Business travel is back and expected to exceed pre-pandemic numbers by 2026. In recent years, however, the travel environment has changed dramatically. Business travelers face new threats of all types – cyberattacks disrupting flights, severe weather events, geopolitical conflict, civil unrest, and increased motor vehicle accidents.

Download the 2024 Business Travel Risk Trends and Insights Report

It’s never been more important for companies to reassess their corporate business travel policies. Whether an employee is in the office or traveling, companies have a duty of care, which is an organization’s moral and legal responsibility to ensure the care and safety of its workers. That’s why it’s critical to choose a business travel accident solution that covers all the bases in today’s travel landscape.

It’s as important as ever to talk to your clients about Business Travel Accident Insurance to strengthen their duty of care programs in the future.

Here’s why:

#1: It covers more than airline travel (including some commutes!)

Don’t let the name fool you. Business Travel Accident (BTA) insurance isn’t just for international business trips or airline travel. A BTA policy can also cover domestic travel – from running work-related errands across the street to traveling nationwide for a meeting.

Some businesses may have meetings that are too important to do via Zoom or perhaps they have employees who must physically be in the office. Regardless of the distance, this can increase the risk of unexpected accidents and injuries, which workers’ compensation may not cover.

With a Business Travel Accident policy, employees can hit the road in confidence knowing they’re covered. 

#2: Business Travel Accident Plans can be tailored to suit evolving needs

Travel Accident policies can be customized to meet the specific needs of traveling staff, regardless of location and needs.

For organizations with infrequent travelers, a BTA policy provides many valuable benefits that may cover employees 24 hours a day and may help to offset out-of-pocket costs if employees have high deductible health plans. Some of the benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Accidental Death & Dismemberment – Covers accidental deaths and dismemberments due to a covered injury occurring on and off the job
• Hospital Stay – Pays a benefit if a covered person requires a hospital stay due toa covered loss
• Emergency Room Benefit – Pays a benefit if a covered person requires Emergency Room treatment due to a covered loss
• Ambulance Benefit – Pays a benefit if the covered person requires ambulance services due to a covered injury

BTA policies may also include:

• Out-of-Country Medical Expense Benefit – Designed to help reduce out-of-pocket medical costs by providing supplemental coverage abroad
• Political/Security Evacuation – Designed to help traveling employees get to safety in the event of a covered political/security event
• Emergency Medical Evacuation – Designed to help offset emergency medical transportation costs and ensure that travelers can receive proper treatment from the nearest adequate medical facility if they are 100+ miles away from home and the local hospital cannot provide adequate care
• Coverage for Guests – Coverage for spouses and children traveling on a business trip with a covered employee

#3: BTA may help to fill gaps in coverage

If it’s been a while since your clients evaluated their Travel Risk Management (TRM) Plans, then they may have unforeseen gaps or ‘gray areas’ of coverage that a BTA policy may help to address.

For example, if an employee drives to the city for an in-person meeting and is injured while running a personal errand afterward, would workers’ compensation cover it?

Unlike workers’ compensation policies, which may only cover on-the-job accidents and illnesses, BTA policies are designed to pay benefits for covered accidents and illnesses anytime an employee travels for work – from the time they leave their home or office until the time they return.

As part of a robust risk management plan, every organization should consider adding Business Travel Accident Insurance to help fill potential gaps in coverage and help minimize employees’ medical expenses not paid by other insurance.

#4: Non-insurance Travel Assistance Services help to keep employees safe and informed

Non-insurance mental health services may help an employee who needs basic mental health services while traveling, such as access to a licensed therapist or in the event of a more serious mental health issue. Due to the rise in the importance of protecting mental health, more business travel insurance policies are including mental health services.

If you have employees who are on the road, then having access to non-insurance travel assistance services is essential to keeping them safe and informed wherever work takes them.

Consider this: what if an employee needs to replace a lost prescription while on the road? What if a worker has a medical or mental health emergency while overseas? How would they access the help they need?

With non-insurance Travel Assistance Services, help is just a call or click away.

Berkley Accident and Health’s BTA policies are offered in conjunction with 24/7/365, global, non-insurance Travel Assistance Services that provide a variety of medical, security, and personal assistance services – including medication replacement, emergency medical services coordination, and access to a variety of pre-trip resources including country briefings with health and security updates, travel tips, checklists and more – which may help your business fulfill duty of care obligations.

Conclusion

Travel of any kind can be unpredictable. With a BTA policy, employees are covered every step of the way. Whether employees are driving to the office or heading out of state for a meeting, Business Travel Accident Insurance is one way that organizations can reinforce their commitment to employee safety and well-being by providing coverage for medical emergencies, travel-related mishaps, and much more.

To learn more, contact your Specialty Accident representative today.

The Business Travel Accident Insurance coverage offered by Berkley Accident and Health is underwritten by Berkley Life and Health Insurance Company and/or StarNet Insurance Company, both member companies of W. R. Berkley Corporation and both rated A+ (Superior) by A.M Best.

BAH SR 2024-114