Originally Posted by
aroundtheworld76
RE: Medjet/ Ripcord/ GR
I've been involved with repatriations by all three companies. There are significant differences, but for the most part, any of them will get you home if you become ill or injured pretty much anywhere. Do not fret about whether you're near an airstrip. The quotes provided to these companies by their air ambulance operators include ground transport to the aircraft. I've seen it done by boat and pickup truck if ambulances aren't an option.
For the most part, Medjet and GR sell themselves as "memberships" rather than traditional insurance that has a set benefit limit. Medjet typically doesn't cover your care while abroad prior to evac. GR will sell you an IMG policy alongside their membership to cover such care. Ripcord calls itself "travel insurance on steroids" and has a purchase tier that includes medical care abroad. Medjet used to be the only player in the game, and they only offered the medical transport benefit. With the emergence of hyperdynamic organizations like Global Rescue and Ripcord, they've been forced to up their game in the security and crisis response arenas.
@
aroundtheworld76 Do you have any insight on the differences between Ripcord and GR?
I'm researching insurance options for some wilderness adventure travel coming up in both the US and Africa. My shortlist includes Medjet, Ripcord, GR, and International SOS. I want evacuation from the site of injury, so that rules out Medjet. International SOS sounds like a solid company, but they seem to focus on corporate services, they're pricing for individual travelers is confusing, and I just don't think leisure adventure travelers are their core market. So that narrows it down to Ripcord and GR. I've found a bunch of critical reviews of GR on the internet - mainly stating that GR is difficult to work with when something happens. I haven't found anything about Ripcord - either good or bad. I've read that Ripcord is a newer company, so the lack of complains might be a result of their newness to the market, or it might just be better service. I'd love to hear from someone with firsthand experience of their services.
Here's a helpful article for anyone doing their own research:
https://expeditionportal.com/buyers-...tion-services/