Medjet Assist

[cruising teacher]

Has anyone had any experience with claims to Medjet Assist? They are affiliated with AARP. We have been on several ships where passengers were airlifted off the ship and know how expensive this. Was the claims department easy to work with?

[sealover155]

We have subscribed to Medjet Assist for about 4 years. As you may know, it is not typical travel insurance but a membership arrangement. Luckily we have not had a claim but we have certainly slept better knowing that we were fully covered. The advantages are significant as they will airlift you to any hospital you choose including the one nearest your home.

 

After a lot of investigation we found this to be a valuable adjunct to travel insurance.

[cruising teacher]

We have subscribed to Medjet Assist for about 4 years. As you may know, it is not typical travel insurance but a membership arrangement. Luckily we have not had a claim but we have certainly slept better knowing that we were fully covered. The advantages are significant as they will airlift you to any hospital you choose including the one nearest your home.

 

After a lot of investigation we found this to be a valuable adjunct to travel insurance.

 

Thanks very much for your feedback. We take many cruises a year so this

Is cost effective for us.

[TRadle]

How does this work with travel insurance? Does it replace it or just allows you to buy a less expensive policy while traveling?

[ghstudio]

Medjet is a critical part of your insurance, but it does not actually replace any part of your travel insurance. Let me explain....

 

Medjet will fly you from anywhere in the world to the location of your choice, should you need medical evacuation or continued treatment.....but the will not pay for your evacuation to the point of medical treatment (they say this more eloquently in their fine print). For folks who are cruising, that does NOT include transfers from the ship to a hospital or doctor ashore. That part is up to you and/or your travel insurance. Once you have been treated and are medically stable, they will then arrange transportation to wherever you want...eg back to the US.

 

Why is this important? Let's say you have a stroke while abroad. Your travel insurance will cover the cost of getting you from the ship to a hospital...and they will pay for your care in that hospital. But what they won't pay is your travel back to the US, UK or wherever you live....and that's where medjet comes in.

 

We carry medjet thru aarp (no they are not affiliated, they just offer a discount if you purchase thru AARP). We also have Medicare J (no longer offered) which covers up to $50K of foreign medical costs (normal medicare A/B does not cover this nor do most medigap policies). We carry travel insurance as well to cover that first flight from ship to hospital (can cost $25K or more), lost baggage, trip delay (yes we were on the century when it had it's mechanical breakdown and the trip delay insurance helped defray some of our costs).

 

If you don't want to be stranded in some foreign hospital, you should strongly consider medjet or equivalent.

[junglejane]

Pam in CA, a regular poster on the Princess and HAL boards, has had a good experience with Medjet Assist and speaks highly of them. There is an extensive thread on her BIL's illness (which unfortunately proved to be fatal) on the Coral Princess back in Feb. 2010. Despite the sad outcome, Pam has had nothing but positive things to say about Medjet Assist. If you search for her user name and Medjet, I am sure you will find her comments.

 

I agree though that this is not a replacement for traditional travel insurance. It's more of a supplement.

[sptrout]

Just to add-----

 

Medical jet transport services charge by the mile from hospital "A" to hospital "B". Last year we had to med-jet my dad from south Florida to northern Indiana: $17,000 for less than 1,000 air miles. So you can see that if you get in a similar situation overseas you will be in for a big bill without Medjet insurance.

 

Also, you can buy MedJet insurance by the year, or for just a specific trip (14 days for example). When purchased this way, it is not very expensive; considering.

[Orator]

Travel Guard offers a policy that includes medical and dental care as well as evacuation. Available as an annual policy. Has anyone used it? How does it compare to Medjet?

[ghstudio]

Travel Guard offers a policy that includes medical and dental care as well as evacuation. Available as an annual policy. Has anyone used it? How does it compare to Medjet?

 

Do not confuse "evacuation" with what medjet provides. Evacuation means that they will transport you to the nearest medical facility that can provide the medical support you need. But that's where they leave you....they don't provide any additional flights home or anywhere else. That' where medjet comes in. They will fly you home (or wherever you want) based on YOUR request.....even if the hospital giving the treatment in Istanbul (for example) can handle your condition. Let's assume that you want to fly your spouse home to the Mayo Clinic for longer term treatment. Medjet will fly you...your normal travel insurance policy won't...it's that simple.

[Orator]

Do not confuse "evacuation" with what medjet provides. Evacuation means that they will transport you to the nearest medical facility that can provide the medical support you need. But that's where they leave you....they don't provide any additional flights home or anywhere else. That' where medjet comes in. They will fly you home (or wherever you want) based on YOUR request.....even if the hospital giving the treatment in Istanbul (for example) can handle your condition. Let's assume that you want to fly your spouse home to the Mayo Clinic for longer term treatment. Medjet will fly you...your normal travel insurance policy won't...it's that simple.

 

You raise an excellent point. The Travel Guard plan, not you controls the decision to fly you to a hospital of your choice. Will their decision be based on medical necessity or an improvement of their bottom line? I would hope the former, but it just might be the latter. No insurance company wants to pay more than they absolutely need to. The down side to Medjet seems to me to be a gap in medical coverage, especially if you are on Medicare. What might be the best way to fill that gap? Personally, I don't worry about trip cancellation or flight delay. I can afford those loses.

[ghstudio]

You raise an excellent point. The Travel Guard plan, not you controls the decision to fly you to a hospital of your choice. Will their decision be based on medical necessity or an improvement of their bottom line? I would hope the former, but it just might be the latter. No insurance company wants to pay more than they absolutely need to. The down side to Medjet seems to me to be a gap in medical coverage, especially if you are on Medicare. What might be the best way to fill that gap? Personally, I don't worry about trip cancellation or flight delay. I can afford those loses.

 

The least expensive way to get coverage for medical is to get a medigap policy that includes non US medical charges. This will not, however, provide any coverage for the cost of a helicopter to get you from the ship to a hospital on shore....and medjet does not cover that.

[jcrandle]

We had the good fortune to be seated with the ships physician for our dinner seating on a HAL cruise. He was a US board certified emergency room physician. We had just witnessed a helicopter evacuation of one of our cruisers. At dinner that night, I mentioned that I hoped everything had gone well with the situation.

 

Without violating any confidentiality issues, he told us that the patient was stable, and had insurance to cover the medivac. He went on to say that he was experienced with dealing with the insurance companies, and knew how to represent the situation properly to the insurers to make sure that his patient received proper medical care.

 

Needless to say, I was much more comfortable for the rest of that cruise.

[alcpa1]

Our oldest son was a paramedic who occasionally flew Medjet flights to Europe, Africa, and South America. For each of the flights he was on there was a full medical team of physicians, nurses and at least one paramedic depending on the length of the flight. The planes are equipped for life saving and life support. In the state he resided in at the time he could administer certain drugs that a nurse could not. This was why a paramedic was included in the medical team.

Even before he flew with Medjet we had a policy. Our dearest friend's mother suffered a heart attack on a cruise, was airlifted via helicopter to a Caribbean island and once stable, was flown home by Medjet.

To us, it just makes sense.

[HelloMoo]

Why doesn't the travel insurance cover transport back home?

I understand that medical assistance and such is out of your control and up to the government, but you actively choose travel insurance and could choose one that provides you with everything you need if something happens.

 

For instance, my insurance has no monetary limit for transport and will also pay for a family member if needed, either one traveling with me or one being called to my side. I'm not sure if that is the case for the rest of Europe, but it's certainly one of the major reasons for choosing a travel insurance on my part. Of course, in case of delays and lost luggage it's also handy, but you really want it if you get sick or get in an accident.

 

Maybe enough people should phone their insurance companies and request an addition to their policy, maybe in collaboration with MediJet. It would be so much easier for the customers to handle.

[ghstudio]

Why doesn't the travel insurance cover transport back home?

 

For instance, my insurance has no monetary limit for transport and will also pay for a family member if needed, either one traveling with me or one being called to my side. I'm not sure if that is the case for the rest of Europe, but it's certainly one of the major reasons for choosing a travel insurance on my part. Of course, in case of delays and lost luggage it's also handy, but you really want it if you get sick or get in an accident.

 

Does your insurance cover "repatriating" you to your home country at YOUR request? Most do not and, if they will do it at all, they will only do it at the request of your physician in the foreign hospital. That is a VERY big difference between MedJet and other insurances....you can make the request, and if you are stable enough to be transported, they will do so.

Edited July 4, 2011 by ghstudio

[CruisinMommas]

Medjet is a critical part of your insurance, but it does not actually replace any part of your travel insurance. Let me explain....

 

Medjet will fly you from anywhere in the world to the location of your choice, should you need medical evacuation or continued treatment.....but the will not pay for your evacuation to the point of medical treatment (they say this more eloquently in their fine print). For folks who are cruising, that does NOT include transfers from the ship to a hospital or doctor ashore. That part is up to you and/or your travel insurance. Once you have been treated and are medically stable, they will then arrange transportation to wherever you want...eg back to the US.

 

Why is this important? Let's say you have a stroke while abroad. Your travel insurance will cover the cost of getting you from the ship to a hospital...and they will pay for your care in that hospital. But what they won't pay is your travel back to the US, UK or wherever you live....and that's where medjet comes in.

 

We carry medjet thru aarp (no they are not affiliated, they just offer a discount if you purchase thru AARP). We also have Medicare J (no longer offered) which covers up to $50K of foreign medical costs (normal medicare A/B does not cover this nor do most medigap policies). We carry travel insurance as well to cover that first flight from ship to hospital (can cost $25K or more), lost baggage, trip delay (yes we were on the century when it had it's mechanical breakdown and the trip delay insurance helped defray some of our costs).

 

If you don't want to be stranded in some foreign hospital, you should strongly consider medjet or equivalent.

 

Thank you for your clear explanation. This is good information to have and then act on it.

[pattyj 1204]

This is something serious to consider, never thought it would be That expensive to get back home.

[Guest maddycat]

You can purchase medjet assist directly and still recieve the 18% AARP discount. http://www.medjetassist.com/

 

Medjet assist membership includes two seperate transfers per membership per year. To use medjet assist you must be hospitalized as an inpatient more than 150 miles from home.

[alidor]

Travel Guard, on their gold policy offers, an optional uprade for medical assistance. It has the clause to transfer to the "facility of your choice." This option also doubles the emergency evacuation to $1,000,000 from $500,000 that comes standard with their gold policy. I don't believe this "facility of your choice" is offered on any other policy, except their gold policy.

[ghstudio]

Travel Guard, on their gold policy offers, an optional uprade for medical assistance. It has the clause to transfer to the "facility of your choice." This option also doubles the emergency evacuation to $1,000,000 from $500,000 that comes standard with their gold policy. I don't believe this "facility of your choice" is offered on any other policy, except their gold policy.

 

 

This is a case where you must read the fine print to understand exactly what is and what is not covered. Here's the TravelGuard fine print:

 

Covered Emergency Evacuation Expenses: (a)

Medically Necessary transportation, including

Reasonable and Customary medical services and

supplies required for evacuation to the nearest

adequate medical facility or home if medically

required or, if the Umbrella Package is purchased, to

the nearest adequate medical facility of the Insured’s

choice or home (if medically required). This service

will be arranged only if the Insured’s Physician

determines that adequate medical treatment is not

locally available; (b) an escort’s transportation and

accommodations if an escort is recommended, in

writing, by a Physician.

 

This is VERY different than MedJet where you control what is happening and you don't need a doctors certification that movement home is medically required.

 

I strongly suggest that you read http://medjetassist.com/membership/comparingservices.aspx which explains MedJet's terms and why it is so different.

 

Please take the time to read the detail of whatever policy you are thinking of buying.....and don't just assume that the "marketing" hype or some bullet of "features" means you will be covered the way you want.

[HelloMoo]

Does your insurance cover "repatriating" you to your home country at YOUR request? Most do not and, if they will do it at all, they will only do it at the request of your physician in the foreign hospital. That is a VERY big difference between MedJet and other insurances....you can make the request, and if you are stable enough to be transported, they will do so.

 

If you are stable enough to be transtported, you will be transported back home. That's enough for me, I don't assume that my evalutation of my medical status is superior to the physician's.

 

I'm not sure I'm following your argument here, why would someone be kept in a foreign hospital if they are stable enough to be taken home and treated there? I have luckily never had "use" of my travel insurance, but some family friends, whose son was in an accident while on vacation, were sent by medical air transport back home when their son was stable enough to be transported.

 

If what you are saying is that normal travel insurances only covers transport to the nearest hospital and then leaves it up to you to get back home when you're treated, then it doesn't matter if a physician says you're good enough to go or not, you will still have to pay out of your own pocket. IMHO that would be a major fault in the insurance, and would make a service like MediJet neccessary.

 

But if what you are saying is that MediJet let's you decide when you go back home, instead of the physician (as long as you're stable enough), it would sound like scaremongering. "Don't be held hostage by evil foreign doctors who want your money"-type thing.

 

I'm sorry, but this thread is sounding more and more like a sales pitch. I advise people to contact their insurance company and check the fine print.

[ghstudio]

If you are stable enough to be transtported, you will be transported back home. That's enough for me, I don't assume that my evalutation of my medical status is superior to the physician's.

 

I'm not sure I'm following your argument here, why would someone be kept in a foreign hospital if they are stable enough to be taken home and treated there? I have luckily never had "use" of my travel insurance, but some family friends, whose son was in an accident while on vacation, were sent by medical air transport back home when their son was stable enough to be transported.

 

If what you are saying is that normal travel insurances only covers transport to the nearest hospital and then leaves it up to you to get back home when you're treated, then it doesn't matter if a physician says you're good enough to go or not, you will still have to pay out of your own pocket. IMHO that would be a major fault in the insurance, and would make a service like MediJet neccessary.

 

But if what you are saying is that MediJet let's you decide when you go back home, instead of the physician (as long as you're stable enough), it would sound like scaremongering. "Don't be held hostage by evil foreign doctors who want your money"-type thing.

 

I'm sorry, but this thread is sounding more and more like a sales pitch. I advise people to contact their insurance company and check the fine print.

 

It's certainly not a sales pitch, other than a strong suggestion that folks consider it.....and I fully agree, check with the insurance company to see if you will be transported home after being treated in a foreign hospital, and by transported, I mean transported with any medical assistance required, not just a plane ticket.

 

Of call medjet and ask why you should bother to take their insurance....

[sjlm]

Most people reviewing MedJet Assist say they never had to use it but they like it for “peace of mind.” I’ve had it for years and never had to use it, but when I did, I found out my peace of mind was misplaced.

 

My husband and I live in NY and were on a cruise in South Korea last Wednesday when he suffered massive rectal bleeding. We went to a hospital in South Korea and the doctor said we should not remain on the ship, but my husband could travel by air to go home to have surgery or other treatment. We had 3 hours to finish paper work at the hospital, get back to the ship, pack up, make arrangements, and get off the ship before it left the port. I called MedJet and the representative told me that unless my husband was in the hospital, MedJet could not assist me. I explained that he had just left the hospital merely to get ship personnel’s help in making arrangements (which involved 3 airports, 3 flights, one hotel, 4 car-and-drivers) and getting our belongings off the ship before it left. The rep insisted that unless my husband was currently in the hospital he could do nothing to help me. I then had 2 hours to make our own commercial arrangements, but when we got home, I read MedJet Assist materials. Massive bleeding may be considered a major medical event, but even if it were considered merely a minor medical emergency, MedJet was supposed to “determine the appropriate means of transport.” I made the rep repeat several times that if my husband was not currently in the hospital, MedJet would not assist me--no other choices even though he had just come from the hospital.

 

I think if MedJet is successful it’s because almost everyone who pays never attempts to use its services!

[az_tchr]

Two comments - The terms of these policies are VERY specific. sadly if yuor husband had remained in the hospital they would have covered.

Also suggest this thread really belongs and there is a HUGE amount of information under - Other cruise topics under Travel/Insurance. THere is an entire board that gives information on evacuation insurance, travel insurance etc. etc.

FWIW - I was hospitalized in Australia some years ago and had a policy for evacuation as we were travelling in the outback. The company would not evacuate me as the hospital said I would be probably released in a week to 10 days. The issue being would it be cheaper to treat me overseas? Was adequate treatment available overseas?

Bottom line - if you get evacuation insurance make sure it is part of a complete medical policy and not stand alone!

Edited October 12, 2015 by az_tchr

[Host Jazzbeau]

Snowbirds: the annual MedJet policy doesn't require that you be out of the country, only that you be admitted to a hospital that is 150 miles from your home. This means if you have a serious problem in your temporary southern nest, you can get MedJet to fly you back North to your hospital and doctors of choice.