#BringDianaJamesHome | Medical Evacuation

Our Experience Without Travel Insurance, and What We Have Learned

Posted on July 15, 2023July 21, 2023 by Aaron

When Diana first fell into a coma after her subdural hematoma one of our hindsight regrets was not having purchased travel insurance. In a study by AAA, only 38% of Americans plan to or have purchased travel insurance for international flights. Our family has had little experience with international travel. Diana’s ticket was purchased by a family friend to bring her out to Portugal for a visit. Often, it is during the process of booking a ticket where travel insurance is purchased, their coverage can be decent, but at times more expensive than purchasing it separately, and with fewer options than what can be acquired through a more tailored plan.

Since she fell into a coma we have researched deeply into travel insurance to see how it could have helped us, and to help others avoid the same situation. With the most expensive problem, international air medical repatriation, there seems to be only 2 specialized options that would have helped. However, We do want to highlight where general travel medical insurance would have been valuable to us. In this post, we will explore the different options for travel insurance, and where it would have had the most impact in our situation.

Air ambulance insurance coverage for medical repatriation and evacuation

Posted on July 1, 2023July 19, 2023 by Aaron

Original Link | Air Medical Service Worldwide

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Medical Air Service is an internationally renowned air ambulance company that connects patients and health-care providers all over the world. In a critical medical condition, do you or a loved one require a timely and reliable transfer from one hospital to another across the globe?

Count on us for your medical flights! They are specially designed to relieve you of the stress of aeromedical repatriation and evacuation, and are coordinated by our teams of experienced medical personnel and flight attendants. However, does your health or travel insurance cover our services? While some policies do, gaps in coverage can leave you struggling to pay large bills. Here are a few of the most important highlights.

Is air ambulance covered by insurance?

Generally, standard medical insurance does not cover air ambulances
For your medical flight to be covered by insurance, you must have air ambulance coverage
Air ambulance coverage is, sometimes, included in travel insurance plans
Read your insurance policy carefully or ask your insurer about air ambulance coverage
Medical Air Service can organize your air ambulance flight, even if you do not have air ambulance coverage.

MEDICAL EVACUATION – State Department Guidelines for Embassies

Posted on November 2, 2022July 19, 2023 by Aaron

Original Link | U.S Department of State | Foreign Affairs Manual

*FAM (Foreign Affairs Manual), This document lays out the expectations and boundaries placed on US Embassies in relation to Air Ambulance flights for Medical Evacuation for US Citizens stuck abroad.

7 FAM 361 SUMMARY

7 FAM 361.1 Patient Stabilization

(CT:CON-120; 12-06-2005)

When a U.S. citizen/non-citizen national is ill or injured abroad, the patient or the family may desire to have the patient return home immediately. The U.S. embassy or consulate cannot make medical decisions about a patient. Local law determines who is entitled to make decisions about the patient. The attending physician in the host country also generally must make a determination that the patient is stable enough to travel. Airlines and air ambulance services usually will not transport a patient if the attending physician concludes the patient’s condition would be further harmed by the flight. Air carriers and air ambulance services may consult their own physicians to review documentation from the attending physician in the host country before undertaking to carry the patient. 7 FAM 390 provides guidance about disembarking, reception and resettlement in the United States.

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