Medjet: Why You Need It
I have written extensively about the value of travel insurance. Travel is not risk-free. Insurance protects both our investment and the ones that we love. That being said, there is a gap that insurance generally does not cover and in this brief post, I am going to explain what that gap is and why you should consider filling it with a Medjet Air Medical Transport Membership.
Among other things, travel insurance typically covers what we refer to as emergency medical transportation. Let’s say that (God forbid) you are in an automobile accident in Italy and need to be transported to an emergency room by ground or air. This initial transportation service will typically be covered by your travel insurance policy. Furthermore (to whatever limit you have in your policy), the costs of your medical care will be covered. This is all good! But let’s say that your injuries are serious, requiring an extended hospital stay with continuing care. Typically, your travel insurance has met its contractual transportation requirements by getting you to the closest functionally appropriate medical facility. This is where “the gap” emerges. Very few (if any) insurance policies will offer to transport you back to the United States to your hospital of choice. I’m sure that I don’t need to go into the complications that could result in a case like this, both in terms of medical care, and emotional strain. Basically, you can’t get home without footing the bill for your own international medical evacuation. These costs vary, but fully equipped jets with physician, staff, and necessary equipment will cost well into six figures. I know this because close friends without coverage recently found themselves in a situation (after an accident in Central America) where they had to foot the bill.
So Medjet fills this gap, getting you back to the hospital of your choice from anywhere in the world (including within the USA, so long as you are over 150 miles from your home). Unlike a travel insurance policy that you purchase for a specific trip, Medjet is typically purchased as an annual membership, although there are short-term plans available. There are, in fact, a range of membership options to meet your specific needs, and all of the plans offer helpful additional services beyond the transportation itself. The bottom line is that people enroll in Medjet for greater control on where they receive medical care, and to make sure that it is THEIR choice on when and where they are moved, not an insurance company’s decision. Learn more in the short video below.
Yup, that’s me 4000 miles from home participating in a high-risk activity! 😳
Susana and I have been and will continue to be Medjet members. In my Army days, our risk assessments included two principle factors: probability and impact. Only you know the probability of serious injury or illness while you are away from home. Perhaps you have a pre-existing condition, or maybe you travel to scuba dive or rock climb, thereby increasing your potential risk. This probability factor will be different for all of us. What we all share in common, however, are the potential impacts in the event that it happens: financial, medical, logistical, administrative and emotional. If you travel frequently, I highly encourage you to consider an annual Medjet membership. As always, when Kilometer One facilitates your Medjet membership purchase, a donation will be made to our non-profit partner, Ronald McDonald House Charities of NE Ohio. Please reach out to me to learn more or to become a Medjet Member today.
