Ocidental - Portuguese Life Insurance Company, S.A.
Ocidental
Ocidental is a travel insurance for the Portugal market with no online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
For medical/surgical/pharmaceutical/hospitalization expenses abroad, the insurer's assistance service may directly settle costs up to the policy limit or reimburse the insured upon prior agreement and submission of supporting documents; a €50 deductible per claim applies to most medical guarantees.
Geographic scope
Worldwide, or specific continents/countries selected by the policyholder (Annual option allows choosing 'Whole World')
Covers accidents occurring more than 50 km from the insured person's usual residence in mainland Portugal, or more than 20 km in the Azores and Madeira; guarantees abroad are valid for 90 days after leaving national territory, unless otherwise stated in the Particular Conditions.
Unique selling points
- Unlimited cover for medical/sanitary transport, medical evacuation and repatriation of mortal remains, with no capped monetary ceiling.
- Customers can build a customized policy by freely choosing which optional coverages (baggage, hospitalization subsidy, personal liability, winter sports) to add to the base guarantees.
- Trip cancellation/interruption cover reimburses up to €1,000 per claim, including client-initiated cancellations justified by a force-majeure event such as a close relative's death or serious illness.
- The Annual option provides 365-day protection with an unlimited number of trips per year, avoiding the need to buy a new policy for each trip.
- Includes a doctor-staffed 24-hour telephone medical advice service plus emergency support abroad (translator, help with lost documents, embassy/consulate contacts, fund advances).
Coverage limits
Medical, Surgical, Pharmaceutical and Hospitalization Expenses Abroad
€5,000
Covers medical, surgical, pharmaceutical and hospitalization expenses abroad due to accident or sudden illness, up to €5,000 per claim with a €50 deductible; also includes ambulance transport to the nearest clinic/hospital. A separate €1,000 sub-limit (50€ deductible) applies for equivalent expenses incurred in mainland Portugal, more than 150km from home, during a covered trip.
Emergency Medical Treatment Abroad
€5,000
Emergency medical and surgical treatment abroad is covered under the same €5,000 per-claim Assistência em Viagem guarantee (50€ deductible) as medical expenses; a 24h telephone medical advice service by a doctor is also available.
Hospitalization Expenses Abroad
€5,000
Hospitalization costs abroad are reimbursed/settled within the same €5,000 per-claim Assistência em Viagem guarantee (50€ deductible); doctors' team keeps contact with the treating physician and family throughout hospitalization.
Outpatient Medical Expenses Abroad
€5,000
Outpatient medical, surgical and pharmaceutical costs abroad share the same €5,000 per-claim Assistência em Viagem limit (50€ deductible) as other medical guarantees.
Medical/Sanitary Transport in Case of Accident or Illness
unlimited
Unlimited cover for transport of the insured person, by the most adequate means, to the hospital center prescribed by the medical team or to their usual domicile.
Medical Evacuation / Repatriation in Case of Accident or Illness
unlimited
Unlimited cover for repatriation/evacuation of a seriously injured or ill insured person after prior control by the insurer's medical team, in contact with the treating physician.
Transport or Repatriation After Death
unlimited
Unlimited cover for all formalities and expenses at the place of death and for repatriation/transport of the deceased insured person to the place of burial in Portugal; a €1,500 sub-limit applies to the minimum coffin required for repatriation.
Piste Rescue Expenses (Winter Sports)
€1,500
Covers costs of collection and transport of the insured person from the ski slope to the resort's medical center or the nearest hospital, up to €1,500; only available if the optional Winter Sports extension is contracted.
COVID-19 / Infectious Disease Treatment
Excluded
Any infectious/contagious disease is expressly excluded from cover, regardless of how it was contracted.
Pre-existing Conditions
Excluded
Aggravation of an accident due to a pre-existing illness is excluded; the insurer's liability cannot exceed what it would be for a person without that pre-existing condition.
Winter Sports Extension (Skiing/Snowboarding)
Optional
Optional extension covering amateur, non-competitive ski/snowboard practice, including: treatment in Portugal for ski accidents abroad up to €3,000 (75€ deductible); transport from medical center to ski resort, unlimited-type cover up to €1,500; piste rescue up to €1,500; crutches payment up to €30.
Adventure / High-Risk Sports Cover
Excluded
Only a closed list of low-risk amateur sports practiced outside training/competition is covered (e.g. swimming, running, cycling, tennis, football, golf); high-risk activities such as diving, kitesurfing, mountaineering-type sports, motor sports, bungee jumping, paragliding and similar are expressly excluded, unless a specific extension (only Winter Sports exists) is contracted.
Pregnancy Complications
No limit stated
No provision regarding pregnancy or pregnancy-related complications was found in the reviewed policy documents.
Personal Civil Liability
Optional
Optional cover for extracontractual civil liability of the insured for bodily injury or material damage caused to third parties during private-life activities while traveling; the limit is set in the Particular Conditions and a deductible of 10% of the indemnity (min. €150, max. €500) applies.
Legal Assistance Abroad
€1,000
Covers criminal defense of the insured if accused of involuntary homicide, bodily injury or traffic infractions following a road accident, and pursuit of amicable/judicial claims for damages suffered, up to €1,000.
24-Hour Medical Advice and Emergency Support
unlimited
A doctor-staffed medical advice service is available by telephone 24 hours a day for emergencies (unlimited), plus an unlimited emergency support service abroad (translator, help with lost documents, useful contacts such as consulates/embassies). The general customer service line (210 042 490) operates on business days, 8:30am-7:00pm.
Key conditions
Assistance call deadline
In case of accident, the claim must be reported in writing within 8 days, indicating place, date, time, causes, witnesses and consequences.
Unauthorized treatment
Assistance services or expenses not requested from, and agreed with, the insurer are not covered, except in cases of force majeure or demonstrated material impossibility to make contact.
Purchase while abroad
The contract takes effect from midnight of the day following acceptance of the proposal by the insurer (or another agreed date, never earlier than receipt of the proposal); the reviewed documents do not describe a procedure for purchasing cover after the trip has already started.
Chronic conditions
If the consequences of an accident are aggravated by a pre-existing chronic disease, the insurer's liability cannot exceed what it would be for a person not carrying that disease.
Pregnancy
The policy documents reviewed contain no specific provisions regarding pregnancy.
Pre-existing condition exclusions
General illnesses are only covered if proven, by unequivocal medical diagnosis, to be a direct consequence of the accident; aggravation caused by a pre-existing disease is excluded from full indemnification.
Coverage duration limit
Cover under both the annual and day-by-day options is limited to a maximum of 90 consecutive days per trip; for insured persons aged 70-79, cover is further limited to a maximum of 30 days and only the Death and Personal Baggage guarantees may be subscribed.
Where to buy
Policy specifics
Medical, surgical, pharmaceutical and hospitalization expenses abroad
Coverage for emergency medical treatment, surgery, medications, and hospitalization outside Portugal in case of accident or sudden illness during travel
SourceGeographic distance threshold for coverage
Accidents are covered only if they occur more than 50 km from the insured person's usual place of residence, or more than 20 km in the case of the Azores and Madeira autonomous regions
SourceMaximum trip duration
For long-duration trips, coverage is limited to the first 90 consecutive days of travel
SourceOptional coverage enhancements
The product offers multiple optional coverage add-ons beyond the base death/disability coverage, allowing customers to build a customized protection plan according to their needs
SourceClaims notification deadline
Claims must be reported in writing within 8 days of the incident occurring
Source24/7 Travel Assistance Service
Medical advice and travel assistance services are available around the clock by telephone during emergencies
SourceCoverage applies only when using specified transport means
Incidents are covered only if the insured person is using covered transportation methods such as bus, car, taxi, boat (licensed public transport), airplane, train, or cruise
SourceAnnual vs. Day-by-Day purchase options
The product is sold either as an Opção Anual (365 days/year cover, unlimited number of trips, renewable annually) or an Opção Dia-a-Dia (single trip cover for the exact number of days, up to 90 days, single premium).
Source