Medical Evacuation Coverage for Travel Emergencies: 2023 Insurance Guide

Aug 14, 2023

Amelia Canty is a U.K.-based writer. Her specialities include all things travel, covering everything from destination guides to more technical travel issues such as insurance queries. As a big foodie, you will often find Amelia sampling the latest restaurants for food and drinks with friends when she’s not writing.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York's Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.

Although we all hope to never be involved in a medical emergency while traveling, sometimes the unexpected happens. Medical evacuation coverage can offer peace of mind by providing evacuation and transportation to the nearest hospital should you experience a medical emergency while traveling.

We at the MarketWatch Guides Team have researched what you need to know about medical evacuation coverage, including the cost, benefits and how to find the best provider for your trip.

Medical evacuation insurance covers the cost of medical evacuation if you experience an injury or fall ill while on vacation and require transport to a hospital. If you are critically injured and have to be transported to a high-level care facility, or if you wish to continue your care at a facility closer to home, medical evacuation coverage would cover the cost of transportation.

You can obtain medical evacuation coverage in two ways: through an evacuation-specific provider or by purchasing travel insurance. Companies like Medjet specialize in medical evacuations and transportation services, whereas travel insurance includes evacuation coverage as part of a comprehensive policy.

Seeking treatment for an injury overseas can be expensive without health or travel insurance. Medical evacuation coverage offers reassurance that if you or your travel companion require a medical evacuation on a trip, the financial implications wouldn’t add to your physical and emotional distress.

Medical evacuation insurance covers the cost of medical evacuation to a medical facility elsewhere in the area you’re traveling to or back in the U.S. However, there are other factors to consider during a medical evacuation or emergency, like what will happen to the rest of your family or travel companions. We’ve included specifics below as to what medical evacuation insurance covers:

First and foremost, medical evacuation covers the cost if you sustain a serious or life-threatening injury while traveling and need urgent transportation to a medical facility. It can also cover transport to a U.S.-based facility if deemed necessary.

If the medical professionals treating you deem it necessary for you to return to the U.S. for continued treatment, medical evacuation coverage will cover the costs if you require specialized care on the flight home. A medical escort may be on hand to administer intravenous antibiotics or supply oxygen during your flight.

Medical evacuation insurance can pay for a round-trip flight for a family member to accompany you if you need to be hospitalized due to your illness or injury. However, this coverage can vary between policies and usually has a minimum hospital stay requirement before kicking in.

Certain policies will include additional benefits such as compensation for hotel stays, meals and other costs a support person may incur.

Your medical evacuation insurance can arrange to have your children flown home if you are hospitalized while on vacation with your family. Coverage benefits will compensate for related costs, minus any refunds for unused airfare if your initial trip is cut short.

In the event of your or a travel companion’s death, evacuation coverage includes repatriation benefits or the cost of transporting remains back to your home country.

While you can purchase medical evacuation insurance for general peace of mind, there are certain situations in which it could be useful — like if you’re traveling to a remote area or participating in sporting activities. As a traveler or an expatriate, you may find yourself in a location without high-quality healthcare facilities. Likewise, remote locations could have limited transport infrastructure to support you in an emergency. Medical evacuation insurance can ensure you receive the care you need if your or your travel companion are hurt and require immediate care in such scenarios.

Medical evacuation and travel medical insurance differ based on the coverage you receive but are most effective when used together. If you opt for medical evacuation insurance that is not part of a travel policy, you will have to pay the resulting medical bills out of pocket. However, some travel insurance offers both emergency evacuation and treatment coverage.

As previously mentioned, medical evacuation insurance covers your transportation if you do not have access to a sufficient treatment facility. Travel medical insurance pays for medical expenses such as hospital bills and medication, up to a specific coverage limit. So when combined, medical evacuation insurance covers the cost of emergency transport, while travel medical protection covers the cost of treatment.

Keep in mind that not all domestic health insurance plans extend coverage abroad. While some private plans may include global emergency coverage, government-sponsored policies may not. Travel medical insurance can help fill coverage gaps if you experience an emergency while out of the country.

Travel insurance coverage limits, or the amount your provider will cover, vary by plan and provider. Most medical evacuation plans provide $1 million in medical evacuation coverage per person, although limits may be lower depending on the provider.

It’s up to you to decide how much coverage you need depending on where you are going and what you may be doing — higher allowances naturally offer more financial protection in the event of an emergency.

Some insurance companies offer a grace period of around two weeks to look over your policy and be sure it is right for you. Companies may offer reimbursement if you decide to cancel the plan or decide you need more coverage.

The cost of medical evacuation insurance depends on your provider and coverage type. Companies like Medjet offer annual, membership-based medical evacuation and transport services for around $315 to $500 or more, depending on your selected coverage.

You can also obtain single-trip coverage by purchasing a travel insurance policy. Travel insurance premiums vary depending on your plan, coverage limits and provider. Based on quotes we gathered for companies like Seven Corners and Tin Leg, a comprehensive policy with $500,000 to $1 million in evacuation coverage plus emergency medical coverage and trip cancellation benefits costs between $52 to $79.

Keep in mind that your travel insurance costs may vary depending on your trip details and coverage needs.

There are multiple benefits to investing in medical evacuation coverage. This type of insurance ensures you will receive transportation to an adequate facility if you experience a life-threatening emergency while traveling. You will also have peace of mind that if the worst were to happen while traveling, you have a plan in place and financial protection from medical evacuation costs.

When looking into purchasing medical evacuation insurance, you may find it is usually part of a comprehensive travel plan. Comprehensive travel insurance also includes emergency medical care and trip interruption, cancellation and delays.

If you don’t need the additional coverage a comprehensive plan provides, you can purchase a standalone travel medical plan with medical evacuation coverage. You can also opt for a membership or service that provides travel medical evacuation and transport services, such as Global Rescue or Medjet.

There are certain factors to consider when evaluating medical evacuation insurance plans, especially if coverage is part of a comprehensive travel policy. Understanding the policy exclusions and limitations is important to ensure you have adequate coverage in the event of an emergency.

Common travel insurance exclusions include the following:

If you are involved in an incident and require an emergency medical evacuation while traveling, your first step should be calling the local emergency services. You will then have to notify your travel insurance company’s emergency services hotline. Your insurance provider can then review your case, contact a physician to discuss treatment and determine if emergency medical transport is necessary.

For medical evacuation coverage to be deemed valid, you usually need an attending physician to certify the severity of your case and order the service. In an ideal situation, your insurance company is notified beforehand and can help coordinate the medevac and sign off on coverage in advance. While this isn’t always the case, you should try to notify your provider as soon as possible.

If medical transportation is required, it could be via an air ambulance or commercial airline. A commercial carrier is typically the best travel experience because they offer direct flights, better overall flight quality, and room for medical staff and travel companions. Air ambulances, on the other hand, can only fly four to six hours before needing to refuel and can usually only accommodate one patient, companion and medic.

There are a couple of other factors to consider when evaluating medical evacuation insurance options.

If you are traveling to a remote or high-risk area, it may be more expensive or difficult to reach an adequate medical facility. Consequently, certain travel insurance policies may have exclusions based on your travel destination that you need to be mindful of. For example, evacuation coverage may not extend to countries with high rates of natural disasters, political unrest or violence.

Before purchasing travel insurance, check to see what coverage you already have. Ask your health insurance provider if coverage extends abroad, and check to see if your credit cards include any level of travel insurance.

It’s also important to review travel policies before making a final purchase to understand coverages, limits and exclusions. For example, not all policies extend evacuation benefits to injuries sustained as a result of extreme sports or adventure activities. Many also don’t cover travelers who require medical treatment for pre-existing conditions.

The best tip to ensure a smooth evacuation process is to know and understand the protocol. Familiarize yourself with your insurance company’s hotline and ensure you follow the correct procedure as soon as possible, and allow the company to liaise with the medical experts on your behalf.

Some travel insurance providers also offer other assistance services to help you in an emergency or navigate international travel.

An alternative option to obtaining travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage is to look at specialist medevac companies such as Medjet. This option may be better suited to you if you would prefer to be flown directly back to the U.S., rather than the nearest adequate hospital.

Medical evacuation services are worth considering if you are planning on partaking in extreme sports or have pre-existing medical conditions that standard insurance companies may not cover.

Medjet provides private or commercial medevac transportation from medical facilities anywhere in the world to a hospital of your choice in the U.S. You must buy a membership before your trip and must be traveling at least 150 away from home to use the service. In addition to annual plans, the company also offers short-term coverage for single trips.

While we never want to consider the worst when planning a vacation, medical evacuation insurance can protect travelers in the event of an emergency circumstance. Purchasing travel insurance with evacuation coverage can ensure your transport to a local hospital to receive medical attention. It can also prevent you from paying expensive evacuation bills out-of-pocket.

Ultimately, deciding if travel insurance is worth it is up to you. If medical evacuation insurance seems like it would offer you peace of mind while traveling abroad, we recommend requesting free quotes from at least three insurance providers.

Emergency evacuation insurance covers the cost of transportation to the closest medical facility if you become seriously ill or injured while on vacation.

A comprehensive travel insurance plan usually covers medical repatriation, or the cost of returning your remains home if you die abroad. While some insurance companies include this coverage automatically, others may offer it as an add-on that costs extra.

Most comprehensive travel insurance plans include the cost of emergency medical treatment expenses up to a certain limit. Some policies may also include expenses to get you home if you are injured or fall ill overseas. But every policy is different so we suggest checking your provider’s coverage for more information.

Amelia Canty is a U.K.-based writer. Her specialities include all things travel, covering everything from destination guides to more technical travel issues such as insurance queries. As a big foodie, you will often find Amelia sampling the latest restaurants for food and drinks with friends when she’s not writing.

Tori Addison is an editor with over five years of experience in the digital marketing industry. Her includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.