What Is Medjet? Do You Need It in Additional to Travel Insurance, and How Does It Work?

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• Medjet is an annual membership service that coordinates air-medical transport for travelers.
• It’s different from travel insurance, which doesn’t provide transfers to the hospital of your choice.
• You can buy annual Medjet policies or short-term policies for up to 30 days of travel.

You’ve booked your trip, packed your bags, and purchased travel insurance. You might think you’re ready for your trip, but you could be forgetting important emergency medical coverage.

Travel insurance usually covers medical evacuations to the nearest hospital. But global medical transport companies like Medjet coordinate transfers to the hospital of your choice. It’s another way to protect yourself during travel, especially since it’s challenging to coordinate care in a foreign country or new state. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Medjet, including whether you should become a member before your next trip. 

What is Medjet?

Medjet is an annual membership service that coordinates air-medical transport for travelers. It’s different from travel insurance, which covers trip cancellations, damage to personal belongings, and emergency medical treatment.

Medjet covers medical transport to the hospital of your choice, usually a facility near home. The company arranges the transportation, and your membership fees cover the costs. Members can also add extra protection against security threats like violent crimes and natural disasters. 

Established in 1991, Medjet was the first company to introduce an air-medical transport membership. Other companies like Global Rescue, SkyMed, and International SOS offer similar services today.

What does Medjet cover?

Medjet offers two annual membership levels: Medjet Assist and Medjet Horizon. The memberships have coverage and price differences, but both cover the following situations:

• Medical transfer between facilities, even if it’s not medically required
• Member’s choice of medical facility
• No cost for domestic or international transfers
• Translation services, medical referrals and phone consultations with doctors
• Transfer of mortal remains

Opting for Medjet Horizon gives you additional access to the following benefits:

• Ground hospital transfer via ambulance or other vehicles
• Cash advances in the event of a medical emergency 
• 24/7 security response for threats like violent crimes and natural disasters
• Crisis response for wrongful detention, blackmail, or kidnap
• Access to legal referrals 

Medjet offers Diamond Memberships for travelers aged 75 to 84. The membership includes all of the benefits of MedjetAssist but is limited to one medical transport per year. 

There are also short-term memberships. These memberships include the same benefits as MedjetAssist but are available in 8, 15, 21, and 30-day terms.

How much does Medjet cost?

The cost for Medjet coverage depends on your coverage type, policy term, age, membership level, and if you want coverage for domestic travel only.

For example, a 1-year standard Medjet Assist policy that covers up to 90 days of international and domestic travel costs $315. The same policy for Medjet Horizon costs $474. 

Medjet offers discounts for multi-year policies. Plus, students and academic faculty can qualify for a reduced rate. Short-term policies are typically cheaper as well. 

Medjet pros and cons

Medjet offers unique benefits, but there are some drawbacks. Here’s what to consider when deciding if coverage is right for you. 

Pros

• Fills insurance gaps: Medjet does not replace travel insurance or international health insurance. Instead, it fills the coverage gaps and provides a service those policies do not cover. 
• No claims process: Medjet is not an insurance company. It’s a membership subscription. Because of that, there’s no complicated claims process. 
• Straightforward setup: Medjet pricing is direct. You don’t need to speak with an agent or dig through complex terms. 

Cons

• Added expense: Medjet is an added annual expense, usually in addition to travel insurance.
• Not medically necessary: In most instances, medical transport is nice and can drastically reduce stress. But it’s not generally medically necessary, except in extreme circumstances.
• Travel limits: Medjet policies limit how many days of travel are covered each year. The more you travel, the higher the cost. 

Medjet frequently asked questions