What is the Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan?

Until now, there has been a void in prearrangement packages. To fill this void and provide for caring and efficient transport of mortal remains, Assist America Pre-Arrangement Services, Inc. (AAPSI) has created the "Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan" (TAP). Assist America has unbundled its broad array of assistance benefits to isolate this specific program for the Funeral and Cemetery industries. This assistance program responds when death occurs anywhere in the world, utilizing a network of priority senders. Over 20 million people are covered under assistance plans with Assist America, Inc. and its affiliates. Repatriations are routinely handled from overseas locations as well as within the United States.

Why does everyone need this plan?

Although travel is an accepted way of life for millions of Americans, virtually none are prepared, either psychologically or financially, to deal with bringing home the mortal remains of a deceased person.

Assistance intervenes quickly and directly when called upon to do so. This is very important at a time when the deceased is in a foreign country where language, customs and laws may otherwise prevent the family wishes from being carried out. No individual or family, not even the largest multinational corporation, can mobilize the resources available to AAI's assistance network, which includes multilingual medical personnel, aeromedical specialists and aircraft.

When an individual covered by Assist America under the Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan dies while more than 100 miles from his or her legal residence, the family is completely relieved of financial considerations and the need to make critical decisions at a time of great stress. One phone call will take care of everything involved in the return of mortal remains from anywhere in the world to the location specified by the producer of a pre-need plan.

Transportation from as little as 100 miles from home can be very costly. Speed and expertise can mean the difference between having the deceased's wishes carried out or falling under the bureaucracy of foreign laws and traditions. Assist America has over 20 years experience in handling the return of mortal remains from anywhere in the world.

With the Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan, Assist America will handle cost and arrangement of locating the sending funeral home, transporting the remains, processing death certificates, and, when death occurs overseas, foreign consular services and other customs and immigration formalities.

Summary of Benefits:

• TAP pays all costs including rising air costs
• TAP coverage protects when death occurs while traveling 100 miles or more from your legal residence.
• TAP provides for transportation of deceased to originally selected funeral home and cemetery.
• TAP coverage includes travel anywhere in the world.
• TAP assures your peace of mind.

This most innovative, effective addition to prearrangement is a must.

Recent Examples of assistance involving the Funeral and Cemetery industries:

A member covered by an Assist America program had a fatal diving accident in Curacao, in the Caribbean, where it is not customary to embalm. Assist America contracted an embalmer from Miami to fly to Curacao. All necessary documents and transportation arrangements were subsequently handled by and experienced assistance employee before transporting the remains back to the U.S.

Assist America recently arranged for cremation of an American who died in India and quickly returned the cremains to his family.

An executive from Brazil died while touring an automotive facility in Detroit. Assist America contracted a network funeral home to handle the arrangements. The funeral director worked with Assist America to deal with consular issues and paperwork. He later complemented the assistance and prompt payment.

When an American died in Saudi Arabia, Assist America had to quickly determine whether or not the man was a Muslim and wanted to be buried there, the country where Mecca is located. This is one of several countries in which the bureaucracy is labyrinthine, and virtually impenetrable without the aid of a highly skilled assistance network. An inexperienced person may require a month or more to complete the necessary paperwork in Arabic, and to remove the mortal remains of a deceased foreigner. With Assist America, all it takes is one phone call.