Imagine you’re hiking through the stunning mountains of Peru when you find yourself in urgent need of medical care. Medical evacuation insurance can help ensure you get the medical attention you need as soon as possible. And, if your illness or injury means you have to return home, the coverage can cover some or all of the costs of transporting you back to the U.S.
Here’s what to know about medical evacuation insurance and how it relates to buying travel insurance.
Medical evacuation insurance is a type of travel insurance coverage. It can pay for your medical care and emergency transportation if you suffer a health crisis while traveling outside the U.S. While medical evacuation coverage is usually part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy, you can also buy it separately.
The U.S. Department of State recommends buying medical evacuation coverage, especially if you’re traveling in a country with limited medical facilities.1
If you get sick or injured while on vacation, your travel policy’s medical evacuation coverage could come into play. As part of your emergency medical care, you may need transportation to one or more medical centers. Or you may even need to end your trip early and go home for care.
Medical evacuation insurance can reimburse you for the costs of your medical-related transportation. Depending on your policy and insurance company, your coverage may provide services like 24/7 multilingual phone support or medical coordination.
Medical evacuation coverage will pay for your transportation during a medical emergency when you travel outside the U.S. Typically, this coverage has a set limit amount, which can be as little as $50,000 or as high as $500,000-plus, depending on the policy you buy.
Your medical evacuation insurance will commonly reimburse you for costs associated with:2
Transportation by ground or air to the nearest medical facility that meets your needs
A healthcare worker to travel with you, if your doctor deems one necessary
Flight costs for you and your travel companions, including children, to return home
Transporting a relative or friend to you if you’re alone while receiving treatment in a foreign country
Returning your remains to your home if the worst happens
Usually, you’ll buy medical evacuation insurance as part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan. But if you choose to purchase only medical evacuation coverage, it’s important to know what it won’t pay for:
The cost of your emergency medical treatment
A health crisis caused by a pre-existing condition, unless your policy specifies that it covers pre-existing conditions
Injuries sustained while taking part in adventure sports, unless your policy specifically covers adventure activities
A health crisis due to alcohol or drug abuse
Medical tourism
Normal pregnancy and childbirth
You should buy enough medical evacuation insurance to cover the potential costs of getting you home or to an appropriate medical facility if you have a health crisis while traveling.
Domestic medevac transportation ranges from $25,000 to $250,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.3 Medevac back to the U.S. from an overseas location could cost more. And if your condition requires complex care while traveling, you might see higher costs.
Most insurers offer multiple coverage limits for medical evacuation. For example, GeoBlue offers travel medical insurance plans with medevac coverage of up to $500,000, while Allianz travel insurance policies offer medevac options as low as $50,000 and as high as $1 million.
A comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes travel medical coverage, coverage for emergency evacuation, and trip and baggage benefits usually costs between 4% and 10% of the total trip cost. But if you want to buy only medical coverages, you may be able to find a cheaper policy.
Medical evacuation insurance is only part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan. It’s a good idea to buy a policy that provides the maximum benefits for your money. In addition to medevac coverage, a comprehensive travel policy typically includes:
Most U.S. health insurance policies, including Medicare, won’t pay for medical treatment outside the country. Travel medical expense insurance can pay for some or all of your emergency medical treatment if you need care for an illness or injury while traveling outside the U.S. Coverage limits can vary widely but are usually a set amount. Your policy will reimburse all your medical care costs up to your policy’s limit.
If you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason like illness, trip cancellation insurance typically reimburses 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs. If something causes an interruption or delay in your travel, trip interruption and trip delay coverages kick in. Trip interruption typically reimburses 100% of your non-refundable costs, while delay coverage pays a flat amount.
If your luggage gets lost or stolen while you travel, the baggage benefits portion of your travel insurance policy can reimburse you for missing possessions. Your belongings typically have to be missing or delayed for a set period of time before your policy pays. The payout is usually a set amount per day, up to your policy’s limit.
Many insurers also offer optional coverages that you can add to your standard travel insurance policy. Depending on the insurance company, you may be able to buy:
Cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) coverage
Rental vehicle damage coverage
Vacation rental damage coverage
Pet medical and pet return coverage
Adventure activities coverage
Coverage for pre-existing medical conditions
You have many options for buying travel insurance, from companies that specialize in travel medical insurance to nationally recognized insurers. Fortunately, it’s easy to purchase a travel insurance policy online.
Here are the steps to follow:
Every traveler hopes for a smooth and enjoyable trip. But when a medical emergency arises while you’re outside the country, travel medical insurance — including medical evacuation coverage — can ensure you get the help you need quickly.
Medical evacuation insurance will pay for costs associated with transporting you during a covered medical emergency. But it won’t pay for the cost of your emergency medical treatments. You’ll need travel medical insurance for that.
This will vary depending on the insurer. But most provide an emergency phone number that you can call if a covered health issue arises while you’re traveling.
A medevac flight in the U.S. can cost $250,000 or more, according to the CDC. Your costs could be even higher if you need transportation in a foreign country or your medical needs are complex.
The amount of medical evacuation coverage you need depends on your individual situation. But given the high cost of medical care and transportation all around the world, $250,000 might not be enough if you’re traveling far outside the country or have particular health concerns.
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