These two professions are gradually nested

Travel insurance and assistance were originally two separate trades. The first provides disaster, a financial contribution (reimbursement, capital), while the second brings a service (repatriation, troubleshooting) which involves logistical means. These two professions are gradually nested. Martin Vial, the pattern of Europ Assistance, as "assuristance" this combination of financial coverage and services. Actors that have integrated the two trades arbitrate permanently: with improving levels of care in many countries, for example, a reimbursement of care carried out on-site (within the insurance) is sometimes preferable to repatriation (assistance). The three world leaders in the specialty of assuristance are of French origin, born in reconciliations of European insurers. Europ Assistance, pure assisteur initially, incorporated in 2007 in France the travel insurance of its shareholder Generali. Global Assistance was near the Elvia travel insurer in the wake of the entry of the AGF in Allianz. About AXA Assistance, he just create Ireland AXA Travel Insurance to better combine the travel insurance products for assistance. All three have taken a world-wide.

Global actors

These three players have understood that they were to exceed the insurance-assistance traditional travel, for "position in global players in the corporate risk", according to Nicole Pochat, Director of marketing for European Assistance France. "Because the political risks, notes Yves Masson, CEO of AXA Assistance, increase, as their readability and timeliness of the information. But, above all, travellers admits more to be put in any dangerous situation and expect instant and perfect reaction problem. "That is why, according to Nicolas Gusdorf, President of the national Union of societies (NSH),"limited to the sanitary assistance no longer sufficed." Partnerships with security companies have responded to an overall expectation of companies. "The three leaders have therefore found each their French specialist: Europ Assistance partnered with Crisis Consulting, Global Risk & Co, AXA Assistance to Geos support. Other French, less overall gain have followed the example as Mutuaide (Groupama), which is linked to security without borders. One atypical case once again, International SOS, assisteur unless the insurer, which has integrated its own means of security.

The role of brokers

In reality, the two trades assisteur and claimant security are very different by their skills and their culture but complementary. The gain have logistical means heavy response emergency hot lines, while security companies fuel cell monitoring and analysis of political risk and action on the ground networks. Their security products are most often available in tailor-made to customers of the gain, which combine with the countries where their passengers travel.

Unlike tourism, the sale of insurance-assistance for business travel passes more often by general practitioners, type brokers Aon or Marsh, or specialized brokers in insurance of persons to the international Mobility Benefits or Verspieren Benefits. "There are a multitude of possible stakeholders and our role as broker is to build a harmonized product where each role is well defined with a head of implementation and coordination," explains Isabelle Correa-Luna of Aon. Alain Faignot, head of Verspieren Benefits, specifies that the broker dissects the limits of contracts and adds to the map, the current insurance-assistance products of ancillary products such as the provision of services (information, training of HRD and travellers, advice to constitute a crisis cell...) or insurance products that can provide to the treatment of psychological shock assault and unlawful confinement.