Emergency Evacuation Insurance

It’s certainly not the first thing you think about when you plan a trip, but there’s always a possibility that you may have a serious medical emergency while you’re away from home. If this happens while you’re in a remote, rural, or under-resourced location, then emergency evacuation insurance is invaluable.

Emergency evacuation insurance is different from travel medical insurance. While travel medical insurance may cover the treatment or care you need if you get ill or injured while traveling, evacuation insurance covers the actual transportation that might be required to access that care. That’s an important distinction.

Let’s say you’re involved in an accident or medical emergency in a remote location without any advanced medical infrastructure, such as a hospital with an ICU. If you have emergency evacuation insurance, your insurance policy will pay for you to be rescued or evacuated by helicopter, boat, ground transport, or any other means to appropriate medical care. That care may be located in the country you’re traveling in or, if required, back home in the U.S.

What You Need to Know About Emergency Evacuation Insurance
Which Type of Evacuation Insurance is Right for Your Trip?
How to Decide if You Need Medical Evacuation and Travel Medical Insurance
How to Get Medical Evacuation Insurance
Things to Know About Emergency Evacuation Insurance
FAQs
Redpoint Travel Protection Has You Covered

What You Need to Know About Emergency Evacuation Insurance

Emergency medical evacuation insurance typically covers the cost required to transport you from your point of injury or illness to the nearest adequate medical facility or to a hospital of your choosing. This may seem like it wouldn’t be that expensive, but the cost for emergency transportation abroad — whether it’s by ambulance, helicopter, or flight — can quickly add up, especially if you’re traveling in a remote location and require medical care en route.

In order for emergency medical transport to be covered, certain criteria has to be met.

First, the traveler needs to be hospitalized or require hospitalization. Then, the nearest available facility needs to be considered inadequate — either by an insurance company representative or by a local doctor who is present at the scene.

Many emergency evacuation policies require a local physician to make the assessment that a patient must be transported or evacuated to a better medical facility.
However, Redpoint’s Ripcord policy goes one step further. Our 24/7 assistance team also has the authority to determine that an evacuation is necessary and will be covered by the traveler’s insurance policy.

If the treatment you require can only be accessed in your home country, our policy can cover the cost to fly you (and any family members you traveled with) home for that, provided certain conditions are met. Redpoint’s Ripcord policy will pay for this cost upfront — direct to the service provider — so you don’t have to wait to be reimbursed for what can be a hefty cost.

Our medical evacuation coverage usually covers a medical escort to liaise with the local doctors and accompany you home once you’re well enough to travel again, providing continuous care and support during the journey. This can be especially vital if you’ve been traveling solo. And should the worst-case scenario occur while you are traveling abroad, it usually covers repatriation costs as well.

Which Type of Evacuation Insurance is Right for Your Trip?

Different destinations will require different levels of medical evacuation insurance.

For example, if you’re traveling to a well-populated city in a developed nation, such as England, France, or other European destinations, coverage that includes transportation from a hospital to the traveler’s home country of choice will likely be sufficient. Our Cavalry program is particularly suited for urban travel and luxury cultural experiences. And it includes medical evacuation to your home hospital of choice, so you’d have that coverage if the unlikely were to occur.

However, if you’re visiting a remote location or engaging in high-risk activities, such as backcountry skiing, mountain climbing, or diving on a remote island, you should ensure your policy has medical evacuation insurance with rescue services.

Our Ripcord plan is ideal for far-flung destinations and designed for adventurers, featuring evacuation and rescue from the point of emergency to your home hospital of choice, as well as maximums of $25,000 for search and rescue and $100,000 for medical expenses relating to emergency accidents and sickness.

Ultimately the decision will depend on your risk tolerance and the nature of your trip.

How to Decide if You Need Medical Evacuation and Travel Medical Insurance

Travel medical insurance is essential, as your health insurance coverage from home typically will not cover you when you’re out of network and/or traveling abroad.

While you may be slightly less likely to use emergency evacuation insurance, that doesn’t mean it’s overkill to have both. Ultimately, if you want total peace of mind that you can access the best care no matter where you are or what happens, it’s wise to have both types of coverage.

Here’s a list of sample scenarios in which medical evacuation coverage may — or may not — be useful.

You’re traveling to the Bahamas and planning to spend most of your time at a resort.
- No, you don’t need rescue coverage.

You’re traveling to Europe and plan to do some hiking in a remote area of the Swiss Alps.
- You should consider adding medical evacuation insurance with rescue services.

The remote island you are traveling to has limited transportation options and no large hospital.
- You should consider adding medical evacuation insurance with rescue services.

You’re a thrill seeker and usually do some kind of adventure activity or extreme sport in any destination you travel to.
- You should consider adding medical evacuation insurance with rescue services.

You’d like a guarantee that if you require medical treatment while abroad, you’ll be able to access the best hospital in the country.
- No, you don’t need medical evacuation insurance — it won’t cover this. Evacuation will only be covered if a doctor deems it medically necessary. It’s not based on personal preference.

How to Get Medical Evacuation Insurance

Emergency evacuation insurance is typically included in a comprehensive travel insurance policy. However, policies vary when it comes to the maximum amount they will cover. Check the details of your policy to see if medical evacuation is covered and how much coverage is allowed. Our Ripcord and Cavalry plans boast a $1 million medical evacuation limit, while Harbor’s maximum benefit is $500,000.

Things to Know About Emergency Evacuation Insurance

When shopping for an emergency evacuation insurance policy, there are a variety of factors to consider.

Extreme sports exclusions: Some policies may exclude certain extreme sports or high-risk activities from emergency evacuation cover, so if you plan to take part in these activities, you need to check.
Hospital of choice: Some policies only cover transport to the nearest suitable medical facility, while others allow you to choose the hospital you’ll be evacuated to. If being treated at a specific hospital is important to you, look for this provision.
Hospital-stay requirements: Be aware that evacuation can only occur if medically necessary. Some policies may only provide evacuation coverage if you are admitted to a hospital or at the direction of a medical professional.
Destination: The quality of medical care available at your destination is a major consideration. The more limited or hard-to-access the medical care is at your destination, the higher policy limit you’ll need.
Medical history: If you have preexisting conditions, make sure you don’t need additional coverage or a waiver to receive treatment for that condition

FAQs

How Much Travel Medical Evacuation Insurance do I Need?

The potential cost of emergency transport, including air ambulances, can easily exceed $50,000. So if you’re traveling to an underdeveloped area, you should aim for a minimum of $100,000 in coverage. Redpoint’s generous Ripcord and Cavalry plans have a medical evacuation limit of $1 million.

Ultimately, though, the amount of coverage you require will depend on the nature of your trip.

Do I Need Approval to Use Medical Evacuation Insurance?

Should you have an emergency situation while traveling, your first option should be to call emergency services. Then, you or a traveling companion should call the emergency assistance hotline provided by your travel insurance company. Their team will be staffed with medical experts and interpreters who can help figure out what kind of assistance you need and how to get it to you.

Typically, you need to notify your insurance company as soon as possible after a situation has occurred so they can work with you to find care that will be covered.

How Will I be Transported With Emergency Evacuation Insurance?

The form of transportation will depend on the urgency of your situation and the level of care required.

There are all sorts of evacuation options to get you to the appropriate treatment center. These could include a regular ambulance or air-evacuation services, such as an air ambulance, specialized medical flights with life support and medical professionals onboard, or simply a ticket on a commercial airline to get you home to your regular doctor sooner.

Do I Need Emergency Evacuation Insurance for Trips Within the U.S.?

If you’re traveling somewhere remote, then emergency evacuation with rescue coverage can still be helpful even if your trip is a domestic one. Generally speaking, evacuation coverage is less likely to be useful if you’re traveling in areas with advanced medical care that is easily accessible.

Redpoint Travel Protection Has You Covered

Redpoint’s travel insurance policies will cover medical evacuation from point of injury and illness to the care facility or hospital of your choice. They include medical evacuation and repatriation of remains up to $1,000,000, so you can enjoy your trip knowing that you’re covered if the worst happens. Contact us for a quote today.