This coverage ensures that dependent children traveling with you are returned safely home in the event you will be hospitalized more than a certain number of days (usually 7) and the children will be left unattended.
| Contents (click to jump down) What does Return of Minor Children cover? Important notes about this coverage What type of policy covers this? How much coverage does each company provide? Summary |
Let us tell you a story
Elisa’s expertise in Sales earned her a prestigious company award – an all expenses paid vacation to Hawaii. Because Elisa is a single mother of two boys, 9 and 11, her manager arranged to have their airfare and hotel included in her award too, so all three family members were headed to Hawaii.
On their trip, however, Elisa and her boys were taking surfing lessons when a wave caught her and tossed her against the ocean rocks. She was badly hurt and unconscious when the surf instructor pulled her to shore. Once at the hospital, the doctors determined that Elisa would be in the hospital for at least a week and unable to travel for longer, so her travel insurance company arranged to have the boys flown home, where Elisa’s sister could take care of them while Elisa recovered.
What does Return of Minor Children cover?
If you will be hospitalized more than a certain number of days (usually 7), the travel insurance company will arrange and pay to have the dependent children traveling with you returned home. This coverage is a great comfort to parents – especially single parents – traveling with children who would be left unattended if the insured is hospitalized on their trip.
Travel insurance companies are sensitive to the fact that some children cannot yet travel alone, and so an attendant will be chosen to travel with the child or children when necessary.
Important notes about this coverage
- Transportation is usually economy transportation on a common carrier but some plans offer transportation by the same class of service as originally booked.
- If the child is too young to travel alone, arrangements for a chaperone will also be made by the travel insurance company.
- This benefit does not include expenses for meals and lodging; those expenses must be paid by the insured.
- Some plans will return the children to your home or to a location of your choice in your home country.
- Arrangements must be made through the travel insurance company’s emergency travel assistance services.
- The payment is less any refunds for unused tickets.
- The injury or illness that causes hospitalization must be a covered injury or illness.
- The children must be included on the travel insurance policy.
What type of policy covers this?
Travel insurance package plans often have this type of coverage, but so do many travel medical plans. This coverage is typically listed as part of the emergency medical transportation or evacuation coverage.
How much coverage does each company provide?
| Plan | Company | Days | Up to age | Home & location of choice | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Allianz | 7 | 23 | Yes | |
| Classic | Allianz | 7 | 23 | Yes | |
| Deluxe | Allianz | 7 | 23 | Yes | |
| Drive Protection | Allianz | 7 | 23 | Yes | |
| Business Traveler (all levels) | Allianz | 7 | 23 | Yes | |
| Annual | Allianz | 7 | 23 | Yes | |
| None | CSA | ||||
| TravMed Abroad | FrontierMEDEX | No minimum | 18 | Home only | No limit |
| TravMed Choice | FrontierMEDEX | No minimum | 18 | Home only | $5,000 |
| Plus Scholastic | FrontierMEDEX | No minimum | 18 | Home only | No limit |
| Safe Trip | FrontierMEDEX | No minimum | 18 | Home only | No limit |
| Essentials | Global Alert | ||||
| Preferred | Global Alert | 7 | 18 | Home only | |
| Preferred Plus | Global Alert | 7 | 18 | Home only | |
| None | Global Underwriters | ||||
| None | HTH Worldwide | ||||
| Patriot Travel | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Air fare up to $50,000 |
| Patriot Platinum | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Air fare up to $100,000 |
| Patriot Executive | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Air fare up to $5,000 |
| Patriot Group | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Air fare up to $50,000 |
| Patriot Group Platinum | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Air fare up to $100,000 |
| Patriot T.R.I.P. | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Air fare up to $3,000 ** |
| Patriot T.R.I.P. Elite | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Air fare up to $3,000 ** |
| Patriot T.R.I.P. Student | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Air fare up to $2,000 ** |
| Outreach Travel Medical (all levels) | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Airfare up to $50,000 |
| Patriot Green (all levels) | IMG | No minimum | 19 | Home only | Airfare up to $50,000 |
| Asset | M.H. Ross | 7 | 18 | Home only | $50,000 * |
| Bridge | M.H. Ross | 7 | 18 | Home only | $500,000 * |
| Complete | M.H. Ross | 7 | 18 | Home only | $1,000,000 * |
| RoundTrip | Seven Corners | 7 | 19 | Yes | $350,000 * |
| RoundTrip Choice | Seven Corners | 7 | 19 | Yes | $1,000,000 * |
| RoundTrip Economy | Seven Corners | 7 | 18 | No | $250,000 * |
| RoundTrip Elite | Seven Corners | 7 | 18 | No | $250,000 * |
| Liaison International | Seven Corners | No minimum | 19 | Home only | $50,000 |
| Liaison Majestic | Seven Corners | No minimum | 19 | Home only | $50,000 |
| Liaison Continent | Seven Corners | No minimum | 19 | Home only | $50,000 |
| Liaison Worldwide | Seven Corners | No minimum | 19 | Home only | $50,000 |
| Disciple Missionary | Seven Corners | No minimum | 19 | Home only | $10,000 |
| Wander Frequent Traveler | Seven Corners | No minimum | 19 | Home only | $50,000 |
| Liaison Traveler | Seven Corners | No minimum | 18 | Home only | $5,000 |
| MedEvac (all levels) | Travel Guard | No minimum | 23 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Worldwide Health (all levels) | Travel Guard | No minimum | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| InterMedical | Travel Insurance | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Basic | Travel Insurance | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Plus | Travel Insurance | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Elite | Travel Insurance | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Worldwide Trip Protector Gold | Travel Insured | No minimum | Home only | Airfare only | |
| Worldwide Trip Protector | Travel Insured | No minimum | Home only | Airfare only | |
| Trip Protector Lite | Travel Insured | No minimum | Home only | Airfare only | |
| Atlas Travel | Travel Insured | 36 hours | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Atlas Professional | Travel Insured | 36 hours | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Atlas Group | Travel Insured | 36 hours | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Travel Select | Travelex | No minimum | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Travel Basic | Travelex | No minimum | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Travel Max | Travelex | No minimum | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| TraveLite | Travelex | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Travel Plus | Travelex | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Business Traveler (all levels) | Travelex | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Vacation Classic | TravelSafe | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
| Vacation Basic | TravelSafe | 7 | 18 | Home only | Airfare only |
* The plan’s medical evacuation limit.
** Inclusive with the medical reunion benefit maximum.
Summary
- All travel arrangements must be made through the travel insurance company’s assistance services
- Transportation is typically economy fare and usually only to the child’s primary residence
- If your child is too young to travel alone, the travel assistance services will typically arrange to have him or her accompanied
- The injury or illness causing hospitalization must be covered by the plan and the children must be included on the travel insurance policy as travelers