Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance

Medical evacuation travel insurance is important.

• Over 2 million tourists need emergency medical transportation each year
• Over 10 million people are admitted to hospitals during international travel.

While you are traveling abroad, a sudden life-threatening illness/sickness or injury can sabotage your trip and leave you with long-term financial debt. And if you’re far from your home country, it’s even worse.

Medical expenses in some countries, such as the United States, are extremely high. Emergency Medical Transportation can cost tens of thousands of dollars, especially if you are in a remote location with limited medical facilities.

A comprehensive travel insurance plan with emergency medical evacuation benefits will help reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses, including the need for air ambulance transportation for urgent medical attention.

This article covers how medical evacuation, also called medevac, is a lifesaver if you are traveling abroad and the importance of a comprehensive travel insurance plan that covers it. Before we delve into medical evacuation insurance, let’s understand how travel insurance works.

What is Emergency Medical Travel Insurance?

A comprehensive travel insurance plan generally includes coverage for medical expenses for any new sickness, illness, or injury, as well as emergency medical evacuation insurance.

Understand the differences between Comprehensive and Limited Coverage Plans.

Also known as medical evacuation and repatriation insurance. The maximum coverage amount varies by plan; make sure to compare travel insurance plans and look for a higher coverage limit.

It is an insurance policy that covers you if you need to be hospitalized while traveling overseas due to illness or injury. The cost of medical care overseas without this insurance might be rather high.

Medical evacuation coverage transfers you to the hospital of your choice, then to your nearest hospital. This can be extremely critical during a life-threatening situation.

Medical coverage covers medical emergencies while on vacation. Emergency medical evacuation covers the costs of transporting you to the nearest medical facility during a life-threatening situation. In a remote location, a hospital for treatment can be hundreds of miles away.

Pro-Tip: Opt for a travel insurance plan from a company that includes medical evacuation coverage. Always read the travel insurance plan brochure/document carefully to ensure this is part of the plan’s inclusions, not exclusions.

What are the different types of Evacuation Coverage?

There are two basic types of evacuation coverage:

1. Coverage for medical evacuation (also called medevac)
2. Coverage for security/political evacuation

Medevac Coverage

Medical evacuation coverage pays for the logistics and cost of transportation to and from a medical facility. Depending on your treatment needs, it will also transfer you to your home or a nearby medical facility to continue your care.

Security and Political Evacuation Coverage

Security and political evacuation cover your transit from a dangerous location to a safe location. Depending on the outcome of the issue, you and your dependents may be returned to your vacation destination or to your home.

How can I get Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance?

You can purchase emergency evacuation coverage as part of comprehensive travel coverage or as an independent travel medical plan. Travel medical insurance and urgent travel insurance are sometimes included in comprehensive travel plans, which also cover trip cancellation, travel delay, trip interruption, acute onset of pre-existing medical conditions, and luggage protection.

If you are not concerned about trip cancellation, you can find policies that only cover medically related travel difficulties.

What is Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance and how does it work?

Generally, emergency medical evacuation policies are covered by a travel insurance package.

Most travel insurance companies offer minimal medical evacuation coverage. They transport you to the nearest medical facility capable of handling your emergency, in accordance with the terms of your contract with them.

More than two million tourists need emergency medical transportation each year, and over 10 million are hospitalized overseas.

Before you buy travel medical insurance, check the coverage amount and ensure you have sufficient coverage in the plan to cover an unfortunate event.

Atlas America Insurance offers coverage up to $1mn lifetime maximum for emergency medical evacuation.

Safe Travels USA Comprehensive Insurance offers coverage up to $2mn for emergency medical evacuation.

When you require a medical evacuation, you need to get in touch with your plan’s provider, who will arrange it, handle family communications, provide language services, and offer assistance along the way.

When you are healthy enough to return home, they will make arrangements for medical transportation to the hospital of your choice in your country.

Why is it important to get Medical Evacuation Coverage?

The truth of life is that sickness, injury, and emergencies come unannounced; imagine these situations:

• A person has a heart attack while working on a volunteer project in the midst of the forest.
• An Adolescent kid is involved in a jet ski accident while on a family cruise and suffers a severe concussion at sea.
• A young woman falls and breaks her leg while hiking.
• Old parents are traveling, and the father had a stroke.
• A young daughter’s graduation trip ends in a horrifying road tragedy hundreds of miles away.

Any such unfortunate event with a serious injury or medical condition will need immediate and further treatment. If this happens during international travel, you will need medical transportation and to fly in a bedside companion from your family.

In extreme cases where a death occurs, the mortal remains will need repatriation. Before you plan your next trip, ensure you have medical evacuation insurance coverage.

What makes Medical Evacuation unique?

Most travel insurance plans that extend coverage for evacuations and repatriation to those who travel to a foreign country for work on a regular basis also explain in detail how this coverage works in the policy document.

1. Describes all forms of evacuations

Emergency medical expenses, foreign security evacuations, and repatriation are the primary focus of medevac programs. The travel insurance company must coordinate these efforts and typically manages payment to the rescue crew as well. Evacuations are covered only up to the policy limits and for the reasons specified in the policy document.

2. Take care of the people who are important to you

Medevac policies frequently include emergency medical reunion and return-of-minor-children benefits, allowing you to care for the people who are essential to you.

3. AD&D or term life benefits are frequently included

Many Medevac plans also include accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) and/or term life insurance.

4. Extra benefits may be included

Some medical evacuation plans contain package-like advantages, such as:

• Interrupted journey
• Baggage misplacement
• Coverage for adventure sports

Why is Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance necessary?

This benefit will ensure that you receive medical assistance, no matter where you are in the world, even if it requires evacuation to the nearest medical facility. An airlift could cost you thousands of dollars if you do not have this coverage.

Anyone traveling outside of the country is recommended to have emergency medical evacuation insurance. The insurance company provides transportation for you with an emergency medical evacuation plan, so you don’t have to worry about the logistics. Furthermore, you will not be required to pay for an expensive emergency medical evacuation out of pocket.

Any visitor’s travel medical insurance should include emergency medical evacuation insurance. It can also be added to any basic travel plan.

We have covered the top 10 reasons to buy travel insurance.

Do you need evacuation insurance for trips within the United States?

In some cases, medical evacuation travel insurance is a good option. If you are going on vacation or taking an adventure in a distant area, it is important that you are evacuated. Depending on your health coverage, a medical treatment package may be provided. You will also have to pay the co-insurance and deductibles of the insurance you purchase.

Do I need emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage?

Sadly, accidents can happen to anyone. When traveling in an unfamiliar place, bad events can have severe consequences. When traveling, there are many reasons to know that you’re protected by an insurance policy that will protect your money from theft.

Repatriation of remains coverage helps transport the deceased individual’s bodily remains to the home country/country of residence, as applicable.

What Is Covered by Medical Evacuation Insurance?

1. Transportation in an emergency

Medical evacuation insurance can cover the cost of emergency transportation to the nearest appropriate treatment facility if you become very ill or injured while traveling and need prompt attention. If necessary for your health, it might also cover the cost of your return to the US.

Alternatively, if you’ve been treated but need to return to the United States for further treatment or recovery, it may cover your return airfare.

2. Your return home will be accompanied by a medical escort

Medical evacuation insurance may cover the cost of medical escort services if you require specialized treatment during your trip back home, such as intravenous medication. 

3. The cost of bringing a friend or family member to you

If you are hospitalized while traveling due to an illness or injury covered by your policy, your medical evacuation travel insurance may, depending on the plan, pay for a round-trip flight for a friend or family member to come stay with you.

Who should purchase Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance?

If you are traveling to a foreign country, you should consider this insurance. Especially for the following situations:

• Families and individuals cruising

The medical facilities on a cruise ship are limited, and if you have a medical emergency, you’ll need coverage to plan and pay for your evacuation in order to receive proper medical care. If you are purchasing Cruise Insurance for yourself and your family members, do check whether the plan provides coverage for Medevac.

• Travelers to remote destinations

If you plan to go to remote locations and, as is generally known, medical care is limited in a remote area, you will need assistance if you become very ill or injured and if your situation in such a condition is life-threatening.

• Foreign aid workers and missionaries

Missionaries and foreign aid workers frequently travel to politically hazardous places or countries devastated by natural disasters. Make sure you can save yourself if something bad happens so you can keep doing crucial tasks.

• International business travelers

When working in a foreign nation, you may have access to your own health care or universal health care, but without medical evacuation insurance, you will not be able to return home if something truly catastrophic occurs. 

How much is the cost of medical evacuation from Mexico?

You will need to contact a business that specializes in medical evacuations and pay in advance for any services necessary if you don’t have a medical evacuation insurance plan.

For dedicated air ambulances to transport you from Mexico back to the US or Canada, the cost typically ranges from US$25,000 to US$60,000 and may be higher if your home country is farther away.

If you are planning to visit Mexico for business or leisure, a Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan will ensure that you (or members of your family) are transported back to your home country’s hospital and doctors where you can be treated and have access to ongoing medical care.

What is a medical evacuation in health insurance?

Medical evacuation insurance covers the cost of urgent medical care in an emergency to the most appropriate care facility. The insurance can even reimburse you for going home to the USA for medical reasons.

If you need to be transported to your home country or the nearest suitable medical facility, Emergency Medical Evacuation offers transportation services. Once you are stabilized, the plan may allow you to return home; however, you should confirm this with your insurance provider.

How much does a medical evacuation from Europe to the US cost?

The average Cost of a medical evacuation for an American is $25k per person, based on the latest estimates. In Europe, costs could be up to $50,000. A nurse escort typically costs $11,000 within North America and $24,000 from Europe to North America.

Source: Travelex Travel Insurance’s latest report on medical evacuation costs.

How much does it cost to be medically evacuated from a cruise ship?

If your medical emergency is serious and urgent, emergency medical evacuation to the nearest suitable medical facility is necessary. This procedure can be an expensive nightmare without travel insurance. The price of a medical escort or stretcher flight can cost an additional $25,000 to $30,000.

Conclusion

Medical evacuation travel insurance is one of the most important benefits to look for when buying a travel medical insurance plan.

A medical emergency abroad can become stressful very quickly, especially if you are in a remote area, on a cruise, or in a country where healthcare and emergency transportation costs are high.

In such situations, emergency medical evacuation coverage can help arrange and pay for transportation to the nearest suitable medical facility, provide assistance services, and, when covered by the policy, support your return home for continued care.

Before purchasing a plan, always review the policy brochure carefully. Check the medical evacuation coverage limit, whether repatriation of remains is included, whether emergency reunion or bedside visit benefits are available, and whether the plan covers the specific type of trip you are taking.

The right travel insurance plan cannot prevent an emergency, but it can make sure you are not left managing the logistics and financial burden alone when urgent medical transportation is needed most.