CareMed

What CareMed is

CareMed is a German insurance broker that sells travel health plans under its own CareMed name for students, interns, au pairs and other people on educational travel. Its privacy notice names "the responsible insurance broker, CareMed GmbH, Budapester Str. 4, 53111 Bonn, Germany," and states that "CareMed is registered as an insurance broker with a permit pursuant to Section 34d (1) of the German Industrial Code" with the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg Chamber of Industry and Commerce, under "registration number D-EW68-5PU30-88." The insurers behind the plans are not named. The homepage says, "We team up with selected insurers as long-term partners to guarantee stability and reliability," and the privacy notice describes sharing data "with insurers, reinsurers, claims offices and assistance" to broker the cover. So a buyer purchases a CareMed plan from a broker, with the risk carried by an unnamed partner insurer.

The company's history: "CareMed was launched in 1989 by a travel organization with many years' experience in the field of international youth exchange." The homepage says it "has been working in international youth exchange for more than 35 years," and that its staff know exchange travel "from their own experience, e.g. as an au pair in the USA, language student in Spain." CareMed lists memberships in WYSE Travel Confederation, WYSE Work Abroad and the International Au Pair Association (IAPA).

What the student plans cover

The homepage makes three concrete coverage statements: "All CareMed health insurance plans provide unlimited medical coverage and include medical repatriation to your home country," "Costs will also be covered if you need to see a private doctor," and "There is no coinsurance included." In the USA, "there is a preferred provider network which will make locating a medical facility and direct payment easy." Student travel health insurance "covers acute illnesses, injuries and accidents."

Buyers can choose "health insurance with or without deductible/excess"; with one, "you pay up to this amount yourself," which "enables you to reduce your insurance premium." The page does not list the deductible amounts. Optional components include accident indemnity, third party liability, luggage insurance and extra travel assistance, chosen during enrollment. Trip cancellation is a separate policy. Territory is chosen at purchase: cover is "worldwide including or excluding the USA and Canada," and a stop-over in the US or Canada requires the "worldwide including USA & Canada" option.

The plans are built to stay valid through the whole stay. The homepage says student plans cover the study period, preparatory language courses, time after classes end, trips to other countries in the chosen territory, and work "as a student assistant, tutor or intern." On price, it gives one example: an international student "may already get insured from € 0,95/US$ 1.05 per day for a semester in New Zealand or visitor exchange in Germany."

Visas and school waivers

The homepage states, "All CareMed insurance plans fulfill or exceed the requirements for a Schengen visa, student and visitor visas," citing the European Union Council decision "(2004/17/EU)" for Schengen. For the US it says, "CareMed plans fulfill or exceed the requirements for the following visas among others: F1, F2, H2B, J1, J2, M1 as well as tourist visas." For US universities that allow a waiver, CareMed offers to compare benefits: "Just e-mail us the waiver document, we will get back to you within 2 working days." For Australia, the page notes that students must hold Overseas Student Health Cover and presents CareMed as an add-on to it. After enrollment, the insurance confirmation comes with "a second page for embassies and other authorities."

COVID-19, prevention and waiting periods

The COVID page says, "With CareMed insurance plans the virus is covered as any other illness," and this "also applies in case of a declared pandemic." Testing is paid only "in case of an infection and if prescribed by a doctor," not when required for travel. "Additional costs for preventive quarantine will not be covered," though hospitalization is. "Just like routine examinations, vaccinations as a preventive measure are excluded," but side effects of a self-paid vaccination during the trip are covered. The page also says a travel warning does not void a CareMed policy.

CareMed will sometimes insure people already abroad. The contact page says, "Insurance coverage shall be taken out prior to departure from home country and for the entire stay abroad. We may exceptionally provide insurance coverage even though someone is already abroad." In that case "pre-existing conditions are excluded from coverage and there is a waiting period of 31 days for illnesses if there is no proof of active insurance coverage." The waiting period "is waived in case of acute and life-threatening conditions as well as for accidents," and "the insurer needs to individually verify later" whether previous cover can waive it.

Buying, changing and claiming

Enrollment is online, with documents delivered online, so a student can enroll "on short notice prior to departure." The site says terms and conditions are available before applying and in several languages, and that insurance documents, including the claim form, are "multi-lingual." The maximum period is stated: "the maximum insurance period is 2 years (12 months for destination Germany)." CareMed advises buying the full expected period because "a renewal is not guaranteed," and renewals within the maximum period can be requested. Before the start date, a buyer can change dates, personal data or options free of charge, and can cancel "free of charge" by e-mail for a full refund. After an early return, CareMed refunds the remaining period "minus an admin fee provided that there is a minimum period of 31 days left." Changes run through the online login: "If you would like to change your insurance period (e.g. cancelation, renewal) you will find further information in your login area."

For claims, the COVID page tells policyholders to "e-mail your invoices and medical documents together with a completed claim form to our claims office." In an emergency, "CareMed Assist, our 24-hour emergency service," can arrange "direct payment" to the medical facility or give payment guarantees; its numbers are on the insurance confirmation. The sales office is open "Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm (CET)." Trip cancellation, bought separately, pays if the insured cannot travel because of sickness, including a COVID infection, but not for "fear of traveling or restrictions at the travel destination or in the home country," and CareMed plans do not cover flight cancellation. CareMed also offers group policies to universities and organizations.

Who it suits

On its own terms, CareMed fits a student, intern, au pair or exchange visitor of any nationality who wants a plan built for a semester to two years abroad, with unlimited medical cover, no coinsurance, US or non-US territory by choice, and visa confirmations for Schengen and US student and exchange visas. Someone already abroad and uninsured can still buy, subject to the 31-day illness waiting period and the pre-existing exclusion the site states for that route.