According to International Travel News, about 1 in 4,000 trips overseas require a medical evacuation. Although the report is a few years old, it points out that medical evacuations during travel are rare. However, they are almost always expensive. The costs of medical evacuation travel within the United States averages $25,000. Outside the U.S., prices can be twice to four times as much.
Medical evacuation travel is expensive because of the costs associated with transport by air ambulance – typically a helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft. However, depending on the level and type of care needed, there may be other options, including care at a nearby medical center or non-emergency transportation.
Most travel insurance providers define medical evacuation as providing transportation for a patient to the nearest adequate medical facility. Medical evacuation is different from medical repatriation, which involves transporting a patient back to their home country for needed medical care. It's important to understand that though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they do not mean the same thing.
A medical travel assistance company, such as SentinelMED, can help patients and their families determine the type of transport required to move someone long distances to receive appropriate medical care. Our medical experts can also help determine if the same or similar care could be provided at a nearby medical center.
Here are the most common options for people who need medical care while traveling:
Treatment at a local medical center or hospital. In many countries, especially in larger cities, care is available for travelers who face mild illnesses or injuries, such as migraine headaches, sprains, and Traveler's diarrhea. However, away from cities or land – for example, on a cruise ship – care for a broken bone or heart attack, for example, might not be readily available.
In-county, non-emergency transport. With a medical evacuation, the nearest appropriate care may be on the other side of the country that you are visiting. Ground transportation may be the quickest and safest way to travel to a medical facility with the equipment and trained staff to treat you.
Non-emergency medical repatriation. If you have been treated for an illness, injury, or surgery while outside your home country, you may need to be medically repatriated. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you must travel by air ambulance. If your condition is stable, you may be able to travel home by commercial airline with accommodations such as a portable oxygen tank and a medical escort's assistance. SentinelMED’s medical escorts are paramedics, nurses, physician assistants, and physicians experienced in travel medicine. We match our caregivers to patients based on the patient's medical needs and any native language and cultural considerations.
Emergency medical evacuation or repatriation. If a patient requires immediate care and adequate care is not available locally, air ambulance transport may be the only viable option. Some air ambulance services offer emergency transport only, while others provide both emergency and non-emergency transport. Because of the daunting cost involved with this kind of transport, it is important to consult with a medical transport service such as SentinelMED before agreeing to an air ambulance transport. This recommendation is especially important because many travel insurance policies do not cover medical repatriation and may not include coverage for medical evacuation by air ambulance.
Medical Transport Services from SentinelMED
While the odds are good that you won’t need medical evacuation travel, it is something to research and consider before any trip that takes you far from home.
SentinelMED can help individuals and their family members make important decisions about long-distance medical transportation, whether for scheduled procedures or an unexpected illness or accidents while traveling. As a medical transport assistance company, we provide domestic and international medical transport, evacuation, and repatriation services. Our staff can also arrange for trained and experienced medical escorts to accompany travelers and provide basic medical care during transport.
The SentinelMED team understands the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
