{"id":248430,"date":"2022-06-16T08:23:45","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T12:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=248430"},"modified":"2025-04-16T18:56:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:56:24","slug":"medjet-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/travel-blogs\/medjet-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Medjet Review: Why Travelers Need Better Evacuation Coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

I love trip planning: reading books, researching routes, hunting for flights. Those are the fun parts of trip planning because they get you excited for your upcoming travels.<\/p>\n

But there is one vital component of trip planning that is far less enjoyable: researching travel insurance. <\/p>\n

As boring as it is, it\u2019s one of the most important (and most overlooked) steps for any traveler.<\/p>\n

We all know it\u2019s no fun to be unprepared when life throws unexpected curveballs at you. That\u2019s especially true if you\u2019re abroad when it happens. <\/p>\n

Over the past 17 years of backpacking the world<\/a>, I\u2019ve had all kinds of unexpected situations arise, from minor inconveniences like delayed and canceled flights to getting stabbed in Colombia.<\/p>\n

While bad things don\u2019t happen often on the road, they can \u2014 and do \u2014 happen. And as unpleasant as they are to think about, it\u2019s important to be prepared for those situations.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where travel insurance comes in. For just a few dollars per day, you not only get coverage for emergencies but peace of mind, allowing you to travel confidently and without worry.<\/p>\n

While I\u2019ve talked about my favorite travel insurance companies<\/a> before, today I\u2019d like to delve into a slightly different kind of travel insurance: medical evacuation coverage. <\/p>\n

This type of policy kicks in when the worst happens and you need emergency medical evacuation<\/a> while traveling. <\/p>\n

You fall and break your leg on a remote mountain. A sudden natural disaster affects the tropical island you\u2019re visiting. Political turmoil overwhelms the country you\u2019re in. These are all situations when an evacuation might be required. <\/p>\n

Yet not all travel insurance companies handle them equally \u2014 and many companies won\u2019t actually evacuate you all the way home, but rather to the nearest \u201cacceptable\u201d location.<\/p>\n

There is one company, however, that guarantees you get home every time: Medjet<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Medjet is a membership service offering medical transportation that ensures you get all the way home should disaster strike. <\/p>\n

But what is a \u201cmembership service?\u201d And how do you guarantee you get home should something happen?<\/p>\n

In this review, I\u2019ll go over what exactly the company offers, the pros and cons of using it, and its COVID policy to help you decide if Medjet is for you and your trip, budget, and travel style.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Do you even need<\/em> medical evacuation coverage?<\/h3>\n

First off, you\u2019re probably wondering whether you even need medical evacuation coverage. To many, it sounds like overkill. Odds are you\u2019ll be fine, right?<\/p>\n

Sure.<\/p>\n

Yet each and every year, over 10 million travelers are hospitalized abroad \u2014 and 2 million of them require medical transport. <\/p>\n

Contrary to popular belief, travel insurance companies like World Nomads<\/a> or SafetyWing<\/a> don\u2019t offer much when it comes to emergency evacuation. This isn\u2019t through any failings on the part of these companies (they\u2019re great, and I never leave home without travel insurance). It\u2019s just that they\u2019re focused on comprehensive trip coverage, and there are limitations to what that includes. <\/p>\n

Most travel insurance companies simply transport you to the nearest acceptable facility \u2014 which might not be very acceptable at all (though it\u2019s still better than nothing). <\/p>\n

I learned this firsthand when I got stabbed in Colombia<\/a> and went to the nearest medical facility. While I did get basic medical care, some of what I experienced there was a bit concerning. It was also challenging to navigate the situation with the little Spanish that I knew, so I quickly headed home to receive more comprehensive care. <\/p>\n

In short, you don\u2019t think you need medical evacuation coverage until you do. <\/p>\n

So, what is Medjet?<\/h3>\n

Medjet<\/a> is the answer to getting home. The company is careful and quick to point out that it\u2019s not an insurance company but rather a membership program. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, Medjet arranges and pays all costs for medical transfer to a hospital that you choose<\/em> within your home country. Again, this is different from other travel insurance policies, under which you cannot choose where you end up (and you aren\u2019t even guaranteed to end up in your home country!).<\/p>\n

Additionally, Medjet does not require the transport to be medically necessary. For most medical transfers, you\u2019re only moved if the facility that you\u2019re currently at cannot provide adequate care. With Medjet, even if you are in a facility that can<\/em> take care of you but you want to go home or to a different facility, Medjet will transport you. <\/p>\n

In short, Medjet is a white-glove medical transport service for travelers who want care above and beyond what is typically offered by travel insurance companies.<\/p>\n

What does Medjet cover?<\/h3>\n

Since they focus solely on medical evacuation, Medjet\u2019s coverage is pretty straightforward. <\/p>\n

Its base plan is called MedjetAssist, which provides comprehensive coverage and everything that most travelers will need. As long as your attending doctor determines it is safe for you to be transported, Medjet covers your transfer to the facility of your choice in your home country. It also covers transportation for one travel companion. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like expanded coverage, you can opt for the MedjetHorizon plan, which includes an emergency medical cash advance (some foreign hospitals demand cash payments upfront), and medical transfer if you\u2019re under 150 miles from home but your local hospital isn\u2019t capable of treating you. MedjetHorizon also includes security and crisis responses, such as in the case of kidnapping, evacuation due to natural disasters, and more. <\/p>\n

Here you can see MedjetAssist as compared to MedjetHorizon: <\/p>\n

\"Two-column<\/p>\n

\"Two-column <\/p>\n

As you can see, MedjetAssist is usually enough for most travelers\u2019 needs, but if you\u2019re concerned about additional security and crisis responses, you can add MedjetHorizon to your policy for additional peace of mind. <\/p>\n

In addition, you can choose a variety of options, such as who is covered, length of time, domestic or international coverage, the type of policy (MedjetAssist or MedjetHorizon), and other add-ons.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an overview of the types of plans that you can choose from: <\/p>\n

\"List<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve decided what plan suits your needs, it\u2019s very easy to sign up, with a flowchart to walk you through the process. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what the sign-up process on the website looks like: <\/p>\n

\"Flow<\/p>\n

As you can see, a one-year MedjetAssist policy for an individual traveling both internationally and domestically costs just $315 USD. That’s just $0.86 cents per day.<\/p>\n

There are also significant volume discounts for longer policies, so you pay less per day on annual and multi-year plans. <\/p>\n

Multi-member policies also are quite affordable. For example, an annual family membership for global coverage costs just $425 USD and may include a primary member, a domestic partner or spouse, and up to five dependent children up to age 19 (or up to age 23 for full-time students). <\/p>\n

What\u2019s not covered?<\/h3>\n

Medjet is primarily for medical evacuations, meaning that the plans don\u2019t cover trip cancellations or delays, lost or stolen baggage, or any other minor mishaps that might happen on the road. <\/p>\n

This means that in addition to a Medjet membership, you\u2019ll also want to purchase standard travel insurance. You can read about my favorite travel insurance companies<\/a> for more information and suggestions.<\/p>\n

How does Medjet work?<\/h3>\n

Using Medjet is easy and straightforward \u2014 as it should be \u2014 since you\u2019d only be using it in an absolute emergency. Once you\u2019re admitted to a hospital abroad, you (or a travel companion) contact Medjet, where staff is available 24\/7\/365. They then communicate with hospital personnel to determine if you\u2019re stable enough to be transported. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re determined eligible for transfer, Medjet will reach out to your hospital of choice to see if there will be space for you upon arrival. Assuming that\u2019s also a yes, then medical transportation is arranged, and you\u2019re on your way. <\/p>\n

Another great thing about Medjet is that one travel companion can come with you on your flight home, at no extra cost to you. <\/p>\n

There are no claim forms to fill out after the fact \u2014 Medjet handles everything right up front. And Medjet includes COVID-19 coverage, so if you\u2019re hospitalized abroad for COVID-19 and need to be repatriated, Medjet has you covered (with some restrictions). <\/p>\n

You can read Medjet\u2019s full COVID policy here<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n

Pros and cons of Medjet<\/h3>\n

Pros of Medjet:<\/strong> <\/p>\n