Trip Insurance - Evacuation Question

[Sunset]

We are healthy, but we get travel insurance for the year to cover multiple trips and make sure it has evac coverage.

We have see evacuations off nearly every cruise we have been on, sometimes twice on a cruise. Either by helicopter or small coast guard boat pulls up alongside to transfer the person off the cruise.

Even in the USA, I've read of cases where people are hiking / walking a trail and get injured, and they helicopter them out. That alone costs about $25K.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trooper Thanks braumeister. Do I read MASA's website correctly...$720 for 2 people per year? I guess with multiple trips per year it might make sense, but I'm seeing much lower quotes elsewhere.

That's just the rack rate.

If you join the Air Force Association (anyone can join for $20), you get their special rate. I pay $390 for Platinum level for the two of us. There are a number of "partner programs" like that where members get special rates.

[MichaelB]

Regarding emergency evacuation insurance, I like to read the policy T&Cs. One of the things that struck me was most of the policies required pre-approval, otherwise they would not pay. I looked for documented experiences, to see if this was enforced, but really didn’t find anything.

We do have trip and travel insurance, including emergency evacuation, through our credit card. I’d buy separate evacuation coverage if it included all situations, including real emergencies, where pre-approval was not possible.

[Trooper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister That's just the rack rate. If you join the Air Force Association (anyone can join for $20), you get their special rate. I pay $390 for Platinum level for the two of us. There are a number of "partner programs" like that where members get special rates.

Thanks-that looks a little better. I am also wondering whether I can use MASA to replace my DAN dive insurance, which also provides evacuation benefits, as well as dive-realted medical information to the diver needing assistance. I'll look at MASA's policy details.

[brett]

The last longer term travel insurance we arranged was for six months out of county.

We were able to reduce the premium by 30 percent simply by taking a 2 or 3K deductable...cannot remember which. I would have gone with an even higher decuctable if it had been as financially attractive.

[Scuba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trooper Thanks-that looks a little better. I am also wondering whether I can use MASA to replace my DAN dive insurance, which also provides evacuation benefits, as well as dive-realted medical information to the diver needing assistance. I'll look at MASA's policy details.

Trooper, have you looked at the DAN annual policies? Would be interested in your thoughts on those. I still question whether you need evac insurance traveling in Western Europe only.

[Bamaman]

I still question how many medical situations require a private jet back to the U.S. evacuation? Wouldn't you think that commercial airliners can often handle transportation--even if it requires flying business class or first class? And how many times will medical personnel be required?

My mother had a very weak heart, and had a serious problem in the high elevations of Aspen. After a week in the hospital, she flew home to the hospital in a friend's Citation jet. Her cardiologist in Aspen said heart problems and high altitudes just don't work, and their cardio rooms are well used.

We are in good physical condition, and take very inexpensive trips. And we don't purchase trip insurance. There again, we're not going to high risk places, either. If we had need of medivac service, my sister owns a Learjet with the range to fly overseas.

[Trooper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba Trooper, have you looked at the DAN annual policies? Would be interested in your thoughts on those.

Hey Scuba...I actually have used DAN for my dive trips in the past. I need to find out, however what DAN's evac coverage is like, especially if the evacuation need is NOT dive-related. For example will DAN only assist if one needs a trip to the hyperbaric chamber because of a DCS hit? If they cover both diving and non-diving then I may go with them, as they are cheaper than MASA - although DAN's evac limit is only $100,000 whereas MASA is at least $500K.

On the other hand, I want to explore whether MASA can handle dive-related evacuations with the same expertise as DAN. I don't want to call up MASA with a chamber evacuation need and have someone ask me what a chamber is. If they can equally handle both diving and non-diving I may go with them, as we will be going on a liveaboard trip next year also (lucky us!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba I still question whether you need evac insurance traveling in Western Europe only.

Me too. However DW wants some kind of insurance and I've already talked her out of cancellation/interruption insurance (mostly covered by CC) and medical insurance (covered by our existing policy). I just want to fill coverage gaps without over-insuring.

I'll post back once I have more info.

[Trooper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamaman I still question how many medical situations require a private jet back to the U.S. evacuation? Wouldn't you think that commercial airliners can often handle transportation--even if it requires flying business class or first class? And how many times will medical personnel be required?

I don't think the need for evacuation is just/only back to the US. If one's travel takes them to places remote enough where an ambulance trip to a hospital is not available, then one needs an evacuation to a local hospital. Whether one self-insures that possibility, or purchases insurance is up to the individual...based on likelihood of expense, magnitude of expense, and financial resources of the evacuee.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamaman My mother had a very weak heart, and had a serious problem in the high elevations of Aspen. After a week in the hospital, she flew home to the hospital in a friend's Citation jet. Her cardiologist in Aspen said heart problems and high altitudes just don't work, and their cardio rooms are well used....If we had need of medivac service, my sister owns a Learjet with the range to fly overseas.

With all due respect, not all of us have access to friends and family with private jets

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamaman We are in good physical condition, and take very inexpensive trips. And we don't purchase trip insurance. There again, we're not going to high risk places, either.

That's the key. Everyone's situation is different. And not only a function of one's own health, but the health of loved ones back home. I'm thinking of putting together a flowchart with the various trip insurance decision criteria, as I've learned a lot in the month since we booked our cruise.

[Scuba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trooper I don't think the need for evacuation is just/only back to the US. If one's travel takes them to places remote enough where an ambulance trip to a hospital is not available, then one needs an evacuation to a local hospital. Whether one self-insures that possibility, or purchases insurance is up to the individual...based on likelihood of expense, magnitude of expense, and financial resources of the evacuee. With all due respect, not all of us have access to friends and family with private jets That's the key. Everyone's situation is different. And not only a function of one's own health, but the health of loved ones back home. I'm thinking of putting together a flowchart with the various trip insurance decision criteria, as I've learned a lot in the month since we booked our cruise.

If you do put together a flowchart, please share! Thanks

[ILikeStarTrek]

I'm not an expert on these plans, but this is what a friend recently recommended when I did a 2-week trip overseas:
https://www.insuremytrip.com

You enter the basic information about the trip.

When it recommends insurance, on the left tab are "Plan Types". The "Recommended" plan type seems to be a subset of the "Comprehensive" plans, which is traditional trip insurance that can typically cost 3% to 5% of the overall trip cost (e.g. $200 for a 2-week, $4000 trip).

Note that the Plan Type "Evacuation" is Medjet insurance, which also costs in the same ballpark as comprehensive insurance.

But I looked at the Plan Type "Medical". There were a total of 6 medical plans in the $28 to $40 range for my trip. From what I could see, all the Medical plans included Evacuation insurance. I picked one called Liaisaon Travel Economy for $28. It included $50k worth of medical coverage as well as $250k for Medical Evacuation.

This was the first time I bought something like this, but it seemed to be just what I needed at only a fraction of the cost of traditional travel insurance.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB Regarding emergency evacuation insurance, I like to read the policy T&Cs. One of the things that struck me was most of the policies required pre-approval, otherwise they would not pay. I looked for documented experiences, to see if this was enforced, but really didn’t find anything.

The pre-approval requirement doesn't surprise me. Evacuation can be crazy expensive and the insurance company may have negotiated deals with certain providers.