Kilimanjaro Travel Insurance
You must have adequate travel insurance for your Kilimanjaro trek; you should also check that the policy covers you for high altitude climbing and trekking. I recommend that you make copies of your policy and keep one copy with you at all times.
Your travel insurance policy should include cover for the following;
- Cancellation and curtailment
- Medical expenses including; rescue and repatriation
- Emergency medical treatment
- Personal luggage and possessions
- Personal accident
- Personal liability and legal expenses
- Holiday insurance policies that include cover for trekking over 4000m
There are many insurance companies that offer policies that include high altitude insurance and will cover you for climbing Kilimanjaro, here are some of the policies I found that offer this type of cover:
Dogtag – SPORT+ insurance policy; which has three levels of cover.
Snowcard – Activity level 3 insurance policy; which has four levels of cover.
British Mountaineering Council – Trek insurance policy; covers Kilimanjaro but not Umbwe route. (Requires BMC or BMC affiliated club membership).
You must have adequate travel and medical insurance to cover all your vacation activities, including climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and emergency repatriation to your home country. Being a wilderness destination, medical infrastructure in major centers is remote from many locations visited. Therefore coverage for medical evacuation by a Tanzania based scheme is recommended in case of a medical emergency. This is especially relevant to those climbing Kilimanjaro. Government provision of emergency medical response does not exist in Tanzania and thus is carried out by specialized private local medical operators. While international medical insurance is essential it must be combined with a scheme provided by a local medical evacuation operator in order to prevent delay in mobilizing effective local emergency response.
What’s the difference between Travel Insurance and Travel Medical Insurance?
Travel Insurance insures your financial investment in your trip. Typically it covers such things as the cost of lost baggage and cancelled flights, but it may or may not cover costs of medical attention you may need while abroad. Travel Medical Insurance covers costs of medical attention you may need while abroad.
You can’t assume your medical insurance will go with you when you travel. It’s very important to find out BEFORE you leave whether or not your medical insurance will cover you overseas.
Why you should be concerned about medical coverage abroad
In many countries, doctors and hospitals expect payment in cash at the time of service. Your regular U.S. / European health insurance may not cover doctors’ and hospital visits in other countries. Those that do provide “customary and reasonable” hospital costs abroad may not pay for your medical evacuation back to your home country which can cost USD $10,000.00 and up depending on your location and medical condition. If your policy doesn’t go with you when you travel, it’s a good idea to take out another one for your trip.
Questions to ask your health insurance company
- Does this insurance policy cover emergency expenses abroad, such as returning me to my home country for treatment if I become seriously ill?
- Does this insurance cover high-risk activities such as parasailing, mountain climbing, scuba diving and off-roading?
- Does this policy cover pre-existing conditions?
- Does the insurance company require pre-authorizations or second opinions before emergency treatment can begin?
- Does the insurance company guarantee medical payments abroad?
- Will the insurance company pay foreign hospitals and foreign doctors directly?
- Does the insurance company have a 24-hour physician-backed support center?
Can your Government assist you if you become disabled overseas?
If you become ill or is seriously injured abroad, a consular officer can assist in locating appropriate medical services and informing family or friends. If necessary a consular officer can also assist in the transfer of funds. Payment of hospital and other expenses is the responsibility of the traveler.
For detailed information on physicians abroad, the authoritative reference is The Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists, published for the American Board of Medical Specialists and its certifying member boards. U.S. embassies and consulates abroad maintain lists of hospitals and physicians, many of which are posted on the embassy or consulate web site.
When traveling carry both your insurance policy identity card as proof of your insurance and a claim form and have a backup copy in your luggage.
Several private organizations will provide medical information and insurance for overseas travelers. Most charge a fee for this service. The following is provided for informational purposes only and in no way constitutes an endorsement, expressed or implied.
U.S.-Based Air Ambulance or Medical Evacuation Companies
| AIR AMBULANCE WORLDWIDE, INC. 35246 US Hwy 19 N #210 Palm Harbor, FL 34684 877-922-9675 / 727-781-1198 Fax: 727-786-0897 info@airambulanceworldwide.com AIR MEDIC – AIR AMBULANCE OF AMERICA Washington, PA 800-245-9987 AIR STAR INTERNATIONAL Thermal, CA 800-991-2869 / 877-570-0911 Ft. Pierce, FL 888-633-5381 / 772-380-4167 jimh@americanjet.net AirStar1@aol.comAMERICAN JETS EUROP ASSISTANCE USA 4330 East-West Hwy, Suite 1000 Bethesda, MD 20814 240-330-1000 info@europassistance-usa.com GLOBAL RESCUE LLC Boston, MA 800-381-9754 / 617-459-4200 memberservices@globalrescue.com | LIFE GUARD INTERNATIONAL, INC. Las Vegas, NV 1-888-FLY’N-ICU (888-359-6428) lgii@flyingicu.com MEDAIRE Tempe, AZ 480-333-3700 info@medaire.com STAT AIR INTERNATIONAL San Diego, CA 619-754-6550 / 800-557-5911 service@statair.com TRAVEL ASSIST NETWORK CORPORATION South Bend, IN 866-500-0333 / 574-272-5400 info@travelassistnetwork.com TRINITY AIR AMBULANCE INTERNATIONAL Fort Lauderdale, FL 954-771-7911 Contact@TrinityAirAmbulance.com TRAVELERS EMERGENCY NETWORK Tierra Verde, FL 800-ASK-4-TEN ten@intrex.net |
International-Based Air Ambulance or Medical Evacuation Companies
| AUSTRIAN AIR AMBULANCE Vienna, Austria 43-1-40-144 JETFLITE Helsinki International Airport Vantaa, Finland 358-9-870-2544 EUROPASSISTANCE Johannesburg, South Africa 27-11-315-3999 GERMAN AIR RESCUE (DRF) Filderstadt, Germany 49-0711-7007-0 alarmzentrale@drf.de | LUXEMBOURG AIR RESCUE Luxembourg 352-420-440-1 TYROL AIR AMBULANCE Innsbruck, Austria 43-512-22422 IAS MEDICAL AIR AMBULANCE London, England + 44 (0) 870-042-1465 info@iasmedical.com |
U.S.-Based Travel Insurance Companies
| ACCESS AMERICA, INC. Richmond, VA 866-807-3982 ASA, INC. International Health Insurance Phoenix, AZ 888-ASA-8288 BETINS Tacoma, WA 866-552-8834 / 253-238-6382 info@betins.com CLEMENTS INTERNATIONAL Washington, DC 800-872-0067 / 202-872-0060 info@clements.com CSA TRAVEL PROTECTION San Diego, CA 888-873-5484 EUROP ASSISTANCE USA 4330 East-West Hwy Suite 1000 Bethesda, MD 20814 240-330-1000 info@europassistance-usa.com EXPAT GLOBAL MEDICAL Advance, NC 336-998-9583 john@expatglobalmedical.com GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE PLANS Marsh Consumer Washington, DC 800-282-4495 / 202-367-5097 gateway@marshpm.com HEALTH CARE GLOBAL Middleburg, VA 800-237-6615 / 540-687-3166 HIGHWAY TO HEALTH Fairfax, VA 703-322-1515 INSUREMYTRIP.COM Warwick, RI 800-487-4722 / 401-773-9300 INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GROUP (IMG) Indianapolis, IN 800-628-4664 / 317-655-4500 MULTINATIONAL UNDERWRITERS, INC. Indianapolis, IN 800-605-2282 insurance@mnui.com | M. H. ROSS TRAVEL INSURANCE SERVICES Northridge, CA 800-423-3632 PETERSEN INTERNATIONAL UNDERWRITERS, INC. Valencia, CA 800-345-8816 piu@piu.org QUOTEWRIGHT.COM America’s Travel Insurance Store East Hartford, CT 800-821-4940 service@quotewright.com SEVEN CORNERS, INC. Carmel, IN 800-335-0611 / 317-575-2652 TRAVEL ASSIST NETWORK CORPORATION South Bend, IN 866-500-0333 / 574-272-5400 info@travelassistnetwork.com TRAVELEX Omaha, NE 800-228-9792 TRAVEL GUARD Stevens Point, WI 800-826-1300 / 715-345-0505 TRAVELINSURED.COM E. Hartford, CT 800-243-3174 TRAVEL INSURANCE SERVICES InterMedical Division Walnut Creek, CA 800-937-1387 / 925-932-1387 TRAVELSAFE INSURANCE 40 Commerce Drive P.O. Box 7050 Wyomissing, PA 19610-6050 888-885-7233 Fax: 800-303-6015 info@travelsafe.com USA ASSIST Worldwide Travel Insurance Los Angeles, CA 877-539-8619 |
Foreign Based Companies
| INTEGRA GLOBAL Hallein, Austria 43-6245-71303 info@integraglobal.com |