Medical Repatriation by Air Ambulance   //

1. How often are patients medically repatriated back to their home country?

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No one plans for an illness or an injury while  traveling or on vacation.

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Unfortunately, the answer is all the time. At Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, we transport a minimum of 10 travelers from international destinations every month. 

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Patients who have this experience abroad usually return to their nation of origin immediately to ensure they are receiving the best possible care from in-network providers before their condition worsens.

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2. What are some challenges patients can face during the medical repatriation process?

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Depending on where the patient is at the time of the medical emergency, it may be difficult to get around language barriers. Communication issues can make it difficult to speak with physicians and healthcare staff abroad, making it harder to define a clear treatment plan and challenging to receive the right level of care or pain management when necessary.

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Paying for medical care can also be very challenging,Some facilities will NOT accept your home health plan to pay for services.

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At Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, we have a multilingual staff to quickly receive the details needed from the sending facility and to ensure we have all the information we need before an air medical flight.

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Our Flight Crews have visas in place to fly immediately to countries that require entry Visas whenever necessary. 

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3. How is the receiving facility selected – can the patient or family member request a specific hospital or center of excellence?

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Our Flight Coordination team works with the patient and their family members to select a receiving facility to prepare for medical repatriation. Your Flight Coordination representative may make recommendations based on our experience with facilities in the area. Most of these flights arrive at the closest "point of entry" or nearest receiving facility  in the patient’s country of origin, but possibly outside of their home state.

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However, your  destination could vary based on patient condition, stability, and preference. Your Flight Coordinator will work with the receiving facility to ensure the patient is accepted before arrival. And in the event that the facility is unable to accept the patient, our Flight Coordination and Clinical team will work with you to find alternatives.

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4. How do you know a patient is stable enough for air travel?

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Before every flight we perform a pre-flight medical evaluation of patient records and consult a physician or nurse from the sending facility. Our air ambulance med flight crew also performs an onsite bedside evaluation on each patient ahead of the flight to ensure they are able to fly.

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Most patients are approved for air travel for medical repatriation. The medically configured Learjet fleet includes all of the technology of a hospital ICU  and travel at higher altitudes for minimum turbulence and a smoother, gentler flight for critical patients.

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5. Does insurance cover medical repatriation flights back to the patient’s home country?

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That depends on your plan, everyone’s insurance plan is different. Coverage for overseas air medical evacuation is usually available from commercial insurance, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans. It’s a good idea to research your own plan before traveling outside of the country so you’re already informed in the event of an emergency.

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Most insurance providers will cover emergent flights to the closest receiving facility. Emergent flights include flights where a life, limb, or bodily organ is at stake.

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Call Jet Rescue toll-free at 1-877 704 8396 or call International at =1 786 6191268 if you’re overseas, and our team of patient advocates will work with your insurance provider to qualify you or your patient for air ambulance insurance coverage whenever possible.

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6. What types of medical equipment are included on medical repatriation flights?

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Every air ambulance  jet is medically equipped with a LifePort stretcher system, ventilator, oxygen, suction, three channel IV med pump, multiple drips and lines on board. Our Medical Flight crew has advanced training in critical care procedures and can administer medication for pain management and other ailments when necessary.

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7. Why is it important to transport these patients as quickly as possible?

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It is important to repatriate patients back to their country of origin in a timely manner before their condition worsens and they become unable to fly. That means finding the right facility and handling any necessary paperwork must be addressed as quickly as possible.

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Patients also look to medically repatriate to avoid healthcare debt and ensure they are receiving the highest level of care from an in-network healthcare provider. While Canada and some European countries accept American insurance carriers (when plans include it) facilities in many countries don't. This can mean thousands in resulting medical bill debt, and often the facilities require collection in full prior to the patient’s release.