If you’ve been a Relaxing Retirement member for a while, you’ve probably noticed that many of our members do a significant amount of traveling.

Everywhere from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia…. to Alaskan or Caribbean cruises…. to long “escape from winter in New England time” in Florida, California, South Carolina, and Arizona.

You’ve reached the point in your life where you’ve earned the right to “own” your schedule instead of your schedule owning you like the overwhelming majority of Americans.

What a great position to be in!

However, during my intimate conversations with all of you over all these years, I also know that a number of members choose not to travel.

For very legitimate reasons, they’re just not comfortable being far away from their doctor and the medical care that they’ve become accustomed to and come to rely on.

Given the medical issues many of them have endured, I don’t blame them.

What would happen if they needed immediate care in the middle of a trip to Tuscany?

Up until recently, I would have no answer.

However, now I believe I do.

During one of our meetings, long time Relaxing Retirement members and close friends, Jack and Estelle Hayman introduced me to a service that I was completely unaware of called MedjetAssist.

Before I explain what it is, I must disclose that I am not being paid to sell or endorse this service, nor have I personally used it yet. However, several other members have reported back to me that they use the same service so I want to share it with you.

MedJetAssist

Here’s what their service provides (directly from their website) for a small annual fee ranging from $260 to $385 per year:

• MedjetAssist is a membership program, not a health insurance plan or travel insurance plan. Unlike the competition, MedjetAssist arranges medical evacuation and repatriation services for its members, both worldwide and domestically. Our members choose if they want to continue their hospital care at their home hospital, or any other hospital of their choice, through our network of authorized affiliates. And there are no additional costs to worry about and no limits on total medical evacuation expenses.

• MedjetAssist members are transferred without regard to medical necessity. This means members, as long as they are hospitalized as an inpatient, can choose to be transferred to another hospital, even if the facility they are in is considered adequate. The choice is theirs. It’s that simple!
  • In contrast, health and travel insurance plans and platinum card benefits require that a transfer be medically required. In other words, as long as the care at a hospital is deemed adequate, transferring to another hospital is not an option.
• MedjetAssist arranges medical evacuation and repatriation services to the member’s home hospital or hospital of their choice. The competition generally restricts transports to the nearest hospital that provides “appropriate care.” This means individuals are taken to a hospital the shortest distance away that has adequate care, but not necessarily the best care.
  • MedjetAssist members, if hospitalized, do not have to worry about being transferred to a nearby hospital in a foreign country that has only adequate medical care. Members choose if they want to fly home to their local hospital or hospital of their choice to receive the very best care and to be near their family.
• MedjetAssist has no limit on the cost of a medical transfer. Many companies and insurance plans place caps, some as low as $25,000, on the total amount available for an air-ambulance. But a medical transfer between Europe and America can run more than $70,000. Middle East and South American flights range from $60,000 to $100,000. Transfer from Asia often exceeds $130,000.

• If a MedjetAssist Elite or Plus member is hospitalized in their hometown hospital and requires the services that only a specialty hospital (center of excellence) can provide, MedjetAssist will arrange medical transfer for that member to the specialty hospital, provided it is more than 150 miles from the member’s home hospital.

A few key things to highlight. First, you only have to be 150 miles away from your chosen medical facility to take advantage of this. So, even if you’re seeing a play in New York City and you only want to be cared for by your doctor at Mass General here in Boston, this service would take care of that.

Second, you choose where you want your care. If the surgical specialist you seek is located at a hospital in California, and you are not well enough to fly on a commercial flight, this service takes you there.

I strongly recommend that you visit and study their website:

www.MedjetAssist.com

I hope this is a great solution for you!