Medical Evacuation Insurance

My brother and I are planning a 5 week bike trip to Alaska and northern Canada this summer. We need a recommendation for Medical Evacuation Insurance. I have found many online with a wide price range. Trying to weed out the shyster insurance companies from the legitimate companies. I would hate to purchase insurance and find if needed that the insurance company does not exist other than a web site. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

I've been looking into this subject as well and the key question you have to ask is whether you want air ambulance coverage (from the scene of the crash) or simply air evacuation from the hospital of admittance to one closer to home.

I believe that MedJet only provides the latter service.

I did come across this company: http://www.masaassist.com

one of their FAQs says

Q: How much does an air ambulance flight cost?
A: Air ambulance transportation is expensive, sometimes $50,000 or even more! In most instances health insurance or Medicare coverage pays little, if any of this expense and they do not provide the other benefits that MASA provides to you absolutely free of charge.

if anyone else has comments on this i'd be very interested to hear.

You might look at the SPOT locator-they have an extraction policy add on for 14.95 that covers up to 100k ( 50k per claim). The cost of the SPOT, and the add on insurance is less than or equal to MED EVAC Ins. And you get the benefits of a 2-way SAT communicator.

GEOS Locator Rescue Benefit http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=104

Other options:

http://medjetassist.com/membership/motorcycleprotection.aspx

Med-Jet Assist.

Thank you, I have owned a SPOT locater for a few years and had forgotten the rescue service availability.

Another for Med Jet!!

As one who has used their services a couple of times I can very highly recommend MedJet! They bend over backwards to help you when you need it the most.

I used to have DAN(Divers Alert Network) insurance coverage when I was scuba diving,was supposed to cover air transport from dive boats,islands if you got bent or bit,was also supposed to cover any other recreational pursuits requiring emergency air care.Still going???Also NRA has a similar air rescue insurance for hunters,travelers,etc. Anybody have experience with them??

I have DAN insurance for diving. It also covers you any time you are more than 50 miles from home. 70% of the emergencies they cover are non diving. The only catch is you have to have them arrange the transportation. That is fine for getting you home or to another facility, but not when you are lying next to the road.

Hey,
When are you going to Alaska? I am leaving mid June with arrival in Anchorage the end of June. Will be heading up the Dalton on July 4th. Anyone ever heard of or used WorldNomad Insurance for Helicopter Evac?

This topic should get a sticky. I have question relative to this:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20875340&postcount=8

What insurance can you buy that will cover the cost of helicopter from scene to trauma center? (Within US)
Also, I would be using an ACR ResQlink PLB to activate emergency service if cell service is unavailable. What supplemental insurance plan would cover this?

The problem with LFN is you're only going to get coverage in the PNW. He'll need something nation wide/global. LFN partners with a few other operators, but nothing in Canada or AK. There's only 3 providers in AK, aside from ALNW who has a lear in Juneau. Most of the local companies have some sort of insurance they sell but it rarely goes outside their coverage area.

That all said, something like medjet is exactly what the OP is looking for. But as a note to that, if anyone lives in a rural area and wants local coverage, then go local. It'll work out better if you ever need it. Best way to find out if you could need it locally is to find out what kind of facilities your local hospital has and if that is actually sufficient. I can't count the amount of people I've take from towns that people don't consider small to SEA/PDX/SFO because the sending facility just doesn't have a good Pediatric, Trauma etc care.

Very off topic... I happened to click on your profile since you mentioned LFN (I fly for one of the medevac companies in AK), and saw your picture... You're name isn't Bob L. is it? From U of IL for a bit? Small world perhaps.

Great thread.. and I am interested in the answers.. Great foresight to think of this.
I am a commercial insurance broker and recently worked with a commercial carrier to design an adequate program for secondary schools. They all take trips and there are a lot of "classes" of people along... employees, students, volunteers.

2 years ago, an employee of a school got very ill in Russia (I simply don't remember where they were, specifically).. By the time I got coordination for transfer to adequate & proper treatment (something to be sure is covered) and evacuation back to the US in a plane with medical personnel... the total was almost $200,000 (!!). Also some carriers will advance funds for treatment at a local hospital if your health insurance is through a local insurance company that may not be recognized where the incident takes place... When traveling outside of the US and in some Countries, also worthwhile to be sure that political unrest is covered for an evacuation needed if you have to get out of Dodge.

Small world indeed. Looks like you're enjoying your retirement just fine.

So who might cover the Colorado area, ? from the scene to the hospital?

Bumping this to the top-trip planning in progress. Is there any insurance coverage available that would cover evac from site of accident to hospital if emergency call initiated via a PLB?