A copy of Derek's tips on Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance from the January, 2006 meeting of the Travel Club.
This is the first in a series of 3 Travel Skills Discussions on Travel Insurance. Wilbur Jackson will introduce "Health Insurance for Travelers" at the February 9, and Peter Ronai will discuss "Trip Cancellation Insurance (TCI)" at the March 9 meeting. Since TCI is usually sold as a package that includes some EMEI and some Health Insurance (but you MUST check the fine print), the first two of these 3 discussions are aimed at those of you who don't usually purchase TCI.
EMEI covers two risks that are uncommon, but potentially very expensive:
1) Emergency Medical Evacuation: The insurer provides 24/7 coverage at a call center that will accept a COLLECT call from you or your traveling companion. The service will promptly contact one of their own medical advisors, who will consult both your own primary physician, if available, and any doctor who might have appeared at the scene of emergency, before making arrangements for emergency evacuation to the nearest center where appropriate medical treatment can be provided. It is critical that you understand:
a) Preapproval of emergency services is mandatory. You can't make your own arrangements and then expect the insurer to pay.
b) The medical advisor, NOT YOU, chooses the nearest center that can provide a first world standard of medical care. In the case of the Bungle Bungles, the service would probably fly you to and your travelling companion to Perth; if you were in Vietnam or Cambodia, they would take you to Hong Kong or Singapore; from most parts of Southern Africa, you would be flown to Johannesburg. If you insist on being flown home directly, it will be at YOUR EXPENSE. Once your emergency has been treated, the insurance company will pick up the additional costs of rescheduling your flight home, as well as those of your companion. If you don't have a companion with you, most insurers will provide round trip transportation for a designated companion to come to your hospital, IF your hospitalization is expected to exceed 7 days. Any minor children traveling with you would be flown home, with an escort if necessary. The total of all these costs can be very substantial, typically over $10,000 and sometimes in the $50,000 - $100.000 range.
c) EMEI typically covers only transportation, NOT the costs of the medical treatment itself - for that you need to carry appropriate health insurance, which will be discussed by Wilbur Jackson at the February 9 meeting. However, at least one insurer* does sell a combined EMEI & Health Insurance policy.
2) Death: While the costs of repatriating your mortal remains is likely to be lower than evacuation of a live person, the necessary paperwork and legal requirements are infinitely more burdensome for grieving family members. The insurance company will handle all the complex arrangements, varying substantially with the location of death.
Who should buy EMEI?
If you don't buy TCI, which typically includes at least $50,000 EME in a package deal, you should seriously consider buying a specific EMEI policy, unless your travel is confined to the USA or you are very young and in excellent health. Because these risks are infrequent, the cost of EMEI is low, yet your potential exposure to uninsured loss is considerable.
Some insurance providers are:
1) Divers Alert Network (DAN), (1-800-446-2671; www.diversalertnetwork.org )is available to both divers and non-divers of any age. Because this is a non profit organization, that doesn't pay commissions, and its membership tends to be young and healthy, the cost of coverage up to $100000 per person of EMEI is only $44 A YEAR for family membership and $29 for singles. This organization has been my personal choice for the last 3 years.
2) Travelers Emergency Network (TENS), (1-800-984-3203; www.tenweb.com). Family membership $159 a year for $100,000 EMEI (higher premium for ages over 60). I used them in the past, until I became familiar with DAN.
3) Information on other commercial companies is available at www.insuremytrip.com.
4) Combined EMEI & Health Insurance* is sold by TravelGuard, (1-800-826-8044; www.travelguard.com) which provides UNLIMITED EMEI and $25,000 of Health Insurance PER TRIP for as many trips as you wish to take in a year, so long as none of them exceed 90 days. Annual premiums are $185 per person & $296 per family for ages up to age 75; the premiums double for ages 75-85. Lower rates are available on a per trip basis, depending on length.
