My hunting partner and I will be travelling to Zimbabwe in July for a buffalo and plains game hunt with Buffalo Range Safaris. We will be hunting in the Cheridzi Conservancy in SE Zimbabwe.

On my previous hunt in RSA, I did not consider purchasing Medjet coverage. However, with this type of hunt in this country, we are weighing our options.

With this in mind, what are some of the experiences and suggestions from AR members who have considered and/or purchased this option. Do we need both?

Any thoughts, suggestions, and experiences are greatly appreciated.

Regards,

RCG

I have Medjet for my family. Never had to use it and hope I never have to. There are several members on AR that have used it with Wendell being one I know for sure and he wouldn't do without it.
The service is good anywhere over 150 miles from home so it more than just something for Africa.
I have no experience with Mars but like any insurance...you can't have too much IF you have to use it.
Don Causey of the Hunt Report did not have it and when he was injured it cost him and his pals a small fortune to get him stateside. He would be one to ask if you need it.
Buy it and hope you never need it.
Hope you have a great run in Zim.
Better tomorrows!

Harry is right. Do a search and look for Wendell Reich's account of his medical emergency.

hlr

In Zim, MARS is good - and will arive to get you to a private hospital before anybody else.

Getting you stateside with all expenses covered??? I don't know as I live here and it is not a consideration.

Get them both. I don't think MedJet will come to the bush to pic your butt up but MARS will. Once you are stabilized MedJet will take you home from a hospital.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Get them both. I don't think MedJet will come to the bush to pic your butt up but MARS will. Once you are stabilized MedJet will take you home from a hospital.

Just posting some links for reference:

MARS
http://www.mars.co.zw/

MedJet
http://www.medjetassistance.com/

-Bob F.

Does MARS serve African countries other than Zimbabwe? I checked their Web Site and it is not clear, or maybe I did not dig far enough.

I have subscribed to MARS in Zim, and MedJet while in Tanzania (who confirmed that they will do bush pickup there, with The Flying Doctors). Your Medical Plan may provide out of country coverages, mine does.

The other option - which I have NOT used yet - is Global Rescue:

Global Rescue LLC
Ph: (617) 459-4203
Email: tstark@globalrescue.com
http://www.globalrescue.com

Per Thomas W. Stark of GL, they would provide services via MARS in Zimbabwe, and also have other aeromedical evacuation companies that can respond in Zim. It is my UNDERSTANDING that with GR, one would not need Mars+Medjet, and coverage would extend to outside Africa also to cover business trips, other destinations, etc.

I signed up for MARS again thru the outfitter (CMS) for $100/person x 2 AND MedJet ($195 for Family program for 14-days), HOWEVER, perhaps if one travels to various countries AND/OR multiple times during the year AND/OR with family under the family program (which ain't cheap!) - GR may be the better approach. Check THR and with Don Causey for more info too.

get both , mars in zim is excellent for zim evacuation and hospital in africa etc , med jet is what you need to get home ...hope you dont need either but if you do you will be glad to have both ...

i once had an incident where another operator arrived in camp with a croc attack victim the victim diod not have mars coverage neither did the operator ....he had a foreign insurance and mars wouldnt even consider mobilising untill they had verified that in fact they would be paid , being covered by mars would have eliminated a very painful 6 hour wait while the slow wheels of insurance company turned ...

check oput both websites on previous replies for details ...your outfitter should be able to take care of the mars coverage etc ..

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:
Does MARS serve African countries other than Zimbabwe? I checked their Web Site and it is not clear, or maybe I did not dig far enough.

Check this:

e-brochure on M.A.R.S Evacuation
http://www.mars.co.zw/pdfs/AirEvacbrochure.pdf (90K file)

(Abode Acrobat Reader needed to view the .pdf file.

-Bob F.

Call MedJet and see if they include "The Flying Doctors" membership if you are in Zim. If they do not, get MARS as well.

Medjet is the important one, as a self financed transfer from Africa to the US is outlandish. MARS is important, but not financially crushing if you do not have it and need to be evacuated from the bush to a hospital.

Consider that a charter out of the bush would be $750-$1000 where a medical transfer from Africa to the US would be in the range of $60K +/-.

At the least, get MedJet. MARS is also a very good idea.

Given that I am now 2 months from heading to Zimbabwe I called Medjet. They do not include the flying doctors in their plan. They fly only jets so you will need to be at a "major" airport (one that can land a jet) before Medjet will be of help. Given that, I will be purchasing the MARS coverage as well.

Thank you very much for the responses, suggestions and links that all of you have provided. This type of thread and follow up by AR members really shows what a great group we have here.

Thanks,

RCG

RCG,

Get both MARS and MedJet for Zim. MARS can be bought on a daily basis very inexpensively through the safari operator and MedJet can be very helpful anywhere away from home. More than worth the cost.

Mark

PS I tried to get a quote from Global Rescue on my Cameroon trip. After our initial conversation and a second conversation on the details they just blew me off and never did get back to me. They knew exactly where I would be, with whom and all the particulars. I also told them Don Causey had referred me and that I was a booking agent. I'm not impressed.

Mark

Something else reg MedJet that goes without saying perhaps, but until you ask....if you purchase the short-duration program (like the 14-day plan) and you are hospitalized during the stay but are unable to be transported due to the injuries until later (outside of the 14-day contract), the "transport benefits" would still apply providing you call them during the coverage period. [per Whitney Kerr of MedJet Assist].

Mark - Interesting and useful feedback reg Global Rescue.

PS - If you need MARS in Zim, insist if feasible on a hospital in SA or Nairobi...Medjet home.

MARS will get you to the airport in Harare.

MEDJET will then get you home.

I'm planning to get Medjet for a plains game hunt near Otjewarongo in Namibia. This seem adequate to the old hands?

If you are only a few hours away from Bulawayo or Vic Falls by road, does it still pay to have MARS? I assume Medjet can pick up from either of these airports.

I am getting ready to renew my MetJet for a couple of weeks in RSA.

I would at least contact and compare Global Rescue. Their plan can also be used here in the US for medical transfer from say, Wyoming to Texas. Don't know about MedJet, once was more restrictive, but I have not checked lately.

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
If you are only a few hours away from Bulawayo or Vic Falls by road, does it still pay to have MARS? I assume Medjet can pick up from either of these airports.

Yea…there has been a number of conversations/posts since this thread was last active (March 2007) - search for these. Global Rescue appears to be the popular opinion at this point in time.

Also, MARS is bush evac that the Zim PH's are familiar with and can get on a per-day basis at a reasonable cost which they provide to clients, thereby making sure that clients indeed have some type of coverage. But, when I last checked, Global Rescue and MedJet as part of their program provide this bush evacuation, working with people like MARS. So when you talk to them, confirm this for the area you will be hunting, as getting GR/MJ and MARS may be redundant.

Just keep in mind that the PH in the field will know exactly how to get a hold of MARS, if you have another type of coverage he and his office staff (wife!) needs to have the info too before you go in the field.

Also call your insurance man and ask about a "Missionary" health insurance policy.

It pays for ALL treatment of injuries or disease you encounter on your trip.

Many times your regular health ins will not cover that kind of thing.

Plus it is hard enough dealing with your regular health ins when you are at home, much less overseas.

MED jet yes.
mars will cost you about 150$. get it to.its peanuts compared with the global amount of your safari and it may save your life.does not worth the trouble of thinkink about it for 150-200$ when is hunting dg on the bush. if you dont ever need it you can celebrate you wasted 200$ on mars

I have been a Medjet member for a few years. I added MARS for a June hunt in Zim. I hope I never need any of it, but a trip home on a medical jet will cost big bucks. Seems that I recall that it took Don Causey more than $120 grand to get home from his Cameroon machan fall. Further, that was a few years ago. It could cost more now.

I looked at Global Rescue before going to Zim b/c GR will come get you wherever you are, even if they have to send specialized personnel and specialized air craft or vehicles into war zones, high mountains, bush strips, etc. I do not think there is any other service that will come for non-medical emergencies, but GR will. That said, I stuck with Med Jet b/c GR costs substantially more than Med Jet. If you ever needed a non-medical evac., GR would be a priceless service. In the end, you just have to compare the cost of GR to the likelihood that you might require a nonmedical evacuation.

Maybe I am wrong but I had heard that MedJet is now bankrupt and GR bought it up. Anyone know for sure? I signed up with GR for my last trip.

I cant speak for services other than MedJet but as someone who has used them I cant say enough good things about them.

A recap of our experience:

On 1 August 2008 we were in South Africa, traveling south on the N1 near the town of Mokopane en route back to Johannesburg to catch a flight to Cape Town. A semi driver on the other side of the highway apparently fell asleep at the wheel. His rig was headed directly for us. Fortunately, our driver swerved quickly enough to avoid a direct head-on collision. The impact from the collision rolled and bounced us in the air for nearly 200 yards from the point of impact. Our driver was thrown from the vehicle and sustained significant injuries. My wife and I stayed in the vehicle. I suffered only minor abrasions and muscle strain but my wife broke 5 bones in her foot and had to have orthopedic surgery in Africa.Three of the bones were so badly shattered they had to be removed. We were evacuated back to the US Saturday, August 9, by MedJet Assist (our medical evacuation insurer – highly recommended, they did a great job for us). I called them the day after the accident to request assistance. They stayed in close contact with us until the surgeon released my wife to travel. They day before her release MedJet sent a flight nurse to accompany us home. He arranged all the airport transfers and MedJet provided 3 first class tickets on Delta for our return. The flight nurse was with us from the time we left the hospital in Polokwane until we walked through our front door in California.

The driver of the truck and the driver of the vehicle behind us were both killed in the accident. Three other vehicles were involved with their passengers receiving significant injuries.

GET MEDJET INSURANCE!!

quote:

Originally posted by BigBBear:
Maybe I am wrong but I had heard that MedJet is now bankrupt and GR bought it up. Anyone know for sure? I signed up with GR for my last trip.

Nothing about that on MJ website.

More importantly, nothing on GR website either.

Most likely not true, just a sales rumor to steer business to GR. Where did you hear it? From the same person that sold you GR?

Since you asked, I would suggest you are in more danger in Illinois then Zim.

I use to have Medjet, but for the past 2 years I have subscribed to Global Rescue because they will get you out of remote areas. I hope I never have to test their claim.

Aziz