Evacuation insurance

[wyobean]

Has anyone found a good insurance that will actually evacuate you back to the US when you are on an extended cruise or trip? The ones I am finding will take you to the nearest facility. One said the “may” evacuate to nearest facility or the US. Others are for a limited amount of time...ie..90 days. I am just curious what some are using since I haven’t found anything that fits for us. 

[RuthC]

Check out MedJet Assist.
If you are a member of AARP, you can get a small discount by purchasing through them.

[BJzink]

1 hour ago, wyobean said:

Has anyone found a good insurance that will actually evacuate you back to the US when you are on an extended cruise or trip? The ones I am finding will take you to the nearest facility. One said the “may” evacuate to nearest facility or the US. Others are for a limited amount of time...ie..90 days. I am just curious what some are using since I haven’t found anything that fits for us. 

I have subscribed to "Skymed", based in Scottsdale AZ  The world-wide subscription will get you from the ship (or port) and get you to whatever destination you request.  It is not medical insurance, just the service & cost for the transportation.  As a solo traveler, it gives me a lot of mental peace.

[POA1]

1 hour ago, wyobean said:

Has anyone found a good insurance that will actually evacuate you back to the US when you are on an extended cruise or trip?

 

It's very much location-dependant. You can get evac from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America off the shelf. If you are roaming further, you may need a broker to help and possibly a health exam. 

[wyobean]

Thank you for the responses. We live in Mexico 4-5 months a year and travel around in our RV 4-6 weeks. We usually cruise once a year. The older we get the more important this is becoming. It appears that SkyMed may be the best option for us, but I am still reviewing MedJet Assist.

[Sherry H]

RV's?  Check out Good Sam Evacuation Insurance!  Covers in where in the world and "no", you do not have to be RVing.

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

17 hours ago, RuthC said:

Check out MedJet Assist.
If you are a member of AARP, you can get a small discount by purchasing through them.

We use them as well. 

[wyobean]

7 hours ago, Sherry H said:

RV's?  Check out Good Sam Evacuation Insurance!  Covers in where in the world and "no", you do not have to be RVing.

 

This is what they provide....not really what we are looking for. We want to be able to be flown home. Cancún has several hospitals that can take care of many things, but we would want to be at home.  Still thinking SkyMed is for us....

 

GOOD SAM....

 

 

 

 

[aa7yy]

We just did a 1 year policy with these folks. Allianz   First time we have signed up for Trip Insurance. RV, Ocean condo's, two cruises three train rides and five Airbnb. Seems like a good ideal.

Edited December 13, 2018 by aa7yy

[RMLincoln]

We have subscribed to the Good Sam program referenced above for many years.  The Good Sam program not only covers the MedEvac flight to a hospital for your emergency stabilization, they will get you and yours home when the patient has been stabilized enough to make it home. 

 

As an EMT I can tell you that if you are getting flown MedEvac for serious or critical medical needs, the evacuating company will consult with the medical advisers about your condition and you will be flown to the closest appropriate facility that can care for you.  The evacuating company will not take the liability of passing up a facility of reasonably appropriate care to take you further away to a facility of your choice.  If your condition were to degrade on the way to the further facility of your choice after having passed reasonable appropriate care, they would be liable.   Realize that you're only getting flown because your condition is unstable and serious to critical.  

 

I live (and work with a fire department) about 75 - 90 minutes drive-time from the Albuquerque area hospitals; we request helicopters to fly a patient to Albuquerque's Level 1 Trauma Center or Heart Hospital on a critical emergency basis about 6-10 times a year.  The cost is roughly $25,000 - $30,000.   I have memberships with two local helicopter services because we, the EMTs, cannot request a specific helicopter company, we take whichever is available for shortest arrival time, and they and the medical team will determine which facility the patient gets flown to because MedEvac flights are all on an emergency basis.  

 

There are inter-facility flights of interim-stabilized patients needed specialized procedures - these flights are from one hospital to another for care that is beyond the capability of first hospital.  These should be covered also, but the facilities are selected by capability, not patient's choice although you will be advised of possible options and your input may be factored into the decision.  

 

I have not read all the fine print of all the possible insurance options, but in general, emergency medicine is designed  to take you to closest capable facility, and when patient conditions go "south" lawyers and courts sort out the liability.  Companies that lose liability law suits go out of business.  They may be selling insurance to you, but they are looking after themselves.  m--

[janmcn]

Watch the language of "insurance." We use MedJet too on an annual basis because it will take you to a hospital of your choice if you are required to be hospitalized.  Remember a "hospital" in some countries just has to be staffed by 1 physician. (AARP has a good discount on MedJet) (It also covers us whenever we are more than 150 miles from home.)

[wyobean]

Thanks again for the great info. This is why I am looking more at SkyMed. We are on an island and would be taken to a Cancun hospital by ferry and ambulance. Our concern would be to get home from there. Most plans from what I am reading would not take you home from there if they were able to take care of you. That was the case with sone friends. They had DAN. They helped line everything up but did not pay since he was already in the closest hospital. I will definitely talk to a representative before making any decisions. Each person’s situation is different and wading through the information is daunting.