I don’t know about you, but no matter my age, when I’m sick, I still long for cinnamon toast, served by my mom, while I’m tucked securely in my own bed. Being sick or injured away from the comforts of home or a familiar place makes any health situation infinitely worse.
Many people are very familiar with traditional travel insurance and, after a year of trip cancellations, and a reminder of just how vulnerable our health can be, especially while traveling, the popularity of these policies is skyrocketing. Peace of mind while traveling, after all, enables the ability to truly enjoy the trip. You probably know that basic travel insurance typically covers trip cancellations, lost baggage, and basic medical expenses; however, most medical evacuation coverage is simply to the nearest “acceptable medical facility,” leaving one to wonder who determines the acceptable facility criteria. Depending on where you are exploring, particularly in more remote countries or regions, these facilities may look nothing like the hospitals in the United States. That is where the basic travel insurance assistance ends.
No one wants to be stranded in a hospital they are not comfortable with, in an unfamiliar country or territory, especially if they require surgery or extended care. That is why it is imperative to have an additional backup plan. Medjet understands there is no place like home and, in 1991, they became the first company to provide air-medical transportation memberships to get travelers moved to their hospitals at home. Today, they are the program of choice for the top travel experts and organizations like AARP and the NFL.
Global Air-Medical Transportation + Travel Security
Global air-medical transportation is a service that provides airplane transportation back home to a hospital of choice for travelers who find themselves in an unfortunate health crisis resulting in hospitalization while abroad. Think about it this way: A few days into a much-anticipated vacation to a faraway resort, you or your travel companion falls ill, or trips on a step and breaks an ankle. You wind up in the nearest emergency medical facility in a foreign country, hoping to find a doctor or nurse who speaks your language, uncertain about how long a stay or what treatment will be required. Panic ensues, as it would for anyone facing a medical crisis away from home.
Unfortunately, this situation is much more common than one may think. Check out the statistics below, courtesy of Medjet:
- Even before COVID-19, 1 in 30 trips abroad ended in a medical emergency.
- Over 10 million travelers are hospitalized abroad each year, millions more while traveling domestically.
- 3 out of 4 travelers are concerned for their safety, even to places where they used to feel safe.
Security is a growing concern post-pandemic and during present-day turmoil. Many destinations dependent on tourism have seen an uptick in crime, and many people are taking extra precautions. Medjet’s enhanced membership, MedjetHorizon, adds 24/7 travel security and crisis response benefits, including evacuation in case of natural disaster or political unrest.
How do you avoid worrying about, or worse, facing, this type of nightmarish situation? The answer is joining a medical transportation and travel protection membership program, such as Medjet, that can get you safely back home.
Medjet: The Perfect Travel Insurance Companion
Medjet is the original and leading provider of air-medical transportation and travel security for residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, trusted for over 30 years. Their membership program offers hospital-to-hospital transportation services for travelers both nationally and internationally (150 miles or more away from home). Many people do not realize that their basic health or travel insurance policies do not cover air medical transport to a home hospital either, which is a hefty out-of-pocket bill when not covered. And it can be just as scary to be stuck in a strange hospital a few states away as it is to be stuck halfway around the world. Medjet covers all costs associated with the transport, bedside-to-bedside, with no copay and no fee — it is simply included as part of your short-term or annual membership fee.
Additionally, Medjet goes the extra mile in member care and will stay in touch with the family and employers of the member, relaying pertinent information. It helps provide complete peace of mind for anyone traveling, including those on a first-time solo trip, adventuring through a remote destination, or simply relaxing on a tropical island.
Medjet Memberships: Options And Costs
Medjet offers two different types of membership, depending on coverage needs. If you are uncertain about which type of coverage is right for you, take their super simple quiz to be directed appropriately.
MedjetAssist
MedjetAssist is the basic air-medical transportation membership tier. If a MedjetAssist member is hospitalized while traveling more than 150 miles from home, Medjet will arrange all-expenses-paid plane transport for the member back to their home hospital of choice, regardless of medical necessity. This applies to both personal and business travel.
MedjetAssist membership is available for the low cost of only $295/year for an individual, or $399/year for a full family. If you are looking for short-term
coverage for a specific trip, they also offer 8-, 15-, 21-, or 30-day memberships starting at $99 for an individual, or $199 for a full family. Click here to find out more.
MedjetHorizon
MedjetHorizon is the upgraded air-medical transportation membership, which includes an extra layer of protection while traveling. In addition to the benefits of MedjetAssist, MedjetHorizon also includes travel security and crisis response services in partnership with the corporate security experts at FocusPoint International. This added security benefit is unlike other global travel transport and security memberships and does not rely on government-issued evacuation notices. Rather, MedjetHorizon members have full access to FocusPoint International’s crisis center in case of security threats such as terrorism, natural disasters, political threats and wars, and much more.
MedjetHorizon membership is available for only $444/year for an individual, $578/year for a full family. Like the MedjetAssist membership, it can also be purchased short-term — click here to find out more.
For further reading about travel protection, check out:
