WorldTrips

What WorldTrips is

WorldTrips sells travel medical and trip protection plans under its own brand names, Atlas and StudentSecure, while separate insurance companies in the same group carry the risk. Its about page heading reads "WorldTrips Is a Tokio Marine HCC Company," and the site's legal notice says "WorldTrips is a service company and a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies." The company "was established in 1998 in Indianapolis, IN," and the about page says it offers travel medical insurance "to customers in over 130 countries and trip protection insurance to residents of the U.S."

The same notice names the underwriters plan family by plan family. "WorldTrips' Atlas Travel Series and StudentSecure international travel medical insurance products are underwritten through binding authorities with TMHCC (CI) Insurance SPC Ltd and Houston Casualty Company (HC)." The trip protection side is separate: "WorldTrips' Atlas Journey, Atlas Cruiser, and Atlas On-The-Go trip protection insurance products are underwritten by Tokio Marine HCC's U.S. Specialty Insurance Company (USSIC)," which the notice describes as "a Texas-domiciled insurance company operating on an admitted basis throughout the United States." It adds that this trip protection "Coverage is available to U.S. residents of the U.S. states and District of Columbia only," and that in California the business operates "as WorldTrips Insurance Services" under "California Non-Resident Producer License Number: 0G39705."

The plans and the figures the site prints

Atlas America, the plan for visitors to the United States, sets the "Maximum Per Injury or Illness" by age: "Age 80 or Older: $10,000," "Age 65 to 79: $50,000 or $100,000," and for everyone else "$50,000, $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, $1,000,000, or $2,000,000." Deductibles run "$0, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000 per certificate period." The page names its buyers as "Tourists and leisure travelers visiting the United States," "Parents or relatives spending time with family in the U.S.," "Temporary workers and business professionals traveling for short-term assignments," and "International students, exchange visitors, and program participants." Its benefits table pays acute onset of a pre-existing condition "Up to the overall maximum limit," with "Up to $25,000 lifetime maximum for Emergency Medical Evacuation" for that condition, plus "Hospital Indemnity $100 per day of inpatient hospitalization" and "Emergency Dental Up to $300," and the page says Atlas customers "have access to travel and medical assistance 365 days a year."

Atlas Travel is the single-trip plan for everyone else; the site calls it "our most popular travel medical insurance plan" and says it is "designed for single international trips, but you can extend your coverage if your plans change." Its page lists "Coverage for unexpected medical expenses, including COVID-19-related expenses," an "Emergency Medical Evacuation benefit," and "Trip Interruption, Travel Delay, and Lost Checked Luggage." The FAQ says "Atlas Travel insurance meets Schengen visa requirements" and that a buyer gets "a visa letter that can serve as proof of insurance." Atlas Premium "provides the same benefits as our basic Atlas Travel plan with higher coverage limits for many important benefits." Neither page prints a medical maximum or deductible for these two plans; those come from the quote. Upgrades for "Crisis Response, Personal Liability, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment" can be added, and a device protection add-on pays "up to $2,000 per plan and up to $1,000 per claim" for travelers entering or exiting the U.S. Atlas Group gives "a 10% reduced rate" to groups "of 5 or more."

Atlas MultiTrip is the annual plan, covering "unlimited international trips within a 12-month period," with each trip "up to 30 or 45 days (you choose at purchase)." Its summary table lists "Overall Medical Maximum Up to $1,000,000," "Emergency Medical Evacuation Up to $1,000,000," "Political Evacuation Up to $100,000," "Personal Liability Up to $25,000," "Emergency Dental Up to $300" and a "Deductible $250 per covered trip." The page's price benchmark reads "Excluding the U.S.: Plans start at $193 for 30-day trips and $236 for 45-day trips" and "Including the U.S.: Plans start at $264 for 30-day trips and $323 for 45-day trips." The page says plainly that the plan "does not include trip cancellation coverage."

Atlas Nomads, for digital nomads who are non-U.S. residents, advertises "Plans starting at $1.85 USD per day," with coverage "available for up to one year." Its example tier, "For 4 weeks of coverage for those up to 39 years old," lists a "$0 Deductible" and "$250,000 Maximum Coverage." For students, the FAQ states that pre-existing conditions "are excluded from StudentSecure Elite and StudentSecure Select during the first 6 months of coverage and from StudentSecure Budget during the first 12 months of coverage," and that all StudentSecure plans include acute onset of pre-existing conditions "up to a lifetime maximum of $25,000 for eligible expenses."

Buying, extending and claiming

The travel medical page promises "Purchase a plan even after your trip begins, extend your coverage, or cancel your policy if plans change," with documents sent by email and plans managed "through our online Member Portal." The portal lets a policyholder "View your coverage information," "Download your ID card," "Update destinations" and "Update credit card information." On Atlas Travel, the FAQ says a buyer "may extend your coverage (5-day minimum) up to a maximum of twelve (12) months from the initial effective date" without re-satisfying the deductible, can then renew "for two additional coverage periods," and that the "Deductible must be re-satisfied as of each renewal date." Atlas Nomads works differently: "You cannot renew your Atlas Nomads insurance plan," and on a new purchase "the pre-existing condition lookback period would reset."

Claims go to WorldTrips. The FAQ says "You must report a claim to us within 30 days of a loss occurring, or as soon as reasonably possible," and "You must provide proof of loss within 90 days." Claim forms can be submitted "Via DocuSign within Member Portal," which the site calls the "Most Efficient Approach," or by mail to its claims department, and the FAQ describes an appeal route for a denied claim. For care on the road, WorldTrips "has partnered with Air Doctor to make it easier than ever to access trusted medical professionals in covered areas," and the site says "All WorldTrips plans include access to 24/7 travel assistance, multilingual emergency assistance, and online plan management." Premiums for Atlas Travel, Atlas Premium, Atlas Journey and the StudentSecure tiers are not printed on these pages.

Who it suits and who it does not

WorldTrips fits a visitor to the US who wants the age-banded medical maximum set out before buying, since Atlas America's chart gives exact figures by age, and a frequent traveler who wants one annual medical plan with a printed starting price. It also fits a buyer already abroad, since the site says a plan can be bought, extended or canceled after the trip has started, and students who need to know how long a pre-existing condition stays excluded on each StudentSecure tier.

It is a weaker fit for a US resident who mainly needs cancellation cover on an expensive trip, since Atlas MultiTrip carries none and that job falls to the separate Atlas Journey family. Visitors aged 80 or older on Atlas America are held to the $10,000 per injury or illness maximum. Anyone comparing Atlas Travel or Atlas Premium on price has to run the quote, because those pages give no figures.