Is MedJet Assist necessary?

[Coral]

I have previously purchased Medjet Assist when traveling internationally, especially in places where I do not want to be hospitalized (Russia for example). I don't buy it every year.

 

I had to use trip insurance recently. I had Allianz and I was just in Canada and broke my wrist (US Citizen). I did not buy Medjet Assist this past year so I had to rely on my Allianz plan. My Allianz plan has $1 Million in emergency evacuation (and covers pre-existing conditions when bought at final payment).

 

Granted this was just a broken wrist which would require surgery and I was not hospitalized. I did not want surgery in Canada as I had a bad experience in the ER and just wanted to get home. After I left the ER, I called Allianz and they went to work on getting me home.

 

Sunday - I called Allianz and told them I had a broken wrist (needed surgery) and wanted to get home. They advised me to get a hotel and call hem back once I was in a hotel. I called them back. I spoke to a travel doctor there who asked questions about what I could and could not do (walk, sit, etc....) He approved of a medical escort to meet me at my hotel and fly me home. Allianz personnel also versed me in my coverage (keep receipts, how much I could spend in hotels and food, etc...)  The travel doctor did make me go back to the ER to have my cast bivalved (they probably should not have put me in a cast according to US doctors). 

 

Monday morning - they sent me flight arrangements to approve for Tuesday flights. I was impressed. It was a holiday weekend and I was going home 2 days later. I did go back to the ER to have my cast bivalved and had them write "fit to fly" on a piece of paper. The ER original notes indicated they recommend I fly home to have surgery as I wouldn't be around Vancouver for follow up). I just wanted the "fit to fly" as extra backup.

 

Tuesday morning - paramedic met me at the hotel and he took care of everything and escorted me through airline, customs, and then on flights home all the way to a SUV limo type vehicle to take me home after the plane ride.

 

The company Allianz hired has private planes and they will do medical evacuations from hospital to hospital. I now realize the questions the travel doctor asked were if I could fly commercial or not (and if I was stable to travel). I spent 17 hours with this paramedic flying home and he frequently travels the world picking people up at hospitals and flying them back to their home city to a hospital back home. So I understand the type of company Allianz hired to get me home, even if I didn't require a private plane.

 

If Allianz is giving me $1 million for medical evacuation - why would I need Medjet Assist? I guess I probably need to call Allianz and ask if they will fly me home as opposed to nearest hospital but when I mentioned I did not want to have surgery in Canada and wanted to go home, they immediately got to work on getting me home.

 

Just wanted to say "kudos to Allianz". They were excellent to deal with. Also kudos to the company they hired to get me home (Life Support) - great experience.