Business APASI’s Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan: A Perfect and Profitable Preneed Partnership By Andrew Pavela The American Pre-Arrangement Services, Inc., better known as APASI, Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan is truly a product the families you serve deserve to know about. It’s affordable, comprehensive, guaranteed, and in comparison to the costs families might incur if a loved one dies while away from home, it’s an incredible value. Plus, it is easy to add this profit booster onto any prearrangements you make. This travel plan makes sense for anyone who still travels, who visits family or friends, or spends part of the year away in a warmer climate. During the course of the conversation should they mention out of town travel or visits, or you ask them directly if they ever go more than 75 miles away from home, then the next suggestion should be for them to consider purchasing a Travel Plan. As an example, a few years back, a married couple was offered an APASI travel pl an during t heir pr ea r rangement meeting. The husband was s e ven ye a r s younger than the wife and didn’t think he needed it, although she bought a plan. Unfortunately, he died in Florence, Italy during their second honeymoon trip. It cost the family nearly $10,000 to bring him back to Illinois. It is easy to add this profit booster onto any pre-arrangements you make. Agents should not assume someone does not need it or cannot afford it. When an Agent does not offer it, they are making a financial decision not only for their client, but for their clients’ loved ones, who are going to be on the hook for the expenses. While transporting human remains internationally can easily cost families thousands, even domestic transport 28 www.ogr.org | Summer 2020 is expensive. Ground transportation alone averages $4.00 per mile. Most funeral homes have only dealt with a few cases out of their county, out-of-state, or even out-of-thecountry, so they are usually not familiar with the return process. Depending on the place of death, it could involve repatriation assistance, finding a translator, securing legal or estate services, scheduling flights and partnering with a funeral home at the place of death. At APASI, this is what we do every day. We take care of the details and let you take care of the family left behind. When people hear the terms “Travel Assurance” or “Travel Plan” they probably think about coverage they would purchase before a vacation, cruise, or flight. They do not think about what could happen when they travel
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