Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

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Small Law Survivor
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Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Small Law Survivor »

I've purchased the flights/hotels for a trip to Italy from Costco Travel, using a Costco Citi Visa credit card. The card provides trip cancellation insurance up to $3,000/person, which is sufficient if one of us gets ill. However, it doesn't provide medical evacuation insurance, and I'd have to purchase this separately.

I'm 67, wife is 66 (or will be by time of the trip this Fall). Both of us are in good health, but you never know. I'm inclined to purchase evacuation insurance. I think it would cost about $200/person, but I need to double check this.

Am I thinking about this correctly? Any thoughts or advice either way or the other on this?
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livesoft
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by livesoft »

No, I have not done so.

I have had medical emergencies where I ended up in a developed foreign country hospital, so I'm trusting of health care systems of the places that I go outside the US.

Have you seen any headlines like "American Tourist Received No Medical Aid!"
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ResearchMed
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

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dm200
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by dm200 »

As best I recall, when we took a cruise to Bermuda, we purchased cancellation/medical insurance that included this. I do not recall any other details.

On one of the cruises (small ship - only about 500-600 passengers) one person suffered some kind of serious injury in Bermuda - and needed to be "evacuated" back to the US - and could not continue home on the ship.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by ResearchMed »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:24 pm I've purchased the flights/hotels for a trip to Italy from Costco Travel, using a Costco Citi Visa credit card. The card provides trip cancellation insurance up to $3,000/person, which is sufficient if one of us gets ill. However, it doesn't provide medical evacuation insurance, and I'd have to purchase this separately.

I'm 67, wife is 66 (or will be by time of the trip this Fall). Both of us are in good health, but you never know. I'm inclined to purchase evacuation insurance. I think it would cost about $200/person, but I need to double check this.

Am I thinking about this correctly? Any thoughts or advice either way or the other on this?
Look carefully at the charge card coverage, especially if there are *any* pre-existing conditions to deal with.
This could affect medical costs OR trip cancellation/interruption - and interruption can cost far more than cancellation (hence most regular travel insurance policies cover that risk at 150%).

See also

www.TripInsuranceStore.com

but CALL them to discuss your specific needs.

We've had excellent experiences with policies from them from Travel Insured, and all claims have been paid promptly.

Ask them about evacuation specifically.

Enjoy your trip!

RM
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Jazztonight »

DW and I are in our 70s. We always get the trip and evacuation insurance. Yeah, it feels like a ripoff, but most of the time no one uses travel insurance. It's only for when you need it.

When we were in the Galapagos she fell and broke her wrist. In the Czech Republic she fell on the cobblestone pavement but was not hurt. In Morrocco the heat was so bad it triggered a neuromuscular condition. Recently, she had to cancel a trip because the woman she was traveling with needed surgery a few days before their trip, and all the travel costs were refunded.

None of these situations necessitated evacuation from a country, but we're older now, and I'd rather pay an extra few hundred or whatever it costs for the, well, insurance. YMMV
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jumppilot
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by jumppilot »

I purchased a yearly membership to Medjet Assist.

Based on online reviews, many types of insurance you purchase have Swiss cheese contracts with exclusions, type of evacuation provided and hospital choice.

Medjet avoids all these issues - if you are admitted to the hospital, they will evacuate you to the hospital of your choice, world wide.

Global Rescue, a competitor, does not require you to be admitted to a hospital. They will rescue you on a side of a mountain or side of the road, if necessary.

I want to belong to organizations like this:

https://www.wired.com/2015/08/search-an ... e-for-sale
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Taylor Larimore
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Taylor Larimore »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:24 pm I've purchased the flights/hotels for a trip to Italy from Costco Travel, using a Costco Citi Visa credit card. The card provides trip cancellation insurance up to $3,000/person, which is sufficient if one of us gets ill. However, it doesn't provide medical evacuation insurance, and I'd have to purchase this separately.

I'm 67, wife is 66 (or will be by time of the trip this Fall). Both of us are in good health, but you never know. I'm inclined to purchase evacuation insurance. I think it would cost about $200/person, but I need to double check this.

Am I thinking about this correctly? Any thoughts or advice either way or the other on this?
Small Law Survivor:

I almost never buy insurance for a risk that I can afford to pay.

Best wishes
Taylor
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oxothuk
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by oxothuk »

Medical evacuation insurance(Medjet) is the only kind of travel insurance I DO buy.

My US health insurance will reimburse me for emergency and urgent care while traveling. Other travel risks - flight cancellation, lost luggage, etc - are things I can self-insure.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by michaeljc70 »

No. I've never purchased it. Why would you need to be evacuated from a EU country?? I wouldn't even consider it if you are healthy going someplace like that.
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dm200
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by dm200 »

Unlike some kinds of potential expenses - it seems to me that medical evacuation could be a huge expense.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by RickBoglehead »

Taylor Larimore wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:50 pm
Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:24 pm I've purchased the flights/hotels for a trip to Italy from Costco Travel, using a Costco Citi Visa credit card. The card provides trip cancellation insurance up to $3,000/person, which is sufficient if one of us gets ill. However, it doesn't provide medical evacuation insurance, and I'd have to purchase this separately.

I'm 67, wife is 66 (or will be by time of the trip this Fall). Both of us are in good health, but you never know. I'm inclined to purchase evacuation insurance. I think it would cost about $200/person, but I need to double check this.

Am I thinking about this correctly? Any thoughts or advice either way or the other on this?
Small Law Survivor:

I almost never buy insurance for a risk that I can afford to pay.

Best wishes
Taylor
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dm200
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by dm200 »

michaeljc70 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 6:13 pm No. I've never purchased it. Why would you need to be evacuated from a EU country?? I wouldn't even consider it if you are healthy going someplace like that.
Suppose you are injured there - and recovery from such an injury would not allow "normal" return home.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by climber2020 »

The only time I've ever purchased medical evacuation insurance is when I went to Easter Island. It's one of the most remote inhabited places on earth and medical care on the island is limited, so I thought it'd be a good idea. That was a special case; I don't usually buy any kind of travel insurance when we go on trips.

It was cheap. $27 for 8 days and $100,000 of evacuation coverage. If you decline trip cancellation coverage (sample illustration here) when you get your policy, it makes a huge difference in the final cost.
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dm200
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by dm200 »

Does anyone have any actual experience having to be "medically evacuated"?

My former boss's wife (due to illness) had to be flown back from a winter vacation in Colorado to the Washington DC area - by air ambulance. In his case, his employer insurance covered it - but I recall the cot was huge (cannot remember the amount though)
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by invst65 »

No, I have never purchased it and I've done a lot of foreign travel.

To me, it's just an insurance policy trying to capitalize on your worse fear about travelling over seas. If the cost doesn't seem too extravagant to you and it gives you peace of mind then buy it but in reality I have to wonder how many claims there are for this kind of insurance and what is the profit margin of the company selling it?
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by dm200 »

invst65 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 6:51 pm No, I have never purchased it and I've done a lot of foreign travel.
To me, it's just an insurance policy trying to capitalize on your worse fear about travelling over seas. If the cost doesn't seem too extravagant to you and it gives you peace of mind then buy it but in reality I have to wonder how many claims there are for this kind of insurance and what is the profit margin of the company selling it?
I would have had a similar view - BUT seeing the two folks so severely injured in Bermuda (on a cruise) had made a vivid impression on me.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by daveydoo »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:24 pm I'm inclined to purchase evacuation insurance. I think it would cost about $200/person, but I need to double check this.
Depending upon circumstances, I think this can be a good idea. We did this once. We generally self-insure but this can be six figures. The cheapest places to get medical care are the most expensive to get home from -- and most of the local medical care is atrocious.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by michaeljc70 »

daveydoo wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:09 pm
Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:24 pm I'm inclined to purchase evacuation insurance. I think it would cost about $200/person, but I need to double check this.
Depending upon circumstances, I think this can be a good idea. We did this once. We generally self-insure but this can be six figures. The cheapest places to get medical care are the most expensive to get home from -- and most of the local medical care is atrocious.
The World Health Organization ranks Italy #2 in the world for healthcare.....and that is where the OP is traveling.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Artsdoctor »

I have been a member of MedJet Assist for years and I recommend it to all of my patients who travel. SOS is also well-respected.

Medical evacuation back to the US from Asia or Europe can be about $75,000-$100,000. The idea is that you'd be transferred from a local hospital to a hospital of your choice (this is different from medical insurance). I've seen too many people have dreadful medical outcomes when treated in developing countries for traumatic injuries, strokes, heart attacks, etc. Even if you were treated perfectly in London, do you really want to spend a couple of weeks in a hospital that far away from home? With medical evacuation insurance, you'd be stabilized and then brought back home. This applies to travel within the US as well (I think it's greater than 350 miles from home).

It's a much better deal if you travel a lot to just buy a 5-year membership but you can do it piecemeal if you like.

One last thing. You might want to check to see what "evacuation" means. Sometimes, it'll mean taking you to a "center of excellence." If you break your leg while hiking in Cambodia, you might be transferred to Bangkok or Singapore.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by remomnyc »

I used to purchase it because I travel in remote locations where evacuation requires helicopters. The premium was typically $25. Now I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve to book my travel, which provides emergency evacuation of up to $100k.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by delamer »

dm200 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 6:25 pm
michaeljc70 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 6:13 pm No. I've never purchased it. Why would you need to be evacuated from a EU country?? I wouldn't even consider it if you are healthy going someplace like that.
Suppose you are injured there - and recovery from such an injury would not allow "normal" return home.

Yes, this is my concern too. What if your options were 1) spending 3 weeks in Spanish hospital with your spouse having to pay for a hotel in order to stay with you (while not speaking the language) or 2) being flown home

One of our kids spent one night in a Spanish hospital, accompanied by my husband, and that was tough enough.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by daveydoo »

michaeljc70 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:13 pm
daveydoo wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:09 pm
Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:24 pm I'm inclined to purchase evacuation insurance. I think it would cost about $200/person, but I need to double check this.
Depending upon circumstances, I think this can be a good idea. We did this once. We generally self-insure but this can be six figures. The cheapest places to get medical care are the most expensive to get home from -- and most of the local medical care is atrocious.
The World Health Organization ranks Italy #2 in the world for healthcare.....and that is where the OP is traveling.
Well, they also rank the US below the Dominican Republic :D

http://thepatientfactor.com/canadian-he ... h-systems/

These are not rankings of the best places to get your emergent coronary bypass or for neurosurgery after your bike wreck. :D
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by mbres60 »

You only asked about medical evacuation but you both are of Medicare age. Medicare does NOT cover outside the US although I understand there may be some limited coverage under some plans. You can buy medical travel insurance for a small amount of money. This will include evacuation also. What you really need is travel insurance. I second that you contact the tripinsurancestore.com although call them and don't just read the info online. They are great to work with and will explain the differences of the different insurance types. Remember though... you might be healthy but stuff happens... a fall on the ground which breaks a bone, etc

Medjet Assist will fly you home to the hospital of your choice BUT you have to be admitted to a hospital first and the doctors there have to say you are ok to travel. No first hand experience but I have heard it can take 3-5 days for them to make arrangements. Remember though this is not medical insurance but just evacuation. You really need medical insurance.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Ged »

mbres60 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:33 pm You only asked about medical evacuation but you both are of Medicare age. Medicare does NOT cover outside the US although I understand there may be some limited coverage under some plans.
I always purchase medical coverage for cruise travel. However it is worth noting that medigap plans often cover emergency health care outside the US.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by user5027 »

We have, here is an earlier post...
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=160986&p=2416696#p2416696
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by invst65 »

mbres60 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:33 pm You only asked about medical evacuation but you both are of Medicare age. Medicare does NOT cover outside the US although I understand there may be some limited coverage under some plans. You can buy medical travel insurance for a small amount of money. This will include evacuation also. What you really need is travel insurance. I second that you contact the tripinsurancestore.com although call them and don't just read the info online. They are great to work with and will explain the differences of the different insurance types. Remember though... you might be healthy but stuff happens... a fall on the ground which breaks a bone, etc

Medjet Assist will fly you home to the hospital of your choice BUT you have to be admitted to a hospital first and the doctors there have to say you are ok to travel. No first hand experience but I have heard it can take 3-5 days for them to make arrangements. Remember though this is not medical insurance but just evacuation. You really need medical insurance.
All boils down to some basic issues on this website, I think. Some folks on here really don't need to decide whether paying $200 for some kind of foreign travel insurance is a good idea or not. To them it's a no-brainer and good for them. I can relate. Others among us have to count the cost and consider the risks involved. We tend to speak a different language.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Dead Man Walking »

Although we don't have any plans to travel internationally, my wife and I have air ambulance service insurance. We live in a rural area that is serviced by a small hospital. The emergency department is very competent with diagnosis, and they are smart enough to know what they can handle and what is not within their capabilities. They have excellent facilities for providing life flights and are part of the network of a world renowned hospital system. Both of us suffer from medical conditions which may require treatment in a more sophisticated hospital after an emergency room diagnosis.

Since the cost of an air ambulance flight ranges from $12,000 to $25,000 for a typical domestic flight, we think the $400 annual premium for our combined coverage is reasonable. Our policies include international air ambulance service.

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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Artsdoctor »

mbres60 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:33 pm You only asked about medical evacuation but you both are of Medicare age. Medicare does NOT cover outside the US although I understand there may be some limited coverage under some plans. You can buy medical travel insurance for a small amount of money. This will include evacuation also. What you really need is travel insurance. I second that you contact the tripinsurancestore.com although call them and don't just read the info online. They are great to work with and will explain the differences of the different insurance types. Remember though... you might be healthy but stuff happens... a fall on the ground which breaks a bone, etc

Medjet Assist will fly you home to the hospital of your choice BUT you have to be admitted to a hospital first and the doctors there have to say you are ok to travel. No first hand experience but I have heard it can take 3-5 days for them to make arrangements. Remember though this is not medical insurance but just evacuation. You really need medical insurance.
Yes, MedJet Assist will only transfer you from hospital to hospital. They won't pick you up at the hotel or at the roadside if you've had an accident. And yes, the transferring doctor will have to authorize a transfer. However, your transfer can be anything from getting you on a plane with two first class tickets in order to lie flat all the way to medical air-ambulance. I have had patients transferred from Thailand, Cambodia, Spain, England, Russia, New Zealand, Guatemala, and rural US--and those are the ones I remember; the ones that have been transferred via MedJet and SOS have been efficient. The ones that used their AMEX Platinum cards did fine but they also received an $80,000 bill. I don't remember anyone having to wait 3-5 days for the transfer to occur.

From a statistical point of view, travelers tend to do things they would not do at home. They hang-glide, they white water raft, they hike much more than at home, they go to petting zoos (and get bitten), so the chances of an incident are not just theoretical. And let me assure you that having a heart attack or appendicitis in St. Petersburg is not something you're going to want to experience; if it happens, you're going to want to get out as soon as possible. And then there's always the inherent risks of driving on the wrong side of the road . . .
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by bighatnohorse »

Use one of the review forums for comparisons of travel insurance outfits. We use Generali and have used the company before them that they took over. You get trip interruption insurance along with evacuation insurance whereas with MedJet you only get evacuation. Read the policy offering carefully.
We collected on the trip interruption portion in Patagonia when there was a fire that prevented us from going to the National Park (Pines del Torre).
Fortunately, we have not needed the flight evac part.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by daveydoo »

invst65 wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:53 pm
All boils down to some basic issues on this website, I think. Some folks on here really don't need to decide whether paying $200 for some kind of foreign travel insurance is a good idea or not. To them it's a no-brainer and good for them. I can relate. Others among us have to count the cost and consider the risks involved. We tend to speak a different language.
Not rich enough for insurance, you say? :D I think you've got this backwards.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by annebert »

I buy insurance for trips for which I've paid a lot of money, and it seems that evacuation always comes along with trip cancellation, so yeah I do.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by WestUniversity »

For overseas travel, always...
More Please
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by More Please »

Yes, I buy it now because I’m in my late 60’s and still doing idiotic things like bungee cord jumping in New Zealand. I agree 100% with Artsdoctor.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by dodecahedron »

A friend and her husband were traveling to China a few years ago. They were in robust health when they left home but husband contracted a mysterious and devastating disease (a virus, I believe) that Beijing doctors could not diagnose or figure out how to treat after several weeks of trying. Wife arranged for med evacuation to well-known hospital in Manhattan (I have forgotten which one). I believe US doctors were able to diagnose it but unable to treat it successfully. Although he ultimately died after a month in the US hospital, his adult children and other family members were at least able to visit with him before his death and were able to support his wife emotionally during a very difficult time.

After hearing that harrowing story, I can't imagine traveling without med evac insurance.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by cmr79 »

Echoing the above posts: I've never purchased medevac insurance or needed to seek medical care in a foreign country, but I've also received patients transferred back to the US via these services. In my experience, they are usually medically stable, have received adequatd treatment for either an acute injury/illness or an exacerbation of a longstanding, known condition (i.e. not diagnostic dilemmas), and the main reason for transfer was to not have to spend a prolonged hospital/recovery period in a foreign country, far from family.

So, I would weigh the decision that way...you are most likely paying for the convenience of convalescing close to home. Is that worth it? Of course, going to a particularly remote or undeveloped location is different, but that isn't the issue for OP or most people asking this question anyway.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by bighatnohorse »

.
The topic was covered by NBC News: Evaluating Risk: Do Travelers Need Medical Evacuation Insurance?

In past research regarding med evac I've read that when a medical assistant is required on an evac flight the starting cost is approximately $40k to $50K.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Niemanterry »

I use a travel ins thru the air force. I am not military, but can join the air force assn for like $20/yr. that membership give me a 1/2 off of $700 yr. flush with benefits.
Last month on a cruise, watched coast guard helo pluck a lady and spouse about 100 miles off coast of louisiana. You can watch it on utube.
General consensus helo started at 15k, proabably close to 40k.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by spectec »

Last year on a trip to Israel, a member of our group fell and fractured her Tibia. Medical care in Israel is very good, and it isn't generally smart to fly immediately after fracturing a bone, but eventually the matter of getting home must be dealt with. There's the increased risk of DVT, the discomfort of 12 hours on an airplane, and other logistical issues. Fortunately she and her husband had purchased good medical travel insurance. The insurance company arranged for lie-flat seats for both the patient and her husband once she was cleared to travel, made sure they had all the documentation for the airline for other special accommodations, and helped to get them home with a minimum of discomfort or risk.

Most of my travel is in India and Myanmar, so I always purchase good medical travel insurance. But in this case, it was undeniably beneficial for them to have spent the extra couple of hundred dollars even though they were traveling somewhere with excellent medical care available.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by hmw »

I have not purchased “Med Evacuation insurance” for our foreign travels. However, my decision was not based on any careful analysis of cost and benefits though. But paying 50k to 100k out pocket for med evacuation will not be devastating to our finances.
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Northern Flicker »

Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:24 pm I've purchased the flights/hotels for a trip to Italy from Costco Travel, using a Costco Citi Visa credit card. The card provides trip cancellation insurance up to $3,000/person, which is sufficient if one of us gets ill. However, it doesn't provide medical evacuation insurance, and I'd have to purchase this separately.

I'm 67, wife is 66 (or will be by time of the trip this Fall). Both of us are in good health, but you never know. I'm inclined to purchase evacuation insurance. I think it would cost about $200/person, but I need to double check this.

Am I thinking about this correctly? Any thoughts or advice either way or the other on this?
If you have original medicare, it will not cover you outside the US except in some very specific cases, like you are in Canada while traveling between Alaska and the lower 48:

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/trave ... .html#2966

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you need to check with the provider to see what it provides.

It is quite possible your primary need is for a temporary int'l travel health insurance plan. These plans typically include some medical evacuation benefits as an extra bonus.
BrainDrain
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Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:28 am

Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by BrainDrain »

Is anyone aware of the Divers Alert Network? https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/scub ... insurance/. You don’t need to be a diver to join and you can cover a family for $55 a year, which includes $100k of medivac coverage. I’ve not waded too deep in the terms and conditions, but it’s a very respected organization.

Also, many Medicare supplemental plans will cover overseas medical treatment without any pre existing condition trapdoors that are rife in many travel insurance policies.

DAN terms here https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/files/handbook.pdf
Exuberent
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 4:01 am

Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Exuberent »

I am 65 years of age. DW and I have an annual policy with Bupa. A lot of trips we take require evacuation insurance, particularly horse back rides in remote locations. Until we started taking trips where the insurance was required we never gave it a thought.
Hillview
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Hillview »

I've done it once when we were in Belize in the jungle and were planning to do exciting activities like white water canoe, zip-lining, horse back riding, etc. For Europe I would not be bothered.
Freefun
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by Freefun »

Yes. Medjet Assist and GEOS SAR.
Remember when you wanted what you currently have?
MichDad
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by MichDad »

I retired a few months ago and am traveling outside the US with my wife for a few months. I purchased a regular annual family policy from Medjet Assist before we left. As a retired federal employee, I chose a health plan that covers us internationally.

MichDad
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ResearchMed
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Re: Do You Purchase "Medical Evacuation Insurance" When You Travel?

Post by ResearchMed »

jumppilot wrote: Tue Jul 31, 2018 5:46 pm I purchased a yearly membership to Medjet Assist.

Based on online reviews, many types of insurance you purchase have Swiss cheese contracts with exclusions, type of evacuation provided and hospital choice.

Medjet avoids all these issues - if you are admitted to the hospital, they will evacuate you to the hospital of your choice, world wide.

Global Rescue, a competitor, does not require you to be admitted to a hospital. They will rescue you on a side of a mountain or side of the road, if necessary.

I want to belong to organizations like this:

https://www.wired.com/2015/08/search-an ... e-for-sale
Thanks very much for this link.

I had been exploring other choices, due to one specific situation that MedJetAssist wouldn't cover: not being able to *get* to a hospital, even if "getting admitted" wouldn't be any problem at all, etc.
This could be a big problem in certain areas.

Reviews are sketchy, in part, no doubt, to Global Rescue not being around for a very long time yet.
And a lot of people leaving reviews in various places/websites are, like ours thus far (and hopefully continuing on!) are from those without actual first hand experience, but who have the "peace of mind" hopeful factor, etc.

Our experiences with "regular travel insurance", however, is very much first hand. The one time we almost called MedJetAssist... I started to recover at about that time, and we were very happy we didn't need to end our vacation early.

OTOH, it was *VERY* re-assuring to know that given I was not getting better, we could just make the call and get us flown to "our* hospital at a major medical teaching center.

In terms of comparisons, do you know any services/features where MedJetAssist is better than Global Assist?

Thanks.

RM
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