$500,000 or $1,000,000 in emergency medical transportation?

[MuffinW]

DH and I are booked on the Navigator of the Seas for an Eastern Med. & Egypt cruise starting Sept. 17, 2010. I'm researching travel insurance with the assistance of insure*my*trip and trip*insurance*store.com. The two plans I'm considering--TravelEx Travel Select and TravelGuard Cruise, Tour, and Travel--have different maximums for emergency medical evacuation. One is $500,000 and the other is $1,000,000. I'm 10 days out from my initial trip deposit, so I'm going to purchase in the next 2-3 days.

 

I've read some older posts and see that emergency medical evacuation can be quite expensive. Any thoughts on how likely it is that emergency medical evacuation from the Eastern Med would exceed $500,000 or personal experiences with emergency medical evacuation in that region? Obviously it depends on from where and to where one is evacuated, but I'm confident that there are many good hospitals in Europe.

[uppitycats]

DH and I are booked on the Navigator of the Seas for an Eastern Med. & Egypt cruise starting Sept. 17, 2010. I'm researching travel insurance with the assistance of insure*my*trip and trip*insurance*store.com. The two plans I'm considering--TravelEx Travel Select and TravelGuard Cruise, Tour, and Travel--have different maximums for emergency medical evacuation. One is $500,000 and the other is $1,000,000. I'm 10 days out from my initial trip deposit, so I'm going to purchase in the next 2-3 days.

 

I've read some older posts and see that emergency medical evacuation can be quite expensive. Any thoughts on how likely it is that emergency medical evacuation from the Eastern Med would exceed $500,000 or personal experiences with emergency medical evacuation in that region? Obviously it depends on from where and to where one is evacuated, but I'm confident that there are many good hospitals in Europe.

 

Are you and your travelling companions reasonably healthy? I'm asking, because poor or questionable health might influence your choice. If you're looking at medical evacuation coverage to cover you should you become injured or suddenly sick, you might be fine with the $500,000. If you're already dealing with medical issues, you might want the higher amount.

 

I personally bought the $500,000 coverage policy. I do have a pre-existing medical condition, but still weighed all the factors and decided I'd risk the lesser amount.

[MuffinW]

Good question. We are mid-30s and quite healthy. I do have a pre-existing condition which is completely managed through modern medical technology, and no restrictions of any kind. So I'm not worried about anything in particular happening; I just like to cover my bases.

[snowskier]

Good question. We are mid-30s and quite healthy. I do have a pre-existing condition which is completely managed through modern medical technology, and no restrictions of any kind. So I'm not worried about anything in particular happening; I just like to cover my bases.

 

Not sure what being healthy has to do with it. Accidents happen to healthy people -- especially healthy active people. If you want the coverage, make sure you figure out what it would cost, what you can afford to pay out of pocket if something happens and purchase the appropriate coverage.

[yogi2929]

What's the difference in price between the two policies? If the price isn't too different them I would get the higher limit one.

 

I know several people that have had to use their travel ins- one fell off a cliff and is now paralyzed and the other shattered her leg. Neither were on a cruise.

[greatam]

Good question. We are mid-30s and quite healthy. I do have a pre-existing condition which is completely managed through modern medical technology, and no restrictions of any kind. So I'm not worried about anything in particular happening; I just like to cover my bases.

 

Please be aware that while all insurance policies are different, MOST will only transport you to the nearest "medically satisfactory" facility, NOT HOME.

 

I dealt with this very issue when I became seriously ill in Cambodia 3 years ago. My travel insurance would only send me to Japan for treatment. I had to stay in the hospital in Japan until I was deemed fit to travel. DH could come visit, courtesy of the insurance, but after 3 days, all expenses were on our tab. After release from the hospital, I was on my own to get home.

 

As it turned out, I was able to get myself to the Aussie hospital in Saigon, where I was well taken care of and recovered.

 

I then got a Med Jet Assist plan and a yearly medical travel insurance policy. Med Jet Assist will take you to ANY hospital, which means I could have been treated in the USA after I was stable. READ the fine print. You may or may not be surprised.

[dfb]

I would forget about the evac in a regular trip insurance policy and get Medjet Assist coverage. It will evacuate you to your home hospital instead of just somewhere besides the ship. It is purchased for a year at a time and covers you anytime you are more than 150 or so miles from home. If you are old enough, you can get an AARP discount. Check it out at Medjetassist.com

Debbie

[MuffinW]

Not sure what being healthy has to do with it. Accidents happen to healthy people -- especially healthy active people. If you want the coverage, make sure you figure out what it would cost, what you can afford to pay out of pocket if something happens and purchase the appropriate coverage.

 

Thanks.

 

I'm aware that accidents happen to healthy active people; that is why I had already determined to purchase trip insurance. The post you've quoted was responsive to Uppitycat's question.

 

The question I asked was whether anyone had any experience with the actual cost of emergency medical evacuation in the Mediterranean. If that information is available, it is one factor in determining the appropriate coverage. If it is not available, I will proceed without it.

[MuffinW]

What's the difference in price between the two policies? If the price isn't too different them I would get the higher limit one.

 

I know several people that have had to use their travel ins- one fell off a cliff and is now paralyzed and the other shattered her leg. Neither were on a cruise.

 

Did they use the emergency medical evacuation coverage in their travel insurance?

 

Difference in price is $350 (total), which also includes some differences in travel baggage, travel baggage delay, and travel delay.

[uppitycats]

Not sure what being healthy has to do with it. Accidents happen to healthy people -- especially healthy active people. If you want the coverage, make sure you figure out what it would cost, what you can afford to pay out of pocket if something happens and purchase the appropriate coverage.

 

 

I asked the question which prompted your response. If you fully read my question, I was laying out some risk factors for the OP --

 

Indeed, accidents happen to everyone. My point exactly. And folks should make sure to think about that. But if someone already has health issues, that would INCREASE their risk of needing to have adequate med-evacuation coverage.

 

"Something happens" includes a lot of territory. I was trying to be specific about what "something" might be. I'm sorry you misunderstood.

[greatam]

Thanks.

 

I'm aware that accidents happen to healthy active people; that is why I had already determined to purchase trip insurance. The post you've quoted was responsive to Uppitycat's question.

 

The question I asked was whether anyone had any experience with the actual cost of emergency medical evacuation in the Mediterranean. If that information is available, it is one factor in determining the appropriate coverage. If it is not available, I will proceed without it.

 

Emergency medical evac from where to where??? What kind of care do you need-broken leg or heart attack??? BIG difference.

 

From the ship to Rome-about $20-25,000 per the US State Dept

 

From a desert safari in the middle of Egypt to Cairo hospital-about $60,000-75,000 per Stratfor. From a desert safari to the nearest European hospital (would definitely have to be approved by the insurance company)-$125-200,000, again per Stratfor (corporate intel subscription info)

 

NO way to definitively answer your question. A person with a broken leg on a gurney certainly does not require the degree of in air care a heart attack or severe car accident patient would require.

[MuffinW]

Emergency medical evac from where to where??? What kind of care do you need-broken leg or heart attack??? BIG difference.

 

From the ship to Rome-about $20-25,000 per the US State Dept

 

From a desert safari in the middle of Egypt to Cairo hospital-about $60,000-75,000 per Stratfor. From a desert safari to the nearest European hospital (would definitely have to be approved by the insurance company)-$125-200,000, again per Stratfor (corporate intel subscription info)

 

NO way to definitively answer your question. A person with a broken leg on a gurney certainly does not require the degree of in air care a heart attack or severe car accident patient would require.

 

Thanks for posting these figures. They may not be definitive, but they provide points of reference.

 

For those who suggested Med Assist, thanks. I'm also checking them out. FWIW, they made some claims regarding cost of transport from Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia to the U.S. on their webpage. Their numbers vary from $35,000 to $100,000.

[Happy ks]

When we purchased travel insurance for our Med cruise, our first priority in choice was primary coverage, not secondary.

[Jade13]

Have you looked at CSA? Why purchase a year in advance. CSA has plans you can pay for at final payment and cover pre-existing conditions. The price goes down closer to the cruise. tripinsurancestore.com has CSA Freestyle.

[Jade13]

When we purchased travel insurance for our Med cruise, our first priority in choice was primary coverage, not secondary.

 

We prefer secondary as primary would not count towards the deductible on our primary insurance. Our primary insurance has a $1,000pp deductible in network and $3,000pp deductible next year out of network, so we look for travel insurance to cover the difference plus Med Evac.

[trish1c]

I think $500k ought to do it. My cousin fell 6 stories in a Eastern bloc country several years ago (at least 10 now). She broke most of her bones. It cost $18,000 to airlift her to the states on a hospital bed. The HUGE expenses you hear about are when people have to get airlifted off the ships in the middle of the ocean. Even so that isn't going to eat through a half million dollars.

[yogi2929]

Did they use the emergency medical evacuation coverage in their travel insurance?

 

Difference in price is $350 (total), which also includes some differences in travel baggage, travel baggage delay, and travel delay.

 

The guy who fell off the cliff was climbing in Great Britain needed to be medivaced (he now has limited mobitlity in one arm. The gal who shattered her leg in Italy happened about three days before she was to leave. She was walking and twisted her leg in a pothole. Insurance paid for her and her husband's tix (and everything else) back to the States. I do not know which insurance clicked in after she got home and had surgery.

[jocap]

A woman on our Eastern Med cruise made the bad mistake of just informing her insurers that she was going to Europe- she had various underlying issues, and her Doc had cleared her for EUROPE- not Africa. When she went down with a bug in Egypt, her family were distressed because she wasn't covered. Obviously, you're aware of this, but some people may make this simple mistake. We have to pay an extra £45 for mid. East and Egypt, on a Med cruise.-jocap.

[MuffinW]

A woman on our Eastern Med cruise made the bad mistake of just informing her insurers that she was going to Europe- she had various underlying issues, and her Doc had cleared her for EUROPE- not Africa. When she went down with a bug in Egypt, her family were distressed because she wasn't covered. Obviously, you're aware of this, but some people may make this simple mistake. We have to pay an extra £45 for mid. East and Egypt, on a Med cruise.-jocap.

I was not aware of that. Thanks for the tip!

[cruiseco]

I was not aware of that. Thanks for the tip!

 

The situation described only applies to insurance issued by UK/EUR companies. US-based insurers do not make you pre-qualify according to your medical history and destination. For a UK resident traveling in Europe the host country generally provides emergency medical coverage at little or no charge. When traveling outside of the Euro-zone as with the example Africa trip the insurer is now on the hook for the medical services. By not disclosing the destination the traveler is now in a position to have the coverage voided by the insurer.

[johngates100]

No insurance company don't provide the coverage all over the world.For Europe there are some companies which provide coverage for whole of the Europe.So if some one is going to travel and need non emergency and emergency transportation services they can talk to local services directly even if they don't have insurance coverage like in USA , there are many services available and in Europe as well.

[greatam]

I would forget about the evac in a regular trip insurance policy and get Medjet Assist coverage. It will evacuate you to your home hospital instead of just somewhere besides the ship. It is purchased for a year at a time and covers you anytime you are more than 150 or so miles from home. If you are old enough, you can get an AARP discount. Check it out at Medjetassist.com

Debbie

 

 

Just an FYI

 

MedJet Assist WILL NOT EVACUATE you from a ship or from a mountain top or the middle of the jungle. They WILL take you to the hospital of your choice AFTER you are in a hospital or something like an urgent care facility. They are a medical care transportation provider, NOT medical care. I have a yearly policy but cannot count on them to help until AFTER I am in a hospital or other facility and have been medically treated to at least a stable condition.

 

They are not EMT's/Paramedics flying emergency trauma patients (generally in helos) as you would see in car wrecks in the middle of no place ville or heart attacks like in the middle of the desert where I live. Those on those planes are trained medical professionals actually immediately addressing the emergency situation and are in constant contact with doctors at the closest trauma center. MedJet Assist does not provide that kind of care.

[6rugrats]

No insurance company don't provide the coverage all over the world.For Europe there are some companies which provide coverage for whole of the Europe.So if some one is going to travel and need non emergency and emergency transportation services they can talk to local services directly even if they don't have insurance coverage like in USA , there are many services available and in Europe as well.

I have no idea what this means.

[smeyer418]

No insurance company don't provide the coverage all over the world.For Europe there are some companies which provide coverage for whole of the Europe.So if some one is going to travel and need non emergency and emergency transportation services they can talk to local services directly even if they don't have insurance coverage like in USA , there are many services available and in Europe as well.

 

 

Actually my US insurance is world wide. While many US insurance don't cover work wide some do. Many Medicare supplement policies do as basic medicare does not.

 

$500,000 supplemental coverage is more than sufficient. Its almost unheard of for it to exceed that-even with evacuations.(its even relatively rare for a medical case in the US to exceed $500,000)

 

If you don't have medical coverage or coverage because you are a EU participant you are expected to pay even in Europe...but they charge less then they do in the US.

[jocap]

An EU member has to have an EHOC card, which provides medical care for free, at the same level of care as a member of the country you're visiting.

I've just been rereading this old post, and noticed that I wrote about the person who was cleared for Europe, but was taken ill in Egypt. Her simple mistake was to believe that her Mediterranian cruise would be wholly in Europe, but much of the Med has coasts in Africa- Egypt, Libya, Tunisia etc, or non-E countries such as Turkey, Israel....if the Dr. cleared her for travel to Europe with her underlying conditions, then the insurance policy would be void in Egypt.

Jo.