What is Medical Evacuation Insurance?

Medical evacuation insurance provides coverage for transportation expenses to a health facility if a patient suffers severe injuries. There are different types of medical evacuation insurance, and each plan has its coverage features. For instance, some plans cover transportation expenses to the nearest hospital, while others cover the cost of traveling to specific hospitals within the country or abroad. Read on!

The Importance of Medical Evacuation Insurance

Medical evacuation covers evacuations and repatriation for patients who travel domestically or internationally to seek medical treatment. A typical insurance plan focuses on emergency medical evacuations, security evacuations, and repatriations. 

For instance, a person having a sudden heart attack in a remote area would need emergency transport service to seek medical treatment at the nearest hospital. It costs thousands of dollars to travel via an air ambulance without medical evacuation insurance. 

What is Medical Evacuation Insurance?

Health insurance covers your medical expenses. However, if you have a heart attack somewhere in the jungle or break your leg while hiking in the mountains, your insurance company won’t send a helicopter to pick you up and shift you to the hospital. 

On the other hand, medical evacuation insurance will cover the transportation costs and shift you to the nearby hospital for medical treatment. Bear in mind that this type of insurance does not cover hospital stays, emergency room charges, physician visits, and medications. You will pay these costs out of pocket or through your medical insurance. 


What Coverage is included?

A medical evacuation insurance plan usually includes coordination and payment for transportation to shift you to the nearest medical facility or get you home. If you are in a foreign country and need medical treatment, but you don’t understand the language, you can have the language translation services. 

Your insurance plan will cover the expenses of these services. The insurance company will also cover communication costs to family members, friends, or business partners worried about you. 

The evacuation plans also cover repatriation arrangements, such as paperwork, negotiations, and payments required to return your body if you die on your trip. Various factors determine the cost of such a plan: 

  • Your age 
  • Type of plan 
  • Single-trip 
  • Annual trip
  • Trip duration 
  • Optional coverage 

Research shows that an annual medical evacuation plan costs around $200. It covers all your trip taken within 12 months. On the other hand, a single-trip insurance plan cost something between $45 and $65. 

Final Words 

Everyone knows that emergency medical transportation can cost a lot of money. It is something between $65,000 to $250,000 depending on the distance, medical staff, equipment, and location. 

If you suffer a severe injury in a car accident, your regular medical insurance plan will cover the costs. However, if you have an accident on the mountain where you need an air ambulance, such as a helicopter, your health insurance won’t pay for it.

In that case, you will have to pay the expenses out of your pocket. That’s why it is crucial to apply for a medical evacuation insurance plan to avoid high transportation costs during an emergency. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.