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Your Guide to Arranging a Medical Evacuation from Mexico
Whether you’re headed to Mexico for a short vacation or you’re planning to relocate there, it’s crucial to have a medical evacuation plan in place. This is because, in the event of severe illnesses or injuries, you can then be transported to your hospital of choice for medical attention accordingly.
This Pacific Prime Latin America article will discuss arranging a medical evacuation from Mexico to ensure you get taken to your hospital of choice so you can get urgent medical attention.
What is Medical Evacuation?
Medical evacuation (otherwise known as medevac or medivac for short) is when, in the event of sustaining severe injuries or falling severely ill, you’re transported from somewhere without accessible hospitals, such as rural areas, to somewhere with accessible hospitals, such as urban areas.
This can be done by road, sea, or air, and the vehicle will have life-saving medical equipment regardless of the transportation method. Examples of medical evacuation vehicles include civilian EMS (Emergency Medical Services) vehicles like ambulances or aeromedical helicopter services.
What Happens if You Don’t Have Medical Evacuation Coverage?
Without medical evacuation coverage, you’ll be responsible for the full cost of any transportation required for a medical emergency. This can impose a severe financial burden on you and your family during a critical time.
For instance, the cost of medical evacuation from Mexico to Canada or the United States could range from USD 25,000-60,000 for an air ambulance to take you from Mexico to Canada or the US. The exact cost of the medical evacuation will likely depend on your selected mode of transportation and your destination.
With a health insurance plan that covers medical evacuation, however, you will be spared of the financial burden from the out-of-pocket payment as your selected policy will pay the transportation fee for you.
Preparing for a Medical Evacuation
Preparing for a medical evacuation involves contacting the medical evacuation service, sharing the patient’s medical information, and necessary travel documents, and preparing the patient for transportation. The exact first aid treatment will vary depending on the patient’s specific illness or injury.
Below a general outline of how to prepare for a medical evacuation in the event of severe illnesses or injuries and there aren’t accessible hospitals nearby.
Contact Your Medical Evacuation Service
Upon needing medical evacuation, immediately contact a reputable medical evacuation service and request your transportation method of choice such as an ambulance or helicopter. Be sure to provide details regarding the situation, such as the patient’s condition, location, and relevant medical history.
Next, provide the medical evacuation service with the location and any special medical needs so they know where to pick you and the patient up and what forms of treatment the patient needs on the way. Make sure you also stay contactable in case the medical evacuation service needs clarification on the location or other details.
Be wary of weather conditions in case of delays in the evacuation service picking you up, taking you to the hospital, or bringing you back.
Gather Necessary Documents
Once you have confirmed your pickup request, prepare and secure your relevant documents (along with copies, if needed) according to the medical evacuation service’s requirements.
These include medical documents such as the patient’s medical records like recent diagnoses, medication, or any health history, along with official identification documents like IDs, passports, or driver’s licenses.
Patient Preparation
After confirming the pickup point and gathering documents, it’s now time to prepare the patient for the medical evacuation. Start by ensuring the patient is as stable as possible and strictly follow the medical professionals’ guidelines on general first aid treatment.
Make sure to also gather enough essential items while keeping the luggage light and focused on necessities. These could include first aid kits, medications, or a change of clothes.
Conclusion
Emergencies requiring medical evacuation can occur at any point in time. However, if you lack medical evacuation coverage, you could be subject to out-of-pocket payment, which can be financially stressful during this critical time. Thus, make sure to secure a suitable health insurance plan with medical evacuation coverage beforehand.
While risks of injuries and illnesses are inevitable, you can always craft yourself a safety net for yourself and your family with a health insurance plan. With the right coverage, you can also gain access to medical evacuation in the event of severe injuries or illnesses without accessible hospitals nearby.
Fortunately, plan selections and comparisons don’t have to be a headache, and that’s where we come in.
As an experienced health insurance broker, Pacific Prime Latin America has helped numerous clients, including expats and local citizens as well as their families, find the right health insurance plan that matches both their budget but also the benefits they need to align with their unique healthcare prioritizations.
Additionally, we can go the extra mile in helping you by offering completely impartial advice at no additional cost.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Alternatively, if you would like to compare plans from various insurers, feel free to get a free quote here.
He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts, Media & Communication major (concentration: Creative Content) from Mahidol University International College (MUIC). During the compulsory major elective period in the summer of 2021 and voluntarily during the summer of 2022, he also interned as a video and photo editor at Mbrella Films.
He has experience working as an English Content Writer at a real estate buying/renting/selling platform in Thonglor. There, he crafted company blog posts on a multitude of topics. Topics include market trends, legal issues and disputes in property businesses, financial guides, expat guides, home insurance, home decoration and maintenance, and weekly real estate news quick-recaps. Occasionally, as part of the blog-writing process, he would also translate existing Thai blogs to English.
In his free time, Guy enjoys doing scriptwriting and storytelling for comic strips, watching movies, and listening to music (particularly film scores).
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