US medivac/SAR insurance

[Cocximus]

Looking for recommendations about US medivac and SAR insurance. It will be multi state and should cover mountaineering.

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[climberevan]

The best I've come across is sold as an add on to the Garmin inReach subscription. I read the fine print carefully and couldn't find a problem or catch, except that it only works if you initiate a rescue with said inReach. It's cheap too--$35/yr or thereabouts.

[Cocximus]

Yea I was looking for it. It does not look they still offer it.

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[cat in january]

American Alpine Club?

[nickinbc]

Austrian Alpine Club? It may sound weird if you aren't from Austria but many people in the UK use it and I believe membership is available worldwide. Though I guess it would be possible to blow the 25000 Euro limit on rescue costs in the US and certainly you would need to supplement the 10000 Euro medical cover (n.b. this may be a problem as standard travel policies almost certainly wouldn't cover medical costs resulting from a mountaineering accident). https://www.alpenverein.at/portal/se...-worldwide.php

[chicken feathers]

I believe you used to get this in CO when you purchased a fishing or hunting license. I remember people buying fishing licenses for that reason.

[yeahman]

https://americanalpineclub.org/rescue

[mmmm...pow!]

Just wait until you actually need a rescue and get the bill, then GoFundMe. Seems to apply to medical bills and all sorts of other stuff, too. You can get supplemental insurance by rounding up a couple kegs and some street corner musicians and throwing a little shindig.

[Cedrik]

The AAC is good for basic rescue insurance.

Since I travel outside the US for both backcountry skiing and paragliding I use Global Rescue. That gets you from the scene of the accident to a hospital and then a life-flight home anywhere in the world, outside of Antarctica. But it’s expensive, about $420 per year vs about $65 for the AAC. But the AAC just gives you $7,500 in rescue benefit.

[beer30]

Austrian Alpine Club? It may sound weird if you aren't from Austria but many people in the UK use it and I believe membership is available worldwide. Though I guess it would be possible to blow the 25000 Euro limit on rescue costs in the US and certainly you would need to supplement the 10000 Euro medical cover (n.b. this may be a problem as standard travel policies almost certainly wouldn't cover medical costs resulting from a mountaineering accident). https://www.alpenverein.at/portal/se...-worldwide.php

2nd in this.

[Wes Mantooth]

The best I've come across is sold as an add on to the Garmin inReach subscription. I read the fine print carefully and couldn't find a problem or catch, except that it only works if you initiate a rescue with said inReach. It's cheap too--$35/yr or thereabouts.

I have this with my inreach. Fortunately never had to use it but carefully read through it as well and it’ll at least cover a big chunk of a heli evac cost. Though a buddy had to get somebody evacuated out of the wilderness in WY a year or two ago and the heli bill was 70k…

[Cocximus]

Any idea how to sign up for the Garmin one after activating the inreach? I remember it being offered when I activated it. Garmin customer service is closed in the weekend.

Austrian looks like a good alternative. Thanks.

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[krp8128]

Any idea how to sign up for the Garmin one after activating the inreach? I remember it being offered when I activated it. Garmin customer service is closed in the weekend.

Austrian looks like a good alternative. Thanks.

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You in need of an evac this afternoon?

Subscribed as I might add this on to my inReach

[Bronco]

Looking for recommendations about US medivac and SAR insurance. It will be multi state and should cover mountaineering.

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I don’t know any US SAR teams that charge for rescue. We’re almost all volunteers so there’s nothing to reimburse. That being said, we have property that is a long way from a trauma center. I saw this article a couple of years ago:

https://methowvalleynews.com/2020/07...ncy-transport/

And while researching the options discovered we have air ambulance coverage through my wife’s benefits. You might check to see if you’re covered there. I also noticed I have the Garmin coverage as well but don’t carry the inreach with me while I’m out chainsawing and logging. I should probably keep it handy with my tourniquet and first aid kit just in case.

[yeahman]

The AAC is good for basic rescue insurance.

Since I travel outside the US for both backcountry skiing and paragliding I use Global Rescue. That gets you from the scene of the accident to a hospital and then a life-flight home anywhere in the world, outside of Antarctica. But it’s expensive, about $420 per year vs about $65 for the AAC. But the AAC just gives you $7,500 in rescue benefit.

Says you can upgrade:

Protect yourself, and your wallet, with $300,000 in medical evacuation coverage—nearly guaranteeing that no matter where your accident takes place, your expenses will be taken care of.
When you sign up for the Leader ($250/year) AAC membership, you’ll receive coverage for up to $300,000 in medical transport to your home country hospital of choice, in addition to the $5,000 in medical expense coverage.
Current AAC members can easily upgrade to the Leader membership level—your existing membership will be prorated accordingly.

[old goat]

I would echo what Bronco said--look into what coverage your health insurance provides before you buy SAR insurance, at least for the US. SAR is generally free, although I hope anyone who needs it would make a donation. Kaiser covers me for ambulance or helicopter transport from anywhere--doesn't seem to matter if you're helicoptered from a rural road, the back country, or Palisades--where bad injuries are usually helicoptered directly off the mountain.
The one caveat I would raise is that the heli flight would probably have to be from an injury or illness serious enough to warrant emergency care. I am guessing insurance wouldn't cover if you called for help because you were tired and out of food.

[hutash]

I have had American Alpine Club insurance for several years. Come with membership if I recall. Covers all non-motorised back country travel. Kind of weird in that you are supposed to call them first unless it is an acute emergency.

Most US based SAR are free, but there are exceptions. While the SAR team might be volunteering, the medical teams and heli pilots aren't, and some do charge. Nearly all the European extractions charge, even ski patrol, at least if it involves a helicopter, and they do like to extract with birds.

[summit]

US SAR is usually free BUT NOT THE MEDIVAC HELICOPTER.

That will be an air ambulance ride and you can easily end up with 5 figure bills that health insurance barely dents.

And in CO, the fishing/hunting/atv/sled license or SAR card are great for helping SAR reimburse their costs from the state. It will NOT COVER THE MEDICAL HELICOPTER.

Also, just because you purchase insurance that would cover a helicopter does NOT mean you automatically get a helicopter ride if you call SAR. We have to explain this multiple times a year.

I am currently using Global Rescue like Cedric does, although my policy is only $350/yr because my max trip length is the lowest option (45 days though you can take multiple trips exceeding a total of 45).

Knowing you are covered dozens of miles into the wilderness to a local facility, then to a real hospital, and then to choose-any-hospital-in-your-home-country is a lot nicer than wondering how many multiples of AAC's $7500 you are into.

The $29/yr $50k plan from Garmin is great, but what if I'm unconscious and someone else uses their SPOT or Cell Phone instead of my InReach? Or what if they also use that and the rescue triggers from that rather than from my InReach SOS? Like, I hit the Inreach SOS but still have cell signal and call 911, am I still covered? I was never clear on that. That they are not clear on it makes me too nervous to trust it.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

I'm awaiting a suspected $40-50k bill for a 35 minute heli ride from Moab to Grand Junction last month.

I keep hearing that "Some bill passed on January 1st" that changes everything regarding Helis and insurance etc. I can't find anything online though.

[summit]

I'm awaiting a suspected $40-50k bill for a 35 minute heli ride from Moab to Grand Junction last month.

I keep hearing that "Some bill passed on January 1st" that changes everything regarding Helis and insurance etc. I can't find anything online though.

Who flew you? Was it CareFlight of the Rockies out of St. Mary's? SCL was just bought by InterMountain health, a big corp in UT/NV/ID.

https://copirgfoundation.org/reports...-consumer-tips

"You can be balanced bill if you are transported by an out-of-network air ambulance."

https://www.denverpost.com/2020/12/2...prise-billing/

Of course CO law only covers CO regulated insurance plans, not eg MT regulated insurance paying out of network CO helicopters responding to UT.

You are going to be protected, or not, but your home state's insurance rules and regulations for balance billing on out of network providers until the Feds finally get off their ass and fix this.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Who flew you? Was it CareFlight of the Rockies out of St. Mary's? SCL was just bought by InterMountain health, a big corp in UT/NV/ID.

https://copirgfoundation.org/reports...-consumer-tips

"You can be balanced bill if you are transported by an out-of-network air ambulance."

https://www.denverpost.com/2020/12/2...prise-billing/

https://classicairmedical.com/

From Moab to GJ and I have BCBS of Montana insurance.......so I'm assuming a, "Yer fucked bud." in my mail any day now.

[summit]

Classic Air I think they have bases in Moab and Montrose (or Delta?) and around UT.

They are owned by InterMountain too.

And yea, you might be getting a bonkers balance bill. Hope not, but even ground ambulances are rarely in network. It is infuriating to get a balance bill from you local fire department, to whom you pay large amounts of taxes, for an ambulance ride that is out of network for UHC provided by your local hospital. Because why would your friendly public servants at the local FD want to be in network with any insurance at all? They wouldn't. That would take them time and cost them money that they could be squeezing from you. You don't get to choose an in network provider when you call 911.

Our insurance system is beyond fucked.

[Bunion 2020]

Time will tell, a buddy was flown from BZN to Billings last fall for a suspected clot near his heart. So far no charge has been made to his insurance. BCBS MT.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Time will tell, a buddy was flown from BZN to Billings last fall for a suspected clot near his heart. So far no charge has been made to his insurance. BCBS MT.

Good chance that was all in network though?

A montana insured person getting hurt in UT and flown to CO has a pretty damn good chance of being out of network. Not sure how I can even look up what IS in network for me. BCBSMT website is terrible. Why spend .00000001% of their income on a new website to actually help patients? That would make way too much sense.

https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sh...-medical-bills

Not sure how this changes much? They didn't give me a price quote for the flight when I was laying in the sand on Fentanyl on the edge of Goldbar Rim......we kinda had other shit to talk about.

[summit]

Now, in theory, there is some good news because you had a non-profit air ambulance. Some of these air ambulances owned by large non-profit health systems will not try to make you pay your balance bill because the healthcare organization writes it off as charitable services provided. That is they take the insurance payout and write off the rest. But that is not something that is official nor public, so not necessarily guaranteed or consistent. Who knows!

But, I have heard of this happening. I have a friend who has been waiting for his FFL bill for 3 years (insurance only paid a fraction), but it has never come and I believe that is based on the above CHI probably just wrote it off, but I am no authority on the matter.

I do not know if IMH does that with CAM. You might inquire on that if you get an obscene bill from them after insurance has paid. Anything prior to that is hot air.

eta the 64K Guardian Air bill from the linked article, that was from a subsidiary of GMR, the for profit fuckheads who run AMR and Reach AMS.