There are 41 million people in the U.S. who say they need life insurance but do not have it, according to the 2020 Insurance Barometer Report from industry groups LIMRA and Life Happens. This can partially be explained by the tendency of people to overestimate its cost.

Perceptions about affordability and value can deter people from buying the life insurance they need. More than half of respondents in the Insurance Barometer Report said a $250,000 term life insurance policy for a healthy 30-year old would cost $500 a year or more. But the average cost is closer to $160 a year. That’s a pretty big discrepancy in perceived cost versus actual cost.

Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about getting the best life insurance so you can make an educated decision.

What Is Life Insurance?

Life insurance is a contract between you and an insurance company. Essentially, in exchange for your premium payments, the insurance company will pay a lump sum known as a death benefit to your beneficiaries after your death.

Your beneficiaries can use the money for whatever purpose they choose. Often this includes paying everyday bills, paying a mortgage or putting a child through college. Having the safety net of life insurance can ensure that your family can stay in their home and pay for the things that you planned for.

There are two primary types of life insurance: term and permanent life. Permanent life insurance such as whole life insurance or universal life insurance can provide lifetime coverage, while term life insurance provides protection for a certain period.

What Does Life Insurance Cover?

Life insurance covers all causes of death, with one main exception: Suicide within the first two years of owning the policy. Apart from that exclusion, life insurance covers death from illness, disease, accidents and homicide.

Regardless of the cause of death, a life insurance company could deny a claim if it believes there was misrepresentation on the life insurance application, especially if the death is within the first couple of years of owning the policy. For example, if someone lies about their health or other information on the application, the life insurance company could deny a claim by the beneficiaries.

In other extremely narrow cases, a life insurance claim could be denied if the beneficiary killed the insured person, or if the claim is disputed by someone who says the policyholder was coerced into changing the beneficiary.

It’s a week before your trip and you get the sniffles…now what? Of course the sniffles can be just that — a minor inconvenience that quickly clears up before takeoff. In most cases, just a false alarm.

But it can also morph into something else, possibly interfering with the trip you’ve spent months planning and paying for.

Life being what it is, occasionally medical issues, extreme weather or other events crop up and force us to interrupt our travel plans.

Get “you-never-know” protection

If you already have travel insurance, check your policy. It may already have coverage for trip cancellation or trip interruption. If so, make sure you have enough coverage. If not, it’s a good idea to add or top up, especially as you’re investing a lot of time and money in your trip.

What’s the difference between trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance? Trip cancellation kicks in if certain medical or non-medical events occur before you leave home, so you’re reimbursed on all or some costs, depending on your coverage. Trip interruption reimburses you if a similar set of events occur after you leave home and during your trip and you’re forced to return home.

Check your policy, if you have one, and talk to a licensed agent before planning your trip. Generally, coverage can vary depending on a number of factors, including:

• Pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer or a pregnancy.
• When you booked your trip, when you bought travel insurance and when the event forcing you to cancel or interrupt occurs
• Your traveling companion’s coverage

What are trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance?

Trip Cancellation Insurance will reimburse you for the amount of pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses (e.g. airline, cruise, train, hotel, etc.) that you have insured, should you cancel your trip before departure for an unforeseen covered reason.

Trip Interruption Insurance is similar to cancellation coverage, but covers you while you are on your trip for a list of covered reasons. In case of a covered reason you are required to return home, Trip Interruption Insurance will reimburse you for the lost portion of your trip, as well as any additional expenses for a last-minute flight home.

Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance are often sold together as a bundle. You can also add Travel Medical Insurance to the bundle.

What reasons for cancelling or interrupting a trip are covered?

It will vary by policy, but Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance will generally cover reasons such as:

• the unexpected illness or injury of you and/or a traveling companion that deems you unfit to travel, by order of a licensed physician;
• the hospitalization or death of a family member;
• circumstances beyond your control that result in the cancellation of the public transportation you have paid for to get you to your destination;
• unforeseen natural disasters at home or the destination;
• a legal obligation, such as being called for jury duty or to appear as a witness in court.

Do I need Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance?

It’s entirely up to you. But the investment you make when booking travel arrangements can be significant and you may not be able to cancel your trip without incurring significant cancellation penalties. If you must disrupt your trip and return home prematurely, the costs can be even more severe. It boils down to how much money you are prepared to put at risk, your age, the health of yourself and your immediate family members, and whether you have sufficient coverage elsewhere such as through a credit card. Generally speaking, the more money at risk, the more you should consider purchasing Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance.

Are there any conditions not covered with Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance?

Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption insurance covers you for the perils listed in the Description of Coverage. This does not cover events known to you at the time you buy the insurance. In other words, if what was expected causes a claim, your claim will not be covered. It also does not cover things like getting detained by customs and missing your flight, cancelling because of a work obligation, and cancelling due to an illness or injury related to a pre-existing medical condition that is not covered.

Coverage for some pre-existing medical conditions is available under most Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance policies, but the condition usually needs to be stable for a specific period of time prior to buying the insurance and it must take “a turn for the worse” after to qualify for coverage. Depending on the insurer, you may have to purchase your Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance within a certain period of time before you depart – typically before the cost of what you are insuring is non-refundable (e.g. when cancellation fees for cruises or hotels take effect).

How much does Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance cost?

The cost of Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance will depend upon a number of factors including your age, health, trip duration, number of people insured, cost of the trip and provincial sales tax. The amount of non-refundable travel expenses you wish to insure is particularly relevant to Trip Cancellation Insurance. In general, you should expect that a combined Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance plan will cost anywhere from 4% to 10% of your total pre-paid, non-refundable trip cost. For example, if you purchased a trip with a total cost of $5,000, the travel insurance policies available to you will likely range in price from $250-$500, depending upon the type of policy and other variables.

Don’t some credit cards provide Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance?

Yes, some credit cards provide travel insurance as a benefit, but you need to verify what type of coverage is included, how much protection it provides, and what limitations exist.

For example, some credit cards provide Trip Interruption Insurance, which will qualify you for a refund (up to a maximum amount) should a covered event happen after your departure. Other cards, usually those with a higher annual fee, also provide Trip Cancellation Insurance, which also qualifies you for a refund (up to a maximum amount) should a covered event happen before your departure.

It’s important to verify what the maximum limit is for the travel insurance provided by your credit card so that you can recover most or all of the costs of your cancelled or interrupted trip. In some cases, your card will cover up to $1,500 per covered person, and an overall maximum of $5,000 for all covered persons (those for whom the travel was paid for by the card). If your trip will cost significantly more than this, you should consider purchasing additional Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance.

Many credit cards also have age limits on their Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance which can start at 65 or 70 years of age. And some credit cards do not provide any travel insurance. So it pays to read your credit card insurance booklet and ask questions if you are unsure of your coverage and the conditions you need to meet. In order to be covered, you generally need to charge the entire cost of the trip on the credit card offering these insurance benefits.

Where can I buy Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance?

A number of banks and credit unions in Canada, including most CAFII member financial institutions, offer Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance to their existing customers. Employees at CAFII member institutions are trained and knowledgeable about the products they sell, and they can be conveniently reached in branches or at call centres. You can find a list of CAFII member institutions at: https://members.cafii.com/index.php/members_voting.

If you are going on a cruise, you might be wondering how much medical care, such as X-Rays or a consultation with a doctor would cost.  Hopefully, you will never need to find out, but I recently took an MSC cruise, and this pricelist was clearly displayed in the medical centre.

How Much Does it Cost to See a Doctor on a Cruise?

A medical consultation on a cruise usually costs around $100 (£85) if during medical centre opening hours. This price rises to around $165 (£137) for appointments outside of opening hours and can rise as high as $205 (£170) if a doctor needs to visit a guest’s cabin.

A nurse’s consultation or cabin visit is around half of the prices mentioned above.

Prices vary from one cruise line to another. The below prices are from MSC:

 

How Much do X-Rays Cost on a Cruise?

X-rays on cruises usually cost between $100-$200 (£80-£160). A series of X-Rays on a finger starts at $105 (£85). Chest X-rays usually cost $125 (£100). It costs $145 (£120) for ankle X-rays and $165 (£135) for facial X-Rays.

Do All Cruise Ships Have Medical Centres Onboard?

On all cruise ships, you will find a well-equipped medical centre with a number of highly trained medical staff. Generally speaking the larger the cruise ship the bigger the medical centre, but all are equipped to deal with life-threatening injuries and illnesses.

Normally you will find the medical centre on one of the lower decks of the ship. 

It will have regular hours of opening, but if you need treatment outside of those times staff will be on call 24 hours a day.  Of course, it will cost you more if you receive medical attention or consultations outside the normal opening hours.

On many of the newer, bigger cruise ships you’ll find full x-ray machines and a lot of equipment that you’d expect to find in a hospital on land.

Of course, the priority is always to try and get unwell patients to land as soon as possible but as this isn’t always option cruise ships have to be as prepared as they can be.

What Happens if You’re on a Cruise and Need Urgent, Lifesaving Treatment?

If you needed urgent, life-saving treatment and the cruise ship was in port, they would then send you to a hospital on land.

If the ship were at sea, the only option might be to airlift you by helicopter to the nearest suitable hospital. This is stressful and costly!

Being airlifted off a cruise usually costs at least $20,000 and this can rise into the hundreds of thousands depending on location and other factors.

This is one reason why taking out travel insurance with good medical cover is essential when cruising.  Do not EVER cruise without travel insurance.

Travel insurance can be taken out either with the cruise line or separately, but make sure your policy has adequate cover for medical expenses and that it covers cruises specifically.

With some policies you need to add cruise cover as an “add on” – it isn’t covered as standard.

Find everything you need to know about taking out cruise travel insurance here: Cruise Travel Insurance – Why You Need it and How to Get It: (Step by Step Illustrated Guide)

Do You Have to Pay Upfront for X-Rays and Other Treatment?

On a cruise, medical treatment needs to be paid for upfront. Guests can then claim back the costs through medical insurance if they have a policy in place.

Will You Still Have to Pay if you Have Taken Out Insurance with the Cruise Line Itself?

If you have taken out a cruise insurance policy directly with the cruise line you usually still do have to pay upfront. You will have to pay for your treatment, and then sort out the insurance afterwards.

There may be some exceptions to this, where the cruise line claim directly from their own travel insurance company, but this is not the norm.

A reader emailed us to tell his story of Norwegian Cruiseline Travel insurance.

Medical evacuation insurance is one of the most important types of insurance you can have. If something happens while you are on vacation and need to be evacuated to a hospital, this insurance will help cover the costs. This guide will discuss what medical evacuation insurance covers, who should purchase it, and how much it costs. We will also provide tips on choosing the right policy for your needs.

Why is Medical Evacuation Insurance Important?

No one wants to consider what could happen if they become sick or injured while traveling.  However, emergencies arise, and illness and injury can happen anywhere.  If a patient is hospitalized while traveling, and is so critically ill that they need to be transferred to another higher level of care facility, or if a hospitalized patient wishes to continue in-patient care at a facility closer to their home, a medical evacuation (sometimes called medevac, medivac, or med evac) is required.

Typical health insurance policies may provide no, or limited, coverage when you are traveling overseas.  It is wise to purchase a comprehensive travel medical insurance plan to cover emergency care costs, but most of these plans do not cover a medical evacuation to get you home.  Most travel medical policies will cover medical evacuation to the “nearest acceptable facility”, but that’s likely where you’ll stay until you are well enough to be repatriated home by commercial airline.  Getting home for further treatment and recovery, to a hospital of your choice, is typically not covered. That’s what programs like Medjet do.  And it can cost you, out of pocket, up to $30,000 for a domestic medical transport, and up to $180,000 for an international transport to get there.

Getting you transported to your hospital at home is what Medjet does.

Medjet is now transporting globally for COVID-19. (Click HERE for full details).

Important Questions to Ask When Purchasing a Medical Evacuation Insurance Policy

• Does the plan allow you to be evacuated to the hospital of your choosing or just the closest appropriate facility?
• Who makes the decision if you will be evacuated?
• Are there restrictions for adventure travel or engaging in extreme activities (such as skydiving)?
• Does the plan exclude any preexisting conditions?
• Does the plan place a cap on how much coverage it will provide for a medical evacuation?
• Does the plan have age restrictions?
• Does the plan cover COVID?

The Best Emergency Insurance isn’t Insurance at All

Medjet is a medical transport membership program, that provides you with elevated coverage and control over where you are treated. We pick up where health insurance, travel insurance (or platinum level credit cards, if that’s the evacuation coverage you rely on) leave off.  As a membership program, Medjet offers more options, more choice, better service…and better value.

Simply put, if you are hospitalized more than 150 miles from home domestically or internationally, Medjet will arrange bedside-to-bedside air medical transport and medical repatriation to the home country hospital of your choice.  It’s that easy.  No claim forms, no transport cost caps, no insurance hassles, no surprise bills later.  All you ever pay is your membership fee—nothing more.

With Medjet, there is no application process (under age 75), no adventure travel exclusions, and no pre-existing conditions exclusions.  We have 24/7 access to hundreds of air ambulances and commercial medical escorts around the globe. Read our COVID-19 transport benefits here.

When it comes to relying on the limited services of an emergency medical evacuation insurance provider or adding the elevated services of Medjet, the choice is clear—Medjet.

Illness or injury can ruin a vacation. And it’s even worse if you’re far from home. If you require airlift transportation for immediate medical care during your trip, a comprehensive travel insurance plan with emergency medical evacuation benefits can help cover the cost.

Here’s how medical evacuation travel insurance works and why it can be an essential part of a solid travel insurance plan.

What Is Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance?

Emergency medical evacuation insurance is generally included in a comprehensive travel insurance plan. It’s sometimes called medical evacuation and repatriation insurance. The maximum coverage amount will vary by plan, so be sure to shop around for a high coverage amount if this is important to you.

The best travel insurance plans provide up to $1 million per person for medical evacuation. That might seem high, but evacuation costs can add up quickly.

“The cost of emergency medical transportation can run into the tens of thousands of dollars or more, especially if you’re in a remote destination,” says Daniel Durazo, a spokesperson with Allianz Global Assistance.

Exactly what you’d pay for emergency evacuation would depend on your medical condition, the care required and your location. Durazo says emergency medical transportation to the U.S. from the following countries can cost the following:

• Caribbean and Mexico: $15,000 to $25,000
• South America: $40,000 to $75,000
• Parts of Europe: $65,000 to $90,000
• Asia, Australia and the Middle East: $165,000 to $225,000

What Does Medical Evacuation Insurance Cover?

Here’s what medical evacuation insurance typically encompasses.

Emergency transportation

Medical evacuation insurance can pay for the cost of emergency transportation to the nearest adequate treatment center if you become seriously ill or injured while traveling and require immediate care. It can also pay for you to be transported back to the U.S. if medically necessary.

Or, if you’ve been treated but you need to fly back to the U.S. for further treatment or to recover, it can pay for the flight home.

A medical escort on your return home

If you require specialized care for the flight home, like a medical professional who can administer intravenous antibiotics or oxygen during your flight, medical evacuation insurance can pay for associated costs for medical escort services.

The cost for a friend or family member to travel to you

If you’re hospitalized during your trip following an illness or injury that is covered by your policy, your medical evacuation travel insurance can pay for a round-trip flight for a friend or family member to come stay with you. This benefit usually has a minimum hospital-stay requirement. For example, if you’re told you’ll be hospitalized for seven days or more, your benefits might apply.

Costs for a bedside companion

Some medical evacuation benefits include compensation for hotel stays, meals and other reasonable costs your traveling companion has while staying near you.

The cost for your children to fly home

If you’re hospitalized during your trip and traveling with your children, your travel insurance company can arrange for your children to fly home or to another U.S.-based location. Your benefits can compensate for the cost, minus any refunds for unused plane tickets. This benefit also usually has a minimum number of days for hospitalization you must meet to file a claim.

Repatriation of remains

If you or a traveling companion die during your trip, the cost of transporting remains home can be covered by repatriation benefits included in your evacuation coverage.

When Do You Need Medical Evacuation Insurance?

Medical evacuation benefits help if you become seriously ill or suffer a severe injury during your trip and there are no local hospitals with the resources to treat your condition.

For example, if you suffer a serious injury in a car accident in China, your travel insurance company can arrange for medevac services to the nearest hospital equipped to care for you, which can be elsewhere in China, another country or even back in the U.S.

Your travel insurance company will work as a liaison to arrange the transportation on your behalf, which can come in handy during a medical crisis in a foreign country.

The travel medical insurance in a travel insurance plan can pay for doctor and hospital bills, X-rays, lab work, medicine and other associated expenses, up to your medical coverage limit. Evacuation insurance and travel medical insurance have separate coverage limits. For example, a generous travel insurance plan might have up to $500,000 for medical expenses and up to $1 million for evacuation.

When you’re well enough to travel, your travel insurance company can pay for your flight home.

Do You Need Both Medical Evacuation and Travel Medical Insurance?

It’s prudent to have both medical evacuation travel insurance and travel medical insurance when traveling abroad.

“If you’re not prepared to pay all your medical bills out of pocket, this is a crucial reason to buy travel insurance that includes emergency medical coverage and transportation benefits,” says Durazo at Allianz.

If you are traveling outside the U.S., it’s often essential that you have travel medical expense insurance because your domestic health insurance plan may have little or no international coverage. Check with your health insurance company to see if your plan has global coverage and whether it’s considered “out of network.” Also, senior travelers should know that Medicare isn’t accepted abroad.

How to Get Approval to Use Medical Evacuation Insurance

After a medical emergency during a trip, the first call should be to the local emergency services. Then, you or your companion or tour guide should call your travel insurance company’s emergency hotline or customer service number.

“The assistance team, which includes emergency room physicians and travel experts, reviews the case and contacts your physician to discuss your treatment, help manage your care and determine if emergency medical transport is necessary,” says Durazo.

To use medical evacuation insurance, you usually must have an emergency evacuation ordered by the onsite, attending physician who certifies that the severity of your accidental injury or illness warrants the move.

Ideally, your travel insurance company would help coordinate the medevac and the move, and sign-off on it in advance. If that’s not possible, your travel insurance company should be notified as soon as possible.

If you require emergency medical transportation, your options may include an air ambulance or a commercial airline.

How Will You Be Transported?

While you may think an air ambulance is your only choice, Durazo says working with a commercial carrier is typically a better experience for the patient and their companions for several reasons:

• Most air ambulances are small aircraft that can only fly for four to six hours at a time, requiring frequent landings to refuel. They may accommodate only the patient, nurse and one guest in very tight quarters, often without a bathroom and with minimal luggage storage space, he says.
• Commercial carriers offer more options, including direct flights, better overall flight quality and room for multiple members of accompanying medical staff and travel companions.
• Patients may travel in either first or business class, where they can lay flat if medically necessary.

Your Travel Insurance Company’s 24/7 Assistance Line Can Help

Travel insurance companies generally have a staff of physicians, interpreters and travel experts available to help you around the clock. You can contact your travel insurance company by calling the dedicated 24/7 travel assistance hotline or using its app, if one is available, to reach the care team.

“The assistance team can help coordinate care with the doctors treating you in your destination, as well as help you get to a high-quality medical facility with appropriate treatment options—all to ensure the best medical care possible,” explains Durazo.

In addition to arranging emergency medical transportation, Durazo says these teams usually offer aid throughout the treatment. For instance, the staff at Allianz Global Assistance will stay in touch with doctors to review daily medical reports and relay updates to family members, provide interpretation services if needed and help guarantee payment to the treatment center and handle billing.

Do You Need Evacuation Insurance for Trips Within the U.S?

There are some instances when medical evacuation travel insurance can be a smart choice even when traveling within the U.S, says Durazo.

For example, if you are doing a dude ranch trip or taking an adventure-oriented trip in a remote area, it’s wise to have evacuation coverage. If you’re injured, your health plan should cover your transportation to a hospital and your medical care once you’re there, but it likely won’t pay for a flight home requiring medical equipment and a medical escort. Additionally, you’ll be responsible for copays and deductibles that come with your health insurance coverage.

On the other hand, let’s say you’re visiting a college friend in Chicago and plan to shop and visit museums in the Windy City. You probably won’t need emergency evacuation coverage in that case.

How Much Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance Do I Need?

Limits for emergency medical evacuation insurance vary by company and plan. The most generous travel insurance plans provide $1 million in medical evacuation coverage per person. For example, the Platinum plan from AXA Assistance USA and the OneTripPremier Plan from Allianz include up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage.

However, you can find plans with lower coverage amounts. For instance, the Silver plan from AXA Assistance USA provides $100,000 for emergency evacuation, and the OneTrip Basic Plan from Allianz provides $50,000 in emergency medical transportation benefits.

Most travel insurance plans offer a 14- or 15-day “free look” period during which you can review your policy. “If you then decide during the free look period that the product doesn’t meet your needs, you can purchase a new product with more or less coverage or cancel the policy for a full refund,” says Durazo.

How Do You Buy Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance?

You can buy medical evacuation travel insurance as part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan or a stand-alone travel medical plan.

Travel medical insurance and emergency medical transportation insurance are often purchased as part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan that also includes trip cancellation insurance, travel delay insurance, trip interruption insurance and baggage insurance.

However, says Durazo, if you’re not concerned with trip cancellation, you can find plans covering just medical-related trip issues. For example, Allianz offers the OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan, which provides up to $50,000 in medical expense coverage and $250,000 in emergency evacuation benefits.

Check for This Fine Print

Details of coverage vary by plan and travel insurance company, so be sure to review the following details.

Hospital-stay requirements

Benefits for your children’s flight home and for someone to be flown in to visit you are generally for extended hospitalizations. For instance, this may need to be seven days or more. That means if you’re in the hospital for four days, these benefits may not apply.

Hospital of choice

Most medical evacuation insurance plans stipulate that you are flown to the nearest adequate facility for treatment. If you need further care after that, some plans have add-on coverage that allows you to choose the hospital you go to next. For example, the AIG Travel Guard Deluxe plan allows you to request transportation to the hospital of your choice for further care, recovery or treatment after you’re stabilized.

Also, hospital choice benefits usually don’t apply to nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. Be sure to ask your travel insurance company if “hospital of choice” is offered and how it works.

Extreme sports exclusions

Some travel insurance plans exclude injuries resulting from extreme sports or adventure activities from medical and evacuation benefits. You can sometimes add a rider to get coverage, or look for a plan that covers your specific activities.

Emergency Medical Transportation and Covid

With many countries still high-risk for Covid, or designated as Level 3 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the importance of emergency medical transport insurance is even more valuable.

Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider, recommends a minimum of $100,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage, to account for Covid-19-related evacuation expenses. Make sure the plan will cover Covid-related claims.

If you’re heading to a remote destination, where it may be more expensive or difficult to reach a medical facility, Squaremouth recommends $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage.

See our ratings of the best pandemic travel insurance plans.

Other Medevac Options

Companies like Medjet and Global Rescue can be a good fit for those who want to be flown directly back to the U.S. after a medical emergency rather than to the nearest hospital equipped to treat you, as mandated in travel insurance plans.

These types of companies are also worth serious consideration if you are participating in extreme sports during your vacation or you have pre-existing medical conditions.

Medjet

Medjet provides private or commercial medevac or air ambulance transportation from a hospital anywhere in the world to the hospital of your choice in your home country. In order to use Medjet services, you must buy a membership before your trip. And you must be traveling at least 150 miles from home. Medical and legal specialists are on staff to assist you.

The company offers a variety of membership plans for domestic and international travel, college students, business travelers and more. Plans for short-term vacations of eight, 15, 21 and 30 days start at $99 for an individual and $199 for a family.

Medjet also offers a plan that adds on security help and crisis response.

Global Rescue

Global Rescue is a provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services to enterprises, governments and individuals. An individual annual membership is $349.

One benefit of Global Rescue is that you can be airlifted from where you had your accident or injury.

“If you have a minor injury or illness, you can call Global Rescue and speak to an on-staff medical expert who will help sort out the dos and don’ts based on your unique situation and symptoms,” says Dan Richards, chief executive officer of Global Rescue.

For major injury or illness, including Covid, Global Rescue assesses the circumstances and arranges for field rescue medical evacuation or repatriation, says Richards.

“If the case is complicated, we may deploy to the member’s bedside to make sure they’re getting the care they need to get stable enough for transport,” he says.

Global Rescue also provides emergency evacuation for non-medical emergencies. With a security upgrade, Global Rescue provides advisory and evacuation services for unpredicted natural disasters, civil unrest, acts of terrorism and government-ordered evacuations.

“Global Rescue’s services extend to wherever the individual is, and the personnel who respond are among the most highly trained paramedics, nurses, doctors and military special operations veterans available. We don’t just take the phone call; we dispatch our personnel to the site of the crisis and use all available means to get them to safety and the care they need,” says Richards.

More About Services Like Medjet and Global Rescue

You might want to buy Medjet or Global Rescue memberships as supplemental coverage to a travel insurance plan if you frequently travel to remote locations.

With Medjet and Global Rescue, there is no cap on the coverage for transportation as there is with travel insurance. You just pay the membership fee.

“If a member gets sick or injured while skiing in the backcountry, paragliding, rock climbing or anything else, our services are in force,” Richards says.

Another advantage of services like Medjet and Global Rescue is that you won’t have to file a reimbursement claim for evacuation services. Your membership is your access to coverage.

You can also be airlifted directly from the location of your emergency with Global Rescue services. “We will rescue you from the point of injury or illness (field rescue) and get you to a medical facility where you can get diagnosed and treated,” says Richards.

However, Medjet and Global Rescue aren’t travel insurance companies, so you won’t find coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellation, interruptions, delays or baggage.

Maybe you’ve recently decided to take the trip of a lifetime, or maybe you’re just looking to get away for a quick weekend jaunt. Either way, you will probably need to purchase some travel insurance, even if you are just traveling to another province. Unfortunately, travel insurance is one of the more complex forms of insurance. With your health and financial well being on the line, you need to be sure you understand what you’re buying. Fortunately, we have complied this helpful list of different types travel insurance to make shopping around easier.

Trip Cancellation

Trip cancellation insurance is what you want to buy if you’re booking a trip with a lot of pre-payments or deposits. This is especially useful if you are booking the trip well in advance, a lot can change within the matter of a few months! This insurance covers you if you have booked non-refundable travel and you’re unable to take your trip.

Trip Interruption

Similar to trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance covers you if you’ve made non-refundable deposits, or pre-payments and you find yourself needing to cut your trip short. The two forms of insurance are very similar, with one generally applying before you leave on your trip and then other applying once you have already left home.

Medical Insurance

Medical insurance is exactly what it sounds like – this insurance is meant to act as a replacement for your provincial health insurance if you travel outside of the province or country. The type of medical insurance you can get varies depending on your insurance company, insurance policy, vacation destination and age. It’s best to discuss the different options available with your broker, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions .

Baggage Insurance

Ever been caught at a new destination without your toothbrush? If you have, you know that it sucks. If you’re in a part of the world that speaks English, forgetting a toothbrush is a minor inconvenience. If you don’t speak the local language, it can quickly turn into a major issue. Now imagine you’re traveling and the airline loses your checked luggage. It would be extremely difficult to survive an entire trip with only your carry-on luggage, and without knowing where to buy anything and with no time to be a smart, frugal shopper, you can quickly rack up hundreds of dollars in expenses just to replace what was in your bag.

Baggage insurance covers reasonable expenses incurred if your luggage is merely delayed. If your luggage is lost, damaged or stolen, baggage insurance will usually cover the cost of replacing your suitcase as well as its contents.

All-inclusive Insurance

The best way to think of all-inclusive insurance is to imagine that it’s a combination of all the above forms of travel insurance. You’re covered if you pre-book a vacation and need to cancel ahead of time, you’re covered if you get sick while at a resort and want to go home right away, you’re probably covered if you end up in a Guatemalan hospital, and you’re covered if your airline sends you to Cuba and your luggage to Peru.

Because all-inclusive insurance covers so much, it’s usually the most expensive travel insurance option. However, if the worst should happen, there are very few situations that your all-inclusive insurance does not cover. If you’re planning a trip of a lifetime, or even just taking some much-needed rest and relaxation time, having travel insurance is worth the cost for the peace of mind!