“OTS Rent-a-Car”, car rental unit of Okinawa Tourist Service Inc. (Chairman & CEO Yoshikazu Higashi) and The Daido Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. (President Tatsuki Yogi) co-developed “One Two Support Travel Insurance” and launched on January 1, 2019. This insurance is developed for increasing number of tourists from overseas to Japan. As of May 31, 2019, subscribers of this insurance reached 10,000.
1. Overview
“One Two Support Travel Insurance” was launched in January 2019 based on the recent increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan and the increasing importance of improving medical reception environment. This insurance product comprehensively applies to foreign tourists who rent a car. It is the first insurance product to compensate them in the car rental as well as the insurance industry.
There is no need to repay for medical expenses if foreign travelers who are eligible for this insurance visit partner hospitals due to illness or injury. They can enjoy various services such as cashless medical examinations, arrangements and medical care at designated institutions, and medical interpreters.
In addition, this insurance is designed to pursue utmost conveniences of the insured and cover not only drivers but also passengers per car rental. As a result, the insurance has been supported and highly appreciated by travelers from abroad.
Foreign travelers who did not take out any travel insurances in their own countries can also enroll in the travel insurance at the same time simply by buying the OTS Rent-A-Car plan (called “Secured Pack VIP Premium Plan”). This insurance thereby promotes travel insurance enrollment for visitors to Japan. At the same time, it has become a product that has merit for medical institutions that suffer from unpaid medical expenses and problems with interpreting.
We would like to continue to contribute to the expanding tourism industry through this initiative, which was launched for the first time in Japan as a new form of response to foreign tourists.
2. Insured Events Responses Results
This product compensates for illness and injury during travel, and the actual form of accident varies such as cold, flu, fracture or stroke. Up until May 31, 2019, we have received 81 claims, and the total insurance payment of \5,287,570 was made.
There was a case in which approximately 3 million yen was required to pay on medical expenses due to an unexpected accident while a foreign customer eligible for compensation was traveling. The customer did not have to pay for any advance medical payment thanks to the insurance, and he was very pleased to have a medical examination with cashless. In addition, some medical institutions feel uneasy about the recovery of medical expenses from foreign patients. Those institutions feel relieved because of the payment from this insurance. One comment from the medical institutions recommends that all travelers from abroad should take on this insurance otherwise the medical institutions feel very uneasy to treat them.
3. Commemorative ceremony when reaching 10,000 policyholders
In commemoration of having 10,000 policyholders of the insurance, “Commemorative Ceremony of reaching 10,000 ” was held on May 31. Executive Vice President Yasushi Nakamura from Okinawa Tourist Service Inc. and Managing Director Takashi Hokama from The Daido Fire and Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. presented the traditional handicrafts (“Bingata”, traditional dyed cloth from Okinawa) as a souvenir to the customers who became exactly the 10,000th policyholder.