Generali Global Assistance (GGA), has announced that it has partnered with FootprintID to enhance its Trip Mate Travel Protection Plans.

This partnership will let travelers with Trip Mate protection plans have access to FootprintID's Portable Personal Health Records, allowing users to take their medical information with them everywhere they go – with industry-leading security.  

"This partnership is a natural fit for both brands as FootprintID helps elevate the level of care that we provide our clients," said Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance. "When people are traveling, having ready and secure access to their medical information can be vitally important. Knowing critical medical data is available at their fingertips anywhere in the world provides Trip Mate customers with peace of mind so that they can enjoy their trip."

Trip Mate's travel protection services will now provide FootprintID registration information to their planholders going forward. Travelers can then register for the service and upload their necessary information to FootprintID. The benefits of their service include:

• Medical and health information is accessible anywhere in the world via a membership card, web portal, or mobile app.
• Documents are easily shared with physicians, emergency responders, health care providers, pharmacies, and family.
• Unlimited storage of test results, imaging files, and documents - such as health care proxies and advanced directives - provides access to critical information.
• All relevant medical information including emergency contacts, prescriptions, allergies, conditions, immunizations, physicians, surgeries, and family history – all in one safe location.

"We're excited to partner with Generali Global Assistance and to be part of Trip Mate's offerings," said Beth Tofel, President and Co-Founder of FootprintID. "We know our product works well with GGA's 24/7 Travel Assistance Services and can help save lives by allowing doctors and patients worldwide to make more informed care decisions."

About Generali Global Assistance

Generali Global Assistance (GGA) is a leading brand comprised of Travel Insurance & Assistance, Medical Risk & Home Care Management, Identity & Cyber Protection, as well as other care services. GGA is part of the Generali Group, which for over 190 years has provided peace of mind to its clients and their customers and is now supported by more than 72,000 employees worldwide. Our success has been built on establishing trust by putting the customer at the core of everything we do, offering assistance and protection during our customer's most difficult and stressful situations. To learn more about Generali Global Assistance, please visit: https://us.generaliglobalassistance.com/ 

Trip Mate travel protection products and services provide travelers with extensive coverage while they are away.  Travel protection products from Trip Mate that are offered with FootprintID services include travel insurance underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company and/or Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.  FootprintID services are not insurance and are not underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company and/or Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. 

About FOOTPRINTID®

FOOTPRINTID® is a personal portable health record that helps you quickly access your information via a secure web portal and mobile app. Our membership service is designed to help travelers, individuals, parents, caretakers, and seniors easily store and keep track of their medical records and share their health information with physicians, emergency responders, family members, and friends—when they need it most.

Generali Global Assistance and its affiliated companies (“GGA”) announce that it will be supporting upcoming smart vaccination and digital health pass initiatives by adding custom options to their Travel Insurance offerings and endorsing the Good Health Pass and the World Health Organization’s (“WHO”)  Smart Vaccination Certificate Working Group initiatives.

Generali Global Assistance, one of the leading travel insurance and service provider organizations, according to U.S. News & World Report, will tailor certain travel insurance offerings to accommodate numerous new entry requirements across the globe. GGA also endorses various smart vaccination and digital health pass initiatives that provide customers with a reliable source of information for continuously-changing country requirements. Successful implementation of these initiatives will allow travelers to verify their coverage prior to departure and give them an opportunity to update certain coverage limits, such as medical coverage, in accordance with the destination country’s requirements. GGA will also continue covering epidemic-related illnesses as a covered reason to cancel or interrupt a trip, along with reimbursements for emergency medical care, emergency medical transportation, change fees, and loyalty points redeposit fees.

Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance, commented on the news, “As a travel insurance provider, we want to play a leading role in creating a seamless travel experience for our customers. As a result, we chose to endorse some of the leading smart vaccination and digital health pass initiatives while tailoring our offerings to accommodate the growing number of new entry requirements around the globe. We look forward to adding value to these cross-sector initiatives by leveraging our extensive experience mitigating risks for individuals and institutions to help facilitate the return of international travel and reinvigorate the global economy.”

GGA will also be endorsing some of these smart vaccination and digital health pass initiatives to provide customers with a reliable source of information for the continuously changing country requirements. GGA will be supporting the Good Health Pass, an open, inclusive, and cross-sector initiative, bringing together leading companies and organizations from the technology, health, and travel sectors. It will also be supporting the WHO’s Smart Vaccination Certificate Working Group, a consortium focused on establishing standards for a common architecture for a digital smart vaccination certificate to support the anticipated vaccine(s) against COVID-19 and other immunizations.

Carnicelli concluded, “As a company focused on caring for our customers during their most difficult moments with products that directly impact their travel experience, we felt it was our duty to play a proactive role in promoting a smooth return to travel through these initiatives.”

About Generali Global Assistance 

Generali Global Assistance (GGA) is a leading brand comprised of Travel Insurance & Assistance, Medical Risk & Home Care Management, Identity & Cyber Protection, as well as other care services. GGA is part of the Generali Group, which for over 190 years has provided peace of mind to its clients and their customers and is now supported by more than 72,000 employees worldwide. Our success has been built on establishing trust by putting the customer at the core of everything we do, offering assistance and protection during our customer’s most difficult and stressful situations.

To learn more about Generali Global Assistance’s Travel Insurance Offerings, please visit: www.generalitravelinsurance.com.

Generali Global Assistance (“GGA”) today announced that it has appointed Vladimir Poletaev as their Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Vladimir will be responsible for supporting and executing marketing, branding, communications, and PR initiatives across North America.

As the newly established CMO, Mr. Poletaev will be managing a team of talented marketing professionals from all North American entities under the Generali Global Assistance umbrella, including GGA Travel Insurance & Assistance, Generali U.S. Branch, GGA Identity & Cyber Protection Services, GMMI, Trip Mate, and CareLinx Inc., among other products and services. He will also be responsible for collaborating with GGA’s parent company, Europ Assistance Group, in addition to driving strategy and synergies while championing the North American business within the larger Generali Group. Mr. Poletaev will focus on promoting the GGA brand and its values to facilitate the ambition of Generali Group as a lifetime partner to clients and their customers, combining simplicity and innovation with empathy and care.

Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance, commented on the news, “We’re excited to announce Vladimir’s appointment as Chief Marketing Officer as he will be instrumental in establishing a unified marketing and communications program across North America. Vladimir’s background gives him a deep understanding of our integrated solutions, all of which add genuine value to people’s lives, health, home, mobility, and work. His leadership and focus on our core values will further our ability to be dynamic and empathic. By taking the time to know our customers, we offer valuable advice with a long-term perspective and multi-stakeholder approach. We understand the importance of building lifetime relationships instead of simply focusing on selling policies.”

Mr. Poletaev brings a wealth of leadership experience and in-depth knowledge of Generali Global Assistance’s various product lines. In his more than fourteen years with the company, Vladimir previously worked with its Travel, Health, Home & Family, and Concierge services divisions. Prior to this CMO role, Mr. Poletaev managed the Global Identity & Cyber Protection division’s Business Development Team as Chief Commercial Officer and facilitated sales and account management support of GGA’s Care Services division.

“I’m looking forward to leveraging my extensive experience across Generali Global Assistance’s product verticals and the larger group to establish a unified North American marketing program. I plan to use all of the excellent personnel and resources from each of the various divisions and entities so we can continue putting our customers at the heart of everything we do,” added Vladimir Poletaev, Chief Marketing Officer of Generali Global Assistance.

Sven Thorslund, a cost containment and travel assistance industry veteran, has joined Quality Health Management (QHM) as Director of Sales.

Mr. Thorslund will be responsible for growing QHM’s international client base by developing new and enhanced solutions and new distribution channels on a global basis. He will report to Patricia Ziomek, who co-founded QHM in 2000 and now serves as its Senior Vice President of Business Development.

With 23 years’ experience in marketing, sales and account management in the cost containment and travel assistance industry, Mr. Thorslund brings a wealth of knowledge, capacity, and contacts to QHM’s expanded sales and services for new and existing clients.

He began his career in 1997 with Global Medical Management, Inc. where he helped its rapid growth while leading the account services and spearheaded a marketing transformation into its new GMMI name and brand. In 2004 he transitioned to US travel assistance business development with Europ Assistance USA (Generali Group), where he played a role in their acquisitions of GMMI and CMN. From 2010 he was at AXA Assistance USA progressing through commercial roles including launching AXA Assistance Travel Insurance in the U.S. and becoming its Chief Marketing Officer.

In 2016 Mr. Thorslund worked as an independent consultant to QHM during the process of QHM’s sale to GBG. He was then re-hired to Europ Assistance USA (now Generali Global Assistance) as VP of Sales and Product Strategy in 2017 where he re-joined GMMI to also lead their sales and account management teams.

“We are very excited to have Sven Thorslund join our team,” said Patricia Ziomek. “Having worked closely with him as a highly strategic industry consultant, we strongly believe he will enjoy the same type of success at QHM that he has had at other companies.”

“QHM’s outstanding leadership and excellent reputation amongst its clients impressed me and I am delighted to be able to join the team to build on its success in the coming years,” Mr. Thorslund commented.

Mr. Thorslund earned an International MBA from University of Göteborg, Sweden and a Master of International Management at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, AZ.

About QHM

Quality Health Management (QHM) is a global medical cost containment company offering solutions to the ever-changing requirements of specialized medical management and claims services across the healthcare industry. QHM has been solving worldwide needs of clients, payers and patients with PPO, administrative and specialty services guided by its original founders since 2000. The company became part of Global Benefits Group (GBG) in 2017.

Generali Global Assistance (GGA) today released the findings of its Holiday/2021 Travel Sentiment Survey which surveyed 1,138 U.S. travelers between October 26 and November 5, 2020 on their upcoming travel plans and preferences.

According to the findings, 74% of U.S. travelers who indicated they would be traveling in 2020 are planning to travel during the upcoming holiday season and 47.6% of U.S. travelers are likely to purchase travel insurance for their trips in 2020. 

“The average person’s willingness to travel is increasing and while there’s still plenty of pandemic related uncertainty, according to our Holiday/2021 Travel Sentiment Survey, most Americans are planning to travel domestically during the upcoming holiday season,” said Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance. “The pandemic has also impacted the average consumers’ willingness to purchase travel insurance with almost 60% of U.S. travelers indicating they are more likely to buy travel insurance now compared to their willingness to buy before the Covid-19 pandemic. Consumers’ demands around travel will continue to change in the wake of the pandemic and our team is consistently looking for ways to enhance our offerings in response.”  

Travel Intentions 

2020 

• All of the consumers surveyed indicated that they were planning to travel in the next 18 months.  
• 73.6% of travelers who said they would be traveling this year indicated they were planning to take a trip during the upcoming holiday season.  
• 85.1% of the survey participants who said they would be traveling in 2020 indicated they’d be traveling for leisure in the remainder of the year, while 24.6 % indicated they’d be traveling for business. 

2021 

• 78.5% of travelers indicated they were planning to travel in either the spring or summer 2021.  
• 90% of the survey participants indicated they’d be traveling for leisure in 2021, while 17.5% indicated they’d be traveling for business. 

Destinations 

2020 

• Due to the pandemic, consumers’ confidence towards international travel remains low in both 2020 and 2021. 
• 64.5% of the survey participants traveling in 2020 plan to travel domestically while 22.1% of them planning to travel internationally.  

2021 

• 63.1% of the survey participants traveling in 2021 plan to travel domestically while 23.1% of them planning to travel internationally.  
• However, 53.9% of the U.S. travelers surveyed indicated that will comfortable traveling internationally again 6 months after a vaccine is available for Covid-19.  
• The survey also identified the countries and states that most U.S. travelers plan on traveling to in 2021:

 Accommodations & Transportation 

• During the upcoming holiday season, 53.3% of the survey participants who indicated they would travel in 2020 are planning to stay in a hotel for their trips.  
• 49.5% of those who were traveling in 2020 indicated they would be staying at a vacation rental for the holidays booked either through AirBnB, Vrbo, or an independent rental company.  
• 38.1% of those respondents indicated that are staying with friends and family. 
• While 13.5% of those respondents indicated they’ll be taking a cruise for the holidays while 7.4% said they would be staying in an RV. 

When asked about the transportation they plan to take to their destination: 

• 65% of the survey participants indicated they’ll be taking their car on their 2020 trip. 
• Planes were the second most popular from of transport among those traveling this year with 56.7% of respondents indicating they’ll fly to their destination.  
• The remaining respondents indicated they plan on taking a train (11.5%) or ferry (6.6%) to their next destination in 2020. 

Travel Insurance Sentiment 

The pandemic has significantly impacted the average consumers’ decision to purchase trip protection or travel insurance.  

• 58.1% of the survey participants said they were more likely to purchase travel insurance for all trips going forward and 32.8% of them are planning to purchase travel insurance for their trips in 2021. 

When deciding which company to purchase travel insurance from price, online ratings and reviews and plan coverage are three key factors for the average consumer.  

• 33.3% of the survey participants think of price as the most important factor 
• 19.4% of them consider plan coverage as the most important factor 
• 13.4% of them value online ratings and reviews the most. 

Methodology 

The Holiday/2021 Travel Sentiment Survey was conducted by Upwave on behalf of Generali Global Assistance between October 26th and October 27th, 2020. The survey consisted of 16 questions and was conducted online with 1,011 consumers in the U.S.  

About Generali Global Assistance  

Generali Global Assistance has been a leading provider of travel insurance and other assistance services for nearly 30 years. Generali Global Assistance is part of the Europ Assistance Group, the travel insurer and assistance provider of the multinational Generali Group, which for over 185 years has created a presence in 60 countries with over 76,000 employees. Our success has been built on the foundation of trust that clients have placed in our ability to provide assistance in the most difficult of circumstances.  

Generali Global Assistance, the developer of a proprietary identity and cyber protection platform has announced that it has launched Email Health Check for GEICO Insurance Agency customers.

Email Health Check is an interactive tool that provides customers with immediate detailed breach search results so that users know if their email address is secure. If consumer emails are compromised, Email Health Check outlines what steps to take to safeguard their sensitive information.

Paige Schaffer, CEO, Global Identity and Cyber Protection Services, commented on today’s news, “Breached email addresses and passwords are dangerous as cyberthieves can cause significant harm by using the addresses to gain access to the victim’s other accounts or by sending fraudulent messages to contacts posing as the email owner. While traditional email monitoring is useful on an ongoing basis, these tools can take time to work. Our team developed Email Health Check to fill the gap and provide customers immediate peace of mind they want in the wake of a breach.”

Email Health Check complements the existing identity theft monitoring offering for GEICO Portfolio Identity Theft Protection customers that is provided by Generali Global Assistance by giving a user immediate feedback about email address exposure. It allows users to enter their email address and view detailed information instantly that shows if their email has been breached, where, what information was found, and in addition, provides corrective steps for users to take to safeguard their information.

Generali Global Assistance a leader in the assistance industry since its founding in 1963 and part of the global Generali Group, and the developer of a proprietary and innovative identity protection platform,  has published a white paper titled, “Data Protection: Employer Obligations and Motivations.” 

For more cyber security and insurance news, visit iPMI Magazines CyberPolicy platform, click here.

The Company developed the paper in conjunction with the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), a nationally recognized non-profit organization established to support victims of identity theft, as a way to deepen their partnership by continuing to provide educational resources focusing on identity protection and identity theft.

The white paper highlights the ever-expanding threats to employee data security, including hacking and spearphishing, among other nefarious techniques.  The ITRC, which has been tracking data breaches since 2005, found that nearly 800 breaches have been reported in 2017 year-to-date, with 63% of incidents resulting from hacking attacks.  The report also explores employers’ obligations to protect employee information and to implement best practices for mitigating data breaches.  Additionally, the white paper examines the types of employee information that businesses collect, how data is compromised, current data protection legislation, and more in order to provide business leaders with a more comprehensive understanding of tools and methods available to protect employee data.

Please find the full white paper available for download here.

Paige Schaffer, President and COO of Generali Global Assistance’s Identity and Digital Protection Services Global Unit, commented on today’s news, “With 2017 on pace to reach an all-time high of approximately 1,500 reported data breaches, businesses need to be more prepared than ever to mitigate associated risks.  Best practices begin at the organizational level, but it is also critical for companies to ensure that their employees are adequately informed about how to protect data.  An untrained workforce that is not aware of the latest risks and response tactics can represent the greatest threat to a company’s security, and therefore education should be a key aspect of every organization’s cybersecurity strategy.”

Failure to properly protect data can have numerous negative consequences for an organization beyond the financial fallout, including reputational damage and a loss of employee confidence.  According to Generali Global Assistance and the ITRC, companies must begin building the foundation of a strong cybersecurity program now, as the frequency and severity of identity theft and other cybercrime continue to increase.  Offering an identity protection service as an employee benefit is one solution that can demonstrate a company’s commitment to its workforce while keeping their information secure.  Organizations should also distribute free identity theft protection and resolution resources that are available from the ITRC, among other organizations.

Eva Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, concluded, “Many employees have an expectation that their employers will be good stewards in the protection of their sensitive personal information.  Given that data breaches are increasing at an unprecedented pace, it is crucial that organizations put procedures in place to protect this information and create a culture that stresses information protection best practices.”

For more cyber security and insurance news, visit iPMI Magazines CyberPolicy platform, click here.

Generali Global Assistance has announced the appointment of Julie Jamsa as Vice President, Service Delivery for the Company's Identity and Digital Protection Services Global Unit, effective immediately.

In her new role as Vice President, Service Delivery, Ms. Jamsa will work directly with GGA's operations team to scale the Company's identity theft resolution center for consistent and explosive growth. GGA recently launched Iris OnWatch, a comprehensive identity protection platform that provides 360° services inclusive of prevention, monitoring, alerts and resolution. Ms. Jamsa will support the award-winning Iris team of identity theft resolution specialists as the Company deploys the platform for new clients, ensuring that it continues to provide personal, white glove service as it continues to expand. Along with other recent hires, Ms. Jamsa's appointment further bolsters the GGA executive team, and the Company is now even better positioned for strategic growth while maintaining its industry-leading commitment to customer service.

Paige Schaffer, President and COO of Generali Global Assistance's Identity and Digital Protection Services Global Unit, commented on today's news, "I am proud to welcome Julie to our executive team and look forward to working with her as she spearheads our Service Delivery initiatives for Iris OnWatch. She has an impressive track record of driving operational efficiency, profitability and world-class service throughout her illustrious career as an operations executive, and has a knack for defining strategic direction and creating solutions focused on customer value. Julie shares our commitment to providing top-line, white glove customer service and is an expert in implementing new processes and technologies to improve customer satisfaction. She will be an invaluable asset as we scale for explosive growth and continue to streamline our processes, and is an excellent addition to our executive team."

Ms. Jamsa brings with her over 25 years of experience as an operations executive, as well as a passion for implementing process improvements and developing talented, customer-centric teams. Prior to GGA, she served as Vice President, Catalog & eCommerce Operations at National Geographic. During her tenure there, she led the strategy development and execution of end-to-end eCommerce operations including fulfillment, customer care, supply chain, order management systems, and infrastructure. Earlier in her career, she worked at ThinkGeek.com as Vice President, Sales & Operations. She has a Master of Science degree in Counseling from The Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland, where she graduated cum laude. Additionally, she is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Ms. Jamsa commented, "I look forward to utilizing my experience in scaling complex technology operations and implementing process improvements, as well as my deep commitment to high-touch customer service, at Generali Global Assistance. I truly enjoy rolling up my sleeves to improve efficiency, and am excited to work with the Iris resolution team to ensure utmost customer satisfaction. I look forward to joining a company that holds service as one of the core pillars of its business model."