Travel insurance for medical repatriation
How travel insurance helps for medical repatriation.
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When you take yourself on an adventure to the far ends of the Earth—whether it’s dog-sledding with Huskies across the snow in Scandinavia or riding the waves in Japan, accidents (or illnesses) are bound to happen. And if they do, there really is no place like home when it comes to receiving the best medical care.
Differing to medical evacuation, which may be able to help transport you to the nearest medical center in an emergency, the medical repatriation benefit offers coverage to get you home for further medical treatment, recovery, or rehabilitation.
If things go sideways while you’re overseas, we’re here to help. Here are just some of the ways we can assist with medical repatriation for you and your family.
- What’s covered
- What's not covered
- Am I covered for COVID-19 related medical repatriation and evacuation?
- Real life medical repatriation
- FAQ‘s
What’s covered
After World Nomads and your local doctor have given you the go-ahead to return home, then we may cover:
- One-way economy airfare to return you to your Country of Residence; or
- Fares for additional seats should you need to accommodate a stretcher; or
- Flight upgrade to business class when a stretcher isn’t necessary;
- Round-trip airfare for a medical escort when a requirement by the airline or when medically necessary.
What's not covered
While your safety and health are our utmost concern, we don’t cover everything. Always check your policy wording. Here’s an overview of what’s not covered.
We don’t cover:
- Incidents related to the intake of alcohol or drugs (see policy wording)
- Unnecessary upgrades or other non-cost-effective options
- Medical expenses incurred back home
- Accidents that are a result of irresponsible or risky behavior
- Pre-existing medical conditions, as outlined in your policy wording.
Am I covered for COVID-19 related medical repatriation and evacuation?
Depending on your Country of Residence, you may have access to cover for repatriation if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 while overseas, your cover may include:
- 24/7 access to our Emergency Assistance team, who can help you access local medical care
- Medical hospitalisation
- Evacuation or repatriation if deemed medically necessary by us and in consultation with your attending medical practitioner.
To find out what cover applies to you, read our What's Covered for Coronavirus article, which has all of the details, including benefit limits, conditions and exclusions.
Coverage depends on your Country of Residence and varies between plans.
Our policies aren’t designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the policy wording for full details so that there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered get in touch.
Real life medical repatriation
Here are some of the ways we’ve been able to help Nomads get home for the medical assistance they needed:
I was driving home with my friend Nick on the back of my motorbike, when, out of nowhere, a car hit us on the side. The impact immediately trapped my right leg between my motorbike and the front of the car… Nick stood up and looked at me and the first thing he said was “Don’t look at your leg. Don’t look at your leg,”. Of course, I looked at my leg, and it was gone.
Without the 24-hour medical assistance World Nomads provided, I don’t know what we would have done.
Peter,
World Nomads customer from Australia
I fell on my side and heard the sound of dry stick breaking, I realized my leg was broken, then I just lay on the beach... The first phone call I got was from World Nomads and they basically told me, you don't worry about this Anton, just focus on getting better...and we'll take care of the rest.
Anton required surgery after breaking his leg and wrist in a fall while traveling in Thailand. We called Anton daily to check on his progress and once cover was confirmed, we took care of his medical bills and his hospital admin.
After his surgery, Anton couldn’t travel back to Iceland without help, so we sent Luke from our Emergency Assistance Team to Thailand to meet him while in hospital. Luke was also there to help Anton carry his bags and escort him home on the plane to Iceland.
Anton,
World Nomads customer from Iceland
FAQ‘s
Here are our most frequently asked questions around medical repatriation. You can also find the answers to other questions in Help Center or you can ask the customer service team.
Can my mother come and get me?
In some situations, we can send your mum over to pick you up if you need mobility support. If you’re on any kind of administrative medication, then we might send you a nurse or doctor. Check your policy wording and the conditions of your travel insurance policy to see whether you will be covered.
Can I choose the gender of my nurse or doctor?
You can ask, and we'll see what we can do.
What if I'm on really heavy drugs as pain killers while I'm coming home? Will I be allowed to transit in all countries?
There are some countries which will not allow you to enter (even transit) with certain drugs, and in these cases, we will either reroute you or discuss with your treating doctor on alternate pain killers.
What happens if I’m on life support?
That’s a really bad way to end your holiday, and we hope you never end on life support. But if you do, we will look at the best possible solution to either get you home or get your family over there to say goodbye.
How to get medical assistance.
It’s essential that you get in contact with our Emergency Assistance team as soon as possible. Our team can support you from the time you get sick or injured until the time you get home.
To expedite your call, please be ready with the following:
- Your policy number
- A contact number where you can be reached
- The nature of your problem
- Your location
Travel insurance doesn't cover everything. All of the information we provide is a brief summary. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions of the plans described. Coverage may not be the same or available for residents of all countries, states or provinces. Please carefully read your policy wording for a full description of coverage.
About World Nomads
World Nomads polices are designed by travelers for travelers to provide simple and flexible travel insurance – and it’s often cheaper than you might think. Featuring coverage for more than 150 activities, quotes are fast and can be done online at www.worldnomads.com. All the information we provide about travel insurance is a summary only. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions of the travel insurance plans described. Coverage may not be available for residents of all countries, states, or provinces. Please carefully read your policy wording for a full description of coverage.
How to get medical assistance.
It’s essential that you get in contact with our Emergency Assistance team as soon as possible. Our team can support you from the time you get sick or injured until the time you get home.
To expedite your call, please be ready with the following:
- Your policy number
- A contact number where you can be reached
- The nature of your problem
- Your location
Get a quote today
Tell us your travel details below and we’ll provide a quote for your next trip. Simple.
Abdominal pain in Myanmar
On my second day in Burma, I woke up in the middle of the night with intense abdominal distress. I was rushed to the Asia Royal Hospital and immediately taken for evaluation and an ultrasound. I had a large mass in my abdomen and evacuated to Bangkok that evening to see a specialist. I was admitted to Bumrungrad International Hospital, where I stayed for eight days for a battery of tests, including several ultrasounds, a CT scan, and two aspirations of what turned out to be a renal cyst. After a conditional discharge, where I was restricted to rest, I was deemed stable enough to be evacuated. Two days later I was on a flight back to the U.S., where I am now continuing treatment.
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you*
Trip Cancellation
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalized?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Close relative suddenly dies?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Expenses
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need meds quick?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Transportation
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Evacuation and Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medivac home?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Protect your gear
- Passport or tech stolen?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Bags delayed?
Help starts here.
- Emergency Overseas Medical & Dental Expenses
- Emergency Medical Evacuation & Repatriation
- Trip Cancellation or Interruption
- 24-Hour Assistance Services
- Baggage
- And more (depending on your country of residence)
24/7 emergency assistance
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact the team
FAQ
Here are our most frequently asked questions. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Help Center or you can ask the customer service team.
-
Can my mother come and get me?
Yes, in some situations we can send your mum over to pick you up if you need mobility support. If you’re on any kind of administrative medication, then we might send you a nurse or doctor.
-
Can I choose the gender of my nurse or doctor?
You can ask and we'll see what we can do.
-
What if I'm on really heavy drugs as pain killers while I'm coming home? Will I be allowed to transit in all countries?
There are some countries which will not allow you to enter (even transit) with certain drugs and in these cases we will either reroute you or discuss with your treating doctor on alternate pain killers.
-
What happens I’m on life support?
That’s a really bad way to end your holiday, and we hope you never end on life support. But if you do, we will look at the best possible solution to either get you home, or get your family over there to say goodbye.
Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.