big "I" Markets partnership on behalf of his entire team. “We at Travel Insured International are excited about this new partnership with Big ‘I’ Markets, and we are ready to go to work helping independent insurance agents, brokers and their staffs deliver strong protection to their traveling clients both before and during their travels,” said Gehris. "As exclusive specialists in travel insurance, we will bring a strong addition to the portfolio of coverage that Big "I" members can offer their clients."
Founded in 1994, Travel Insured International® is a former division of the Travelers Insurance Company. Gehris, a former Travelers executive, acquired the division and launched a family owned and operated business dedicated exclusively to travel coverage. Travel Insured's employees follow a mandate to deliver professional service that meets or exceeds the needs of travel clients. Staff members are readily available to answer agent and client questions promptly and courteously by phone or via online live chat.
Big “I” Markets provides free online access to specialty/niche coverages, program business and hard-to-find markets access exclusively for IIABA members. Using proprietary IIABA technology and IIABA’s nationally licensed, wholly owned agency—IIAA Agency Administrative Services—over 8,000 IIABA member agencies have access to available coverage, terms and conditions, applications, a quote request platform and policy forms and electronic brochures are efficiently conveyed to and from IIABA member agents and product providers.
Founded in 1896, the Big “I” is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagent.com.
About Travel Insured International®
Travel Insured International®, based in E. Hartford, Ct, was founded in 1994 by the foresight of insurance industry executive Peter Gehris when he acquired the travel protection division of the Travelers Insurance Company. Coverage is underwritten by Arch Insurance Company (a Missouri corporation, NAIC #11150) with executive offices located in Jersey City, NJ. Arch Insurance is rated A (“Excellent”) for financial strength by the insurance rating service A.M. Best. Not all insurance products or coverage is available in all jurisdictions. Coverage is subject to actual policy language.
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