Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Taj's medical insurance...



Since I've received a few questions about 'what happens if...', I thought I'd share a brief description of my medical coverage.
First off, I think I'll have one of the best medical insurance packages in the world. So, hypothetically speaking, let's say I manage to break my leg in 5 places. First off, I'm out there with a bunch of the best physicians from around the world who have high quality training and, having worked with MSF, an acute sense of emergency medicine. But, for purposes of example, lets say they decide they can't handle my compound fracture in the field.
MSF has medical coverage that includes a company called (I think) International-SOS. Here's how it works: I break my leg. Doctors with me decide they can't handle the fracture. They presumably give me pain drugs, but immediately sat-phone I-SOS.
SOS immediately sends an air-ambulance (a big, fancy jet plane filled with equipment and highly trained medical staff) JUST FOR ME to the closest capable landing strip. If they can't land near where I am, they simultaneously dispatch a medical chopper to where I am. The chopper will take me to where the jet is waiting. The jet takes me to whever they decide is the best hospital for treating whatever it is to high-level first-world standards. So, from Liberia, it may be to South Africa, it may be to Madrid, it may be to London, it may even be to New York or Delhi. It all depends on what they decide is the best route for the highest quality treatment, cost unconsidered. From there, they're responsible for everything involved in my treatment until I'm better.
We actually had a 'session' on this in the training, and they cited an example that had just happened with an expat in Nepal. He had not notified MSF that he had a pre-existing heart condition, and, surprise surprise, whilst hiking around at 7000ft, he had 'an incident'. They satphoned I-SOS, who dispatched a plane that was there in I think ~2 hours, while sending a chopper to the remote part of Nepal where he was. He was airlifted to the waiting jet, which then took him to maybe Delhi? which was waiting for him on arrival.
All told, this is what I-SOS specializes in. Veteren logisticians, who've been in the field many times and are ALL ABOUT effectiveness and timeliness, speak of I-SOS in hushed tones when referring to how well they get the job done.
So, hopefully that will alleviate some of folks' concerns about the matter. I'm in good hands :)
taj

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Would any of those "folks" be named "Bruce" or "Bridget", perchance?

Anonymous said...

No

Taj said...

Surprisingly, the geezer's right on - the questions I have received on this issue have by and large come from my friends (and one sibling). Mom & Dad had been strangely silent on the matter...
But, hopefully this answered some 'unasked' questions for them as well...

Anonymous said...

Thats some pretty rockin' medical coverage Taj. I wonder how much MSF pays for that insurance? I would bet that it is not cheap.

Loren (I forgot my password)