Medical Evacuation/ Medical Assistance insurance

Is that an annual policy?

I would compare the coverage with other annual policies - check insuremytrip.com

I thought it is under UA mileage. Yes I will check insure my trip . Thanks

We have carried that policy for several years. They have been very response to small inquires - quick to answer emails and one phone call. BUT - and this is the 64 $ concern - we have not had to put in a claim so absolutely have no idea how it would work when need. And that is the problem with most insurance of this type. You don't use it every month or so, so how do you judge if they will come through when needed.

Frank , What is through UA too or another company ? We have always bought travel insurance in the past and never have to use it ( knock on wood) . I am worried about Murphy's law - that we will need it when we don't have it so more than anything it buys peace of mind before travel I think . I just wonder if someone in the forum had used it before as what the scenario in the letter described. Thanks

Sally, check your own medical coverage policy as well. For example, if you have Kaiser medical care/evacuation is a covered benefit.

Good idea . I will do that . Thanks.

Read the fine print. Understand it is NOT travel insurance or medical insurance. It is strictly medical evacuation to the most appropriate facility/location. Also good in the US when traveling. Our existing medical insurance will provide enough coverage. What we want covered is having to come home in an emergency and maybe not being able to sit up, etc.

We picked it though UA. UA is marketing the company.

Thanks Frank. We have our own health insurance but not sure they have medical evacuation to the nearest facility . I will
Check . At any rate, they have to be primary not the health insurance company otherwise it negates the purpose of buying one.

Medical Evac can get super expensive super fast! Especially if you need medical equipment and/or personnel to travel with you. Make sure the limit is high enough - minimum 50k. Also - repatriation coverage.

Thanks Christi, I didn't think of the repatriation coverage which is important. Thanks for the reminder .

Hi all:

On my last two trips to Europe I purchased medical evacuation service after doing a lot of research on this subject. Here is an article that provides a good overview of this subject:

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/5355395/how-to-airfare/

What I found is that many travel insurance policies that include so called medical evacuation provide a limited amount of service. As Frank points out this type of policy might only cover your "evacuation" to the nearest appropriate medical facility that can handle your problem. If you are in the bush in Africa this might be useful but if you are visiting a major first world city such as London the policy might only cover your ambulance ride to the nearest teaching hospital. What you really want a means to get back to the USA, once you are able to travel, to the hospital of your choice even if you have to fly using an air ambulance - a trip which could cost $100,000. [Note: NPR radio recently had a program about a Canadian who got in motorcycle accident while travelling in Thailand. He is currently hospitalized where he is charged $3,000 a day - which the Canadian health care system will not pay - and has to come up with $165,000 to fly back to Canada. His family is mortgaging two houses to pay for his return. This is why I get an evacuation service when I go overseas.] For one of the policies that I looked at their repatriation service back to the USA consisted of a first class seat in a commercial airline plus the service of a nurse if required. That clearly is not adequate for many serious medical problems where the alternative is to stay in a hospital while running up a huge bill.

The three companies that provide medical evacuation to the hospital of your choice anywhere in the world are MedJet Assist, AirMed, and On Call International. For my trip to Ireland, the UK, and Iceland I purchased a two week membeship with OnCall International for about $95. A one year membership is about $240. It is worth it when you consider a worst case scenario. I got the same sales letter and cards through my MileagePlus program that is mentioned earlier in this thread. I called them to ask questions about their program and for reasons which I do not recall rejected their plan in favor of OnCall International even though it cost more (eg $149/person/yr vs $240/yr).

Here is another article:

http://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/how-to-avoid-a-50000-vacation-medical-tab/

Medical evacuation insurance is the one you hope never to use. I have been fortunate to to not have needed to file a claim against my trip insurance for anything, but my former boss did. My old boss was in France following his retirement and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was in a coma or induced coma for several months. His medical evacuation protocol to return him to the States involved a chartered medical evacuation flight with a physician and nurses on board.

Are you sure your health insurance will cover you in another country? Nowadays, some policies don't cover you in another state!

I have elderly parents, so I still buy trip cancellation/interruption insurance for every trip. This includes evacuation insurance. Some people prefer third-party insurance in case a cruise or tour company (that sells their own cancellation insurance) goes bankrupt.

For the first 10 years of international traveling I carried an evacuation policy. It was MedJet which at the time had good reviews. I never used it and I never met anyone who did use their policy. Still its probably good practice. But I am lazy. I've since had a lot of experience with medical facilities, issues, treatment, etc in Europe and feel pretty good with that option vs maybe getting shipped home. Especially in the EU. As for your health insurance reimbursing, mine, United Health Care will not. Geeeee, I guess I better get that medjet policy back!!!!

Hi all:

I found the EA+ sales literature that United Airlines sent to me last year so now I can explain why I feel that that plan is unsatisfactory for my needs. My health care plan is Medicare which does not cover medical costs incurred outside of the United States. Consequently, if I have a serious medical problem outside of this country it is in my financial interest to get back to the USA ASAP to receive care that will be paid by Medicare. The longer I stay overseas the more I will have to pay out of my own pocket.

Here are portions of the EA+ plan (quoted verbatim):

"If your medical condition is serious and you cannot get the care you need, EA+ will arrange transportation or even airlift by air ambulance to a more suitable medical facility". Please note that they say nothing about transporting you back to the USA. Apparently all they do is transport you to the nearest quality medical facility.

"Later, when it's safe for you to travel home to a healthcare facility nearer home EA+ will help you get to the airport, arrange and pay for a commercial flight (in an upgraded seat), and help you get to your destination." OK, so you have to be in reasonably good shape to travel under EA+s plan.

Now contrast this with the service provided by On Call International (copied from their member handbook):

"Medical Transportation and Related Benefits
Unlimited Emergency Medical Transportation via Private Air Ambulance
Coordinated if a member is hospitalized due to sudden illness or injury while traveling 50 miles or more from their primary residence.. AND
a. The remaining hospital stay can be continued at a hospital of the member's choice
b. The member is unable to return by commercial airline with or without a medical escort

On Call will make arrangements and pay for air medical transfer of the patient via private air ambulance to the member's hospital of choice"

This will probably be a return to the USA, rather then the nearest medical facility which could still be located overseas, which would cost $100,000 if paid out of pocket.

Note: there is a paragraph which states that OnCall will arrange for commercial transportation with one or more medical escorts if the patient is not in that bad shape.

I see a big difference between these two plans. OnCall costs more than EA+ but your get much more service if you need. Furthermore, you can buy the service from OnCall on a per trip basis. As I indicated earlier I paid $95 for my 2+ week trip to Ireland, UK, and Iceland. I wasn't sure about the health care facilities in Iceland just as I wasn't sure about the facilities in Turkey two years ago which is when I started to buy medical evacuation service when going abroad. As you can see you don't have to be in a foreign country to benefit from On Call service. The other two companies provide the same services for a bit more money.

You also need to take into account if you need to BE hospitalized abroad. A friend had an accident that required hospitalization in Vienna. Treatment was covered by hiS Worldwide group BCBS PLAN but the hospital required an up front deposit before he could be admitted and surgery performed. The private travel insurance provided that guarantee to the hospital and the evacuation insurance sent him home in first class with his wife as escort as soon as he was discharged. Hie travel Medical carrier ALLIANZ worked with BCBS to handle coverage so he had no OOP.

Thank you all for your responses. It is also important to note that there is a period from the time ticket was booked to getting the insurance for preexisting condition to be waived. Some are 21 days and some have a 2 months look back on the traveller's medical condition.