*Note: This deeply relevant article has been re-arranged to highlight the coverage elements that we feel are most important. Nothing has been changed or edited, beyond moving some info to the top. Please visit the original link for the unedited version.
This coverage provides for medically necessary evacuation to a medical facility, medically equipped flights to return home, or the repatriation of mortal remains to your primary residence. (A repatriation definition is provided below.)
Summary
- All medical evacuations and repatriations must be approved and coordinated with the travel insurance provider
- Not all plans provide for the return of minor children or bedside visits
- Emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage does not extend to visits to your home country
Important notes about this coverage
- Emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage does not extend to your home country
- All medical evacuations must be approved in advance and coordinated with the travel insurance plan agents
- In a situation of repatriation, your representative must contact the travel insurance provider to make arrangements
- Some plans provide reimbursement to bring a friend or family member to your bedside if you are hospitalized for at least 7 days
- Some plans provide reimbursement to return dependent children home if you are hospitalized for at least 7 days
- Benefits paid for evacuation and/or repatriation are less the cost of your unused return travel ticket
Let us tell you a story
Carol and her young son, Jacob, were on a skiing holiday in Switzerland. Carol’s husband, Richard, had to remain at home due to concerns about a buyout at his employer.
On their second afternoon, Carol was skiing some distance behind Jacob when her ski caught an icy edge and she tumbled off the slope into a deep ravine. Jacob witnessed the accident and was able to ski down to alert the rescue teams who found Carol nearly buried in snow, unconscious, and bleeding. The team at the bottom of the slopes worked with Jacob to call his father in the States and Richard contacted their travel insurance provider for assistance. Carol was air-lifted to a nearby hospital where they began treating her injuries. Richard was able to join his family with emergency travel assistance from the travel insurance plan operators. A week later, when Carol was stable and able to travel, their travel insurance provider arranged a commercial flight to send the family home.
What does Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation insurance cover?
The emergency medical evacuation coverage provides benefits payable up to the policy limit in if the insured suffers a medical emergency and requires transportation. It’s important to understand that this coverage is not medical coverage. Instead, it is coverage for medically necessary transportation.
The method of evacuation is determine based on the patient’s condition and location. For example, in less severe cases (such as a broken leg) a patient may be transported by air and then transferred to commercial airline service. In other cases, evacuations are complex procedures involving:
- evaluation of transportation requirements such as oxygen, special equipment, altitude, etc.
- coordination of admission to an appropriate medical facility
- identification of appropriate air transportation and medical escort if necessary
- coordination of ground transportation at both ends of the evacuation
- immigration and flight clearances
- assistance with travel arrangements
If you are seriously ill or injured during your trip, this coverage will determine the closest medical facility appropriate to your needs and make arrangements and pay to transport you to that facility. After receiving medical care, this coverage provides assistance arranging and paying for you to be transported by commercial transportation carrier to either:
- your primary residence,
- a location of your choice within the United States, or
- a medical facility near your primary residence or, with some plans, location of choice in the United States.
In many policies, emergency medical transportation coverage also includes the following benefits:
- Bringing a friend or family member to the medical facility where you are being treated.
- Returning your dependent children to your home or to a location of your choice.
Repatriation definition
The term repatriation is not familiar to most travelers, so we’ve provided a definition here. Repatriation coverage means that the travel insurance company arranges for and handles the transportation necessary to return a covered person’s body to his or her home or to a nearby funeral or cremation facility.
This benefit will arrange and pay for reasonable and necessary expenses, including, but not limited to, expenses for embalming, an appropriate container for transportation, and shipping costs to transport your remains via the most direct and economical route.
Some travel insurance plans also provide non medical evacuation services or security/political evacuations.
What is NOT covered
This benefit does not include funeral, burial, or cremation expenses or related containment expenses for items such as urns or coffins.
Is there coverage for non U.S. citizens?
Yes, there are some travel insurance plans that provide this coverage for non U.S. citizens. Specifically:
- Diplomat America from Global Underwriters
- Inbound Guest and Inbound Immigrant from Seven Corners
What type of policy covers this?
All travel insurance companies offer at least a few plans ‒ both travel and medical plans ‒ with emergency medical evacuation and repatriation benefits. In some travel plans, the travel insurance company may not provide additional benefits for the return of dependent children or a bedside visit.
How much coverage does each company provide?
| POLICY | COMPANY | RETURN OF CHILDREN | BEDSIDE VISIT | POLICY LIMIT | REPATRIATION LIMIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickTrip Protector | Allianz | Yes | Yes | $300,000 | |
| Classic | Allianz | Yes | Yes | $500,000 | |
| Annual Business Traveler | Allianz | Yes | $250,000 | ||
| Annual Travel Protection | Allianz | Yes | Yes | $100,000 | |
| Deluxe | Allianz | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| Drive Protection | Allianz | Yes | Yes | $15,000 | |
| Med Evac | Allianz | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| Basic | Allianz | Yes | Yes | $50,000 | |
| Custom | CSA | Yes * | Yes | $250,000 | |
| Custom Luxe | CSA | Yes * | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| TravMed Choice | FrontierMEDEX | Yes * | Yes * | $100,000 | $20,000 |
| TraveMed Global | FrontierMEDEX | No limit | No limit | ||
| TravMed International | FrontierMEDEX | No limit | No limit | ||
| SafeTrip | FrontierMEDEX | Yes | Yes | No limit | No limit |
| TravMed Abroad | FrontierMEDEX | Yes | Yes | No limit | No limit |
| Plus Scholastic | FrontierMEDEX | Yes | Yes | No limit | No limit |
| Essential | Global Alert | Yes | Yes | $50,000 | |
| Preferred Plus | Global Alert | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| Preferred | Global Alert | Yes | Yes | $500,000 | |
| Diplomat LT | Global Underwriters | Yes | $300,000 | $20,000 | |
| Diplomat International | Global Underwriters | Yes | $300,000 | $20,000 | |
| Diplomat America | Global Underwriters | Yes | $300,000 | $20,000 | |
| International Group Medical | Global Underwriters | Yes | $5,000-$75,000 | $5,000-$50,000 | |
| TravelGap Voyager | HTH Worldwide | Yes * | $500,000 | $25,000 | |
| Trip Protector Preferred | HTH Worldwide | Yes * | $1,000,000 | ||
| Global Citizen (annual) | HTH Worldwide | $100,000 | $25,000 | ||
| TravelGap Multi-trip Gold | HTH Worldwide | Yes * | $500,000 | $25,000 | |
| TravelGap Excursion | HTH Worldwide | Yes * | $500,000 | $25,000 | |
| TravelGap Multi-trip Silver | HTH Worldwide | Yes * | $250,000 | $15,000 | |
| Trip Protector | HTH Worldwide | Yes * | $1,000,000 | ||
| Advantage Complete | MH Ross | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| Advantage Asset | MH Ross | Yes | Yes | $50,000 | |
| Advantage Bridge | MH Ross | Yes | Yes | $500,000 | |
| RoundTrip Elite | Seven Corners | $500,000 | |||
| Liaison Worldwide | Seven Corners | Yes | Yes | $300,000 | $50,000 |
| Liaison Silver | Seven Corners | Yes | Yes | $300,000 | $50,000 |
| RoundTrip Economy | Seven Corners | $250,000 | |||
| RoundTrip | Seven Corners | Yes | Yes | $350,000 | |
| RoundTrip Choice | Seven Corners | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| Liaison Majestic | Seven Corners | Yes | Yes | $300,000 | $50,000 |
| Liaison International | Seven Corners | Yes | Yes | $300,000 | $50,000 |
| Liaison Reside | Seven Corners | $25,000-$50,000 | $20,000-$25,000 | ||
| Wander Frequent Traveler | Seven Corners | Yes | Yes | $300,000 | $50,000 |
| Inbound Immigrant | Seven Corners | $10,000 | $7,500 | ||
| Liaison Continent | Seven Corners | Yes | Yes | $300,000 | $50,000 |
| Liaison Student | Seven Corners | Yes * | $100,000 | $25,000 | |
| Liaison Traveler (multi-trip) | Seven Corners | Yes * | Yes | $20,000 | |
| Inbound Guest | Seven Corners | $50,000 | $7,500 | ||
| Liaison Reside Prime | Seven Corners | Yes * | $250,000 | $25,000 | |
| Missionary | Seven Corners | Yes * | Yes * | $50,000 | $7,500 |
| Travel Plus | Travelex | $2,000,000 | |||
| Business Traveler | Travelex | $1,000,000 | |||
| Travel Lite | Travelex | $50,000 | |||
| Basic | Travelex | $100,000 | |||
| Travel Select Advantage | Travelex | $500,000 | |||
| Business Traveler | Travelex | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) |
| Travel Max | Travelex | $1,000,000 | |||
| Travel Select | Travelex | $500,000 | |||
| Silver | Travel Guard | $150,000 | |||
| Savvy Traveler | Travel Guard | $100,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) | ||
| Sportsman’s Travel ** | Travel Guard | Yes | $500,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) | |
| TravelRite | Travel Guard | Yes | $100,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) | |
| Worldwide Health International | Travel Guard | Yes | Yes | $500,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) |
| Platinum | Travel Guard | Yes | $1,000,000 | ||
| Tee, Tour, and Travel ** | Travel Guard | Yes | $500,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) | |
| My Travel Guard | Travel Guard | $100,000 | |||
| Basic | Travel Guard | $100,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) | ||
| Adventure ** | Travel Guard | Yes | $500,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) | |
| Pack ‘n Go | Travel Guard | $300,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) | ||
| Business Traveler | Travel Guard | Yes | $500,000 | (included in Evacuation limit) | |
| Gold | Travel Guard | Yes | $500,000 | ||
| MedEvac (annual) | Travel Guard | Yes | Yes | No limit | |
| Basic | Travel Guard | $100,000 | |||
| WorldMed | Travel Insurance Services | Yes | $100,000-$500,000 | $20,000-$50,000 | |
| Study USA | Travel Insurance Services | Yes | $500,000 | $100,000 | |
| Select Elite | Travel Insurance Services | Yes | Yes | $100,000 | |
| InterMedical | Travel Insurance Services | Yes | Yes | $50,000-$75,000 | $7,500 |
| Select Basic | Travel Insurance Services | Yes | Yes | $25,000 | |
| Visit USA | Travel Insurance Services | $75,000-$150,000 | $20,000 | ||
| Select Plus | Travel Insurance Services | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| Trip Protector Lite Expanded | Travel Insured | Yes | Yes | $100,000 | |
| Trip Protector Lite | Travel Insured | $200,000 | $100,000 | ||
| Worldwide Trip Protector | Travel Insured | Yes | Yes | $500,000 | |
| Worldwide Trip Protector Gold | Travel Insured | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| Atlas Travel Medical | Travel Insured | Yes | Yes | $500,000 | $50,000-$1,000,000 |
| Protect-a-Group | TravelSafe | Yes | Yes | $100,000 | |
| Vacation Classic | TravelSafe | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 | |
| Vacation | TravelSafe | Yes | Yes | $1,000,000 |
* Limited maximum payout
** Optional upgrade