Medivac Question

[crilski]

My husband and I have purchased lifetime Medivac insurance.  Before we travel, we need to report to them where we will be traveling.  I sometimes travel and cruise solo.  When I am on a cruise ship - and if something were to happen - how will the cruise know I have insurance?  My daughter is my emergency number.  What if she can't get to her phone immediately?  Can I go to Guest Services and let them know my insurance information?  Seems that would be a good thing to ask in our pre-cruise information.  It would be great to just enter in all insurance information before I cruise.  Thoughts?

[Joseph2017China]

1 hour ago, crilski said:

My husband and I have purchased lifetime Medivac insurance.  Before we travel, we need to report to them where we will be traveling.  I sometimes travel and cruise solo.  When I am on a cruise ship - and if something were to happen - how will the cruise know I have insurance?  My daughter is my emergency number.  What if she can't get to her phone immediately?  Can I go to Guest Services and let them know my insurance information?  Seems that would be a good thing to ask in our pre-cruise information.  It would be great to just enter in all insurance information before I cruise.  Thoughts?

Except the ship doesn't bill the insurance company, so it's not really a needed item to collect.  Plus it's not a requirement to travel.  Like many doctors/hospitals, they will treat you to stabilize you.  The decision for transport depends on the safety of location, your issue, and how urgent it might be.  You don't get medivac just because you have insurance, and it doesn't "just" happen instantly.  You will need to pay up front or have the insurance company make any arrangements. 

[ATG]

I would expect that if you are traveling alone and were injured or ill and unable to talk to the staff, they would look at the papers in your safe.  I would leave a copy of the information on your policy in the safe.  

[pcur]

Which insurance company sells a lifetime medical evacuation policy?

[SRF]

If this is Medijet, then it kicks in once you are hospitalized.  Then, they will, at YOUR option (assuming you can travel at all), medevac you to the hospital of your choice.

 

By then, your daughter should be in the loop.

 

Medevac from the ship to shore is normally free.  Supplied by the government of whoever can reach and transport you.

[XSWABBY]

👍

[crilski]

On 2/20/2020 at 1:44 PM, pcur said:

Which insurance company sells a lifetime medical evacuation policy?

 

MASA - (Medical Air Services Association)

 

I see good and bad reviews - hopefully I never have to test them!

 

[gatour]

While I don't have first hand experience with this my recommendation would be...

 

1.  Make sure you have a valid emergency contact information file with you booking.  In this case it is your daughter, so you are good there.

2.  Make sure your daughter has copies of the insurance policies and contact information for the company.

3.  Have copies your insurance policy in your room safe.

4.  Have contact information for your husband in the room safe.

5.  Make sure your husband has copies of the insurance policy and contact information for the company.

 

As someone else has said, medevac is not a forgone conclusion.  On board ship they will stabilize you and head to a port if needed.  They may utilize a helicopter to get you to shore if heading back to a port is not feasible. (this is different than being medevaced back to the states).  You will be transported to a local hospital.  By then if not sooner your daughter/husband should be in the loop

[chengkp75]

I don't know of any circumstance where a cruise ship (or any ship for that matter) will allow a commercial helicopter to make an approach to, let alone a landing or winch retrieval, for a medical evacuation (rare cases for pilot transfer).  So, as far as the cruise line is concerned, whether you have medivac insurance (which would not cover the flight from the ship anyway) or not is irrelevant.  Medical evacuation from ships at sea are provided by national services (various nation's Coast Guard or Maritime Service) at no charge as per the IMO's SAR (Search and Rescue) and UNCLOS (United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea) conventions.

[fla gang]

You are as always, such a wealth of information Chief. Thank you sir!

[pcur]

On 2/23/2020 at 1:39 PM, crilski said:

 

MASA - (Medical Air Services Association)

 

I see good and bad reviews - hopefully I never have to test them!

 

Thanks!

[SRF]

On 2/24/2020 at 5:17 AM, chengkp75 said:

I don't know of any circumstance where a cruise ship (or any ship for that matter) will allow a commercial helicopter to make an approach to, let alone a landing or winch retrieval, for a medical evacuation (rare cases for pilot transfer).  So, as far as the cruise line is concerned, whether you have medivac insurance (which would not cover the flight from the ship anyway) or not is irrelevant.  Medical evacuation from ships at sea are provided by national services (various nation's Coast Guard or Maritime Service) at no charge as per the IMO's SAR (Search and Rescue) and UNCLOS (United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea) conventions.

 

We had a helicopter evac off of Grandeur of the Seas, while still in the Chesapeake Bay.

 

The helicopter was not USCG.  Unless USCG has started flying MBB helicopters.  It hovered off the side of the ship for a good long time.

[shippmates]

My husband had a helicopter evac from Labadee.  It was a private helicopter that we learned later was from the hopsital he was taken to in the Dominican Republic. I am not sure what the charge was unless it was included in the hospital bill.

[davelinde]

I am also curious about the details of med-evac while at sea or from a port.  We don't take trip insurance but for our longer cruises we've gotten medical emergency coverage and hope to never use it.

 

I once had a contract employee I supervised fall ill in Russia (Moscow) and the quality of care was questionable so we got him med-evac'd to Helsinki where he got excellent (and free) care.  There was an extended debate about who was to pay the $20K bill for the flight since all employees had corporate insurance and the trip was approved by others assuming it applied to contract employees... but I digress.  It's expensive and for the one case I knew personally I think the flight saved his life.