Evacuation costs

[willing292]

I'm doing a little digging into this, and I am now confused about coverage.

 

Examples:

 

• AAA(CAA in Canada) emergency travel insurance only covers $5,000 for emergency evacuation.. hardly adequate
  
• AirMed (a suggestion from an earlier post) only uses fixed wing aircraft, and does not reimburse you if you use another service - it's not an insurance policy, but it's a plan to cover usage of their own aircraft. Helicopters are not fixed wing.
  

 

Why does insurance have to be so cryptic and confusing...

 

I have insurance through gov't and private sources, but I want a little extra for emergency evacuation.

 

I'm Canadian also. I have excellent out of country benefits thru my employer, but I purchased supplemental insurance thru Johnson and I believe I am covered for up to $5 million for medical and evacuation costs. I pay by the month.

:)

[lakelorain]

I'm doing a little digging into this, and I am now confused about coverage.

 

Examples:

 

• AAA(CAA in Canada) emergency travel insurance only covers $5,000 for emergency evacuation.. hardly adequate
  
• AirMed (a suggestion from an earlier post) only uses fixed wing aircraft, and does not reimburse you if you use another service - it's not an insurance policy, but it's a plan to cover usage of their own aircraft. Helicopters are not fixed wing.
  

 

Why does insurance have to be so cryptic and confusing...

 

I have insurance through gov't and private sources, but I want a little extra for emergency evacuation.

 

My annual travel insurance through AAA covers $100,000 medical evacuation. When I purchased it(in October) there were 3 levels of coverage you could choose from. I took the mid-level coverage as we have some coverage through our health insurance company.

[macruisefan]

Just was going thru the medjet annual membership I found this statement

 

Due to the limited medical facilities and testing available on cruise ships, the Member must be admitted to a hospital on shore before scheduling medical transport to another hospital.

 

So I thinking medjet might not be a good fit for a cruise

 

I think you're going to find that is pretty standard with any evac policy. A cruise-specific evac policy would likely be extremely expensive, as the uncertainty of the situation, coupled with the difficulty in an air removal from a ship would really drive up cost and utilization.

[FlightMedic555]

I am in the "business" and I don't know of any company that will provide evacuation unless you are in a hospital. Once you are in a hospital the medical team can evaluate your condition and determine if evacuation is warranted as well as they type of evacuation. If you need 1 or 2 days of hospitalization and the clinical providers feel you are getting the appropriate care they are not going to evacuate you.

 

If you, as an example, break your leg and sit as long as your leg is elevated you will probably be placed on a commercial airline in first class with your leg elevated. Commerical airlines can be used for stretcher bound patients as well, including sending a nurse or physician along, by purchasing a group of seats which the insurance company can arrange. Again, this is for the patient who needs to be less mobile but does not need any sophisticated devices such as cardiac monitors.

 

Unfortunately there are also conditions in which transferring the patient is too dangerous and the best course of action is to remain in the more distant hospital until the patient stabilizes.

[irisheileen]

My niece was paralyzed while vacationing in Hawaii. After about a month in ICU there, she was medivaced to PA and it cost about sixty thousand dollars. We always buy evac insurance.

[Mom.to.2]

[*]AirMed (a suggestion from an earlier post) only uses fixed wing aircraft, and does not reimburse you if you use another service - it's not an insurance policy, but it's a plan to cover usage of their own aircraft. Helicopters are not fixed wing.

 

Can anyone add to this? Does AirMed only cover evacuation in situations where the person is healthy enough & located where fixed wing aircraft are feasible? What if someone is extremely ill and requires cardiac monitoring, respirator, etc.? What if you're stranded somewhere without a formal airport?

[Toddcan]

Can anyone add to this? Does AirMed only cover evacuation in situations where the person is healthy enough & located where fixed wing aircraft are feasible? What if someone is extremely ill and requires cardiac monitoring, respirator, etc.? What if you're stranded somewhere without a formal airport?

 

Those are my exact concerns too. Write down your specific questions, and give an insurance provider a call to ask them the questions. I just want the converage to include hauling my broken butt out of a remote part of some island that only a helicopter can get to. If I get that coverage, everything else should be covered too :)

[Iamthesea]

Great thread, but I am more confused than ever. :eek:

 

One provider sounds promising after a recommendation (although no validated cases to report.) Someone buys this policy based on recommendation, and then someone else reports that all is not great about said policy. :rolleyes: :confused:

 

My annual travel insurance through AAA covers $100,000 medical evacuation. When I purchased it(in October) there were 3 levels of coverage you could choose from. I took the mid-level coverage as we have some coverage through our health insurance company.

 

lake - Could you provide a link to you policy? We have AAA car service, but didn't know about trip insurance. Would like to know more about this policy, and what it includes, as we have two cruises and another trip booked for 2014. An annual policy may be the way for us to go.

[JasonTehGreat]

Can anyone add to this? Does AirMed only cover evacuation in situations where the person is healthy enough & located where fixed wing aircraft are feasible? What if someone is extremely ill and requires cardiac monitoring, respirator, etc.? What if you're stranded somewhere without a formal airport?

 

 

AirMed owns a fleet of Air Ambulances.

 

If you are looking for a company that will send a helicopter to pluck you from a cruise ship then you are going to look for a long while.

 

AirMed will arrange all transportation needed to get you from one hospital (like a foreign hospital) to the hospital of your choice. If you need a ground ambulance or whatever they arrange it.

[derf5585]

I wonder how much the people aboard the ship stuck in the Antarctica have to pay for evacuation?

[Toddcan]

AirMed owns a fleet of Air Ambulances.

 

If you are looking for a company that will send a helicopter to pluck you from a cruise ship then you are going to look for a long while.

 

AirMed will arrange all transportation needed to get you from one hospital (like a foreign hospital) to the hospital of your choice. If you need a ground ambulance or whatever they arrange it.

 

Insurance is for covering the "What Ifs" in life. So, if I'm on some excursion, climbing through the rain forest in St. Kitts, and I slip, and break both legs, and the only way to safely get me to a hospital is by helicopter? Yes, I want a policy that will cover that. AirMed doesn't cover that, correct?

[JasonTehGreat]

Here is a post from the AirMed Q&A Page:

 

Q: You can’t have aircraft everywhere. What if I am in a location far from an AirMed jet?

 

When it makes sense, we coordinate with the best international rescue teams in other countries to get a member stabilized and out of a bad situation, while an official AirMed aircraft, doctor and trauma nurse are en route to the location.

 

For example, AirMed worked with the Chilean Air Force to rescue an Alabama veterinarian in Antarctica, which was the subject of a National Geographic special. (The vet was treating sled dogs and became ill.) We pride ourselves on superior global logistics, and we do whatever it takes to get a member home as quickly as possible.

 

We have bases in multiple cities so it’s safe to say we’ll be there within a few hours. The last thing we want to do is prolong your misery.

 

http://airmed.com/FAQs.aspx#FAQLink8

 

If they can get a person who needs medical care airlifted from Antarctica and back home to Alabama, they can get one of us out of an island cruise stop.

[JasonTehGreat]

Insurance is for covering the "What Ifs" in life. So, if I'm on some excursion, climbing through the rain forest in St. Kitts, and I slip, and break both legs, and the only way to safely get me to a hospital is by helicopter? Yes, I want a policy that will cover that. AirMed doesn't cover that, correct?

 

 

That is TRAVEL insurance, not Evacuation insurance.

 

The OP asked about Evacuation insurance. AirMed is Evacuation Insurance. They evacuate a sick/injured person from a foreign hospital (or a US hospital 150+ miles from the persons home) to the hospital of their choice.

[Toddcan]

That is TRAVEL insurance, not Evacuation insurance.

 

The OP asked about Evacuation insurance. AirMed is Evacuation Insurance. They evacuate a sick/injured person from a foreign hospital (or a US hospital 150+ miles from the persons home) to the hospital of their choice.

 

 

Thanks for the clarification on terminology.

[north29]

And that is the way insurance companies want it. LOL

This thread has made me look again at what I have and what I may need or better off with, we travel at least 60 days a year. On short cruises/trips I do not use trip insurance, but on longer ones(expensive) always buy trip insurance.

I have a program called "Emergency Assistance Plus" I found this evacuation insurance, if call that, through the Elks club, and The American Legion in their magazines and is available on line.

he price per year is less than $150 ( it is not travel/trip insurance). I now have the time so I will check out the benefits of the one I have other options such as AAA travel insurance(yearly) program.

Edited January 2, 2014 by north29

[suzyluvs2cruise]

My annual travel insurance through AAA covers $100,000 medical evacuation. When I purchased it(in October) there were 3 levels of coverage you could choose from. I took the mid-level coverage as we have some coverage through our health insurance company.

 

I'm in California and can't find anything about an annual policy on the AAA site. Do you have a link you could share?

Edited January 2, 2014 by suzyluvs2cruise

[pcur]

And that is the way insurance companies want it. LOL

This thread has made me look again at what I have and what I may need or better off with, we travel at least 60 days a year. On short cruises/trips I do not use trip insurance, but on longer ones(expensive) always buy trip insurance.

I have a program called "Emergency Assistance Plus" I found this evacuation insurance, if call that, through the Elks club, and The American Legion in their magazines and is available on line.

he price per year is less than $150 ( it is not travel/trip insurance). I now have the time so I will check out the benefits of the one I have other options such as AAA travel insurance(yearly) program.

 

 

I went to the Emergency Assistance Plus web site. The primary difference between this and AirMed is who makes the decision that you are to be transported, and that EA+ is cheaper. AirMed (as JasonTheGreat explained) gives you the choice to be transported to another hospital or one closer to your home. EAP+ is based on the hospital where you are being treated is not capable of treating your condition: "EA+'s medical director will make the determination after reviewing medical records and possible consultation with the treating physician."

 

I prefer to pay more and have the decision in our hands, rather than stay in a foreign (or domestic) hospital until someone determines it's OK to be released. This is especially true for us with Kaiser. We would rather be treated near our home at a Kaiser facility if possible.

[Iamthesea]

AirMed owns a fleet of Air Ambulances.

 

If you are looking for a company that will send a helicopter to pluck you from a cruise ship then you are going to look for a long while.

 

AirMed will arrange all transportation needed to get you from one hospital (like a foreign hospital) to the hospital of your choice. If you need a ground ambulance or whatever they arrange it.

 

 

OK, so who is responsible for getting you off of the ship if you need to be airlifted to a hospital prior to be taken to your local hospital? If AirMed arranges that, they don't pay according to another poster.

[JasonTehGreat]

OK, so who is responsible for getting you off of the ship if you need to be airlifted to a hospital prior to be taken to your local hospital? If AirMed arranges that, they don't pay according to another poster.

 

 

The Coast Guard or other Rescue Agency.

 

For example: If you are cruising in Europe and are in English waters and have a medical emergency either the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force or their Coast Guard will send a helicopter to evacuate you from the ship to a hospital. After you are at the hospital and you are stabilized, AirMed will arrange for an air ambulance to come and arrange your transfer to the airport near the hospital you are in, then onto their air ambulance then to the airport near the hospital where you want to go and from the airport to the receiving hospital.

 

 

Another example:

 

You live in Arkansas and have a heart attack and end up in the hospital. You decide that you want your heart procedure performed at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. AirMed will transport you from the hospital you are in to the airport to their air ambulance to Houston to the hospital.

[maggieq]

Interesting. We buy insurance for each trip. Had not thought of an annual plan.

 

I was thinking the very same.....

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I am not looking for trip cancellation insurance (at this point we're self insured)How ?????

[emeraldcity]

This is really interesting thread. Medical evacuation is one of the two reasons I get trip insurance. Looks like I have to do a little more digging into what makes the most sense for me the next time I make that purchase.

Edited January 2, 2014 by emeraldcity

[fletch1027]

We're looking at several trips this year, so instead of getting insurance for each trip I'm looking at an annual travel insurance policy.

 

Coverage and costs for a policy is all over the map. One policy offers $10,000 for medical evacuation, another offers $1 million for the same. I would assume that $10,000 would not be nearly enough especially if you needed medical transportation to home. But is a million overkill?

 

If I were to be evacuated from a ship, does anyone have any idea just what it would cost?

 

I am not looking for trip cancellation insurance (at this point we're self insured) just medical/evacuation. If anyone has any guidelines, thoughts, they'd be appreciated.

 

Let's not debate the merits of insurance here - I'm just looking to make an informed purchase.

 

Thanks :o

 

We have USAA and they offer trip insurance through a company called Travel Insured International. Their most basic plan would be around $70 for the three of us and the evac part of that plan covers $10,000 max for treatment and up to $100,000 for evac to "nearest treatment suitable to US standards or back to the US". The policy also covers trip cancelation / delay / etc, but my main concern is the high $$ amount for any evacs!

 

I am considering insurance. Does that sound like a decent price or should I shop around some more?

[shippmates]

Trip insurance with a medical evac plan included is what will cover a helicopter evacuation from a cruise ship to a hospital. We had travel insurance when my husband was evacuated from the ship in Haiti to the hospital in Dominican Republic. This was paid for by the travel insurance and they also covered my flight from NJ to DR and then both our flights from DR to PA. I have no idea how much the evacuation costed as we never saw a bill but I do know we had $100,000 coverage. We always make sure we have a good amount for the medical evacuation because if you are not near the US, the Coast Guard will not evacuate you. You also need to remember that most foreign countries to not accept our personal medical insurance, so if you have travel insurance your hospital stay is guaranteed upto the maximum medical expense coverage you have. If you do not have travel insurance and you have a hospital bill it must be paid before you are discharged. If you have travel insurance and your bill is also more than your coverage that must also be paid before discharge.

[lakelorain]

Great thread, but I am more confused than ever. :eek:

 

One provider sounds promising after a recommendation (although no validated cases to report.) Someone buys this policy based on recommendation, and then someone else reports that all is not great about said policy. :rolleyes: :confused:

 

 

 

lake - Could you provide a link to you policy? We have AAA car service, but didn't know about trip insurance. Would like to know more about this policy, and what it includes, as we have two cruises and another trip booked for 2014. An annual policy may be the way for us to go.

 

Since insurance coverage varies from state to state etc. it would be best if you go to your AAA web page and click on the insurance link to see what coverage is available for you. Your AAA travel dept may be able to help but I liked the comparison charts on the website.