Medical Evacuation Insurance: Safety Assured Even When You're Not In Control
More than 30 people on board the cruise ship Costa Concordia were critically wounded when the cruise ship collided with a reef close to the Italian coast. The passengers needed immediate medical help, which was possible only by evacuating them to the nearest medical facilityunder medical supervisionin an air ambulance. Evacuating the passengers was an expensive move and could cost anything between $50,000 and $200,000. The important point, however, was that this money would have to be paid by the passengersunless they were covered by medical evacuation insurance.
As per the rules laid down by the US Department of State, every student visitor to the United States, whether they are international students and their dependents on F1 or F2 visas, or exchange program visitors and their dependents on J1 or J2 visas, must have medical evacuation insurance. So, it is compulsory for applicants to submit proof of medical evacuation insurance before they can register for classes.
The best plans in the market offer affordable insurance cover for medical evacuation and repatriation of travelers less than 65 years of age, including international students. For a premium of $76, medical evacuation expenses up to $100,000 and repatriation expenses up to $20,000 are covered for three months. The cover is valid only outside the country of citizenship.
A good medical evacuation insurance plan will see to it that the policy holder is not required to spend any money for transport, medication, hospitalization, or repatriation. Normally, the plan pays for evacuation or repatriation without expecting any payment from the policy holder.
The plans may be purchased for a single person, a couple, or a family, for coverage periods of 3, 6, or 12 months. The insured persons can also reapply for additional coverage periods.
Although evacuation insurance usually excludes pre-existing conditions, a few plans offer the added benefit of cover for emergency evacuation needed when a pre-existing condition recurs unexpectedly. This additional cover could be for up to $25,000.
As an added benefit, good evacuation plans also offer personal liability insurance/cover of up to $2,000after a $100 deductiblefor injury to a third person and benefits of up to $100,000 for accidental death and dismemberment of the insured, including traveling dependents of the plan holder.
It is important to note that typical medical evacuation insurance plans do not cover medical expensesthey cover only the costs of transporting injured or ill people to the nearest medical facilities or the costs of transporting the mortal remains of insured persons to their home country. However, it is possible to add medical cover of up to $25,000 per policy period for a 60-day trip.
About the Author
Adele Pitt writes about travel and travel insurance. Learn more at http://www.emedicalevacuationinsurance.com/
Tell others about
this page:
Comments? Questions? Email Here