Medical insurance/assistance??

I was in a very bad hunting car wreck a few years ago in a fairly remote part of South Africa. It was the PH, cameraman, a friend and myself. although bloody and battered, 3 of us had non-life threatening injuries but my buddy was ejected from the vehicle after we flipped going about 60 mph. He was in bad shape and we initially thought he was dead. He did have a Medjet policy and they flew him to Joberg and then flew him home 3 weeks later in a private jet with medical personnel on board. Additionally, once they reached the US they stayed with him until he got to the hospital of his choice . I was very impressed with the service however we did have to get him to the nearest "hospital" so that Medjet could get him. I believe that global rescue will rescue in the field and they also have policy add-ons for rescue in areas with civil disturbances. I have bought policies from both companies depending on the remoteness of the hunt. I have seen Medjet in action, first hand, and they do a great job. My buddy made a full recovery. I believe that 2 things saved his life, a satellite phone and a good insurance policy in place.

This sounds bad...I was looking into medx.. I think they have us over a barrel one way or another. Even though I m going to Namibia and I understands they have good hospitals I was concerned if I was injured in the event we had to pursue a wounded leopard. I really don't know what to do.

Brickburn – Thanks for raising this issue and apologies for any confusion your earlier conversation may have caused. Field Rescue is triggered when you need to be hospitalized OR risk serious injury unless you can get to emergency medical care. When it isn’t clear and could “go either way” we ALWAYS err on the side of deploying rescue services. To be clear, we define the risk of serious injury or need for hospitalization in “first world” terms and our physicians are the ones who make the determination. In some parts of the world, even a relatively minor injury could have serious consequences and we are very much aware of that and will deploy rescue services in those instances.

For the scenario you describe, your rescue would be covered, as it has been for other members with similar problems in the past. A case like the one you describe occurred in Kamchatka to Tom Heeger who was bear hunting and broke his leg in deep snow. We performed a field rescue and to make sure he received the best care, brought him home to St. Louis once we completed the Field Rescue, since the hospitals in Kamchatka are poor. You can read about this case (and others) here: http://blog.globalrescue.com/medeva...r-hunter-from-remote-camp-in-Kamchatka-Russia.

Having performed over 5,000 operations worldwide over the last decade, we have deep experience understanding and operating in difficult environments. Our personnel, many of whom have military and special operations backgrounds, are the best problem solvers in the business and don’t delay or quibble when a member needs our services. If you’re curious about their backgrounds, you can review them here: https://www.globalrescue.com/aboutus/overview.xhtml.

One final point worth mentioning: Global Rescue is not an insurance company and is not the entity bearing the cost of the rescues and evacuations we perform. While it is our job to enforce the rules, it is NOT in our interest to withhold services. To the contrary, we exist to deploy the lifesaving services our members depend on and have significant latitude in this regard.

We would be happy to discuss this further with you if you would like at 617-459-4200 and it would be our pleasure to connect you with our hunting team which has addressed the needs of thousands of hunters, outfitters and guides.

Sincerely,

Global Rescue

Interesting, GR is a third party administrator of the underlying policy of insurance. It really sounds like they have a wide discretion to bind the insurer. I wonder who underwrites the policy? If they are managing the medical decisions they could be on the hook for a poorly informed denial of treatment. Perhaps this means they will make sure they are making the correct decision for the patient? FYI, For travel insurance issued in Canada, the insurers have an incentive to get the patient back to Canada as quickly as possible because their financial exposure ends once our government system is used. They also have the discretion to use commercial air travel rather than air ambulance. If you refuse to be repatriated your coverage can be terminated.

Pheroze – Thanks for your comment. We are actually a service provider, not a Third Party Administrator (TPA). The distinction is that we provide the actual services and do NOT process or pay claims. Unlike others mentioned in the thread, we are the only ones with in-house capability. The paramedics, doctors and security specialists who deploy are our personnel and are the ones making positive things happen in some of the worst locations on the planet for our members. We pioneered Field Rescue for our membership and our partnership with the Division of Special Operations at Johns Hopkins, ranked #1 in the U.S. over 20 times since 1990 (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/specialops/), ensures that members with complex medical issues get the specialist oversight needed to make good decisions that maximize the likelihood of good outcomes.

Regarding insurance, our memberships are backed by Lloyd’s of London (https://www.lloyds.com/lloyds), the world’s oldest provider of specialty insurance.

A final note: we are not travel insurance and our company was founded 11 years ago to address the deficiencies of traditional travel insurers and assistance companies who were either unable or unwilling (or both) to deploy the lifesaving services travelers to remote locations need in an emergency.

Best regards,

Global Rescue

What a very interesting service you have going there and I thank you for your responses in this thread. I know I have spoken to my family about it for our trip to Africa next year. If I have a membership and need assistance while hunting in Canada (my own country) do you still respond or is it only for travel outside my country of residence?

Global Rescue said:

............... In some parts of the world, even a relatively minor injury could have serious consequences and we are very much aware of that and will deploy rescue services in those instances. .......................

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Which seemed to be the point being lost on the CSR's during my telephone call.

As with any agreement there has to be some frame of reference and I wanted to make clear what was being offered and under what conditions.

I appreciate the reply to my query and the clarification.
Now I have it in writing.

I will contact you directly and followup.

Pheroze- Thanks for your question.

Global Rescue services take effect anytime you or a family member is traveling more than 160 miles from home. You would have exclusive 24/7 access to our redundant Global Operations Centers staffed by veteran critical-care paramedics, physicians, and security specialists. Whether you require medical advice, a hospital referral to one of our 200 international Centers of Excellence or critical early stage triage in an emergency, our specialists are standing by to assist you. In addition, Global Rescue will provide, arrange and pay for a medical evacuation from the point of injury or illness to your home hospital of choice.

As part of that information/referral service are you capable of referring to local doctors in the event of minor issues. i.e.. Tick Bite Fever for early treatment?

Brickburn -

Our advisory services, field rescue and evacuation services are available anywhere more than 160 miles from home above the 60th parallel and below the 80th. A case like the one you described occurred in Zimbabwe to Lorne and Mary Liechty this past year. You can read about this case and many other of medical referrals on our blog. While Lorne's condition did not warrant an evacuation, Global Rescue was able to provide timely medical advice and support to Lorne and his wife as they continued on with their trip.

Also of interest: Our destination reports are available anytime and we also have a mobile app that you can download and use to get destination intelligence. The app also features “check in” functionality that plots your grid coordinates on a map, makes your location visible to our operations centers and features in app text communication with our ops teams. Of course, you need cell service for it to work or a satellite connection through a device like the Iridium Go (https://www.iridium.com/products/Iridium-GO.aspx).

Let us know if you have any other questions.

Best regards,

Global Rescue

I'll look at those resources.

If you can do a medical referral in country, that is about ten steps better than the service I used last trip.
I called the number in the middle of the night with a fever and feeling ill and had to ask for help.
Got a contact for a hospital.
Hell, I can do that on the internet myself.
Thankfully, the PH (always an awesome resource) knew a local doc and I was able to get there and receive treatment in the morning.

The more information the merrier.

So Brick, what do you think about GR? Is is meet up to your standards? I leave in September just wondering if I should get the coverage.

johnnyblues said:

So Brick, what do you think about GR? Is is meet up to your standards? I leave in September just wondering if I should get the coverage.

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I am going to be having a direct conversation with one of he folks a little higher up the food chain and make sure that all my concerns are addressed and then I will let you know exactly what I have chosen to do with regard to GR.

I just purchased further medical coverage to make sure the entire duration of the trip is covered. May as well make sure any Doctors involved get paid in a timely manner.

johnnyblues said:

So Brick, what do you think about GR? Is is meet up to your standards? I leave in September just wondering if I should get the coverage.

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Conversation held. Nothing like talking to someone that is part of the Hunting Team.
Questions answered to my satisfaction with the invitation to come back and ask more if I require.

The openness and willingness to respond to the concerns beforehand leaves me with a lot more confidence.
Welcome to a solution focus!

Parted with $329 for a one year membership that I hope I do not need to make use of beyond obtaining information.

BRICKBURN said:

Conversation held. Nothing like talking to someone that is part of the Hunting Team.
Questions answered to my satisfaction with the invitation to come back and ask more if I require.

The openness and willingness to respond to the concerns beforehand leaves me with a lot more confidence.
Welcome to a solution focus!

Parted with $329 for a one year membership that I hope I do not need to make use of beyond obtaining information.

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Thanks you have helped me make my decision

hmm, a question about being taken "home" as in where i hold my passport, i am a British passport holder but live in Canada, would i be able to go to my place of residence which is Canada vs where i hold my passport

dobber said:

hmm, a question about being taken "home" as in where i hold my passport, i am a British passport holder but live in Canada, would i be able to go to my place of residence which is Canada vs where i hold my passport

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Is there really that big a difference?!
It's only 6000 km from the center of the universe to London.

Dobber- Yes, you would in fact be transported to your residence in Canada assuming that is your home country listed on your Global Rescue membership.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Thanks,
Global Rescue