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Monday, July 7th
As a traveler exploring insurance options that cover medical evacuations, you're likely seeking reliable coverage that offers peace of mind, especially for those daring adventures and unforeseen mishaps. Redpoint offers three different policy types, all of which include medevac coverage. Let's take a look at what this company has to offer.
Call in the cavalry on your next luxury trip
Cavalry, touted as Redpoint's choice travel protection for luxury adventures, offers 30 covered reasons for trip cancellation and interruption, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, and $100,000 of primary medical expense coverage.
Get safe harbor when traveling to more established locales
Harbor, their best program for those traveling to established destinations, provides 16 covered reasons for cancellation & interruption, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, and $50,000 of primary medical expense coverage.
Pull the ripcord when you need rescue off the beaten path
Those are pretty standard policy types, comparable to most medical evacuation coverage providers on our list. But then there's Ripcord. Redpoint's Ripcord insurance touts itself as the ultimate adventure travel policy, promising robust protection from routine to extreme scenarios. With a laundry list of features ranging from trip cancellation to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage and $25,000 for search and rescue, it appears comprehensive at first glance.
Reasonably priced
Pricing isn't bad, either. On a 1-month trip to Kenya costing $20,000, our fictitious-yet-intrepid traveler got a quote of $1490 for full coverage. Your price will vary, based on your destination country (or countries), the age(s) of the traveler(s), how much you're spending, and so forth. But, you can expect a rough rule of thumb of 7% of your total trip cost. Frequent travelers may also want to consider Redpoint's annual plan; enter your info on the site to get a ballpark quote in that case.
Some high adventure companies no longer accept this coverage
However, before you dive headfirst into purchasing Ripcord coverage, it's crucial to scrutinize the reality beyond the flashy website promises. While Redpoint boasts impressive coverage, recent reviews from adventure travel companies paint a less rosy picture. One such company, in a candid assessment, expressed their decision to no longer accept Ripcord (or any Redpoint coverage) due to discrepancies between advertised coverage and actual services provided. Despite Ripcord's claims to cover rescue, remote locations, adventure travel, and evacuations, direct inquiries yielded vague and unsatisfactory responses, leaving potential policyholders in the dark about the specifics of coverage. This lack of clarity and inconsistency raises red flags, especially when considering the high stakes of emergency situations in remote or adventurous settings.
Mid-tier rating from the BBB
Redpoint Travel Solutions is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, but unfortunately the BBB has only given this medical evacuation provider a mid-tier "B” rating. The BBB says the less-than-perfect grade is because of the 32 complaints filed against the company; however, from what we could determine, each issue received a response from Redpoint. When there are other medical evacuation services with hundreds of complaints who still earn an "A+”, we're not entirely sure why the BBB dinged Redpoint's reputation to that extent (unless they found the same negative feedback elsewhere that we did and added that to their grade accordingly).
Not the top pick for medical evacuation coverage
In light of these concerns, it's prudent for travelers to approach Redpoint's medical evacuation coverage with caution. While the company may boast an array of enticing features and benefits, the real litmus test lies in Redpoint's ability to deliver on its promises when it matters most: during emergencies in challenging environments. Considering the potential discrepancies between advertised coverage and actual benefits provided, coupled with disappearing endorsements from adventure travel companies, it might be wise for travelers to explore alternative medical evacuation options that offer greater transparency and reliability.
Medical evacuation services have gained significant popularity due to the critical role they play in ensuring timely and efficient transport of patients needing urgent medical care. This rise in popularity is due to a number of factors that emphasize the importance of accessibility, advanced medical care, and global reach in emergency situations.
Imagine you're trekking through a dense jungle in Southeast Asia when you slip and severely twist your ankle. Stranded in a remote location with no immediate medical aid, you activate your emergency beacon. Within hours, a specialized medical evacuation team arrives by helicopter, transporting you to the nearest advanced medical facility for treatment.
Of course, most of us don't live such exciting lives. But, medical evacuation might still be a necessity: you might be on a business trip in a different town when you experience sudden chest pain, or perhaps you're on a cruise in the Caribbean and you break your arm getting on the tender to the port. If the local hospital lacks the necessary facilities and expertise to address your condition adequately, having medical evacuation coverage can get you transportation to a renowned cardiac center in a nearby city or back home to the States for surgery on your arm in a facility you trust (and in a language you speak).
One of the biggest reasons for the popularity of medical evacuation services is the critical need for rapid response in medical emergencies. When people suffer severe injuries or illnesses in remote or inaccessible locations, the ability to quickly transport them to advanced medical facilities can be life-saving. Medical evacuation services provide a vital lifeline, ensuring that patients receive immediate attention and are moved to appropriate care centers with minimal delay.
Additionally, the level of care provided during medical evacuations is a key factor in their appeal. These evacuation services are often equipped with advanced medical equipment and staffed by highly trained medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics who specialize in critical care transport. This can ensure that patients receive continuous and specialized medical attention throughout the journey, bridging the gap between the site of the emergency and the healthcare facility.
Medical evacuation providers offer crucial services for individuals who encounter medical emergencies while traveling, typically transporting a patient from one location to another, often from a remote or under-equipped medical facility to a more advanced one, or even back home.. These services can be purchased as standalone memberships or policies, or they can be bundled with travel insurance policies offered by insurers.
How can you determine which type of medical evacuation coverage is right for you, and from which provider? There's a lot to keep in mind, but here are a few ways you can compare your options and make your choice:
Medical emergencies can be unpredictable, but having reliable evacuation coverage can give you a lot of peace of mind while traveling. To help you choose the right plan and provider, the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have meticulously researched and ranked some of today's most popular medevac options. Use this information to get the protection you need for your next adventure!
Select any 2 Medevac Services to compare them head to head