International health insurance companie

The goal of medical evacuation is to save a patient's life and/or limit the extent of an injury. If the patient's condition is stable and there is no risk from flying, the insurance company will have the patient flown to the nearest adequate medical facility. For example, if someone is injured in Cambodia they would be flown to Bangkok, if in West Africa, to France. Once the patient is stabilized, the insurance company may even have them flown back to their home country, if needed.

International health insurance companies provide insurance coverage for people all over the world. No insurance company is large enough to have their own fleet of planes available in every country. Instead, they have contracts with medical evacuation companies and planes worldwide. So in the case of a severe injury or illness, air transportation for the patient can be deployed very quickly. Depending on the physical location of the patient, extraction can be available often within 2 to 3 hours.

Many international insurance companies have divisions within their company that handle medical evacuation 24/7 for their clients. One of the companies that we work with has ten nurses and one medical officer (doctor) on staff in their evacuation division.

Here is the general procedure of a medical evacuation:

1. The insurance company is contacted concerning the need for a medical transportation.

2. The Medical Evacuation Division in the company makes a quick and complete evaluation of the illness or injury. This is generally done in consultation with a physician that works with the insurance company and medical personnel that are on the ground stabilizing the patient.

3. Evaluation of the physical and geographic location of the patient in regard to the nearest airport and nearest adequate medical facilities is considered.

4. The patient is evacuated to the nearest adequate medical facility, and once stabilized and if medically necessary, evacuated back to their home country.

5. If the medical condition is not overly serious they will use a common carrier for the evacuation often sending along medical personnel to assist the patient in flight. If the patient's condition is very serious, they will charter a plane from a medical evacuation company in the region.