Medical evacuation

[Mary in Maine]

We buy travel insurance for the extreme case of medical evacuation. How much do you think it would cost to be evcuated from a ship in the Carribbean back to Florida? Do you think $50,000 is enough? Does anyone have any actual experience with this kind of situation?

[sk8teacher]

Can't tell you what the cost would be, but we always carry "Medjet Assist". It's under $400 per year and they will get you back home from anywhere in the world as long as you are at least 150 miles from your home. Haven't had to use it but reading about folks that have it's fabulous coverage. You can visit their website HERE. You used to be able to get an AARP discount so you might look into that as well.

 

Cheers,

[greatam]

Can't tell you what the cost would be, but we always carry "Medjet Assist". It's under $400 per year and they will get you back home from anywhere in the world as long as you are at least 150 miles from your home. Haven't had to use it but reading about folks that have it's fabulous coverage. You can visit their website HERE. You used to be able to get an AARP discount so you might look into that as well.

 

Cheers,

 

Please be advised that MedJet Assist WILL NOT evacuate off a ship. You MUST be in a facility/hospital, THEN they will get you back home to another hospital/facility. Great coverage for the money BUT there are a couple of limitations.

[Calgon1]

I would recommend $100K. Simply because the cost of the air ambulance (normally) starts at around $25K and can go up from there, depending on where they have to pick you up and where they are taking you. Worst case, you're looking at 3 air ambulances. Helicopter from the ship to shore, fixed wing from shore to home airport, and another helicopter from home airport to hospital.

[sirwired]

Thought I would note here that ship->shore evac is extremely rare. It's dangerous for both you and the crew, and there are few conditions in helicopter range in which it would not be better to just wait for the next port of call.

 

If in U.S. waters, the Coast Guard provides this service free of charge, however small Caribbean nations usually do not have such a capability, and the med evac services don't either.

 

SirWired

[diane.in.ny]

I know for a fact, about 10 years ago, St Kitts to MIA was $10K. Hope that gives you a basis to work from

[erdoran]

Check out DAN (divers alert network) for dirt cheap LEGIT medical evacuation insurance. If you belong to DAN it's included in your membership. It cost DH and me I think $55 or so for a YEAR of coverage. And no, you don't have to be a scuba diver to join! I actually do dive, but we joined just for that insurance alone!

[grandmato4]

$50,000 is our comfort level for medical evacuation if traveling in the Caribbean. Those few that have been reported here on cc in the past few years have been below $25,000 (not saying I couldn't have missed a higher cost one but don't recall any) but every situation is going to be different so we wouldn't feel comfortable going with a lessor amount.

 

It may be true that there are few medical evacuations off cruiseships but they do happen (and are very interesting if you ever have the chance to witness as we have) and since our health insurance does not cover these events out of the US it is one reason we purchase travel insurance.

[ScootyB]

As of 12/30/09, it was $32,000 for Jet ICU from Centro Medico in San Juan to return my father to California. It was a Christmas for the books!

[gordandmichele]

I work for an insurance company that covers a lot of expatriates around the world. I took a quick look at our claims over the last 5 years, and all but 2 were less than 50,000 in total. Those 2 were less than 75,000. One was from Singapore to Vancouver and the other was from Sudan to Toronto.

 

We have never evacuated someone from a cruise ship. As stated in other posts, it's not likely to happen due to distance from shore, sea conditions, etc. as well as the fact that most ship's medical facilities can keep you alive until the next port.

 

The distance that you need to be evacuated is not biggest factor in the cost, although it does play a large part. It's what condition you are in and what equipment and personnel need to be with you.

 

If you just have a broken leg, you can likely travel by yourself on a commercial flight. Other circumstances require an air ambulance, specialized equipment, nurses, doctors, specialists, etc. That's where the cost adds up.

 

Our highest cost on record was 275,000. This involved an air ambulance from Canada to Brazil, specialized equipment, 3 nurses and 3 doctors. Two of the doctors were heart and brain specialists.

 

I would be comfortable with 50,000 in coverage, but I'd likely look around for something with higher limits. The policy I have covers me for an unlimited number of trips per year and includes Medical, Cancellation, Interruption, etc. Basically everything. The evacuation is covered under the medical limit of $5,000,000. The cost? Less than $250 per year. The hitch? Only available in Canada.

[grandmato4]

I work for an insurance company that covers a lot of expatriates around the world. I took a quick look at our claims over the last 5 years, and all but 2 were less than 50,000 in total. Those 2 were less than 75,000. One was from Singapore to Vancouver and the other was from Sudan to Toronto.

 

We have never evacuated someone from a cruise ship. As stated in other posts, it's not likely to happen due to distance from shore, sea conditions, etc. as well as the fact that most ship's medical facilities can keep you alive until the next port.

 

The distance that you need to be evacuated is not biggest factor in the cost, although it does play a large part. It's what condition you are in and what equipment and personnel need to be with you.

 

If you just have a broken leg, you can likely travel by yourself on a commercial flight. Other circumstances require an air ambulance, specialized equipment, nurses, doctors, specialists, etc. That's where the cost adds up.

 

Our highest cost on record was 275,000. This involved an air ambulance from Canada to Brazil, specialized equipment, 3 nurses and 3 doctors. Two of the doctors were heart and brain specialists.

 

I would be comfortable with 50,000 in coverage, but I'd likely look around for something with higher limits. The policy I have covers me for an unlimited number of trips per year and includes Medical, Cancellation, Interruption, etc. Basically everything. The evacuation is covered under the medical limit of $5,000,000. The cost? Less than $250 per year. The hitch? Only available in Canada.

 

Valuable information, thanks for sharing.:)

[erdoran]

gordandmichele, what do you think of DAN's medivac coverage that they include with membership? Am I missing out on anything if I depend on that only for coverage? http://diversalertnetwork.org

[gordandmichele]

gordandmichele, what do you think of DAN's medivac coverage that they include with membership? Am I missing out on anything if I depend on that only for coverage? http://diversalertnetwork.org

 

The answer is maybe. If what you are looking for is coverage that will pay to get you transported to someplace that can treat you properly, then this coverage looks great.

 

Most of the wording looks pretty standard (must be medically necessary, as determined by DAN TravelAssist in consultation with local attending physician, etc.). However, there are 2 clauses that concern me:

 

"Emergency Evacuation means that...........transportation.........TO THE NEAREST APPROPRIATE MEDICAL FACILITY where appropriate medical treatment can be obtained." This means that they will take you the closest (read: least expensive for them) facility that can treat you properly. So, if you are diving in Cozumel and get the bends and the nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Cancun, they will take you to Cancun. Once they get you there, their job is done and it's up to you to get home after you are better.

 

"DAN TravelAssist will not pay transportation to transport the member or covered family member to their place of permanent residence if there are closer medical facilities which are capable of attending to the member's condition." So, if you live in Oregon but the closest hospital is in Miami, you're going to Miami. And you're getting back to Oregon on your own.

 

And, of course, once they have evac'd you safely and you have been transported to an appropriate medical facility, from that point on you are responsible for all of your own medical costs.

 

So, if you want coverage to save your life, it looks fine. If you want coverage that will save you from bankruptcy in the case of a medical emergency, you'd better have a whack of additional medical coverage and the means to cover your own way home. Or look for different coverage.

 

The best policies for evacuation are ones that have the same insurer also covering all medical expenses. Then it is often in their best interest to get you back home as soon as possible where you may have your own insurance in your home state or province.

 

Hope this helps.

[patseacruiser]

So it includes medivac but not medical expenses at the hospital. It says will advance up to $5k but that's an advance

[gordandmichele]

So it includes medivac but not medical expenses at the hospital. It says will advance up to $5k but that's an advance

 

Correct. Basically, they will cover all the medical expenses associated with the medical emergency until you have been safely transported to an appropriate medical facility. Then you are on your own. If you have separate medical coverage under another policy, then this coverage seems fine. However, if you have separate medical coverage it likely includes evacuation (they pretty much all do), then this coverage is likely unnecessary.

[erdoran]

Correct. Basically, they will cover all the medical expenses associated with the medical emergency until you have been safely transported to an appropriate medical facility. Then you are on your own. If you have separate medical coverage under another policy, then this coverage seems fine. However, if you have separate medical coverage it likely includes evacuation (they pretty much all do), then this coverage is likely unnecessary.

I have regular health insurance which I assume will pay any medical bills, I'm just not sure about them covering evacuation. I think even abroad they will cover my medical bills--at worst I have to pay (or take the $5k advance) and then my health insurance will reimburse me. Sounds like most people with decent health insurance would be ok with this policy then, if their big worry is ruinous medivac costs.

[gordandmichele]

May 09, 2010, 8:12AM

 

ATLANTIC CITY -- A Coast Guard rescue helicopter on Saturday transported a 42-year-old man with apendicitis from a cruise ship 20 miles east of Atlantic City.

The Coast Guard received a call at 10:21 p.m. Saturday from a crewmember aboard the Norwegian Jewel, reporting the passenger had acute appendicitis, it said this morning.

A helicopter arrived on scene and hoisted the man aboard, the Coast Guard said. He was eventually taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for treatment.

 

So, I guess it does happen from time to time.

[patseacruiser]

erdoran - If you are saying that your regular medical insurance will cover you I am not sure that is the case if you are outside of the US. I would check that.

[cherylandtk]

It certainly happens, but note that the ship was only 20 miles from the US mainland. All the factors must align before a helivac will be considered. Physical location, weather, availability of evac helo and the patient condition. While this tends to be rare in occurance, that does make two this past week alone; there was another evac from the Emerald Princess, but I do not yet have details of when, where and why.