Toni
Senior Insider
There has been much discussion on this board about Medjet, but I haven't seen any reports of personal experience and want to share mine.
Like many of you, Gary and I looked into it and decided to purchase a membership some years ago. Each year we pay the renewal fee with very little thought that we would actually have need of their service. It is really for our peace of mind.
Anyway, that all changed for me last week. I was on a trip with some girlfriends in northern Italy when I had a bad fall that resulted in a fractured pelvis. I was taken to the emergency room of the nearby public hospital and when the fracture was confirmed, I was admitted.
I called Gary then and, though I had trip insurance, I asked him to call Medjet to see if this was a situation that they might be involved in. He gave them the name of the hospital and they called and spoke to the doctor who was treating me. Very shortly, they called Gary back and advised him that they would, indeed, be able to transport me and that they would begin to assemble a team. They only asked that he confirm that my doctor here in Louisville would be admitting me to the hospital on my return. The next day, he was able to do so and the plans were set.
I spent two nights in the public hospital (It was grim- but that’s another story for another time…) then I was transferred to a much lovelier private hospital for two more nights.
On Saturday, the air ambulance, which had been dispatched from Toronto, arrived in Milan and the two person medical team came to my hospital room to meet me, assess the situation and give the staff instructions for my preparation. Then they left and, with the two pilots, went on their mandatory rest before they could fly again.
They returned to the hospital on Sunday morning and accompanied me in the ambulance ride to the Milan airport. There I was transferred to their gurney and loaded onto the plane, a Learjet 40XR. We took off and headed to Louisville with stops in Keflavik, Iceland and Goose Bay, Newfoundland for fuel. Our flying time was 12 hours plus the two stops and throughout, their professionalism and concern for my comfort were exceptional.
On arrival in Louisville, the process was reversed. They accompanied me in the ambulance to my local hospital where I had been direct admitted and took me all the way to my new room, staying long enough to give a report to the staff on my floor.
I can’t tell you how grateful I was for this service. I really can’t imagine what a painful process it would have been to have to transition through the airport and a commercial flight (or flights) home.
I spent two more nights in the hospital here where it was discovered that, in fact, I had two fractures. Though it is very painful, it’s not serious. I didn’t require surgery and after a time of rest and healing, I should be fine with no future ramifications.
I’m home now and resting and all in all I feel pretty lucky. I definitely feel very grateful for that Medjet membership!
Like many of you, Gary and I looked into it and decided to purchase a membership some years ago. Each year we pay the renewal fee with very little thought that we would actually have need of their service. It is really for our peace of mind.
Anyway, that all changed for me last week. I was on a trip with some girlfriends in northern Italy when I had a bad fall that resulted in a fractured pelvis. I was taken to the emergency room of the nearby public hospital and when the fracture was confirmed, I was admitted.
I called Gary then and, though I had trip insurance, I asked him to call Medjet to see if this was a situation that they might be involved in. He gave them the name of the hospital and they called and spoke to the doctor who was treating me. Very shortly, they called Gary back and advised him that they would, indeed, be able to transport me and that they would begin to assemble a team. They only asked that he confirm that my doctor here in Louisville would be admitting me to the hospital on my return. The next day, he was able to do so and the plans were set.
I spent two nights in the public hospital (It was grim- but that’s another story for another time…) then I was transferred to a much lovelier private hospital for two more nights.
On Saturday, the air ambulance, which had been dispatched from Toronto, arrived in Milan and the two person medical team came to my hospital room to meet me, assess the situation and give the staff instructions for my preparation. Then they left and, with the two pilots, went on their mandatory rest before they could fly again.
They returned to the hospital on Sunday morning and accompanied me in the ambulance ride to the Milan airport. There I was transferred to their gurney and loaded onto the plane, a Learjet 40XR. We took off and headed to Louisville with stops in Keflavik, Iceland and Goose Bay, Newfoundland for fuel. Our flying time was 12 hours plus the two stops and throughout, their professionalism and concern for my comfort were exceptional.
On arrival in Louisville, the process was reversed. They accompanied me in the ambulance to my local hospital where I had been direct admitted and took me all the way to my new room, staying long enough to give a report to the staff on my floor.
I can’t tell you how grateful I was for this service. I really can’t imagine what a painful process it would have been to have to transition through the airport and a commercial flight (or flights) home.
I spent two more nights in the hospital here where it was discovered that, in fact, I had two fractures. Though it is very painful, it’s not serious. I didn’t require surgery and after a time of rest and healing, I should be fine with no future ramifications.
I’m home now and resting and all in all I feel pretty lucky. I definitely feel very grateful for that Medjet membership!