The benefits of medical evacuation insurance

Connie, a childhood friend and current client, vacationed annually with her mother in Mexico. During their last vacation, her mother collapsed on the bathroom floor. She was rushed to the closest hospital. Doctors told Connie that her mother would die if they didn't perform heart bypass surgery. Connie wasn't comfortable with the level of care available but reluctantly okayed the surgery - she had no other option. Her mother died. Connie had the task of bringing her mother's body home - a horrible experience.

If Connie's mother had had medical evacua- tion insurance, Connie may have been able to fly her home at no cost, where she could have received the best care. Her odds of survival would have gone up. But even if her mother had died in Mexico before she could have been flown to a U.S. hospital, a good medical evacu- ation service would have flown to Mexico and brought the body home for burial.

If you buy medical evacuation insurance, try to obtain a policy that Pays for you to be transported to your home hospital or another hospi- tal of your choice (not just the nearest hospital) Has no dollar limits on costs (the cost to evacuate you from China may be $100,000) Transports you at your option, regardless of medical necessity Covers you within your home country - not just abroad

Provides a full medical staff

The best company we've encountered is Med Jet Assistance (800-9MEDJET; www·medjetassistance·com). It meets all the criteria just listed. The policy is underwritten by Lloyds of London, and it's reasonably priced: around $300 for an entire year. If the coverage and the company are good, we think medical evacuation insurance is a good idea, especially if you travel a lot or have a health condi- tion (like a heart problem) that places you more at risk for being in a medical emergency abroad. Be sure the policy you buy does not exclude your preexisting conditions!

Taking Decisive Action

If you've got high medical bills and you're worried about how to pay them, first try to reduce the amount of the bills as much as possible: Be sure the bills are accurate. When you find errors, get them corrected and get your bills adjusted. Don't assume that medical billing errors don't matter if you have health insurance. They do. These errors can mean higher copays and out-of- pocket costs and maybe even higher premiums when renewed. Make your insurance company pay for everything it should. If your bills are the result of an accident that someone else caused, get that per- son's insurance company to pay as many of the bills as possible. Pursue all medical discounts you may be eligible for. Take advantage of medical bill-paying assistance if you're eligible. You may qualify for help if you have a low income or no health insurance. In the sections that follow, we detail each of these options.

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