Overview
The leaders of Educational Institutions are faced with tough decisions when it comes to properly protecting their students, faculty, staff, and employees. Many of the over 124,000 educational institutions operating in the United States have multiple locations that may require special risk accident or internationally travel insurance in addition to providing property and casualty insurance on each campus. Proper insurance and risk management strategies are necessary to sustain the viability of the institution from a financial and legal standpoint, but it also has a moral obligation to protect anyone that is associated with the institution.
Underestimating risk and choosing to not adequately insure and protect the people at your institution could be catastrophic. However, when the leadership of the educational institution makes a conscience decision to actively reduce the risk of accidents, senseless tragedies, and they start to understand the complexities associated with international travel exposures such as – wrongful detention, hijackings, kidnap and ransom, crisis management, medical emergencies, access to medical evacuations and repatriation services, international liability, political and civil unrest, and personal security they are truly embracing “best practice” procedures and “duty of care” obligations that are critical to the success and well-being of their school.
Group Special Risk Accident
Global Underwriters’ group accident coverage is an ideal solution for any Educational Institution that is intentional about protecting their most important asset – which are the students, faculty, staff, and employees that attend and work for the institution. Group accident insurance can also help mitigate certain general liability exposures for the institution by having adequate amounts of on-and-off premise accident coverage for any school sponsored activities.
Product Utilization:
- Educational group accident plan designs are flexible and customized to align with institutions unique needs and can provide accident medical, accidental death and dismemberment, coma, paralysis, and active shooter-felonious assault coverage.
- Domestic Group Travel insurance can be included to cover students, faculty, staff, and employees when they travel on behalf of the institution.
- Policies can be written for short term travel or on an annual policy term and may cover specific activities that are agreed to in advance.
- Policies can be primary or excess coverage and they can be written on a voluntary or mandatory basis.
- Higher risk activities or special events can be added to the policy on an as needed basis.
International Group Travel Medical
Global Underwriters’ International Group Travel Medical policies are customized to meet the changing needs of today’s Educational Institutions. Most secondary schools and almost every university and college have programs that either send U.S. students abroad or have foreign students coming to the U.S. to study.
International Group Medical plans are designed to protect those students, faculty, staff, and employees traveling abroad on behalf of the institution, but these plans also help mitigate potential financial liabilities for the school by meeting current “duty of care” obligations and implementing “best practice” procedures for the entire institution. Plus, coverage can be tailored to align with schools’ risk profile, which means the plan is carefully designed and implemented with proven Travel Risk Management strategies, which help to ensure the safety and security of the students, faculty, staff, and employees of the institution.
Product Utilization:
- International Group Travel Medical and Evacuation plan designs are flexible and customized to align with institutions unique needs.
- Coverage can include Out of Country Medical, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (including coma, paralysis), Emergency Medical Air Evacuation, and 24-Hour Worldwide Assistance Services.
- Eligibility includes, but is not limited to students, faculty, staff, and employees when they travel on behalf of the institution.
- Policies can be written for short term travel or on an annual policy term and may cover specific sports and activities that are agreed to in advance.
- Policies can be written on a primary or excess basis depending on the current needs of the institution.
- Higher risk activities or special events can be added to the policy on an as needed basis.
Benefit Options:
- Out of Country Medical (accident & sickness) coverage and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) are typically the foundation for any International Group Travel plan, but we offer flexible plan designs that can be tailored to meet your immediate international insurance needs.
- 24 Hour Worldwide Assistance Services is always included as part of our international group travel medical plans for Educational Institutions.
- Emergency Medical Air Evacuation and Repatriation benefits are an essential part of any international group travel medical plan that we offer to Educational Institutions.
- Global Underwriters also offers seamless Claims Processing and Adjudication capabilities on every policy that we underwrite.
- Travel Risk Management services are also available to identify potential gaps in coverage while simultaneously enhancing and fully integrating other non-insured services such as security, intelligence, travel risk assessments, crisis management, and response.
Other Optional Enhancements:
- War Risk Coverage
- Political Security Evacuations
- High Limit Accidental Death & Dismemberment
- Hazardous Activity Coverage
- Coma & Paralysis Benefits
Kidnap, Ransom & Extortion
Kidnap, Ransom & Extortion and Crisis Management
Almost every educational institution has students, faculty, staff, and employees traveling abroad at some point in time. As travel continues to expand for these institutions, so does the volatility and uncertainty of travel to countries once considered relatively safe to travel to. Wrongful Detention, Hijacking, Kidnapping, extortion, and political unrest can pop-up anytime anywhere. Campuses at these institutions are considered “soft targets” and are increasingly being confronted with violent attacks. It’s essential for educational leaders to identify security strengths, gaps, and understand “duty of care” obligations which can provide students, faculty, staff, and employees with protection against such events. Executive leadership also has an institutional obligation to protect itself from lawsuits and mitigate financial disruptions for the school.
Product Utilization:
- Kidnap, Ransom, and Extortion insurance should be considered as part of a comprehensive approach to mitigate risk for Educational Institutions.
- Proper Implementation of a KRE policy includes but is not limited to increasing awareness of potential security issues and proactively developing crisis management strategies and tactical solutions for the Institutions.
- Global Underwriters Kidnap, Ransom, and Extortion insurance is worldwide, including exposures at home.
- These plans also respond to Extortion threats to harm students, faculty, staff, and employees or cause damage to physical property, or even threats to introduce a computer virus.
- Global Underwriters Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion policies include access to 24/7 Emergency Crisis Response services.
- In addition to providing ransom monies, these policies can include certain liability coverage and extra expenses tied to violent attacks and/or threats, providing victim death benefits as well as needed medical, rehabilitation, psychiatric, and funeral expense coverages.
Benefits/Service Options (unique to the KRE insurance market):
- Express Kidnap (covers kidnaps involving victims and their ATM withdrawals as ransom).
- Disappearance Investigation (covers investigation when someone goes missing).
- Travel Evacuation (covers evacuation for political or security reasons).
- Threat Response (covers expense responding to a threat of any kind).
- Business Interruption Expenses.
- Crisis Management Strategies.
- Security Consulting.
- Global Intelligence.
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment.
Foreign General Liability
Foreign General Liability & Foreign Workers Comp
Most Educational Institutions understand the legal exposures they face here at home, but when they venture to other country’s they encounter many laws, languages and customs that may be unfamiliar to them. Domestic liability insurance does not adequately respond to certain risks institutions may encounter when traveling or operating outside of the U.S. Failure to fully evaluate and understand international insurance needs could result in unexpected and costly gaps in coverage.
Mitigating risk is essential to the vitality of the institution, particularly when educational institutions have operations abroad (study abroad programs, int’l education conventions, international campus locations, business meetings, sponsored events, and contracted government work). Foreign Voluntary Workers Compensation and even Foreign Property coverage should be considered if the institution is renting or purchasing building space. Global Underwriters Foreign General Liability insurance should be the first line of defense against costly legal actions arising from events occurring outside United States borders.
Product Utilization:
- Foreign Commercial General Liability
- Situation: A U.S. faculty member is travelling overseas to convention in Sweden and uses an electric plug adapter. The adapter overheats while they are out of the room, and some smoke triggers the rooms sprinkler system. The hotel room, as well as the room below it, have water damage, and the hotel owner is demanding to be repaid for the damage. The domestic GL carrier declines to cover because it happened outside of the U.S.
- Solution: Your Foreign GL policy would provide third party property liability for damages caused by your faculty member while travelling internationally. It would pay for the cost of defense, expenses, and damages that the institution are liable for.
- Foreign Voluntary Workers Compensation
- Situation: Several faculty members and IT staff are sent overseas to finalize curriculum and install equipment for a new international campus the university just purchased. While one of the IT staff was trying to reinstall cable, he falls and breaks his hip. He is unable to work for 6 months while healing, and your domestic Workers Comp only provides coverage in the U.S.
- Solution: A Foreign GL policy that includes Foreign Voluntary Workers Compensation provides State-of-Hire or Country-of-Origin benefits to all faculty and staff working internationally. This would pay for items such as their lost wages and medical bills, with the goal of making the employee whole while also protecting the institution.
- Kidnap, Ransom, & Extortion Insurance:
- Situation: Faculty and students are being held against their will at an undisclosed location in a South American country. The institution has received certain financial demand for their safe release. What now?!
- Solution: Kidnap, Ransom, & Extortion insurance will respond immediately to any crisis where students, faculty, staff, and employees are at risk or being held against their will. Proper crisis response, attention to detail, intelligence, and communication are essential for a successful outcome for this type of situation.
- Foreign Auto Liability
- Situation: U.S. based faculty or university staff travels to Mexico and rents a car with $40,000 in local auto liability (compulsory under Mexico law). They are in an accident where a passenger in the other vehicle dies, and the driver is seriously injured. Their liability greatly exceeds the $40,000 they purchased, and the educational institution and employee can both be held responsible.
- Solution: A Foreign GL policy can be bundled with contingent auto liability coverage, with limits of up to $1,000,000 per covered accident, and extends coverage to both the educational institution and the employee.
Active Shooter
Active Shooter/Felonious Assault Group Accident
Unfortunately, serious accidents and more recently deadly shootings have happened at schools and educational institutions around the country. Educational leaders struggle with ever present safety issues and maintaining an academic environment that enriches the students experience. The staggering number of violent attacks both on and off campus are prompting educational institutions to reevaluate their security and risk management procedures. Alarming as this may seem, there are ways to properly mitigate financial, legal, and safety risks. Having a comprehensive holistic end-to-end approach to insurance, risk management, and security can and will provide the peace of mind that educational leaders and institutions are looking for.
Product Utilization:
- A comprehensive approach should be considered and include adequate amounts of accident insurance coupled with sound risk management strategies, security, and active shooter training.
- Educational Institution accident plan designs are flexible and customized to meet the organizations needs and can provide accident medical, accidental death and dismemberment, coma, paralysis, and active shooter – felonious assault coverage.
- Policies are written on an annual policy term and may cover specific activities that are agreed to in advance.
- Policies can be primary or excess coverage and must written on a mandatory basis.
- Higher risk activities or special events can be added to the policy on an as needed basis.
Benefit Options:
- Active Shooter Coverage/Felonious Assault Accident Coverage
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment
- Accident Medical
- Monthly Disability benefit
- In-Hospital Indemnity
- Coma & Paralysis
- Emergency Medical Air Evacuation & Ambulance Services
