Medical Assistance. Medical Emergency Air Ambulance Cost Containment Directional Care Medical Risk Assessment Policy Management.

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1 Medical Assistance Medical Emergency Air Ambulance Cost Containment Directional Care Medical Risk Assessment Policy Management > There to help

2 02 Keeping your commitment Over 30 years of experience in dealing with cries for help calmly, efficiently and effectively in both human and financial terms, has placed Cega in the very top rank of worldwide assistance specialists. Whatever the emergency and wherever in the world it occurs, Cega can extend a helping hand 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Those who have fallen foul of the small but significant risk we all take when travelling overseas are not in the best position to control the situations they find themselves in. But a call to one of Cega s helplines is the signal for some of the industry s most practised and efficient damage-limitation teams to swing into action. Whether it s medical assistance, evacuation/repatriation by air or the auditing and settlement of local medical bills, Cega s expertise in managing the downside of risk is second to none. Cega resolves situations with a blend of reassurance, resources and knowledge of what needs to be done. As one of UK s top medical assistance companies Cega applies rapid response, calm control and the best qualified help, often bringing swift relief for victims. Being the only assistance company to operate its own air ambulance fleet ensures expeditious movement of patients by fully trained people who have access to full case details. Repatriations by scheduled services, with accompanying doctor and nurse are made where appropriate and are most cost-effective. Graham Ponsford Joint Managing Director

3 03 International Medical Emergency: > Your people in safe hands Our success is built on many years of experience in helping policyholders who face a medical setback whilst overseas, to the satisfaction of insured and insurer alike. Experienced operations teams apply medical, travel and linguistic skills on each new situation to provide an effective solution. Doctors and nurses carefully investigate medical circumstances to ensure the patient has the right medical care. Where advisable, Cega repatriates patients, with doctor or nurse escorts, from anywhere in the world using scheduled or charter services or its own air ambulances. Cega aircraft are pressurised to fly above bad weather and equipped for intensive care. They carry a range of life-saving technology including ECG monitors, defibrillators, ventilators, humidifiers, pulse oximeters, pumps for infusions and injections, and a portable neonatal incubator. Cega multilingual staff, selected for their calm efficiency under pressure, operate a 24 hour helpline for leading insurers. An extensive database held on a proprietary IT system enables teams to respond on-line as cases develop, and to draw on Cega s accumulated experience of hospitals, doctors and other foreign medical service providers. Cega medical and aviation staff liaise constantly with counterparts and facilities overseas, arranging hospital admissions, medical care and escorted travel. Multilingual staff transfer information reliably and are used to dealing with doctors and authorities in highly diverse cultures. 24 hour/365 day positive response Doctors and nurses on staff Multilingual operators Proper case management Costs control a priority Caring and sympathetic response Medical and other bills paid abroad Efficient, paper-free office environment Dedicated telephone numbers to facilitate own branding

4 04 Air Ambulance: > Expert medical care in the air As the only UK medical assistance company to operate its own air ambulance fleet, Cega offers rapid and direct response 24 hours a day, every day of the year, to acute medical emergencies. The reach of its fleet of pressurised Beech King Air turboprop twins extends throughout Europe, Scandinavia and North Africa, as well as to the islands of the Canaries and the Mediterranean. This covers the majority of Britons travelling overseas. The Cega fleet can utilise small airfields unavailable to larger aircraft, ensuring shortest possible connecting journeys, and on emergency medical services, its aircraft are accorded priority at major airports and en route. The King Airs are dedicated air ambulances, each equipped for intensive care with powered loading systems and able to carry a seriously ill patient with a Cega doctor and nurse in attendance. The King Air 200 aircraft also offers the chance for relatives to travel with the patient, in airconditioned comfort. An incubator is available for neonatal care. Cabin pressurisation to sea level or below ensures maximum comfort for patients suffering breathing difficulties or cardiac distress. Every flight is conducted by two highly experienced flight crew familiar with a wide range of destinations and trained in patient handling. Communication with expert aviation and medical staff on the ground enables flight plans to be adjusted as necessary to ensure best patient outcomes. Cega linguists ensure that language presents no barriers. Ground support includes the widest possible database of medical, aviation and surface transport contacts worldwide available on line, plus a comprehensive inventory of drugs and medical equipment held in Cega s own medical store at Bournemouth Airport. Cega s unique combination of calm control, communication and care in difficult situations with appropriate cost disciplines is respected by underwriters, who entrust company staff to make arrangements in the best interests of all concerned. Rapid response, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Dedicated air ambulances, equipped for intensive care Sea level pressurisation Access to small airfields, priority at large airports Experienced flight crews Patients accompanied by Cega doctors and nurses Linguists for multinational communication Special premature baby incubator Comprehensive drugs and equipment inventory Effective care combined with cost disciplines

5 05 Cost Containment: > The best care for the best cost, globally Cost control of foreign bills comprises interlinked and vital components: 1. Active medical case management to ensure only necessary procedures, tests and drugs are used by the medical facility and that the patient is not deliberately kept beyond the normal period. This is achieved by individual case management given by our in-house medical team. 2. Pre-negotiated discounted rates for specific medical procedures have been arranged with literally thousands of hospitals, and clinics and doctors, across the globe. 3. An in-house travel department is able to reserve and buy return tickets at best prices for clients from the walking wounded to those requiring stretcher-transfer with a supporting Cega doctor and/or nurse. Directional Care: > The right care for your people The greatest hospital cost savings can be obtained when mechanisms are in place that enable Cega to direct policyholders into selected facilities. The key for access to these benefits is the inclusion of suitable wording within the policy document with instructions to call first instead of allowing the choice of medical facilities to be a matter left to the policyholder. Significant price reductions will be secured from hospitals, clinics and doctors for those cases where we direct policy holders to their facilities.

6 06 Medical Risk Assessment: > Making sure you re covered Expert assessment by skilled medical interviewers is a Cega travel insurance-related service that adds value by helping underwriters optimise premiums and reduce claim ratios. It also helps referred individuals by suggesting appropriate insurance solutions. Cases referred to the Cega medical risk assessment helpline by brokers, travel agents and direct-sell operators, are interviewed on their medical histories. Trained staff are adept at judicious probing where necessary and will detect anomalies. Structured but friendly questioning establishes the background whilst maintaining good customer relations. The service is in the interests of all parties concerned. Under Cega s highly efficient service, which meets or exceeds all accepted industry benchmarks, referrals are screened within three to four minutes so that they can complete their bookings without delay. Call response is rapid, over 85% of calls being picked up within 20 seconds. Cega s proprietary IT system, developed in house and crystallising almost 35 years of experience in insurance-related service, ensures maximum support for interviewers. Questionnaire formats ensure full objectivity. However, when required, medical advice is advisable from resources within Cega Air Ambulance and Medical Assistance divisions. The service is fully branded and staff respond to callers under the appropriate client name. Staff are used to operating within the terms of a diverse range of policies from multiple clients. Under competitive pressure to maximise efficiency, outsourcing of specialist services is a growing trend. A number of household name brand leaders favour the Cega service for its speed, efficiency, availability, objectivity and robustness. A third of a century of experience in travel insurance-related services Fully branded seamless service Rapid on-line response; within 20 seconds for 85% of calls Effective interview structure completed in three to four minutes On-line retrieval of previous medical histories Conversations may be recorded for training purposes Extended daytime service, six days a week Efficient optimum staffing ratio Staff are used to operating within terms of different policies Cega medical advisors available Robust service with full communications, IT and power back-up

7 07 International Health Policy Management: > Keeping policy holders healthy and happy Holiday-makers and business people on short duration trips abroad are only covered by travel insurance policies for the unexpected be it a sudden onset of illness or an unforeseen accident. Others, living abroad on a longer term, semipermanent basis such as ex-patriates naturally seek the protection of local GP services but need to add the best elective treatment as well. Cega has worldwide knowledge of medical facilities and can advise if specialist treatment is not available at a given ex-patriate location, and can arrange to safely transfer policy holders to the nearest appropriate treatment centre. Cega doctors can authorise and oversee the medical procedure ensuring all goes smoothly. Our costing experts can apply Cega discounts and the bills can be settled directly, taking into account any co-insurance or other deductions.

8 Cega Medical Assistance Funtington Park Cheesmans Lane Funtington Chichester West Sussex PO18 8UE UK Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) Website: Registered Address Funtington Park Cheesmans Lane Funtington Chichester West Sussex PO18 8UE UK Registered in England No VAT GB