What is Medical Evacuation Insurance and Why Do I Need Coverage for it When Traveling?

Phil Dougherty — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:54:59 +0000

In 2020, I attended a webinar about medical evacuations and heard an evacuation story from an air ambulance representative. It was about a volunteer English teacher in Afghanistan who was in critical condition with an unknown diagnosis. Within hours of the emergency call, they had a medically outfitted helicopter with a dedicated care team ready to evacuate the patient from Afghanistan to Dubai for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. The preparation and coordination needed to arrange an evacuation like this is impressive and the need for this coverage became very apparent.

I wanted to share some basics about Medical Evacuation Insurance and the coverage for it.

Emergency Medical Evacuation is transportation from the place of injury or illness to the nearest licensed medical facility that can provide the appropriate treatment. This transportation may also be from one local hospital to another more qualified facility if the treatment or surgery required is not available locally. It can be ground transportation across cities or as intense as an air ambulance to another country.

Note: The emergency medical evacuation will transport a patient to the nearest facility that can provide appropriate care (not necessarily back to one’s home country).

Medical Repatriation

Following the medical evacuation, the attending physician and insurance company work together to determine the next steps and discharge process once the patient is stable. Medical repatriation is the transportation of the insured back to their home country and back to an appropriate medical facility nearer to one’s residence, if needed. This transportation can be an economy ticket on a commercial flight or an air ambulance with a team to medically supervise (depending on the medical needs).

Insurance Coverage

Most Travel Medical Insurance policies include a medical evacuation benefit, medical repatriation, and assistance services. Policy representatives will work with the patients’ treating physician team to coordinate necessary transportation and ensure appropriate care enroute through their credible evacuation partners.

Without insurance, this can easily run five or even six figures. Emergency transportation can often be the most expensive part of one’s medical costs. We recommend an evacuation benefit of at least $250,000.

What I learned in that webinar opened my eyes to the need for medical evacuation coverage and the value of assistance services that travel medical insurance provides. This aligns with our mission at OnlyHealthInsurance to protect our clients from unforeseen catastrophes by offering quality insurance plans with comprehensive benefits.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Email: patriciad@dhis.com

Travel Document Security Abroad

Phil Dougherty — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:22:20 +0000

Is there anything that can cause more travel anxiety than…where’s my passport?!

At OnlyHealthInsurance, we want your travels to be as safe and enjoyable as possible. Safety and Security abroad is an immense topic and one we believe to be a layered proposition. Travel medical insurance is one of those layers. Another layer is identification and travel document security. As my dad and I were discussing the latter, we realized we had different opinions about the basics of security and felt a blog on the subject was warranted.

To Pouch or not to Pouch…

In my dad’s travels – whether he was in Cambodia or downtown Paris – he wore a money pouch around his neck and hidden under his shirt containing his passport, maps, credit cards, cash, and travel documents. I, on the other hand, see that as flashy and a security risk—and a nagging reminder of all the valuables I’m carrying with me. Personally, I’m comfortable with the hotel safe with a strong code (not 1234). In our research, travel experts are split on which approach they recommend. Thankfully neither of us have had security issues while traveling. We recognized that our decisions about security were in many ways influenced by our personal attributes and “style” of travel.

Personal Attributes & Style

Gender, age, and habits influence our travel behavior and decisions about personal security. As a young woman, the idea of carrying all my valuables and “identity” around my neck is daunting… and actually terrifying. Less risky to me is trusting the hotel staff and room safe. That said, I’ve never left my passport and other identification behind in a hostel or tent. My dad (being middle-aged) pointed out that his need for an “all-in-one” solution for carrying valuables has less to do with trusting others and more to do with his need to “always be prepared” (courtesy of his Boy Scout training). Perhaps knowing oneself is the most helpful in making the best decision for you and maintaining confidence and peace of mind.

Other factors that influence our behavior towards travel security:

Does our destination country encourage (or require) us to always carry identification?
*Do we know locals?
How often we will be taking public transportation?
What is the level of street crime?
Is this rural or urban travel?
Level of activities in destination country (ziplining, ocean activities, etc)

*Locals can tell you about tourist traps, schemes and provide recommendations.

Copies…Copies…Copies

In addition, we both agree (and many experts advise) there are some security tips that do make sense for every traveler. Almost universally it is encouraged to make and keep a passport copy in a carry-on or hidden in luggage. We also recommend bringing a copy of your travel insurance documents and giving a copy to a trusted someone at home and a fellow travel companion.

When planning your travels, consider the factors above (and your own self-awareness) to decide how best to travel with security and confidence.

If this blog sparked a memory or comment, please share with us. Email: info@onlyhealthinsurance.com

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