The Crew Report

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innovative guarantee: rental loss after an event (breakdown…)
for chartered yachts. Finally, still within the package, the social
protection of the crew with AXA PPP Healthcare is an important
guarantee, as the insurance of crews will become compulsory
in 2011…
No doubt the expertise and experience of AXA Corporate
Solutions teams will also woo these new customers.
*France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, Singapore
and United-States
TOP TIPS
1 What level of crew insurance do you
recommend as the absolute minimum for
crew working on superyachts?
We would recommend that all crew have a private medical
insurance policy. Bupa International has been involved in the
international private medical insurance market for over 30 years.
We have a 24-hour emergency service so we can always be
contacted. We have direct settlement arrangements with many
hospitals so that we handle the payment of any bills direct and
a large network of hospitals around the world, so we are often in
a position to help advise you where to go if you need treatment.
The level of cover should be based on the needs of the crew, the
activity of the superyacht and the locations that the boat will visit.
Thomas Flygare, Bupa International
There are a number of variations available in terms of levels
for Medical Expenses and Personal Accident benefits. We
recommend Medical Expenses limits should be no less than
USD100,000 (or equivalent in other currencies) per person. It
is very rare that this limit is actually used but, in the event of
a crewmember being involved in an accident that requires
long-term medical treatment, there is potential for this amount
to be reached or even exceeded.
THE CREW REPORT
As far as Personal Accident benefits are concerned, limits can
be either currency or salary based. Our usual advice is the salary
option, whereby benefits are linked to the individual’s wages –
usually three times but sometimes four or five times that wage.
This means that the more senior the crewmember, the higher the
benefit offered. The currency option should, again, be no lower
than USD100,000 (or equivalent).
Benefits applying to the above limits should include
Accidental Death, Permanent & Temporary Total Disablement,
Illness/Sickness, Repatriation, Accommodation and Hospital
Expenses. This cover should specifically state that coverage is
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year while on and off
the yacht, on holiday or away from the vessel for any reason.
Mark Feltham, Willis Limited
As an absolute minimum we would recommend that Employer’s
Liability or P & I are in place covering the owner’s liability to his
paid crew. As an added extension to this we would recommend
Crew Accident cover that includes death and disability following
an accident. Individual Medical policies, while not essential,
are recommended to complete the crew package.
Liwia Weible, Pantaenius
In order to address immediate care we generally recommend
US$100,000 per person per claim for medical expenses as a
minimum for Mediterranean-based yachts. Any yacht whose
crew have a potential exposure to either North American medical
costs or remote location evacuation should consider having
higher limits. Burr Taylor, Sturge Taylor & Associates Ltd.
The absolute minimum would be to have a regular international
“travel plan” that includes air evacuation and at least $500,000
policy max, especially if the crew are travelling to the US where
the medical care has the highest cost in the world. It’s the least
expensive option, but you’ll have an insurance plan that’s not
specifically designed for crewmembers and it’s not a “permanent”
long-term solution, where you can keep renewing the plan
annually as long as you’re in the yachting industry. Some of the
travel plans are only renewable up to three years, and they are
not a recommended solution. E. Maria Karlsson,
Crew Insurance Services
2 How should that level of insurance change
when crew are working on a refit project or new
build ashore?
Whilst working on a refit project or new build ashore, crew need
to make sure that Employer’s liability or P & I are in place so that
they are covered while working in the yard. If they have changed
from the old boat to the new build this is not automatically
covered and will need to be set up as a new insurance contract.
The Crew Accident cover should also be maintained and Medical
policies that cover them while they are in that particular country.
Liwia Weible, Pantaenius
You should always keep an excellent level of insurance whether
you’re ashore or not. Accidents and illnesses can happen whether
you’re at sea or on land. The best way to be insured is either under
the yacht’s group crew health insurance policy, or by carrying your
own individual crew insurance plan. Whether you’re a US citizen
or not, it’s perfectly fine if you’re on a group plan and staying
ashore for a longer period of time working on a refit programme
for example. If the location for the refit is in the US, then the rates
may be increased due to the higher cost of medical care.
E. Maria Karlsson, Crew Insurance Services
A crewmember can be covered by two different methods:
– Cover for each specific period of activity during a fixed period
(should be mindful of the diversity of activities).
– Crewmember cover annually whatever his/her situation.
The second solution is far better when it is available. The seaman
must check if the insurance that is proposed has been designed
to his profession and takes into account all periods of his life:
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