Search & Rescue Insurance ??

[packer58]

I have done zero research on this topic just thought i'd start a conversation here, for those that have some form of this type of insurance policy what are the pro's / con's and limitations of these type of policies.

 

[def90]

What kind of coverage are you looking for? International travel or just in the states? Just rescue or are you also looking for medical flights back to your home town as well? And so on..

In Colorado your SAR costs are covered by your hunting/fishing license. Any ambulance and hospital stuff should be covered under your personal insurance.

 

[packer58]

What kind of coverage are you looking for? International travel or just in the states? Just rescue or are you also looking for medical flights back to your home town as well? And so on..

In Colorado your SAR costs are covered by your hunting/fishing license. Any ambulance and hospital stuff should be covered under your personal insurance.

My interest would just be the states, what got me thinking about it was while researching the Spot / Inreach sat communicators AND if a guy got into a jam and had to hit the SOS COME GET ME button there could be some major costs involved.

 

[def90]

https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Boating/SearchAndRescueFAQ.pdf

Check to see if the state that you are travelling in has a similar program

 

[ozyclint]

Anyone used global rescue for international travel and rescue?
They are the only travel insurance I can find that covers hunting as an approved activity.

 

[def90]

These guys sell all kinds of oddball insurance..

Rescue & Evacuation Liability Protection - XINSURANCE

As a rescue & evacuation team, the risk of physical injury is high. Don't expose yourself to personal liability. We provide liability protection - Call now!

www.xinsurance.com

 

[fngTony]

As said above in Colorado you won’t be charged for SAR. and anything beyond that should be covered by your health insurance. I will advise you to read your fine print as it will likely be considered out of network or urgent care depending on the situation. This is where having the cheapest insurance will hurt you.

 

[teamwhitebelly]

As said above in Colorado you won’t be charged for SAR. and anything beyond that should be covered by your health insurance. I will advise you to read your fine print as it will likely be considered out of network or urgent care depending on the situation. This is where having the cheapest insurance will hurt you.

I believe this only if you have purchased some form of a hunting or fishing lisc.

 

[def90]

I believe this only if you have purchased some form of a hunting or fishing lisc.

You can buy a CO SAR card for $3.. but fishing licenses are cheap plus you get to fish.

Backcountry Search and Rescue Council

The primary goal of the Backcountry Search and Rescue Council is to faithfully serve the citizens of Colorado by providing expert opinions and advice to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife about systemic enhancements and about the disbursement of funds from the Backcountry Search and Rescue Fund.

dola.colorado.gov

 

[Titan]

I think the Garmin inreach plan includes SAR insurance as well. At least it used to.

 

[mike.adams.467]

I think the Garmin inreach plan includes SAR insurance as well. At least it used to.

I just reviewed my Garmin SAR plan; it covers $50,000 per event - $100.000 per year. The cost for this is about $30/year.

 

[packer58]

Good to know, thanks for the reply's ....

 

[Amos Moses]

It looks like the SAR coverage has to be added and isn’t included with the inreach subscription.

 

[Str8shooter]

In CO, SAR costs are typically covered by the county and buying a license/COSAR card helps defray those costs , but if they call a med chopper (life, limb or blindness) do not assume your insurance will cover it all as it likely doesn't. I had a family member with good insurance get air lifted from the Zirkels to the front range and it cost her $48k, her insurance covered $8k. Here's an article that describes more https://airambulance.com/blogs/post/how-much-does-air-ambulance-cost/

Garmins $30 annual $100k med evac insurance is a no brainer

 

[Brooks]

We had a wreck in a wilderness in 2016 and one person needed a life flight helicopter 150 miles to Albuquerque at a cost of $64,000 then 2 weeks in the hospital with several surgeries and 2 weeks in another rehab hospital, then rehab for 6 weeks at the hospital at home. Our health insurance paid almost all of it. I don’t know what it all cost but it had to be millions.

 

[cnelk]

Yep. That .25 you get charged on your CPW license for SAR about gets someone to find you, maybe take you out of danger, and that’s about it.

 

[packer58]

We had a wreck in a wilderness in 2016 and one person needed a life flight helicopter 150 miles to Albuquerque at a cost of $64,000 then 2 weeks in the hospital with several surgeries and 2 weeks in another rehab hospital, then rehab for 6 weeks at the hospital at home. Our health insurance paid almost all of it. I don’t know what it all cost but it had to be millions.

That's quite the story, no doubt the actual costs would have been mind boggling ........

 

[packer58]

In CO, SAR costs are typically covered by the county and buying a license/COSAR card helps defray those costs , but if they call a med chopper (life, limb or blindness) do not assume your insurance will cover it all as it likely doesn't. I had a family member with good insurance get air lifted from the Zirkels to the front range and it cost her $48k, her insurance covered $8k. Here's an article that describes more https://airambulance.com/blogs/post/how-much-does-air-ambulance-cost/

Garmins $30 annual $100k med evac insurance is a no brainer

Based on the costs detailed in the article I would agree 100% ..... As much as i hate blood sucking insurance companies, just one serious accident could financially wreck some folks ......

 

[william schmaltz]

Call the trooper office for the area you plan to visit and talk with them about what their protocol is. When SOS is hit on an inreach, it goes to the trooper office and they coordinate.

I called the trooper office five years ago before my wife hiked in on a goat hunt at 7.5 mo prego and got the rundown. For AK, it’s either Coast Guard or Air National guard that would do an extraction. They will only do the extraction. There is no charge, as they don’t want people to be hesitant if they need to hit the SOS. They then get you to the closest life flight location to get you the medical care you need, at which point life flight takes over and your bill starts spinning. So whatever that cost is for the helicopter to Anchorage or Seattle is on the patient and regular insurance rarely covers it.

So I have Life Med insurance since they service all the areas I currently hunt. It’s only $50 a year for my whole family. Also, put whatever insurance company you have in the trip notes in your inreach account. The Troopers are sent all that info. Also include any transporter and their phone number in those notes s We have a friend that works as dispatch for the troopers and I often confirm that this is all still their protocol for an SOS call.