Cover for critical situations

Medical air evacuation isn’t for patients who are mobile and suffering from turista or sea-sickness, it’s for those who suffer catastrophic illness or accidents while away from home; primarily cardiac events, strokes, or serious vehicle accidents.

No matter where in the world you are going, from the most remote region to an urban center teeming with people, if you have a serious health issue and want to make certain that you can get from wherever you are to specific medical facilities back home as quickly as possible, you’ll need a medical evacuation plan designed to transport you to your doctors, your family, your healthcare network—and a hospital of choice in your home country.

You may have arrived at your destination aboard a commercial airline, but if you’re showing signs of serious illness, you may not be allowed to board to get back home. If you can’t get home, you may have a long convalescence period in a foreign country —away from family and friends— unless you are evacuated.

Medical evacuation coverage is far more than a private flight home

We spoke with Grant Conway of Travel MedEvac Insurance, a US-based medical evacuation insurance plan provider for travelers and foreign residents, to learn more about air medical evacuation. What we discovered is that medical evacuation is much more than a private flight.

Yes, there are planes with pilots and medical personnel on standby; however, to offer a safe, reliable, and high quality bed-to-bed service—where you are taken from one hospital room via ambulance to the nearest airport, flown to your destination city abroad, with another ambulance to the hospital of your choice—it’s essential to have a highly-accredited provider who can manage the complex logistics.

With a medical evacuation plan in place, everything is taken care of for you: including consultation with all the relevant medical professionals, and fully-managed ground and air transportation in tandem with the complex logistics involved to carry out international medical repatriations.

It’s expensive and complex if you don’t have a cover plan

Although you can work directly with an air-evacuation company, the costs are high—typically in the tens of thousands of US-dollars per incident. Most people who receive a medical evacuation do so under the auspice of a medical evacuation plan from a company like Travel MedEvac insurance, that offers fully-underwritten medical evacuation insurance plans lasting from days to a whole year.

While air evacuation plans may not necessarily be considered  by some foreign residents and snowbirds who intend to receive all of their medical care in Mexico, there are some who prefer being treated in their home town, by doctors they know and trust—and near the support of family and friends as they recover. Having a medical evacuation plan can facilitate that when warranted by the circumstances.

You can learn more on our extensive guide to Medical Evacuation from Mexico—that describes in detail what a medical evacuation service is, who needs it, and how to arrange a suitable plan.

If you do not have a medical evacuation insurance plan that will bring you to your home hospital of choice and are hospitalized with a serious or critical condition, there are several things to consider:

Medical evacuation is expensive

If you’re not covered by a medical evacuation plan, the cost of a medical evacuation from Mexico to the United States or Canada may run from US$25,000 to US$60,000 for a dedicated air-ambulance to transport you from Mexico back to the US or Canada, and more if your home country is in Europe or Asia.

Hospitals and doctors may have air ambulance providers they recommend for such a transport if needed, but it is important to know exactly who is transporting you, their level of expertise, experience and if they are qualified for such a transport.

Who’s transporting you or your loved one?

The air ambulance industry is not as well regulated as people may expect.  There are FAA or similar requirements on aircraft to be maintained, nurses, medics and doctors need licenses, but the experience, the type of aircraft utilized for an evacuation, the medical equipment, and the level of care available can vary greatly and put you and your loved ones at risk if you choose the wrong provider.

Accreditation matters

Mark Jones, Vice Chairman of Air Ambulance Worldwide and industry expert explains that, “when time is of the essence during a critical medical emergency one of the key factors to ensure your care is provided by experienced flight nurses, medics and doctors and using state-of the art medically equipped aircraft is to choose either a  CAMTS of EURAMI accredited air ambulance provider.”

Less than 20% of the air ambulance companies achieve these levels of accreditation due to the rigorous inspections and standards of excellence required to ensure their patients a safe medical transport each and every time.  We recommend contacting Air Ambulance Worldwide, a EURAMI accredited provider with annual permits to transport you or a loved one should you need a medical evacuation.

Medical evacuation without coverage

If you don’t have evacuation coverage, you’ll be required make full payment upfront which can create a substantial financial burden on the patient and their loved ones to make such an arrangement during a critical time.  A highly accredited provider like Air Ambulance Worldwide has extensive experience of medical air-evacuation from Mexico and can help you mitigate these risks.

Membership plans versus regulated insurance plans

It’s important to choose a Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan that is regulated, compliant and only utilizes accredited air ambulance providers. Many of the membership and assistance plans available are unregulated and may utilize non-accredited air ambulance providers leaving you little recourse and substandard care.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, we can’t know of course—but life with all its unpredictability marches on, even in Mexico.  The best way to deal with the unknown is to be prepared for eventualities, and a medical care plan should be included in those.

“Planning for medical emergencies when you travel or reside abroad is essential,” says Grant Conway, of Travel MedEvac Insurance, a company providing medical evacuation insurance plans for leisure visitors, snowbirds, and foreign residents in Mexico.  Drawing on Travel MedEvac’s experience, he shares some practical insights which are useful to take into consideration as you plan your medical care needs here in Mexico:

Make a plan for your medical care: “You should have a plan for what you are going to do if you become ill and need to be hospitalized in Mexico. A lot of people don’t know that most hospitals here won’t take an insurance assignment. That means that even if you have insurance, you’ll have to pay to get released from the hospital and file a claim with your insurer to be reimbursed later. Most hospitals request a deposit by credit card when you are admitted.

Find a local doctor: “If you’re taking up residency in Mexico, establish a relationship with a local general practitioner right away. Know which hospital he or she practices at and find a recommended ambulance company. Keep the phone numbers and hospital address handy.”

Medical evacuation: “Consider an air medical evacuation plan that is real insurance–compliant with and regulated by industry standards.  Travel MedEvac insurance offers hospital-to-hospital transport coverage with no deductible or out-of-pocket expenses.  The company utilizes Air Ambulance Worldwide and their global network of highly accredited EURAMI or CAMTS certified air medical transport companies.”

Travel Insurance: If you’re visiting Mexico for a defined period but not living here, be sure to have a travel insurance policy that will cover your needs.  Travel MedEvac also offers coverages for short term visits to Mexico.

Get informed: You can find extensive information about health and medical care matters on our guides to Healthcare in Mexico here on Mexperience, including resources about planing for Medical Evacuation should you ever need it.

This guide describes what medical evacuation is, how it’s different from medical insurance, who can make use of it, and how you can arrange a medical evacuation plan for your stay in Mexico.

What is Medical Evacuation from Mexico?

While Mexico offers patients an ample choice of quality medical care facilities in-country, there are times when a Medical Evacuation may be necessary to receive certain care or treatment.

Medical evacuation is typically undertaken when people suffer a catastrophic illness or accident, cardiac event, stroke, or serious injury. Patients might also be medically evacuated when they need a transport to a specialty hospital or when their medical condition has been stabilized locally, but ongoing care  is best undertaken at a medical facility near to family back home or where their primary healthcare plan can cover such care.

Medical evacuation is logistically complex: it goes far beyond the arrangement of a private flight (although the private flight is a major cost). Managing such a  flight  in short-order — securing flight permits, arranging the ground transport for the pick-up in Mexico and subsequent transfers to medical facilities at the foreign destination — requires the right team and experience.  In addition, there’s the co-ordination with local doctors and healthcare facilities across borders (often in different languages), dealing with customs and immigration formalities, and taking care of all the payments upfront along the way.

How does Medical Evacuation work?

Even if you are covered by a Medical Evacuation clause in a typical travel insurance plan, or believe your Health Insurance will cover such a medical evacuation, you may find it does very little to bring you home to your hospital of choice or even across the border to your home country. Many plans are limited to “nearest adequate facility” or “nearest suitable facility’ which often leaves you far from your home, your doctors and your family.

Once the doctors in Mexico and in the foreign country you intend to evacuate to agree that Medical Evacuation is warranted, utilizing only a highly accredited medical evacuation company like Air Ambulance Worldwide will ensure they spring into action and work through the complex logistics needed to make a medical evacuation happen.

If you have a Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan in place, the evacuation company will manage everything using procedures set in place to support evacuees; with a  premiere level policy everything is taken care of on your behalf and all the costs are covered without deductibles or out-of-pocket expenses for you.  The key is to be sure you have a plan that provides “hospital of choice” transport and is true insurance.

If you don’t have a Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan, you’ll need to approach a company that specializes in medical evacuations and pay in advance of any services required. These fees usually range from US$25,000 to US$60,000 for a dedicated air-ambulance to transport you from Mexico back to the US or Canada, and more if your home country is in Europe or Asia. If you yourself are not able to release the funds (due, for example, to your incapacity) then a member of your family or a friend will need to make arrangements.

Medical evacuation companies do not offer credit terms.  This is why having a Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan in place makes sense: it prevents you from having to raise significant amounts of money in short order (and the delays which inevitably ensue with payment transfers, etc.) and, even if you have the money, an evacuation plan means that you’ll benefit from a service that is continuously on-standby should you ever need it, and without delay

Once activated, the evacuation company will provide everything you need for a formal medical evacuation from Mexico to an arranged destination, and all of the complex logistics will be undertaken on your behalf.

When is Medical Evacuation appropriate?

Whether you’re covered by a Plan or have the cash to cover the significant cost of a self-funded medical evacuation, you won’t get medically evacuated if you have a modest illness or minor accident.  Medical evacuation is a service that is used only when a genuine need arises. The doctors treating the patient, the doctors at the hospital you are seeking transport to, and the medical director for the air ambulance company are key decision-makers in these circumstances.

Medical Evacuation is appropriate when:

• The patient has medical insurance coverage in their home country (or can pay for medical coverage when they arrive there) to ensure admittance;
• An acute or catastrophic medical situation arises; for example, a heart attack, stroke, or severe accident that may warrant a medical evacuation;
• The patient needs longer-term medical care or convalescence which is best administered in their home country and cannot travel on commercial flights due to incapacity or illness;
• The patient needs specialty care not available in Mexico;
• Following stabilization after an acute medical situation emerges, the patient would prefer to be closer to their home hospital of choice, their family, their primary doctors, and their healthcare network for continued coverage instead of remaining in Mexico for care over the medium or long term.

Do you need a Medical Evacuation plan?

As explained in the previous section, you can pay for Medical Evacuation on a self-funded basis, but the fees are high and, moreover, during a time of stress, the delays caused in finding an evacuation company, making payment arrangements, and working out the details are not ideal circumstances in which to become caught.

A medical evacuation insurance plan will operate in the background and be available for you at a moment’s notice if you need it, without having to concern yourself about any of the logistical and financial challenges.  That’s why, even if you have the money to pay for a self-funded evacuation, it makes sense to be covered by a Plan if you’re likely to benefit from one.

A premium medical evacuation insurance plan by a regulated company such as Travel MedEvac insurance is unique: there is no deductible, there are no out-of-pocket costs, and the plan includes US$500,000 in coverage.  Therefore, medical evacuation insurance plans go beyond the typical travel insurance coverages that may take you to the nearest adequate facility (and probably far from home). Instead, they provide specialized and fully-managed bed-to-bed medical transport to your home hospital of choice, to get you close to your own doctors, and close to your family.

For Visitors/Tourists: If you’re visiting Mexico for leisure or business, a Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan will ensure that you (or members of your family) get taken back to your local hospital and doctors in your home country where you can be treated and have access to continued medical care.  Find a visitor/tourist plan.

For Residents in Mexico: If you live in Mexico — part-time or full-time — a Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan can provide bed-to-bed transport in the event that you or a family member needs to get back home in or after a medical emergency; for example, to take advantage of  medical health insurance coverage you have there (for Canadians, this could be your government-provided coverage), or if you want to be close to family in the event of a serious medical condition which requires longer-term treatment.  Find a Mexico resident plan.

Securing a Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan

Premium medical evacuation insurance plans that will transport you from Mexico to your hospital of choice in the United States or Canada are available.

Who is underwriting your medical transport?

A significant component of any evacuation plan is the company contracted to manage the medical transports and provide the aircraft, pilots, and medical crew.  There are a number of air-ambulance companies operating in the market, but we recommend you secure a plan that guarantees all transports will be undertaken only by a highly accredited EURAMI or CAMTS certified company, because companies that ‘bid out’ medical transports to unaccredited companies (and elect the lowest bidder) might be putting you and your loved ones at risk. EURAMI and CAMTS accredited air ambulance companies ensure only the highest quality medical personnel, pilots, and aircraft will be utilized during medical transport.

Choose regulated insurance plans

It is also essential to be sure that you are securing a regulated insurance plan that is fully underwritten to protect you and your loved ones.  Most membership or assistance plans that may look like insurance are not underwritten by a regulated insurance carrier, may deny an eligible claim, and may bid out your care to unaccredited air ambulance providers. Such a plan can leave their policy holders with little or no protection and recourse.

Medical Evacuation Insurance Plan quotes are provided by Travel MedEvac Insurance, a US-based company offering fully underwritten medical evacuation insurance plans. Mexperience is not an insurance agent or insurance broker and acts solely as reader referral to our patron, Travel MedEvac Insurance.

If your visit to Mexico is of a short-term nature, you’ll probably have a travel insurance policy issued in your home country that provides defined coverages for a limited period—usually not exceeding 60 or 90 calendar days. These coverages vary enormously, and while many include some form of medical repatriation, this may have strings attached which limit the circumstances under which an expensive repatriation would be agreed by the insurance company.

If you come to Mexico for a longer period —for example, on a volunteer job, on a sabbatical, or to live here for an extended stay— short term travel insurance policies won’t cover you, and local healthcare policies which are ideal for treatment in-country don’t cover medical repatriation costs.

Having a medical evacuation insurance plan with transport to your home hospital of choice secured in advance of a medical emergency is critical in several circumstances.

As we explained in a related article, the out-of-pocket costs of medical repatriation are high—indeed, out of practical financial reach for most people.

If you’re visiting Mexico for a short-term or defined period, you might be covered by a health insurance scheme or policy in your home country while you’re here—but you’ll need to be there to avail yourself of the service. Commercial airlines won’t fly you home if you’re in a critical medical condition.

When you’re in Mexico for a longer period, you might have a private healthcare policy (or possibly IMSS) that provides adequate healthcare coverage while you’re here; but in circumstances where you become critically ill or injured, there’s an additional benefit in being able to return home once you’re stabilized: to your own doctors, a local hospital, and close to where family members can attend and provide support as you convalesce.  Common healthcare insurance policies that cover local medical care won’t include a provision to fly you home; instead they will fly you to the “nearest suitable facility” which may leave you far from home and wondering what to do next.

Medical repatriation encompasses a great deal more than a private flight out of Mexico.  It involves an accredited team of medical professionals and specially trained medical transport specialists coordinating complex logistics between doctors, hospitals, airports and government agencies—all the while keeping your family members apprised throughout the evacuation effort.

The price of a medical evacuation insurance plan is affordable, and coverages offer good value considering exceptional support it provides—plus the peace of mind knowing that, in the event of a critical medical emergency touching you or your family, you’ll get back to your home without having to pay tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical evacuation fees.

Be prepared and learn more about your health and medical care options on our healthcare section, as well as get insights about the services and costs of medical evacuation from Mexico on our detailed medical evacuation guide.

Medical air evacuations are expensive because the work involved is highly specialized and logistically complex.  If you don’t have a suitable insurance policy or premium medical evacuation plan in place, you’ll need to find tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs if you or a family member need to be flown home in a medical emergency.

On the surface, a medical evacuation company will have the required skills and the logistical complexities under full and competent management—but how can you be sure?

Private aircraft rental is a business with fluctuating degrees of service quality; trained pilots who are familiar with the nuances of a medical evacuation are not common; caring for very fragile people on the move requires specialized escort expertise to avoid potential calamity; dealing with international medical transfers requires in-depth knowledge of specific legal procedures to ensure unfettered access which could otherwise cause life-threatening delays… the variables are considerable, and fluid.

Medical air evacuation is an unregulated service, so operators can and do emerge who offer lower prices by allocating evacuation assignments using rapid-bid systems, compensating the lowest bidder of the moment with the contract and dealing with the entire assignment at arm’s length.  While this might seem innovative, it’s the kind of approach that may encourage the less scrupulous to cut corners and, in doing so, materially increase the assignment’s overall risk.

EURAMI and CAMTS are highly reputable, independent non-profit air-evacuation accreditation agencies. These organizations confirm that their strict criteria are met by inspection, and then certify that an air-evacuation provider is delivering the highest standards in everything related to a patient’s care and safety during every stage of an evacuation process. Their vigilance ensures that accredited companies only use aircraft and ground transport services which are competently managed, that flight crews are qualified and experienced, that medical escorts are licensed and experienced, and that a check-list of medical equipment is both present and duly maintained. They also confirm that the documented procedures and logistics meet their stringent requirements for accreditation.

Mark Jones, Vice Chairman of Air Ambulance Worldwide, a fully-accredited EURAMI aviation provider, sums up the accreditation process well: “They literally tear your company apart looking for problems and we repeat that process every three years when we renew our accreditation.”

These accreditation bodies actively oversee the interests of patients and their families who simply could not otherwise know whether the quality and safety standards being applied are the best they can be. Buying a medical evacuation service that is not accredited to save yourself some money could be a serious miscalculation.

Mexperience’s patron Travel MedEvac is a company that works hand-in-glove with Air Ambulance Worldwide, and is committed to the highest standards of medical evacuation.  Travel MedEvac offers only fully-accredited, regulated, and underwritten air medical evacuation insurance plans for visitors as well as foreign residents living in Mexico. Insurance plans last from two days to five years and carry no deductibles.

You can learn more on our extensive guide to Medical Evacuation from Mexico—which describes what a medical evacuation service is, who needs it, and how to secure a medical evacuation insurance plan in advance of the unexpected.

Most visitors to Mexico purchase insurance that will provide care in the event of an injury or illness while they are away from home. Some travelers assume that their employer’s health insurance will cover them while they are away; it might, but typically it doesn’t. Long-term foreign residents might assume that they can return to the USA if they have a serious illness where they will be covered by Medicare; some mistakenly think that Medicare will treat them here.

As we mentioned in a related article, the realities for visitors dealing with serious medical emergencies in Mexico are often more complicated than they appear, and in some circumstances having a medical evacuation strategy is a sensible precaution.

At first sight, paying for being evacuated doesn’t seem necessary: if you’re on vacation, your travel health insurance or premium credit card will cover you; and if you’re here for an extended period, you’ll probably get health care in Mexico. So why pay for a medical evacuation plan?

Becoming seriously ill in another country is not an easy experience. You are not at your best. You may be confused and nervous, you may not speak the language, and you may have to go through procedures that are very different from the ones you’re used to. Many foreigners who visit Mexico don’t speak Spanish well and even those that do, probably aren’t very familiar with medical terminology.

An aspect of medical care in Mexico that many people forget is that even when you’re covered by a travel medical insurance policy, it often pays only on a reimbursement basis, and it doesn’t usually pay to get you back home to your doctor and your local hospital in the event of a serious medical emergency. Most of these kinds of policies cite treatment coverage at the “nearest adequate facility” – with the term ‘adequate’ as defined by the insurer – and this facility may still be in Mexico or possibly a hospital at the closest port of your entry to the country.

Serious accidents and major health issues are high-stress situations even without the added complications of being abroad. In these circumstances, most people want the comfort of being back “home” where they know how things work, speak the language, and can be supported by a doctor and a hospital that’s familiar. Most importantly in serious circumstances, being at home puts you within easy reach of your friends and family, making it easier for them to support you through the recovery period.

Medical air evacuation from Mexico is a logistically-complex and expensive service; it goes far beyond the provision of a private aircraft.  Commercial flights are usually off-limits to people who are seriously unwell, so if you don’t have an evacuation plan, and you don’t have $25-60 thousand dollars out-of-pocket to pay upfront for the evacuation, you’d have no choice but to be treated in Mexico—which could include an extended stay while you convalesce.

While Mexico is a safe place and a wonderful destination for both tourists and foreign residents, life situations are unpredictable, and serious accidents and illnesses can happen; in that event, you might simply want to go home to recuperate—and a medical evacuation plan will facilitate that.  Our associate, Travel MedEvac Insurance, offers air medical evacuation plans for visitors as well as foreign residents living in Mexico.

For more detailed information, you can learn more on our extensive guide to Medical Evacuation from Mexico—which describes what a medical evacuation service is, who needs it, and how to arrange a suitable plan for your needs.