Why is repatriation assistance insurance essential for traveling or expatriating?
Why is repatriation assistance insurance essential for traveling or expatriating?
repatriation assistance Repatriation assistance, you must certainly hear about it when you look at the travel insurance to take out for your next getaway. It is often said that it is very important, but why exactly?
What is a repatriation?
Repatriation can take on different aspects, depending on your state of health and where you are.
For example, if you are seriously ill or injured (following an event covered by your travel insurance contract), and your state of health requires rapid travel, the insurance company organizes and pays for your repatriation to a competent hospital. If you are a victim of acute mountain sickness (AMS) while trekking in Nepal, the repatriation guarantee will apply to charter a helicopter which will evacuate you to the nearest hospital.
If the local medical facilities are unable to provide the required care, the company takes care of your transfer,
– or to the nearest hospital.
– or to your place of residence in your country of residence.
This repatriation or medical transport can be carried out if necessary under medical supervision (accompaniment of a doctor and/or a nurse) by special medical aircraft, or regular airline, train or ambulance.
The company takes care of and organizes the transport of the body from the place of coffin to the international airport closest to your home. It should be noted that there is also body repatriation insurance for people who live abroad and who, in the event of their death, wish to be buried in their country of origin.
Why is repatriation assistance so important?
As you have understood, repatriation occurs in emergency cases requiring your immediate transfer.
In the event of a serious illness that cannot be treated on site, this guarantee allows you to be redirected to the nearest hospital . If, for example, you are the victim of an attack of appendicitis while visiting Machu Picchu, the company will do everything to locate you and take you urgently to the nearest hospital.
If you break a leg following a fall and this accident puts an end to your trip, the company will direct you to the nearest hospital, then reserve you a seat on the next flight to your country of residence. .
In the event of death, in addition to the transport of the body, the company will cover the additional costs necessary for the transport , including the cost of the coffin (up to the amount indicated on the table of guarantees). If you die on a trip to the other side of the world, your body will be quickly repatriated to your loved ones, who will not have to pay for it.
Repatriation is one of the most expensive guarantees for insurance, because transfer rates are often exorbitant. The situation is always catastrophic when the traveler has not taken out this guarantee. This represents a debt for the family, and the patient or the body may then find themselves stuck abroad. You have all already seen on the Internet kitties organized in disaster by the relatives of a traveler who finds himself stuck abroad, hospitalized or even worse, deceased. Don’t let this kind of thing happen!
A medical repatriation can amount to a few thousand euros for a repatriation by regular flight without medical assistance, and a medical repatriation with an accompanying doctor can cost up to 40,000 euros. Finally, the cost for the repatriation of a body varies between 1,000 and 5,000 euros.
It should be noted that in the case of medical repatriation or death repatriation, you cannot count on help from the government of your country of origin. Indeed, the consulate will be able to take care of contacts with the family and provide you with advice in the event of difficulty with the local authorities, but in no case will it be able to help you financially. At the very most, in rare cases, he will be able to make an advance of funds which will have to be reimbursed to him afterwards.
You can avoid all these inconveniences for your loved ones by taking out travel insurance including repatriation assistance.
How to take out repatriation insurance?
Repatriation assistance is often included in travel insurance offers . In the case of our Globe Traveler contract , this is part of the assistance guarantees of the contract. Medical repatriation and repatriation of the body in the event of death are covered at 100% of actual costs, with funeral costs limited to 1,500 euros.
If you are an expatriate, our specific contracts include an optional repatriation guarantee.
If you are an expatriate insured by local health insurance, you can subscribe to our repatriation and civil liability contract.
This repatriation guarantee remains an essential guarantee whether you are a traveler or an expatriate and, whatever your destination. It allows you to go without apprehension to regions where medical care is sometimes problematic and in any case be certain that repatriation to your country of origin is possible.
Attention !
The guarantees described in this article may vary depending on the guarantees and exclusions of each travel insurance or expatriation insurance contract. It is essential to read and understand the general conditions of your contract to avoid any surprises.
