What is Medical Evacuation Insurance?
Medical evacuation insurance, or medevac insurance, covers the cost of transporting you to an appropriate medical facility if you experience a serious illness or injury in an area without adequate healthcare. This coverage is especially beneficial for travelers or expats in remote or low-resource locations, ensuring access to high-quality treatment when local options are lacking.
Comprehensive medevac plans can also include transport closer to home if you wish to continue treatment there. While some international travel and long-term health plans offer limited medevac coverage, those far from quality care may need a separate emergency medical evacuation plan.
Medical evacuation insurance, or medevac insurance, covers the cost of transporting you to an appropriate medical facility if you experience a serious illness or injury in an area without adequate healthcare. This coverage is especially beneficial for travelers or expats in remote or low-resource locations, ensuring access to high-quality treatment when local options are lacking.
Comprehensive medevac plans can also include transport closer to home if you wish to continue treatment there. While some international travel and long-term health plans offer limited medevac coverage, those far from quality care may need a separate emergency medical evacuation plan.
Medical Evacuation Insurance vs Travel Medical Insurance
Travel medical insurance offers a broader range of medical and travel-related protections. A standalone medical evacuation plan focuses on specialized transport and hospital choice benefits.
| Medical Evacuation Insurance | Travel Medical Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Treatment Coverage | ||
| Emergency Medical Evacuation | ||
| Trip-Related Benefits | ||
| Return of Remains | ||
| Focused Evacuation Benefits | ||
| Choice of Hospital |
Travelers needing comprehensive medical care coverage and additional trip benefits might prefer travel medical insurance, while those seeking flexible evacuation options and destination choice should consider a standalone evacuation plan.
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Why You Should Purchase Medical Evacuation Services
Purchasing medical evacuation travel insurance provides essential peace of mind for travelers who may find themselves in areas with limited healthcare.
Suppose you experience a severe illness or injury while abroad. In that case, medevac insurance ensures transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility—or even back home for continued treatment if necessary.
This coverage benefits those visiting remote or under-resourced locations where high-quality medical care is unavailable. It can also help avoid significant out-of-pocket costs for emergency transport, which can be extremely expensive without insurance.
Key Considerations for Medical Evacuation Coverage
- Access to Quality Care: Provides transport to a medical facility equipped to handle serious health issues, especially if local facilities lack the necessary resources.
- Coverage for Remote Locations: This is essential for travelers in remote or under-resourced areas where quality medical care may not be nearby.
- Financial Protection: Covers potentially high costs of emergency transportation, which can exceed $100,000 for international evacuations.
- Flexibility Beyond Travel Insurance: This plan complements existing travel or global health insurance, providing coverage even for non-medically necessary transport, depending on the plan.
- Preparedness for Emergencies: A proactive choice that can be life-saving in unexpected medical situations, ensuring swift access to appropriate treatment.
Do I Need International Medical Evacuation Insurance?
International medical evacuation insurance is invaluable for travelers, particularly in areas with limited healthcare. Many travel medical insurance plans offer emergency evacuation benefits, but these may come with coverage limits or specific conditions.
A standalone medical evacuation plan, such as those from Medjet, provides added flexibility, allowing transport to a facility of your choice, even near home, without requiring medical necessity. Even if your travel medical insurance includes evacuation, a standalone plan may enhance your coverage and peace of mind.
Start by checking if your provider offers this benefit and the coverage amount. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that evacuations from low-resource areas to high-quality hospitals can exceed $100,000, so aim for a plan that covers at least that much.
High-quality travel medical plans typically include evacuation but verify their limits and exclusions. Most travel insurance doesn’t cover non-medically necessary transport, so if you prefer to return home, consider a third-party evacuation plan, which can complement travel and global health insurance.
When Would I Need Coverage?
When you venture to incredible, off-the-beaten-path destinations, local medical care may not measure up to the standards you’re used to.
Hospitals and clinics in remote areas often lack the specialized doctors and advanced medical equipment available in larger cities. In these cases, medical evacuation insurance covers transporting you from an insufficient facility to one equipped to provide proper treatment.
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Requirements for J Visa Visitors
The U.S. Department of State mandates that J-1 visa holders and their J-2 dependents maintain health insurance throughout their stay in the United States. This insurance must include:
- Medical Benefits: At least $100,000 per accident or illness.
- Medical Evacuation: Coverage of $50,000 to transport you to your home country if necessary.
- Repatriation of Remains: Coverage of $25,000 in the event of death.
- Deductible: Not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.
These requirements ensure that exchange students and visitors on J-1 visas have adequate financial protection during unforeseen medical events.
Student Insurance for J Visa Holders
The StudentSecure insurance plan offers up to $300,000 in emergency medical evacuation benefits to ensure you receive appropriate care when needed. If you experience a covered injury or illness and adequate medical facilities are unavailable locally, the plan will arrange and cover your transportation cost to the nearest suitable medical facility.
StudentSecure Insurance
- Provides Medical, Dental, and Evacuation Benefits
- Keep your coverage when your studies last multiple years
- Medical providers are available in over 130 countries worldwide
What Does Medevac Insurance Cover?
Medical evacuation insurance typically covers the cost of emergency transportation to a suitable medical facility when a person experiences a severe illness or injury in a location without adequate healthcare resources.
Here’s what this coverage usually includes:
- Emergency Transportation: Arranges and covers the transport cost, often by ambulance, air ambulance, or other means, to the nearest facility that can provide appropriate treatment.
- Medical Repatriation: If needed, this covers transport to a hospital in your home country to continue treatment. It is especially valuable when local care options are insufficient.
- Non-Medical Necessity Transport (in some plans): Some plans, like those from Medjet, allow you to be transported to a facility of your choice, even if it isn’t strictly medically necessary, providing more flexibility.
- Travel Companions: Covers transportation costs for a companion to travel with you or meet you at the medical facility.
- Return of Minor Children: Arranges transport for any dependent children to return home if you are hospitalized and unable to care for them.
- Repatriation of Remains: In the event of death, this covers the costs of returning remains to the home country.
What's Not Covered by Medevac Insurance?
Medical evacuation insurance is focused on transport rather than treatment, so it generally does not cover hospital medical expenses.
For comprehensive protection, travelers often combine medical evacuation insurance with an international travel or global health insurance policy that covers medical treatment and additional needs.
Am I Already Covered by My Insurance?
If you hold a travel or long-term international insurance policy, it may already include medical evacuation, usually with limited emergency transport coverage. Typically, this benefit allows transportation to the nearest hospital that can treat your condition.
You can purchase a medical evacuation-specific policy for more comprehensive coverage. Note that these policies cover only transportation, not emergency medical care. With medevac-only coverage, you can arrange transport to a high-quality facility at no extra cost, but the plan won't cover the treatment you receive once there.
Travel Health Plans with Medical Evac Included
Many travel medical insurance plans include basic evacuation as part of their benefits. If you already have a travel medical policy, review it to see if it provides emergency medical evacuation and, if so, the extent of that coverage. Check specifics, such as maximum coverage amounts and whether additional benefits like repatriation of remains or family travel arrangements are included, to ensure it meets your needs.
Below is an overview of our travel medical plans that provide medevac benefits.
GeoBlue Voyager Travel Medical Plan:
- Emergency Medical Transportation: Covers up to $500,000 per trip period for all evacuations.
- Repatriation of Remains: Provides up to $25,000 to return mortal remains.
- Emergency Family Travel Arrangements: Offers up to $2,500 per trip period for the cost of one economy round-trip airfare ticket to the place of hospital confinement for one person.
Read more about the GeoBlue Voyager plan
IMG Patriot Platinum Travel Medical Insurance
- Emergency Medical Evacuation: Covers up to the policy's maximum limit, facilitating transport to suitable medical facilities during emergencies. The Platinum plan's maximum limit is $8,000,000.
- Evacuation Plus: This Platinum benefit covers up to $25,000 for medical evacuations for sudden, non-life-threatening conditions requiring hospitalization, arranging ground and air transport to the nearest suitable hospital.
- Repatriation of Remains: Provides coverage up to the maximum limit for the return of mortal remains or ashes to the country of residence or up to $5,000 for cremation or local burial at the place of death.
- Return of Minor Children: If you are hospitalized, the policy provides up to $100,000 for the return of minor children.
Read more about the IMG Patriot Platinum plan
WorldTrips Atlas Travel Insurance
- Emergency Medical Evacuation: Covers up to $1,000,000 for emergency medical evacuation to the nearest appropriate facility.
- Repatriation of Remains: Provides up to $50,000 to return mortal remains.
- Emergency Reunion: This plan offers up to $50,000 for the cost of an economy round-trip ticket and lodging for a relative to join the insured person during hospitalization.
Read more about the WorldTrip Atlas Travel plan
Medevac Benefits in Global Health Insurance Plans
Some long-term international health insurance policies include a medical evacuation benefit, but it’s less common than in travel insurance plans.
Since global medical plans are designed for those residing in a foreign country, they focus more on providing quality local care.
It is important to review your policy to understand the type and level of medical evacuation coverage included. Some plans cover evacuation up to $50,000, while others offer it only as an optional or premium benefit.
Cigna Global
The Cigna Global Medical Insurance Plan offers International Evacuation & Crisis Assistance Plus™, an optional add-on module that provides comprehensive support during medical emergencies and critical situations while traveling internationally.
Key Features of International Evacuation & Crisis Assistance Plus™
- Medical Evacuation: Covers emergency transportation to the nearest suitable medical facility when local care is inadequate.
- Medical Repatriation: Facilitates the return to your home country for continued medical treatment after stabilization.
- Compassionate Visits: Provides for travel expenses of a family member who visits you during hospitalization due to a serious medical condition.
- Crisis Assistance Plus™: Offers time-sensitive advice and coordinated in-country crisis response services for travel or security risks, including terrorism, pandemics, and natural disasters.
GeoBlue Xplorer
The GeoBlue Xplorer plan offers comprehensive emergency medical evacuation benefits, providing up to $250,000 in coverage for transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility when local care is inadequate. Additionally, the plan includes repatriation of mortal remains, offering up to $25,000 to return remains to your home country in the event of death.
Standalone Emergency Medical Evacuation Plans – Medjet
For a more comprehensive medical evacuation option beyond your travel medical or long-term international health plan, consider a Medjet membership. With Medjet, you can be transported home to your preferred hospital without prior approval in a medical emergency.
Medjet offers membership plans to residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It offers two primary membership plans – MedjetAssist and MedjetHorizon – each designed to provide comprehensive medical transport and travel security services.
MedjetAssist
This plan focuses on medical transport services, ensuring travelers receive appropriate care.
Key benefits include:
- Hospital-to-Hospital Medical Transfer: If hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, Medjet will arrange air medical transport to a hospital of your choice within your home country, regardless of medical necessity.
- No Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions: Members under age 75 are eligible without health questions or exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
- No Cost Caps or Claim Forms: The program does not impose monetary limits on transport costs and does not require claim forms.
- Additional Services: Includes travel medical emergency referrals, monitoring, telephone interpretation, message relay, and transfer of mortal remains.
MedjetHorizon
Building upon MedjetAssist, MedjetHorizon adds extensive travel security and crisis response.
Key benefits include all MedjetAssist benefits and:
- Travel Security and Crisis Response: Medjet offers 24/7 response and evacuation services for political threats, terrorism, natural disasters, pandemics, and violent crimes.
- Crisis Response for Specific Threats: Provides assistance for incidents such as kidnapping for ransom, disappearance, wrongful detention, blackmail, and extortion.
- Additional Support Services include trip intelligence, e-alerts, legal referrals, emergency medical cash advances, and ground ambulance transfers under 150 miles.
Medjet Global Medical Transport
- Hospital to Hospital Medical Transfer regardless of Medical Necessity
- All-Expenses-Paid Air Medical Transport in the U.S. as well as Internationally
- Covers both business and personal travel
How Much Does Medjet Medical Evacuation Cost?
Medjet offers a variety of membership plans tailored to different travel needs. Pricing is based on factors such as membership type, duration, and coverage level.
How Much Medical Evacuation Insurance Do I Need?
Selecting the appropriate Medjet membership involves evaluating your travel habits and desired level of coverage. MedjetAssist and MedjetHorizon plans are available for short-term membership and annual membership.
- Short-Term Memberships: Ideal for infrequent travelers embarking on single trips lasting 8 to 30 days.
- Annual Memberships: Perfect for frequent travelers, providing coverage for multiple trips throughout the year, with each trip lasting up to 90 consecutive days abroad.
How to Use Your Medjet Medevac Insurance
If you're a Medjet member and require medical evacuation, follow these steps to utilize your membership benefits:
- Immediate Contact: As soon as you're hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, contact Medjet's 24/7 assistance line at
- 1-800-527-7478 (U.S. and Canada) or
- +1-205-595-6626 (international).
- Provide Necessary Information: Be prepared to share your membership details, current location, hospital information, and the nature of your medical condition.
- Medical Assessment: Medjet's medical team will consult with your attending physicians to evaluate your condition and determine the safest transport method.
- Arrange Transport: Once approved, Medjet coordinates all aspects of your transfer to the hospital of your choice within your home country, handling logistics and expenses.
- During Transport: A medical team accompanies you to ensure continuous care until you reach the designated facility.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Medjet
Medjet is a top choice for medical evacuation services, offering unique benefits that appeal to travelers looking for flexibility and control in emergencies.
The company's primary membership options—MedjetAssist and MedjetHorizon—provide hospital-to-hospital medical transport within your home country, allowing you to choose your preferred hospital regardless of medical necessity. This especially benefits travelers who want to recover near family or a trusted facility.
This type of coverage is ideal for those who prioritize flexible, high-quality care and want the peace of mind of knowing they can be transported to a hospital.
Yes, some Medjet-authorized affiliate aircraft can transport up to two critical patients simultaneously and can deploy multiple aircraft if needed. Additionally, through our affiliate network, we can accommodate several non-acute patients on a single aircraft for transport.
No, Medjet does not own, lease, or operate any aircraft. Instead, it functions as an authorized Indirect Air Carrier (IAC), utilizing the services of licensed Part 135 air carriers to meet your air ambulance transportation needs.
Medjet coordinates and contracts for air transportation services in its own name, ensuring that all flights are operated by licensed direct air carriers.
Medjet ensures high standards for the aircraft and crews utilized in their medical transport services:
- Aircraft Specifications: All authorized medical aircraft are required to be twin-engine models.
- Pilot Qualifications: Each flight must have at least two pilots who are specially trained and certified for the specific aircraft they operate.
- Medical Team Expertise: Medical personnel must be specially trained in caring for critically ill or injured patients at altitude and have experience in both short—and long-range air medical transport missions.
- Annual Compliance: Authorized affiliates are required to comply annually with Medjet's standards regarding liability insurance limits and pilot and medical crew training.
These stringent requirements are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of patients during medical transports.
Medjet's authorized affiliate aircraft are equipped to function as flying intensive-care units, ensuring comprehensive medical care during transport. Each aircraft is fitted with state-of-the-art medical equipment and staffed by specialized medical teams trained in managing critically ill or injured patients at altitude.
This setup allows for the accommodation of one critical patient, a family member, and the medical team, providing continuous and advanced medical support throughout the journey.
There and Back Again: Getting Home When You Need To
No matter where you are, emergencies can happen, and getting home might become essential. While it’s not something we like to consider, having emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage is crucial.
Ensure you’re covered for access to quality care if things go wrong. If you’re uncertain about which plan suits your needs, reach out to one of our licensed brokers—they’re ready to help you find the right coverage for a safe journey home!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Medevac Insurance
During a medical evacuation, the method of transport depends on your condition, the urgency, and the distance to the appropriate medical facility. Here are the most common methods:
Air Ambulance: A medically equipped aircraft (air ambulance) is typically used for critical cases requiring rapid, long-distance transport. These jets are outfitted with advanced medical equipment and staffed with medical professionals to provide care en route.
Commercial Flight with Medical Escort: A commercial flight can be arranged for stable patients who don’t need intensive support. A medical escort (such as a nurse or paramedic) will accompany the patient to monitor and administer necessary care.
Helicopter: For short distances or remote areas where an air ambulance jet cannot land, helicopters provide rapid evacuation to the nearest suitable hospital or airfield.
Ground Ambulance: Often used in combination with other transport, ground ambulances transfer patients from local facilities to airports or between medical centers when air transport isn’t feasible or necessary.
Private Jet with Medical Staff: In certain cases, a private jet is chartered with a specialized medical team, providing more personalized care, especially when the evacuation covers long distances and the patient requires more comfort.
Each method is chosen based on the situation’s specifics, with patient safety and continuity of care as the top priorities.
Medical evacuation coverage can be beneficial for U.S. travel, depending on several factors:
Travel to Remote or Rural Areas: If you're visiting remote parts of the U.S. where healthcare facilities are limited, evacuation coverage can help cover the cost of being transported to a hospital that can provide adequate care.
Specialized Medical Needs: If you have a medical condition requiring specialized treatment, evacuation coverage could allow you to be transferred to a hospital of your choice, potentially closer to home or with specific expertise.
Flexibility in Transport Choice: Some plans, like Medjet, allow transport to your preferred hospital or even back home if you're hospitalized more than a certain distance from your residence, regardless of medical necessity. This option is helpful if you'd prefer to be treated closer to family or in familiar healthcare facilities.
Cost of Medical Transport: Medical transportation, particularly by air, can be costly. While most health insurance plans cover emergency services like ambulances, non-emergency medical transport, especially across state lines, might not be. Evacuation coverage could help offset these costs.
Evacuation coverage may not be essential for most travelers within the U.S. if they're staying in areas with accessible healthcare. However, it can provide added peace of mind and financial protection for those traveling to isolated areas or with specific health concerns.
Whether medevac insurance is worth it depends on your travel habits, destinations, and health considerations.
Medevac insurance is highly valuable if you frequently travel to places where quality medical facilities are scarce. In emergencies, it can cover costly transport to a better-equipped facility, which can be critical in rural or isolated areas.
Some medevac plans, like Medjet, allow you to choose the hospital you wish to be transferred to, even back home. This flexibility can be beneficial if you prefer treatment near family or in familiar medical settings.
Also, if you have a medical condition that requires specialized care, medevac insurance can offer peace of mind, knowing that if an emergency arises, you can be quickly transported to an appropriate facility.
In summary, medevac insurance can be a worthwhile investment for those traveling to remote destinations with underlying health concerns or wanting the freedom to choose their hospital. It offers financial protection and peace of mind.
Medicare generally does not cover medical evacuation or transport services, especially when traveling outside the United States.
If you are a Medicare beneficiary who travels frequently or plans to travel internationally, you might consider a supplemental travel medical insurance plan or a standalone medevac plan (such as Medjet), as these can offer comprehensive evacuation coverage that Medicare lacks.
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About the Author:Mackenzie Manning, Director of User Experience at International Citizens Insurance, specializes in optimizing customer journeys and providing seamless experiences for clients seeking international insurance solutions. With expertise in global health, life, and travel insurance, she helps expatriates and global travelers find the right coverage, ensuring a smooth, informed decision-making process for their international needs.