All this talk of MedJet and Global Rescue has me thinking about my experience with them (MedJet).

MedJet rescued me from the bush in a very remote location of Tanzania. The crew they sent was absolutely top notch. They were The Flying Doctors out of Nairobi. These guys were on the ball and I can not say enough good about them. They brought a King Air to the dirt strip and flew me to Nairobi, Kenya.

Laying in "Casualty" in Nairobi, I heard the phone ring. The nurse who answered it was obviously talking about me. She said, "Here it is MedJet."

The first words out of my mouth were, "Ok, I am hospitalized, get me out of here now!"

I remember hesitation in her voice, I did not like her non-committal tone, but didn't pay much attention to it. She said they could do nothing because it was too late to arrange anything today (4:00 pm). Not a big deal because I wanted to sleep anyway. I suspected nothing.

I spent 32 hours in the Nairobi Hospital waiting for them to get me out. No problem. I believe I slept through most of it.

The entire time, I had no IV (but I did have a needle in my hand) No machines, no monitors ... nothing but a bed and a very caring staff.

I vaguely remember my wife telling me that she had trouble with MedJet, that they did not want to evacuate me. I wrote it off as her being anxious and wanting me evacuated immediately. Plus, at the time I heard about it, I was home, they brought me home like they said they would. (Dallas Hospital)

Hearing these stories of refusing evacuation caused me to ask my wife again about her conversation she had with MedJet.

She just told me what had happened while I was in the Hospital in Nairobi. I had not heard this detailed account until today.

She said MedJet was pretty sure that I was ok and they were going to see if the doctors would keep me there for a few days and then discharge me. They did not see that a transfer was necessary.

"... anyway, we can not find any flights right now..." The MedJet rep told her.

My wife then told them quite a few things ... very forcefully I might add.

What if she had not been forceful with them? I have reason to believe that they were trying their best to get out of transferring me to Dallas.

Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for them doing what they say they will do in their advertising information. (can you taste the sarcasm?) I am not so happy that it took such pressure to make them act though.

Oh, and the flight I was booked on the next day ... plenty of open seats in first class. They were stalling.

Forrest, I remember when your nephew was hit by a buffalo in Botswana. I do not remember you posting that MedJet gave you the run around. I wish you would have shared that earlier ... maybe you did and I didn't read it.

I did not know about the other story of the Ophthalmologist either.

My only experience to this day with them has been positive. After rethinking it, I realize that it was The Flying Doctors That I was impressed with.

I was not critical of MedJet's "wait and see" attitude when I spoke with their representative while I was in the hospital. But after hearing my wife's account of her multiple phone calls and arguments with MedJet representatives, Doctors and a very rude Nurse (all in the USA) I am now taking a second look at their service.

They considered me to be healthy enough to be discharged. My doctors here in the USA would laugh at that.

What in the world would I do if I was discharged ... in Nairobi ... by myself? Get a hotel for two weeks until I could tolerate a trip home????? You must be kidding! I could not have made that trip alone in less than a month.

My doctors here were concerned that possibly it was mis-diagnosed and that I could have spinal meningitis. As soon as I was admitted to the ICU at Baylor Grapevine, they were sticking a needle in my spine to retrieve fluid to test for it. Yes, it was negative, but MedJet did not know that.

In a nutshell, MedJet did exactly what they advertise that they would do. After the experience, I am left with a feeling that they will try anything to get out of it if they can.

The question is ... will Global Rescue do what they advertise?

Words in a brochure are one thing. Actions, another.

Global Rescue has two rescue operations that they advertise on their website that they have done, one, is clearly a paid operation, not an insurance claim. The other, I suspect was also a paid operation.

It appears that they have the manpower, experience, and ability to execute a complicated rescue, but will they do it? MedJet said they would and some have encountered resistance. Will Global Rescue be the program that we can rely on?

Only time will tell.

Wendell, I have always wondered what the circumstances were that led Don Causey - after being evacuated by MedJet from Cameroon - to abandon them and get behind Global Rescue with such passion and resolve. I wonder if he had an experience similar to yours...?

In any event thanks for reflecting on this and posting your current thoughts. Regards, Bill

Thanks Wendell for your updated info. I continue to monitor these situations as do many others here. This is what we need to hear. If there are others out there that are holding back, please feel free to share your medical experiences as we can all benefit.

PM to Wendell.

The very last thing you need from any of these services is to get "fine printed" when you actually need them.

You sign up for the services for peace of mind and to cover a remote "what if" scenario. Plan for the worst and hope for the best.

If some administrative hack is the ultimate authority on whether you are entitled to evacuation or not, it ain't much of a bargain.

By the way, Wendell, did Nic from Global Rescue ever get back to you on the scenario you posed in the earlier thread? I believe he invited AR members to ask specific questions on possible evac scenarios, and thought he would respond.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Manion:
By the way, Wendell, did Nic from Global Rescue ever get back to you on the scenario you posed in the earlier thread? I believe he invited AR members to ask specific questions on possible evac scenarios, and thought he would respond.

Not yet, but I hope to hear a reply from him.

Wendell may i ask what happened to you????

quote:

Originally posted by capebuf:
Wendell may i ask what happened to you????

Since Wendell is off-line, here's the link:

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1411043/m/253104833

Somehow, I managed to miss the thread in 2005 so I did not know the whole story until it was bumped up recently. I actually had no idea that malaria could be that serious.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill C:
Wendell, I have always wondered what the circumstances were that led Don Causey - after being evacuated by MedJet from Cameroon - to abandon them and get behind Global Rescue with such passion and resolve. I wonder if he had an experience similar to yours...?

In any event thanks for reflecting on this and posting your current thoughts. Regards, Bill

Don's back was severly injured. He had to ride countless hours in the back on a truck to get to a hostipal to get admitted before they would help. They then flew him halfway around the world in some crazy routing before he got to a suitable doctor.

quote:

Originally posted by Lightning:

quote:

Originally posted by Bill C:
Wendell, I have always wondered what the circumstances were that led Don Causey - after being evacuated by MedJet from Cameroon - to abandon them and get behind Global Rescue with such passion and resolve. I wonder if he had an experience similar to yours...?

In any event thanks for reflecting on this and posting your current thoughts. Regards, Bill

Don's back was severly injured. He had to ride countless hours in the back on a truck to get to a hostipal to get admitted before they would help. They then flew him halfway around the world in some crazy routing before he got to a suitable doctor.

If I remember correctly from the article he wrote afterwards, Don did not have MedJet or any other medical transportation insurance and had to foot the bill himself. If memory further serves, his transportation bill was in the 6 figure range as well. Am I remembering these events correctly?

Wendell

Your wife did a great job dealing with MedJet. Would it be a good idea to sic a lawyer on them if they started foot-dragging?

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:

quote:

Originally posted by Lightning:

quote:

Originally posted by Bill C:
Wendell, I have always wondered what the circumstances were that led Don Causey - after being evacuated by MedJet from Cameroon - to abandon them and get behind Global Rescue with such passion and resolve. I wonder if he had an experience similar to yours...?

In any event thanks for reflecting on this and posting your current thoughts. Regards, Bill

Don's back was severly injured. He had to ride countless hours in the back on a truck to get to a hostipal to get admitted before they would help. They then flew him halfway around the world in some crazy routing before he got to a suitable doctor.

If I remember correctly from the article he wrote afterwards, Don did not have MedJet or any other medical transportation insurance and had to foot the bill himself. If memory further serves, his transportation bill was in the 6 figure range as well. Am I remembering these events correctly?

That is correct. But six figures didn't get in near what it should have.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill C:
Wendell, I have always wondered what the circumstances were that led Don Causey - after being evacuated by MedJet from Cameroon - to abandon them and get behind Global Rescue with such passion and resolve. I wonder if he had an experience similar to yours...?

In any event thanks for reflecting on this and posting your current thoughts. Regards, Bill

You would think MedJet would give great service with a good AMEX number.

quote:

I actually had no idea that malaria could be that serious.

It is if not treated right away it is very serious. And even then it may not respond to certain drugs.....

If any of you ever suspect of having malaria while in Tanzania and have evacuation coverage this is what you do:
1- Evacuate ASAP to Nairobi - preferably Nairobi hospital.
2- Ask to be seen by Dr. Saio. ( I believe he will also visit if you are recovered in other Nairobi hospitals but has a private clinic at the Nairobi hospital). Once there and with Dr. Saio at your side, you are in the best hands possible for malaria treatment. TRUST ME!

Wendell, Very insightful dialogue. Thanks. I use Medjet currently but considering a change.

quote:

It is if not treated right away it is very serious. And even then it may not respond to certain drugs.....

My ID Doc here in the states said that p. falcipirum is 100% fatal without treatment. When it spreds to cerebral malaria, you usually go into a coma in 2-3 days (+/-), if left untreated, then you are some kind of screwed!

guys who get one of the other 3 strains may be sick, but it is not likely that they would die.

A good friend got celebral malaria in Kenya years ago but pulled out of it. That is one nasty sickness.

Wendell,

Thanks for shedding a little more light on the subject. I'm a bit worried as I have an expat plan with MedJet to cover me when on personal travel here in Asia. Sure would be nice to get some more feedback from Global on your question.

Phil

I spoke to one of the guys at GR yesterday for a long time. I explained my situation and that of Forrest and the Opthomologist. He (obviously) said that was unacceptable.

He spent quite a bit of time explaining to me about their staff and the training etc. Emphesized their affiliation with Johns Hopkins and the military training that their rescue members had. (sales pitch)

It all sounded great. I told him that was all fine and dandy but didn't mean squat to me if the corporate heads denyed evacuation. MedJet is perfectly capable of doing their job as well, but if the guy in the states says "No." to your transfer, your membership is't as good as toilet paper (At least you can wipe with toilet paper).

The more I think about it, the more irritated I become. Did a physician in the US evaluate my condition and recommend that I stay in Nairobi and be discharged in a few days? Not if he has ever had any formal training.

It had to be the corp guys that said, "What is the best way to minimize financial loss in the situation."

I don't need that type of treatment when my health is on the line.

Wendell brings up an excellent point by asking is GR any more willing to actually come and get you than Med Jet. Also what still nags at me is that GR talks about being able to extract you and get you home but can they actually do it in a very remote area in a timely fashion?

When I wrote here that GR never got back to me with a plan I didn't explain on the forum that I was on the Faro river in Cameroon and only 2.5 hours from a jet strip in Garrouhea. The road transfer was more than half on tarred roads and the rest on excellent bush roads. I don't know all the details on arranging this type of rescue but good roads and airstrip had to make it easier but they still could not come up with a plan or perhaps just didn't want to mess with it.

Mark

Hmmm, it seems many here are a bit niave about what insurance really is!

What other insurance product(health, car, home owners) doesn't hype how good they are and how they will take care of you before you need them, yet when you try to actually file a claim, they try to deny benefits?

The big question is what other choice do you have? The other so called evacuation policies only evac based on medically necessity, which is difficult, if not impossible, to prove to a US company bent on denying from the ground in a second or third world country while sick or injured.

I have no doubt that MJ and GR both will try to weasel out of their obligations to provide benefits....it is the "smart" thing to do for short term gains. The advantage MJ has over GR is a longer tract record of financial solvency.

A better approach IMO is to plan how to "force" either company to get you out if needed. Perhaps more time should be spent on this aspect rather than "should I go with MJ or GR?" hand-wringing. A plan discussed with your spouse, physician, and attorney before you leave and perhaps an physician in the country you are visiting may be the best insurance of all.

I doubt that anyone here is "naive" about insurance. To compare a dispute over a few dollars over a piece of property to a situation that has an immdeiate impact on your health and possibly your life is a little ludicrous.

Leave it to a physician in another country? Do you honestly believe that the hospital is going to admit that they cannot provide the proper care, especially with a patient that pays in dollars?

As for lining up a doctor in the US, just what doctor is well versed in infectious diseases and trauma caused by big game? And what doctor in the US is going to go out on a limb and diagnose a heart attack, stroke or bone break from 8000 miles away? Unfortunately, that kind of service would only likely be available when lining up expert witnesses for a lawsuit, probably by your next of kin.

You need someone who can make the call right then and there, where hours and minutes do make a difference. And that is what both MedJet and Global rescue are selling. They claim to be able to be able to get you out and back to a US hospital near your home.

It is far better to flesh this out before you go than to have to deal with some administrative assistant who has the power of life and death in their hands (and who probably gets a nice bonus if they are able to avoid evacuation).

Of course, you could focus on the "force" option, which means lawyering up and having attorneys on standby. Just realize that under our judicial system, you will be dead and buried before that case sees the light of day.

I just got back this morning from a dove/duck hunt in Argentina with my sons. Both got seriously ill. I had just switched from Medjet to Global Rescue. I had never had occassion to call either.

I contacted Global Rescue. They could not have been anymore helpful. They immediately patched in an American doctor on our call. They advised me exactly what to do. They called me repeatedly to check on the status of my sons. They were gearing up to pick my sons up in Cordoba.Fortunately, the medicine the Argentenian doctors gave my sons started to work. I called the whole thing off.

As far as I was concerned, it could not have been handled better.

They gave me no grief at all. Icould

Ahh, a good report! Thanks for posting and glad they made it ok.

Larry,

That's good news. I would hope my experience with GR was an anomaly.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Manion:
I doubt that anyone here is "naive" about insurance. To compare a dispute over a few dollars over a piece of property to a situation that has an immdeiate impact on your health and possibly your life is a little ludicrous.

Leave it to a physician in another country? Do you honestly believe that the hospital is going to admit that they cannot provide the proper care, especially with a patient that pays in dollars?

As for lining up a doctor in the US, just what doctor is well versed in infectious diseases and trauma caused by big game? And what doctor in the US is going to go out on a limb and diagnose a heart attack, stroke or bone break from 8000 miles away? Unfortunately, that kind of service would only likely be available when lining up expert witnesses for a lawsuit, probably by your next of kin.

You need someone who can make the call right then and there, where hours and minutes do make a difference. And that is what both MedJet and Global rescue are selling. They claim to be able to be able to get you out and back to a US hospital near your home.

It is far better to flesh this out before you go than to have to deal with some administrative assistant who has the power of life and death in their hands (and who probably gets a nice bonus if they are able to avoid evacuation).

Of course, you could focus on the "force" option, which means lawyering up and having attorneys on standby. Just realize that under our judicial system, you will be dead and buried before that case sees the light of day.

I would politely disagree with some of your points.

As a physician, I see insurance companies try to deny payment for properly rendered services and treatments everytime the postman drops off the EOBs. I see how they use carefully crafted contracts to weasel out of paying for treatment of both mundane and life-threatening illnesses. An insurance company doesnt care if they save a thousand bucks by using non-OEM parts for your car or kicking you out of the hospital a day early. It is the same thousand bucks. It is truly naive to think that a corporation really cares for you as an individual. Perhaps the voice at the end of the 800 number has a conscience, if you are lucky that day, but perhaps not.

Second, lets look at what MJ (since I am more familar with their product) and what GR offer vs other companies. MJ will return you to your hospital of choice on demand, NOT on medical necessity. So, as long as you can travel, MJ should be willing to get you home from hospital to hospital. The other companies will transfer you to the next higher level of care if the care you need is not available. That puts you in the hands of the foreign doc saying "sure we can treat you here". It is this exact situation that MJ tries to protect you against. But, to protect themselves financially, they try to get you discharged! (See Wendell's account above for anecdotal proof.) Not in the hospital? Then not a MJ problem. What you need at that time is a LOCAL doc who says you are sick enough to be in the hospital, but not too sick to be transferred. It is while in this medical window that MJ is obligated to evac you. Everyday they drag their feet, it puts you a day closer to discharge. Again, look at how MJ told Wendell's wife their were "no flights" when in fact there were. Classic delay on an insurance company's part until you are no longer their problem.


Now, do you need to have a single doc at home lined up that is both an expert in ID and trauma? Not hardly. All you need is a physician that is willing to accept the transfer. Your family doc can do it, and as soon as you hit the ground, have ID, trauma surgery or whomever consulted to see you immediately. They don't certify you are sick while you are in Africa, just they will take care of you when you are transferred and admitted to the US hospital where they have privleges to admit.

GR (I have spoken with them regarding their services last week, but I dont claim to be a GR expert) has now stepped in to provide what they see as a shortcoming of MJ. They promise to not only transfer you from hospital to hospital, they promise to pluck you out of the field, something MJ doesn't promise. The big quesion is will they really? Only time will tell.

Finally, I believe you misunderstood the intent of my post. I think you SHOULD use MJ or GR, but don't blindly put your trust in them. You need to have a plan on how to deal with them in the event you do need their services. As per Wendell's experiences, they will try to stall you and deny services if they can figure out a way. That is why you need to have your personal doc on board to accept transfer as well as exert a little friendly collegial pressure on your African doc BOTH to keep you in the hospital AND say you are safe to be evacuated. And your attorney can also make emotionless calls on your behalf and in your wife's behalf as needed. Plus, he may be able to exert a bit of pressure on MJ or GR to do the right thing.

I think Wendell's wife's background also had a role to play in his evac as well. He could comment on that better than I.

I believe that companies will be a bit more attentive and do what they said they would do if they know they are being watched.



Which scenario do you think will lead to the desired outcome? ( Yes, I realize they are ideal, hypothetical cases, but humor me, okay? )

A. Hi, is this MedJet? I am Dewy Cheatem, Mr. Smith's close personal friend and attorney. My buddy is sick in Kenya and wants to come home ASAP. Fortunately, I have a copy of his policy in front of me, a copy of his POA to act as his agent, assisting his wife regarding his health, and his policy number with you is AE23232. I have spoken with Dr. Saio,his physician in Kenya and he has cleared him to be evac'ed, but doesn't think he is well enough to be discharged. I have also spoken with Dr Getwell who is the accepting physician here in the States at Mercy General. He and Dr. Saio have been in constant contact since Mr. Smith was admitted to the hospital two days ago. I have a courtesy hold on British Airways for two First Class tickets for Mr. Smith and a medical attendant to get back to the states that departs in 18 hours. I am faxing all the particulars to you now. Thanks so much for taking care of my buddy and am anxiously expecting to hear from you in a few hours when you have our plan in motion, or perhaps even a better, quicker plan!!!! Here's my cell number.......


B. Hi, is this MedJet? This is Mrs. Smith. My husband is sick in Kenya and wants to come home. He told me he had a policy or something with you and to call if he gets sick over there......Sure, I'll be glad to wait for you to call me back.

Duckear, I like your scenario and comments from a physician's point of view. Very helpful to my understanding.

As for the insurance companies denying claims, I see it all the time. They'll even go so far as saying an operation does not need to be pre-certified when we call pre-op to do so, but then will deny payment because it wasn't. (I've had my girls start to document who said it including day and time on that game).

I competely agree with duckear's recommendation on having a plan to deal with MJ or GR stalling.

Maybe we can start up a group of AR physicians and attorneys who could be contacts in case we were needed?

Duckear

I understand what you are saying, but you are really comparing apples and oranges. In the situations you have described, treatment has already been performed and there is only the question of whether insurance is going to cover the cost. And it is my understanding that participating doctors agree to accept the final decision of the insurance provider - if you provide a non covered treatment, you eat the cost.

We have all seen the games played by insurers from the consumer's point of view. I can only imagine what it is like to deal with them on a direct basis - every day.

It is an unfortunate fact that in this country insurance companies get away with overriding a doctor's recommendation all too frequently - they are in effect practicing medicine.

But both MedJet and GR play off these facts - what they sell is a supposed no nonsense evac. As we have seen, what they deliver is something that can be very different.

I believe taking the step of having a lawyer in the wings to intervene in an emergency is rather extreme. Something very strange about having your first call for help go to a lawyer. Frankly, if that is something that is seen as a necessary precaution, why waste your money on MJ or GR? The situations which would trigger the need for an evac are time critical - if they are not time critical, you would not need the service.

One last point - I do not think either MJ or GR are selling "insurance". Insurance is highly regulated in every state in the US, which permits the states to have a say in premiums charged and requires companies to have specific reserves to deal with claims. I have not seen any indication on either site that would lead me to believe what they are selling is "insurance". While they may offload some risk to a reinsurance company to cover extraordinary claims, my bet is that they are not insurers. They are not selling medical care, they are selling transportation.

What that means, in the end, is that these companies are only as good as their current balance sheet. And one thing is for certain - none of us have a clue as to the financial condition of these providers.

FWIW: Nic McKinley that had been the spokesperson for GR on the other thread says he is no longer employeed by GR.

Mark

Wow. Wonder if his appearance here had anything to do with it?

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
FWIW: Nic McKinley that had been the spokesperson for GR on the other thread says he is no longer employeed by GR. Mark

Interesting!

The saga continues