Repatriation medical insurance

If you suffer an accident whilst on a trip with serious consequences, you will need to be repatriated in order to continue care at home. Does your insurance cover you?

It is becoming increasingly common to spend part of our holiday time abroad. The appearance of low cost airlines allows us to make trips to other countries simply and cheaply.  

As with any trip, we may suffer some type of accident that requires health care for several days, making it impossible for us to return to our country. In this case, it is highly recommended that your health insurance includes repatriation cover. 

Before you start your holidays, and particularly when you are abroad, it is a good idea to review the coverage of our health insurance, to check which centres we can go to and whether it includes repatriation cover. 
 

What assistance can my repatriation cover give me?

When we have an accident abroad, one of the wishes of the affected patient is to be able to return home as soon as possible. If the accident you have suffered requires you to be in hospital for several days, and the length of treatment is prolonged, the expenses incurred can be high, and it will be advisable to have the possibility to return to your country in order to continue care in a trusted centre close to home. This will only be possible if your health insurance includes repatriation cover.
 

The repatriation cover can include different services, depending on the health insurance you have taken out. In most cases, this type of coverage offers us an airport transportation service from the place of the accident, the return trip to our place of origin, and finally travel from the destination airport to the hospital in the event of illness, or to the funeral centre in the event of death.
 

In some cases, repatriation cover in the health insurance policy will also cover the travel expenses of a companion of the policyholder.
 

Different causes of repatriation in the health insurance

There are two main reasons for repatriation and there may be differences in cover from one to the next: 

Due to death: If the deceased person is the insured person, all expenses arising from the transfer of the body to their country of residence are covered and, in addition, some companies also cover the travel expenses of a companion. If somebody is required to identify the body, the company will cover the costs of relocating a relative to the place where the accident occurred, as well as the subsequent repatriation costs of both the deceased and the companion.
 

Due to illness: Although in most cases repatriation is requested in the event of death, the insured person may become ill and need urgent repatriation for health reasons. In this case, the insurance company will bear all the expenses of the patient's travel, as well as one companion, to the country of residence or to the country where the insured person determines that they want to receive medical assistance. In certain cases, an ambulance will be required to transfer the patient.