Medjet vs. Emergency Assistance Plus

If you’ve done any research into travel assistance, you’ve likely come across two names during your search:

Medjet and Emergency Assistance Plus.

Both are respected brand names in the travel assistance space and have offered a range of services for travelers looking for some extra protection and peace of mind on their trips. But while each company is technically in the same category, there are some major differences between the services offered, plan details, and costs.

In this post we’re going to break down some of the main differences between Medjet Assist and Emergency Assistance Plus (EA+) while offering some context into which might be a better fit for your specific needs.

Related reading:

• What is travel assistance?
• Travel assistance vs. travel insurance
  

About each company

First, let’s provide some background on these two travel assistance companies.

Medjet

Medjet was founded in 1991 and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

According to its website, Medjet was the first to implement the air-medical transport membership concept. It does not own, lease or operate any aircraft, but rather contracts for the provision of air transportation services and coordinates the provision of medical services for your flight.

Emergency Assistance Plus

Emergency Assistance Plus was founded in 1996 and also boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

EA+ has provided medical, security, and travel assistance to almost 2 million travelers since its inception. The services are provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in coordination with its networks of air ambulances, response centers, and in-house medical teams.

Services offered

The range of services offered, along with the cost, is typically the most significant factor when shopping for travel assistance. Every traveler has different needs, and some providers cater to certain groups (domestic vs. international travelers, for example) more than others.

Both Medjet and EA+ have some of the most extensive services offered in travel assistance. To make this section more easily digestible, we’ve divided up the service comparison charts by medical evacuation, travel/medical assistance, and transportation home.

Medical evacuation

Both travel assistance companies offer first-class medical evacuation from virtually anywhere in the world. There are a few key differences, however, and we’ll expand in the table and text below.

Medjet

One of the standout features of Medjet is that they will arrange medical transport to a hospital of the customer’s choosing within their home country, regardless of medical necessity, if the customer is hospitalized 150 miles or more from home.

For example, if a person is hospitalized in Italy and wants to complete their hospitalization in the U.S., Medjet will transport them if they meet the criteria for transport. Therefore, the person does not have to complete their hospitalization in Italy and/or reach maximum medical improvement before being moved.

EA+

EA+ provides emergency medical evacuation via ground or air ambulance, if deemed medically necessary to get you to a more appropriate hospital if your current facility can’t properly treat your medical condition. EA+ jumps into action during the first call to begin assessing the member’s condition and whether they need a different hospital for treatment. This service is available 24/7/365.

Medical and travel assistance

Travel assistance encompasses many different services that are not usually provided by your health insurance or by most travel insurance plans. Below, you’ll find a table of some of the services offered by both companies.

Medjet

As you can see, Medjet offers many travel assistance services that may come in handy during a trip abroad or here in the U.S. Be sure to check the Restrictions section, the next section in this post, for details about when and where there might be limitations on the services listed above.

EA+

EA+ offers one of the most comprehensive set of features of any travel assistance provider. As you can see from the chart above, EA+ provides several more services than Medjet, and certainly more than you would get with your health or travel insurance providers.

Transportation services

Many travel assistance providers help get you to an appropriate hospital for treatment, but not all make sure you, your family and travel companions make it home safely as well. Additionally , if you have a medical emergency while in possession of one of your vehicles — like an RV trip, for instance — you can run into trouble, even with travel assistance. This is because many providers do not assist with the return home of your vehicle, among other transportation services.

Take a look at the table below to understand the different approaches to transportation services from EA+ and Medjet.

Medjet

Regarding transportation home services, Medjet’s offerings are in line with the industry standard. There is some assistance provided for the transportation of a member’s traveling companion should a medical emergency arise, but not much beyond that.

EA+

EA+ has industry-leading transportation home services, going above and beyond what most travel assistance providers offer. There are two prime examples of this:

1. EA+ will ensure that your vehicle is returned home if you’re not able to drive it after a medical emergency.
2. If you’re alone and hospitalized away from home, EA+ will arrange for a family member to join you at the medical facility.

Restrictions

Many travel assistance providers have restrictions in place that limit who is eligible and when services can be activated. As you can see, this is where Medjet and EA+ have the largest differences.

Medjet

• Above the age of 74, customers must apply for a Diamond Membership, which is available for ages 75 – 84.
• For prospective members above age 74, a medical questionnaire with your doctor’s signature and approval is required prior to enrolling (no online enrollment is available; you must call to enroll).
• Must be more than 150 miles from home to activate services

EA+

• No age restrictions
• No pre-existing condition exclusions or medical exams for any age
• No limit on trip duration
• No limit on annual trip volume
• No limit on distance from home to activate services, except for Washington residents who must be 100 miles from home.

Types of travel assistance plans offered

Both companies offer membership plans that are relatively straightforward, but have a few important distinctions. Let’s take a closer look at the overall plan structures before we get into the services offered.

Medjet

Medjet has two plans to choose from, but there are actually a couple steps to configuring your plan:

1. Plan selection: Medjet offers two different plans—Medjet Assist and Medjet Horizon. To oversimplify, Medjet Assist focuses on providing medical and transport services, while Medjet Horizon adds additional travel security and crisis response services on top of that.
2. Plan options: From there, you‘ll need to choose your plan options which include:

• Short-Term
• Regular Annual
• Diamond Annual (for members age 75+)
• Collegiate
• Expatriate
• Motorcycle
• Domestic

Each of these options affects services and costs, so you may want to use their cost calculator to thoroughly review your plan.

EA+

EA+ has a much simpler plan structure that enables you to easily determine your membership cost with a two-step process:

First choose between:

1. EA+ Essential Annual Membership
2. EA+ Premier Annual Membership

Then, specify who you’d like to protect:

1. Individual membership
2. Family membership

All Memberships are annual with all services included and no age or medical restrictions for a flat rate.

Now let’s get into the costs of the services provided by these two companies.

Costs

Both providers offer affordable rates, but the way their plans are structured from a cost perspective differs significantly. Medjet’s pricing varies depending on the options you choose, while EA+ offers a flat rate. For an even comparison, we’re reviewing the costs of a worldwide annual membership.

Medjet

As we mentioned earlier, the costs for Medjet are dependent on two factors: which membership you choose (Medjet Assist or Medjet Horizon) and the option you select. Therefore the most accurate info we can provide is based on the starting point for each annual plan:

• Medjet Assist: starting at $315*
• Medjet Horizon: starting at $474

*This rate is for trips 90 days or less

The rates above are for an individual membership, so if you have a spouse or dependents to cover as well the total cost will increase $110 – $140 for a family membership.

Note that the options you choose, along with if you sign up for a short-term or annual plan, will affect your total cost.

EA+

EA+ offers two annual membership options, each with a flat-rate with all services included:

• EA+ Essential: $199*
• EA+ Premier: $249

The rates above are for an individual membership, and this is where EA+ really shines from a cost perspective—with EA+ it’s only $40 more to protect your spouse or dependents with a family plan.

*This rate allows for trips longer than 90 days

Discounts via partnerships

Some travel assistance providers have a large network of partners from different industries that offer discounts to their members. This is a great marketing strategy for the travel assistance providers, but it also provides a convenient way for travelers to discover adjacent travel solutions not covered elsewhere.

Additionally, your membership in one of those partner organizations may earn you a discount on a travel assistance membership!

Medjet

Members of participating organizations and corporations can enroll at a discount. Organization rates begin at $265 and corporate rates begin at $280. You can find more information about Medjet partnerships and discounts on their website.

EA+

Members of participating partners receive a $70 discount – which brings the cost of a membership down to as low as $129 for the Essential plan.

And there you have it—an objective analysis of two of the leading providers of travel assistance. While similar, there are a few key differences in terms of cost and services offered between EA+ and Medjet.

If you’re planning a trip and think you may require this service, please feel free to reach out to the team at EA+ with any questions or concerns. For more information on services and costs, please feel free to check out our website or call us at: 1-866-863-4460.

All information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of 7/7/2023. All information regarding Medjet’s services are based on a review of their website.