Getting ill when you’re away from home is something most of us have experienced. From having to explain your condition using your charades skills to taking medicines that are as foreign as the destination you’ve chosen, it’s not usually a situation you want to repeat. But what happens when your illness is much more serious than the sniffles or a sore throat? Kevin Melton, sales director at international private medical insurance provider AXA PPP International, explains the ins and outs of medical evacuation, why no self-respecting expat should ignore the danger, and how to make sure you're covered for all eventualities.
Medical evacuation
There are a variety of ways to medically evacuate people. It all depends on where the evacuation is taking place and the condition of the patient.
Most evacuations are carried out via commercial flights. This is only appropriate for medically stable and conscious patients who are able to breathe on their own. If the patient is evacuated in this way, it usually involves buying either an upper-class seat or a couple of extra coach seats.
Other types of evacuation are for patients who are medically unstable. The Lufthansa airline has intensive care units (ICU) aboard some regularly scheduled flights. This option is good if the patient is at a destination that Lufthansa serves.
The ICU units have state-of-the-art equipment, and the costs are controlled, because the flight is part of Lufthansa’s regular activity. However, it does mean the patient has to be at the right place at the right time, and the aircraft must be able to accommodate him or her, because the ICU takes up an area of coach seats.
Air ambulances also carry out evacuations, which are not just appropriate for unstable patients but are also used for non-emergency evacuations in isolated areas where commercial flights aren’t available.
Don’t take the risk
The world can be a dangerous place, be it getting involved in an accident or having a heart attack. And when you need emergency care in an area that is deprived of appropriate healthcare, or the treatment you need isn’t available locally, you need to get out – fast.
Some insurers include evacuation as standard, but most charge the service as an added extra. So make sure you check this before you buy the policy, or, if you already have one that doesn’t include evacuation, see if an upgrade is available outside the policy renewal.
It’s also worth asking if the insurer uses an in-house specialist evacuation team or if they outsource that service. In-house teams usually have more control over the evacuation, and can manage costs better.
At AXA PPP International, we include evacuation as standard on all our international health policies for expats. We use our sister company, AXA Assistance, to carry out all our members’ evacuations from remote areas all over the world.
If you need expert support in finding the right international healthcare for yourself and your family, visit www.axappphealthcare.co.uk/relocate
