More people are traveling internationally, and medical and safety risks are increasing. One in every 20 to 30 trips involves a medical or safety incident. Over 10 million travelers are hospitalized each year, and roughly 2 million require medical transport.
For entrepreneurial physicians, these numbers apply to your own travel and to your patients’ travel. Preparation, not avoidance, is the answer.
A session at Private Physicians Alliance’s most recent annual meeting outlined a practical framework built on three pillars: planning, preparation, and support services.
The Cost of Hoping for the Best
Bill Miller of Medjet and Dr. Scott Forman of Third Rock MD joined moderator Dr. Joel Bessmer to walk through the medical risks travelers face and the tools available to reduce them.
Medjet is a membership-based service that arranges and pays for hospital-to-hospital medical evacuation when a member is hospitalized while traveling. The company has operated for 30 years and works with roughly 50 global air ambulance providers. Its 24/7 coordination team is based in Birmingham, Alabama.
Third Rock MD is a concierge emergency medicine service for travelers. Dr. Forman’s team provides 24/7 access to board-certified emergency physicians, destination-specific medical advance planning, and field support (physician or paramedic accompaniment) for higher-risk scenarios such as expeditions or remote retreats.
The distinction from travel insurance matters. Traditional travel insurance typically moves a patient to the “nearest appropriate facility.” Medjet members choose their destination hospital, whether that’s their home hospital or another facility they prefer.
Why Most Travelers Aren’t Prepared
Dr. Forman shared data that surprised the room. Over one-third of travelers don’t research their destinations before departure, and most don’t carry emergency contact numbers.
Even in locations they’ve visited before, 75% of travelers report safety concerns.
Travel health planning starts before the airport, and most physicians can close these gaps for themselves and their patients with minimal effort. The framework presented at the session breaks preparation into three categories: one trip, one kit, one plan.
One Trip: Plan for the Specific Destination
Every trip carries different risks. A leadership retreat in Western Europe is a different medical situation than a safari in South Africa, where a single medical transport can exceed $200,000.
Research the destination’s medical landscape before departure. Enroll in the U.S. State Department’s STEP program to connect with embassies abroad. Consider pairing travel insurance with a Medjet membership for coverage in the event of a major medical emergency.
Medjet medical evacuation membership costs approximately $315 per year for individuals and $425 per year for families. Members pay only the membership fee, not the transport costs. Medjet is not insurance; it’s a membership service that covers the full cost of hospital-to-hospital evacuation.
One Kit: Carry the Right Supplies
A smart travel medical kit doesn’t need to be complicated. Pack basic supplies: bandages, common medications, and any prescriptions you or your patients take regularly.
Verify all prescriptions are legal in the destination country. Carry extra medication for the planned trip length, plus a buffer in case of delays or extended stays. Emergency medical support while traveling starts with having the right supplies on hand, not scrambling to find a pharmacy in an unfamiliar city.
One Plan: Know the Numbers and the Exits
Maintain phone connectivity through a travel pass or eSIM. Know the local emergency numbers for your destination before you arrive. Identify hospitals near your accommodations and near any key destinations on your itinerary.
Basic health maintenance matters abroad, too. Stay hydrated, protect your sleep schedule, and minimize your personal profile in unfamiliar locations. Travel safety for members abroad improves when physicians apply the same proactive mindset they bring to clinical care.
What It Looks Like in Practice
Two case examples from the session show how different travelers benefit from different levels of support.
The first involved an older couple, Judy and Paul, with multiple comorbidities, who wanted to keep traveling. Their needs included pre-trip planning, rapid access to physicians abroad, and a reliable pathway home if a serious event like a stroke required rehabilitation at a specific facility. For patients like these, a Medjet membership combined with Third Rock MD’s advanced planning covers both real-time medical decisions and transport logistics.
The second involved William, a 35-year-old adventure traveler with a clotting disorder planning a sailing expedition. His situation required a tailored medication plan, emergency preparation specific to remote maritime conditions, and evacuation options from locations without nearby hospitals.
Emergency medical transport abroad looks different for every traveler, and that’s exactly why a personalized plan matters more than a generic policy. Third Rock MD handles pre-trip planning and real-time medical guidance. Medjet provides the transport safety net.
Together, they cover the full spectrum from preparation to repatriation.
Third Rock MD offers subscription-based pricing or $600 per hour for ad hoc consultations. Medjet membership requires no medical screening for travelers under age 75, with limited screening for those older.
A Recommendation Worth Making
Dr. Bessmer closed the session with a story about a dying patient repatriated from Germany so he could pass away at home. The clinical value of these services is clear. The human value is harder to quantify but impossible to ignore.
Private Physicians Alliance members can access the full recording of this annual meeting session, including the Q&A on Medjet logistics, Third Rock MD pricing, and real-world case discussions. Learn more about membership to join the conversation.