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I will soon post what all my readers over at www.JetWithKids.com know about me - we don't fly without our CARES harness. However, today I want to write about something I am very passionate about - smart travel with peace of mind.
What else do I never leave home without?
My "Peace of Mind" A.K.A. MedJetAssist
I signed up online quickly and so very easily
before we left for our European trip last Fall. The membership for ANYONE
who travels, (much like AAA is for drivers) is a “no-brainer” to me.
Let me explain.
The inside of an ambulance or hospital - things that are not on the agenda for any trip - business or pleasure. Yet, with the turn of an ankle or the distraction of a new surrounding, very quickly vacation can take a turn for the worse.
How does this apply to the traveling family - healthy and just on a quick trip for a week of fun?
Let’s use “John” and “Jane” traveling with their son “James” as an example.
A week in Florida to get away from the cold winter at home in
Minnesota. They leave the Florida airport, excited to be on vacation
and talking about how great the week is going to be.
Jane looks at the map to find the hotel for John who is driving.
Before she can say a word, a negligent driver slams into their car
in the intersection (having run through a red light).
Accidents like this happen - daily. Completely out-of-their-control,
not-at-fault accident due to the distraction of another driver. Now
the long awaited vacation is a horrible nightmare.
Jane and little James are fine - but John needs surgery on his
shoulder and leg. He is badly bruised and in pain.
Jane is shook up and little James is in shock. The hospital that the
family is transported to is unfamiliar to them (of course- they are
1700 miles from home!). Jane calls her medical insurance company
and requests that John be transported home for surgery.
The insurance company spends not even a minute thinking about that
one - before refusing to cover transport. Reminding Jane that the policy
states that the patient will be transported “if medically necessary
to an appropriate facility chosen by -the insurance company.” Jane is
horrified to think that they can’t get home. She then remembers
that she had purchased travel insurance for the trip.
She calls this number only to find out that medical evacuation is
only covered - once again - if “medically necessary to an
appropriate facility”.
Not to worry - John is a PLATINUM card member.
Surely they will take care of their “platinum” member right?
“Medically necessary and to a facility of our choice IF the
global director deems this transfer necessary.”
Who is the Global Director? What is going to be an appropriate
facility? Will cost be a deciding factor?
"Sorry" - he is in a facility that medical insurance and travel insurance
and the "Platinum Card Director" have deemed appropriate (A.K.A "in -network"or an affordable choice for the insurance to cover" - and it is then determined that the hospital of their choice is fine for completing John’s surgery and subsequent rehabilitation.
But the doctor said that with his injuries it would be weeks before
he would be able to travel - and that he would need extensive
rehab!
All of a sudden, the trip turns into a financial nightmare. Jane
realizes how much time she will have to take off of work, how many weeks
they will spend in a hotel as John recuperates in the hospital
and then a rehab center and the expensive
weeks with a rental car- and how will she take care of
little James in a hotel room and hospital?
The support (for getting home) she had anticipated from her travel insurance,
John’s Platinum card status, and her medical insurance was nonexistent
and left her feeling alone. Having to make all the decisions by herself
as well as going crazy with worry about John’s health, she
felt very alone.
Then she remembered that the day before they left, John had said
something about signing them up for a Medjet Assist membership.
The card in his wallet indicated that they indeed were Medjet members.
She looked at the back of the card and gathered the 6 items she needed
when she called them.
1. her name and phone number where she was
2. the member’s name (John)
3. the location of John -city, country
4. brief description of the situation (car accident, injury requiring surgery)
5. hospital contact info
6. physician contact info
She dialed the 800 number and was soon speaking to a caring, comforting
voice - who assured her that help was “on its way”.
All medical communication was taken over by the Medjet Director,
John Gobbels, who understands how traumatic these situations are for family.
Medjet took over all arrangements and maintained communication
with Jane, the treating hospital, and the hometown physician in Minnesota.
They made sure that the local hospital in MN had an empty bed for
John and before Jane knew it, they were on the way home. John was
flown in a medically staffed air ambulance (private jet) and
Jane was able to have family and friends nearby for support
during surgery and the weeks following.
Jane was amazed at how simple it was. No paperwork - no claim
forms, no deductible (just like AAA for the car!). Medjet just flew in and whisked them
away to the familiarity of their hometown hospital.
And the cost for this incredible service? NOTHING - since John
had already paid for the family’s year long membership.
For an entire family (up to 5 kids) to be covered FOR ONE WHOLE YEAR…
$350 TOTAL
What would that one incident have cost Jane otherwise?
Well here is the summary:
-time off work for Jane
-hotel, rental car, food, etc. for possibly weeks of rehab (assuming
no complications like infection or blood clot)
-stress of being alone with child - away from home
-stress of being alone worrying about husband
OR if she chose air transport
$10-20,000 OUT OF POCKET!
-stress of trying to arrange medical transport on her own
This is a domestic travel case - and with only one family member injured in the accident.
Worth $350 (less than one domestic plane ticket) for the year? Yes, without a doubt! For year round “Peace of Mind” protection and knowing that one phone call and 6 tiny details is all you need to be taken care of in an overwhelming situation.
Now do the math if traveling internationally. Air ambulance internationally would be $75,000 or more. Yes, out of pocket.
I believe a Medjet membership to be the single most important thing
that anyone traveling more than 150 miles from home should have.
Accidents happen to ANYONE and happen daily.
A couple months ago I was researching flying with sick children and spoke with the Medical Director of an air ambulance company. He stated, "Anya, you cannot believe the calls we get - daily - from people who never thought something could or would happen to them. They are desperate when they call us and will pay anything just to get home to a familiar physician or near family. And it all is out of pocket because their insurance doesn't consider their preference for care or family support. It is all about the bottom line - cost for the insurance company."
I am not alone when I say that Medjet is a fantastic company and a smart investment.
The top travel experts (Peter Greenberg, Rudy Maxa) as well as the NFL, CBS,
and AARP recognize that Medjet is a necessity.
Nobody likes to think that something could or would happen to them
on vacation or while traveling for business.
Accidents can happen to anyone regardless of age. And even though Los Angeles
or Tokyo or wherever your destination is - may have some great hospitals, I
would not want to have surgery or be hospitalized in an unfamiliar
setting far from home.
Since I wrote this post on www.JetWithKids.com , my 41 year old sister had shoulder surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. I didn't really think about it since she was healthy and she was in good hands.
The surgery went well - but afterward she coded twice with massive blood clots that had traveled to her lungs. They found multiple clots in each lobe of her lungs and she was put on Heparin to thin her blood. It worked - and yet she then bled internally in her shoulder overnight. In the morning her hand was numb, she was in excruciating pain and the surgeon stated she may lose her arm due to muscle death. Luckily they were able to save her arm. Still, her lungs and heart were under considerable strain due to the size of the clots in her lungs. She was critical and clinging to life in intensive care.
My son and I flew that same day to MN to be at her side (and be a medical advocate - more on that later). We rented a car and stayed in a hotel. That emergency trip literally cost us thousands of dollars.
I know this is the reverse of someone being on vacation and needing Medjet. However, had she been traveling think of the added expense for her family to get to her!
As a nurse I can tell you - things do happen - no surgery is "simple" when you consider the risk of complications. My sister is healthy and had never taken medication besides birth control.
I write all this so that you can see how quickly life can change. In just a short time a "healthy" person can go from routine surgery to clinging to life. Thank God that she wasn't in a foreign hospital where translation was difficult and we couldn't get to her in time!
Medjet is smart for anyone who travels farther than 150 miles from home. When my husband travels to Portland or LA for work - it is usually a quick trip. Yet if he were in a car wreck - it would be a financial and emotional nightmare to react quickly to be at his side. Now consider our kids - much, much easier to have him medically transported here so that we can utilize our support system of family and friends and our home as a base for me.
Think about these things - because I can guarantee you that your insurance is NOT going to be sympathetic to your needs.
The photos were taken on our trip this past Fall- Naples, Italy, Valletta, Malta and Venice, Italy and are the property of www.JetWithKids.com.
For more information, www.MedJetAssist.com/JetSeven