Emergency medical evacuation is a critical component of personal protection when traveling abroad or in remote locations. However, many travelers don’t think about it or believe they will ever need it. The information below is designed to help you better understand the importance of emergency medical evacuation coverage, the costs, and how to use it effectively. 

What is emergency medical evacuation and when would I need it? 

An emergency medical evacuation occurs when a traveler has experienced a medical emergency and needs assistance being transported, either by ambulance or air ambulance, to the proper medical facilities for necessary treatment. 

A traveler may need emergency medical evacuation coverage if they are planning to travel to a developing nation or a country with limited infrastructure. While some foreign countries have adequate healthcare facilities, others may not have facilities that are able to appropriately assist with certain medical emergencies. Should a medical emergency arise, the traveler may need transported to a hospital with the facilities required for treatment or repatriated to a hospital at home.  

One common scenario in which travelers need emergency medical evacuation is in the event of an accident. Examples of accidents where evacuation may be needed include someone falling and sustaining a head injury or accidentally stepping into oncoming traffic and being involved in a motor vehicle accident.  

Another common scenario where emergency medical evacuation is needed is in the event of an unexpected medical condition. An example of this is when someone has suffered a heart attack and requires advanced diagnostics and potentially cardiac surgery. 

In both scenarios, if local medical facilities were unable to provide adequate care, a traveler could be transported to another city or country to receive necessary treatment. 

How does emergency medical evacuation coverage work? 

When a traveler experiences a medical emergency, they should first contact local emergency services to receive immediate attention and care. Once local emergency services have been obtained, the traveler should contact their assistance provider (in this case, IMG) as soon as possible. From there, IMG would coordinate care, arrange payment, and more. IMG can easily cross language barriers, and we have experts prepared to handle emergency situations all around the world. 

When determining whether a medical evacuation is necessary, IMG assesses what medical care the patient needs, and second, looks at whether the patient is at or near a facility that is deemed qualified to provide that care. That determination is made based on the intelligence collected on providers around the world, past experiences with those facilities, by reviewing medical information provided by the facility, and by speaking with the treating medical team at the facility to conduct a thorough review of the patient’s condition and plan of care. IMG’s medical team makes careful determinations of the level of care the patient needs, and when that is not available, the evacuation process begins.  

How much does emergency evacuation typically cost without insurance? 

The cost of emergency evacuations varies depending on the situation. Since its founding in 1990, IMG has managed a wide range of evacuations, some costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.  

Based on data from past IMG air ambulance transfers, the average emergency medical flight to the U.S. costs $50,820, but evacuations from some areas can cost much more. For example, an air ambulance transfer from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the U.S. can cost approximately $186,200. ¹ If you could not afford to pay tens—or hundreds—of thousands of dollars out of pocket for a medical evacuation, then emergency medical evacuation coverage could be a good investment for your trip. 

What factors affect evacuation? 

Medical evacuations have a number of complexities such as immigration challenges, pilot rest time requirements, patient size, weather, security, and more. 

The three major factors that affect the costs associated with medical evacuation are the methods of transportation, distance, and the patient’s medical needs. For example, if someone needs to be sent on a sea level flight, this method of transportation would have higher fuel costs that would result in increases in the overall cost of the evacuation. Both the overall distance traveled and the necessary personnel and equipment required on board would also play a factor in the cost of this evacuation. 

How do I choose the right level of evacuation coverage? 

Every traveler and every trip are unique, and there are many factors that affect the cost of an evacuation. When deciding on the appropriate amount of medical evacuation insurance, it’s important to consider potential worst-case scenarios.   

While evacuation by air ambulance is one of the costliest means of evacuation, it is also able to provide the highest level of care in an emergency, since these aircrafts enable doctor or nurse escorts to bring the necessary equipment and medication for treatment throughout the flight. If traveling to a developing country and there is limited infrastructure not only in that country, but in that region, then it’s more likely that an expensive air ambulance evacuation will be needed to travel a greater distance to a major city with the facilities required for treatment. It’s important to note that evacuations are not always by air; they could be to another facility within driving distance.  

A few additional factors to consider when choosing coverage are the potential need to be repatriated back home and whether having the option for a bedside companion to join you during a medical emergency is important to you. Some travel insurance plans may just cover medical evacuation to the nearest suitable hospital, while others offer coverage to be sent back to your home country. Similarly, some plans include coverage for someone to be flown to join you as the result of a medical emergency. 

Overall, it’s important to consider the potential of these types of scenarios and the associated costs when determining the amount of medical evacuation coverage needed for a particular trip. Many of IMG's most popular travel medical insurance plans include evacuation coverage up to $1M.  

Importance of 24/7 assistance services 

There is always value in having peace of mind knowing that, in the event of an emergency, you and your family members have experts available to you who are experienced in coordinating medical care and evacuations. Having emergency medical evacuation coverage will not only cover your expenses, but it will also provide a team of experts to offer support to you and your family in a worst-case scenario. 

IMG’s 24/7 travel assistance provides critical services such as emergency travel arrangements, medical referrals, 24-hour medical monitoring, and more. Beyond offering services that are essential in the event of a medical emergency, IMG’s 24/7 assistance services also include lost passport assistance, emergency cash transfer, lost luggage assistance, and many more services that are helpful when an issue arises while traveling. 

Real Customer Story: Medical Evacuation in Greece  

IMG customer Philip Mitchell set off for a 6-to-8-week solo hiking adventure throughout Greece. But while on a hike in Crete, he fell nearly 20 feet off a cliff onto the rocks and water in the river gorge below. Philip suffered a concussion, a compression fracture of 1 vertebra, 5 broken ribs, a punctured and collapsed lung, and many other severe injuries. 

Thankfully, prior to leaving on his trip, Philip purchased a travel medical insurance plan from IMG, and IMG's medical management staff quickly jumped into action to coordinate his care abroad and eventual transfer back to the United States.  

Months later, Philip made a full recovery and considered his Patriot Platinum Travel Medical Insurance plan the “best insurance policy he’s ever bought,” and he hopes others remember the importance of travel medical insurance when traveling internationally. He says, “I would never travel outside of the United States without that insurance.” 

Real Customer Story: Medical Evacuation for Skiing Accident 

While skiing in South America, Mark Kogelman, an IMG customer, found himself on the brink of paralysis. After skiing over a rock buried in the powdery snow, he cracked open his skull and fractured the vertebra in the uppermost part of his spine. 

Mark spent twelve days in the hospital in Santiago, and what would have cost Mark and his family hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills only cost them a couple hundred dollars because of his IMG travel insurance plan. 

Mark says, “I took comfort in the fact that IMG had my back. They really orchestrated everything. They took care of all the arrangements I had, from the airlift to Santiago to paying my bills in the hospital.” He goes on to say, “If you’re thinking about travel insurance at all, definitely get it. It saved my life, and it could save yours.” 

¹Data is based on IMG air ambulance transfers that occurred between January and September 2024.