Air Ambulance/Medivac Insurance

I'm interested in air ambulance/medivac insurance information - recommended carriers, experiences, costs, etc. Replies either on the Board or to my e-mail would be appreciated.

We get our travel insurance through Travelguard. They have a number of different options. 1-800-826-4919

We deal with a company called sky med. They are based in Colorado and guaranteed that they would evac us within 24hours of the doctor giving the OK we haven't had to use them so I can't say if they preform as advertised.They have a website you can check

There are a number of providers for air ambulance insurance. Some are insurance companies and some aren't . You need to do some research based on your own situation and needs. A typical air ambulance transfer will range anywhere from 25K to 75K

Over the past few years there have been a number of posts on this board regarding out of country medical insurance but other than one which you can find under Medical Emergency I cant find any other that makes direct reference to air ambulance only insurance. Recently there has been a situation where a regular poster to this site was air evacuated out and unfortunately I THINK didnt have this type of insurance for whatever reason.

You will find that costs will vary depending on age, marital status etc, duration of coverage ( 1 year, 3 years , 5 years etc)

Watch out not just what you are insured for , but also the fine print when you are not insured eg pre exisitng conditions ,helicopter transfer from ships, evacuation from a conflict zone etc .

Keep in mind that all medical bills such as hospital , dr's fees incurred where the medical emergency arises (assuming in a foreign country) are not covered by the air ambulance insurance ..(for that you need travel medical insurance which most times includes medical evacuation)

Also air ambulance will ONLY take place when your attending physician in concert with the air ambulance provider agrees that from a medical perspective you are stable and controlled. It may involve the transfer to your home hospital or the nearest hospital, fully capable of treating you
It might even be by regularly scheduled airline depending on how serious the medical condition is

Point is : DO the research, you don't want to be in for a surprise at time of claim.

This poster is giving a lot of good info. I have researched this over the years. On a board for Moreilea and Patzcuaro also. No one seems to have ever used the service of air ambulance.

There are a lot of products out there so research and read.HAVE THEM SEND YOUR A COPY OF THEIR CONTRACT FOR REVIEW BEOFRE YOU BUY. Most of them will evacuate to the location of their choice and at their sole DISCREATION.

MedJet and MASA are two companies with air ambulance service and I am sure their are others.

The thought of having some pencil pusher in an office somewhere decide if and where to fly you when you're really sick is pretty scary.

Yes, really scary but most of the "providers" have this written into their contract. I haven't seen one yet where you can just call and say, "I'm sick and I want to home"; all of them say something like. You have to be in a hospital, the Dr has to certify where the nearest facility is where you can get care and then they make the decision.

READ THE CONTRACT CAREFULLY BEFORE BUYING~~~

My husband and I use MEDJET ASSIST. The toll free number from the USA is 1-809-963-3538. Also, they have a web site. The rates depend on your age and I was told they are the best company.