Global Rescue Review

About Global Rescue Review

Are you planning a trip? Thinking about travel insurance is smart. However, Global Rescue isn’t your typical travel insurance. It works differently. Instead of filing claims, paying deductibles, or getting reimbursed after paying out of pocket, Global Rescue operates on a membership model. Once you’ve paid your membership fee, you’re covered for their services. This means no upfront costs are required during an emergency, and immediate support is offered when you need it most.

What is Global Rescue?

Global Rescue, a U.S.-based company, excels in field rescue and emergency medical evacuation, offering a suite of travel-related services to its global members. They’re recognized as a leader in the rescue transport industry, having successfully completed over 22,000 rescue operations worldwide. This extensive experience and proven track record have earned them the trust of prestigious organizations such as NASA and Amazon. With over a million members and a consistently high membership renewal rate, Global Rescue demonstrates its commitment to providing reliable and effective emergency assistance to travelers worldwide.

Their services go beyond basic medical evacuation, often including security extraction and advisory services. They maintain a global network of medical and security professionals, allowing them to respond rapidly to emergencies in even the most remote corners of the world. Additionally, they provide travel intelligence and real-time updates on potential risks in your destination, empowering you to make informed decisions before and during your trip.

This company becomes particularly valuable when traveling to remote or challenging locations. Imagine visiting a place with limited medical resources, poor infrastructure, or a higher risk of political instability. In such scenarios, a Global Rescue membership can be a lifeline, providing access to critical emergency services that traditional insurance might not cover. They specialize in getting you out of dangerous situations and to proper medical care.

Services

Since its establishment in 2004, Global Rescue has specialized in providing medical, security, and crisis management services to travelers worldwide. Their services encompass field rescue and medical evacuation, all delivered by a team of highly trained healthcare and security professionals. They also have a 24/7 operations center, so someone is always available to take your call.

Before you travel, Global Rescue gives you detailed pre-departure destination reports. These reports tell you about entry requirements, health and safety risks, and any shots you might need. This helps you be prepared. They also offer extra services, like help with travel risks and crisis management.

Global Rescue distinguishes itself by offering field rescue and medical evacuation services both within the U.S. and internationally. Unlike traditional travel insurance companies, Global Rescue operates on a membership basis, providing its members with access to a wide range of rescue, evacuation, and other travel-related services through annual or short-term memberships.

What makes Global Rescue special is that they send experts to help you in person. This team includes paramedics, doctors, nurses, and people with military special operations experience. This team is equipped to provide injured and ill members with field rescue and top-quality medical evacuation services, including transportation to the member’s hospital of choice, subject to availability.

Demonstrating their commitment to exceptional medical care, Global Rescue maintains strategic partnerships with renowned medical institutions, including Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations, Mass General Brigham (the Harvard Medical School Affiliate), and Elite Medical Group. Recognizing the evolving needs of travelers, Global Rescue also provides specialized COVID-19 services and transport. They provide travelers with detailed and up-to-date reports of 215 countries

Unlike regular travel insurance, which primarily focuses on protecting your money when traveling, Global Rescue focuses on getting you out of dangerous situations and providing emergency medical help. Because of this, it is often used alongside typical travel insurance for added protection. With the option to include help with travel risks and crisis situations, Global Rescue is attractive to many travelers seeking increased safety.

Global Rescue has been recognized with industry awards, including the Magellan Gold Award, “Most Valuable Corporate Response to the Pandemic,” and “Best Places to Work.”

Plans

Typical travel insurance focuses on financial protection for trip disruptions like cancellations, baggage issues, or medical costs, usually with a reimbursement process. Global Rescue, on the other hand, provides immediate, on-site assistance during emergencies, going beyond financial compensation. If, for instance, you’re caught in a political uprising while on a business trip in a foreign country, Global Rescue will arrange for your safe evacuation.

For example, you’re involved in a car accident while driving through the Outback in Australia. Instead of waiting for a reimbursement, Global Rescue would send a medical evacuation team to transport you to a suitable hospital. They also offer support for lost passports or urgent medical supply needs.

Global Rescue is a service that anyone can join, no matter what country they live in. You can choose to pay for coverage for just a short time or for a whole year. If you pick a short-term plan, you can get coverage for 7, 14, or 30 days. If you want a yearly plan, they’ll ask how long your longest trip will be in the next year. You can choose coverage for 45, 90, 180, or 365 days.

You can also get a membership just for yourself or for your entire family. Family memberships include you, your spouse or partner, and up to six kids who are under 26 years old. They also have special deals for students who are in school full-time and are younger than 35.

Global Rescue offers two primary membership tiers for travelers: Travel and TotalCare, each designed to provide comprehensive support during international and domestic trips.

Travel Services

The Travel membership focuses on critical emergency services, including quick field rescue from remote or challenging locations and emergency medical evacuation to ensure access to appropriate medical care. Beyond physical rescue, members also receive valuable medical advisory services, offering guidance on health concerns and connecting them with medical professionals when needed. To keep travelers informed, the Travel membership includes access to in-depth medical and security intelligence information, as well as detailed destination reports and real-time alerts regarding potential risks or disruptions in their travel areas. A key benefit is the provision of transportation to the member’s home hospital of choice for ongoing care following an emergency, providing comfort and familiarity during recovery.

Global Rescue offers the Travel membership in several categories: individual, family, student, and senior (specifically designed for travelers aged 75 to 85). This ensures that all travelers can find a suitable plan. Furthermore, they have the flexibility to select the duration of their membership, ranging from short-term coverage for a seven-day trip to extended protection for up to five years, catering to both occasional and frequent travelers. For those who travel regularly, Global Rescue often provides cost savings with multi-year memberships. By comparing the pricing structures of different membership durations, frequent travelers can identify the most economical package that aligns with their travel frequency and patterns, potentially leading to more savings over time. These varied options highlight Global Rescue’s commitment to providing accessible and customized emergency support for a wide range of travel needs.

TotalCare Telehealth

For individuals who will travel in a place where there is a history of political instability or places that might be risk-hazard or unstable, adding the Security Package to their Travel membership offers a vital layer of protection. Global Rescue has teams made up of former military special operations experts who can give advice, help you plan, and even physically get you out of dangerous situations if there’s civil unrest, a natural disaster, or the situation deteriorates to the point of requiring evacuation due to escalating violence or a breakdown of order. Similarly, for those planning extensive trekking in mountainous regions known for unpredictable weather and challenging terrain, the High-Altitude Evacuation upgrade provides crucial coverage. Should a traveler develop severe altitude sickness or sustain a significant injury above 15,000 feet (excluding time spent in commercial aircraft), this upgrade ensures timely evacuation to a lower altitude for necessary medical treatment.

By including convenient, 24/7 virtual healthcare services, Global Rescue’s TotalCare membership expands on the extensive advantages of the Travel membership. This means members can connect with doctors for consultations anytime, anywhere. TotalCare includes both urgent and specialized medical consultations, as well as the ability to get prescriptions, order lab tests, and arrange for imaging services, all remotely. There are four different levels of TotalCare membership to choose from. The best tier for you will depend on how many days in a row you’ll be traveling, where you’re going, and how many times you think you might need an urgent medical consultation while you’re away.

Since Global Rescue isn’t a typical travel insurance company, they won’t pay you back if you arrange your own medical treatment or rescue. However, if you want that kind of coverage, you can buy an extra travel insurance plan from Global Rescue through IMG. This add-on policy gives you standard travel insurance benefits, like getting money back if you have to cancel or cut short your trip, if your bags are delayed, or if your rental car is damaged or stolen. It also helps cover medical costs up to $100,000.

Pricing

The costs for a basic Global Rescue membership for one person or a family, excluding extra security or high-altitude features, depends on the length of their travel. Seven (7) to 30 days are considered short-term travels, while long-term travels are 45 to 365 days.

For single travelers, short-term options range from $139 to $259, while annual plans range from $359 to $700 depending on the total trip duration within the year. For families, short-term memberships cost between $229 and $429, and annual plans range from $639 to $1,130, again depending on the yearly travel duration. Remember that adding extra security or high-altitude coverage would increase these prices.

The costs for a Global Rescue membership when you include both the extra Security Package and the High-Altitude Evacuation upgrade for either a single traveler or a family is between $655 and $910, depending on whether it’s a 7, 14, or 30-day plan.

Annual plans for individuals, which include these extras, range from $1,115 for up to 45 days of travel to $1,795 for a full year. For families including both upgrades, short trips cost between $1,240 and $1,650 for durations of 7 to 30 days. Annual family plans with these additional benefits range from $2,065 for up to 45 days of travel to $3,035 for yearly coverage.

To find out how much a Global Rescue membership would cost you online, you’ll need to go to their website. On the main page, you’ll see a form where you can get an estimated price. First, you choose if the membership is for just you or for your family. Then, you decide if you want a membership for the whole year or just for a short trip. Next, you select how long you’ll be traveling and if you want to include the extra security package or the high-altitude evacuation upgrade. Once you’ve filled out all the information, the estimated cost will show up right away.

While Global Rescue promotes its services to both vacationers and those seeking extreme thrills, its membership is probably most beneficial for adventure travelers. These are individuals who explore less common destinations, engage in very active or risky pursuits, and require more comprehensive protection than standard travel insurance typically offers. It can also be a valuable resource for people traveling to countries with political unrest or limited essential services. However, the cost of a Global Rescue membership might discourage more casual travelers, particularly families, from signing up.

Coverage Exclusions

Global Rescue’s core membership has some limitations on when they can provide field rescue or medical evacuation. For instance, while they do cover COVID-19 emergencies, certain other infectious diseases would prevent them from providing these services. Also, they don’t offer these services to members who are more than halfway through their pregnancy, or for situations arising from psychiatric illnesses, or for those whose primary reason for travel is to seek medical treatment. Additionally, if someone needs help due to a self-inflicted injury, an intentional overdose of a controlled substance, or ingesting a banned substance, or if their need for services is related to a previously diagnosed organ transplant or infectious disease (other than COVID-19), field rescue and medical evacuation wouldn’t be provided.

It’s also important to remember that the standard Global Rescue membership is different from typical travel insurance. It doesn’t automatically include things like getting your money back if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip, if your flight is delayed and you miss a connection, or if your baggage is lost or delayed. It also doesn’t cover regular accident and sickness medical expenses, provide compensation for accidental death or dismemberment on public transportation, or cover damage to or theft of a rental car. The option to “Cancel For Any Reason” is also not part of the standard Global Rescue membership. However, if you want coverage for those typical travel insurance situations, you have the option to buy an IMG Signature Travel Insurance plan. This separate plan would provide those benefits.

For travelers older than 85, the standard Global Rescue membership does not include medical transportation services. However, if medical transport is needed, it can still be arranged, but there will be a separate fee for the service.

Conclusion

Global Rescue distinguishes itself by offering direct emergency assistance, including field rescue and medical evacuation, which goes beyond the financial reimbursements provided by traditional travel insurance. This can be particularly appealing for those who frequently engage in adventure travel, explore remote or politically unstable regions, or have pre-existing medical conditions that might necessitate emergency support.

The availability of add-ons like the Security Package and High-Altitude Evacuation further enhances its value for specific types of travel. However, the premium cost of a Global Rescue membership, as highlighted in the Pricing section, especially when combined with the need for separate traditional travel insurance for financial protections like trip cancellations or lost luggage, can be a significant factor.

For individuals and families who frequently travel to remote or risky locations where quick, direct help is essential, the increased security and reassurance provided by Global Rescue could be a worthwhile expense. On the other hand, if your trips are usually to places with good facilities and easy access to help, regular travel insurance could be enough and cost less.

Deciding if a Global Rescue membership is right for you depends on how risky you think your trips will be, how much you want extra emergency help, and if you’re okay with paying more for that added security.