Ask Our Specialists

I already have the brochures. You don't need to send them. 1. Bajaj Allianz brochure just mentions at one place: "subject to policy terms and conditions and sublimits". These sublimits is what make the policy a fixed coverage plan. And those sublimits are nowhere described in the brochure. Therefore, ask them about those sublimits. Patriot America is a comprehensive coverage. Therefore, there is no apples to apples comparison. If you want to compare the prices, compare them with Visitors Care. One thing you have to understand is that Patriot America or any such US based company offering such products are NOT robbing you. And Bajaj Allianz or any such India based company offering such products are NOT doing any social service or charity. Insurance companies in both countries are businesses established for profit. Both have to face the same claims whose expenses are the same in US no matter which policy you buy. Therefore, if someone seems to offer substantially more benefits at substantially less prices, things can't be same. You have to look deeper. 2. Having a PPO is not a restriction but a bonus. Even in Patriot America, you can go to any Dr. you like. However, Patriot America participates in First Health PPO network which has around 500,000 physicians and 4700 hospitals in the network which recognize the insurance, bill the insurance company directly and charge you the network negotiated fees. Read /visitors-insurance-usa-india-comparison/ And then do the research on their web site and ask appropriate questions to them and then make appropriate comparison to see how it works in both the plans. 3. That is not how it always works. Any one can pay $25 and get a US phone number that rings in India. Still if all the claims are handled in India, talk to any Dr or hospital in your area and ask whether they would send all the claims papers to New Delhi and deal with them in India. And see what happens. I will write verbatim from their Claims Procedure document: >>>>>6. If any hospital does not submit a bill to you for the treatment/service rendered, please inform us before you leave the hospital. If the hospital insists that they will claim directly from the Insurance Company, please inform them that BAJAJ ALLIANZ shall not entertain any such requests from the hospital. Only claims whereby the Insured filed directly with all relevant documents on return to India will be considered. >>>>> Among the medical claims document to be submitted, it says you need to submit "Copy of passport, visa with entry and exit stamp". You will not have both entry and exit stamp until you return to India. And remember, we are insurance brokers. We work for you, not for any insurance company. Therefore, whatever we tell is in your best advantage, and truth of course. After that, it is your decision. And of ourse, no one is forcing you to buy insurance from US based company. If you still feel that India based insurance company such as Bajaj Allianz is best for you, go for it and if you end up making any claim, please post your experience here. I sincerely hope and pray that it is a good one.

1. Thats funny because they specifically told me its comprehensive and NOT fixed. 2. I understand 3. Where did you get this clause from? The brochure I have doesnt have this clause. Would you be able to email me that brochure? They stated that they have tied up with a local agency in US and all one needs to do is call them with doctor name, number before going in and the agency will setup cashless settlement. That means that the policy holder will not have to pay anything except the 100$ deductible. Thoughts?

1. First and foremost thing to understand is that there is no universally accepted and government enforced naming conventions for different types of visitors insurance plans. When we got into business 6/7 years ago, we found that there were two distinct types of insurance products with a big difference in price and coverage. And no one had named the categories or differentiated properly. And we felt that it was in the best interest of customers to know that and therefore we decided to distinguish between those two types on our web site and clearly demarked everything. I gave those names to the categories, in absence of any better naming convention available. Many other US based brokers and agents followed our leadership and started calling the plans "Fixed Coverage Plans" and "Comprehensive Coverage Plans" for the products offered in the US. And over the time, it became very popular naming convention. But that does not mean everyone in the world is required to use exactly the same names to mean the same thing. Therefore, what really matters is whether the particular insurance product has sub-limits or not. Any product with sub-limits is highly inadequate insurance plan (that includes that type of products we sell as well. Of course, we sell comprehensive plans too, I mean, the ones without sub-limits). And that is what you need to confirm, rather than getting stuck on the naming convention. 3. A. It is not in the brochure, but in a separate document called 'Claims Procedure'. Last time I visited India, I went to several different companies and collected as much as material as possible from each of them. You can ask them about that document. As I am not authorized representative of that company, I should not be distributing their material. B. To the best of my knowledge, this is what happens: International SOS India Pvt Ltd is a company in New Delhi that handles all the claims and you (or the provider if they are willing to) will have to deal with them in New Delhi. However, International SOS Inc., is a company located in Philadelphia, PA, USA. But that company just does the evacuations (emergency transportation) and is not involved in the medical claims processing of Bajaj Allianz customers. Just because the same company has operations in two countries does not mean everything is handled from the US. If that is not correct, ask them the name and contact information of that agency in the US. Ask the doctor or the hospital in your area whether they will be willing to deal with those folks directly. If the provider says no, it does not matter what the insurance company or their agent claims. Ask them the list of providers who will bill directly to them. I think it is most appropriate if you ask proper questions to them and convince yourself and rather than me telling so much about the products that we don't even sell. If you still think it is in your best interest to buy from Bajaj Allianz, why don't you just do that?