This post is sponsored by Medjet.
You probably think of Medjet as a great way to get medical evacuation assistance when traveling far from home, but there is more to it than that. And considering how things are going around the world, it’s the company’s MedjetHorizon security services that are now really worth having when you travel.
Medjet’s standard medical transport memberships get you from a hospital far away to a hospital of your choosing back home when something goes wrong, among other benefits. That’s a lot different than traditional insurance, and it provides good peace of mind, but that’s probably not what you’re thinking about right now, is it?
Right now, you’re thinking about war in Iran, the invasion of Venezuela, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the brief cartel violence in Mexico, long TSA lines, the end of the world, you name it. So your biggest concern is probably… what happens if I’m abroad and something bad happens?
It’s not just about human-caused problems either. Just think about the recent flooding in Hawaiʻi after relentless rains. Or consider earthquakes, hurricanes, or anything else your overstimulated brain can dream up. There are studies from the past saying that three-fourths of travelers worry about their safety while on the road, and I’m going to bet it’s a lot higher right now.
This probably explains why MedjetHorizon has been Medjet’s fastest growing membership for the last 4 years. It does include the medical repatriation benefits, of course, but it also gives 24/7 access to a global Crisis Response Center to not only provide advice but also provide assistance when things get bad.
Iʻm guessing you probably wondered what exactly that means. I know that was my first question. What can they actually do? Here are some general examples:
- People who have been violently assaulted can received assistance in dealing with the police and consulate — that can be very difficult to navigate alone if you don’t understand the language, you don’t know the legal processes, and you’ve been traumatized.
- People have been guided out of demonstrations that have turned violent at multiple locations, like a couple who got stuck between the police and the yellow vest demonstrators that when that demonstration turned into a riot on the Champs Elysees.
- Medjet had members in Puerto Vallarta who were being monitored for safe sheltering in place. Had that escalated, and had it been safe, removal by land or air would have been an option.
- A family was assisted out of Cancún ahead of a hurricane in Mexico. They were flown to San Diego, where they were able to safely connect to a commercial flight home.
- Businessmen escorted from a convention center to their hotel, packed up, and taken securely to the airport because they were being stalked and threatened/harassed at a trade show in China
- A production crew was tracked from location to location during a commercial shoot in South Korea…while North Korea was threatening to send missiles into Seoul. They checked in with the security teams any time they moved locations. “It felt good to have someone monitoring us, and knowing that if things escalated we’d have help in getting to someplace safe.”
MedjetHorizon also provides response for disappearance (I mean who would your parents or spouse call if you did just disappear?), terrorism, wrongful detention, pandemic and more.
