Emergency Medical Assistance: Hospitalised in the US following a Heart Attack

In the event of a heart attack or severe illness your first priority will always be to get to hospital and get medical treatment as quickly as possible, so it pays to be aware of phone number for emergency services in the country you are visiting. In the USA the number for emergency services is 911.

Remember, travel Insurance is not Private Medical Insurance, in that it only covers unavoidable, unexpected emergency treatment. You are not covered for private medical treatment if there are medically capable public facilities available.

Once in hospital, a travelling companion or the medical staff would need to make contact with our Emergency Assistance Line as soon as possible to confirm that travel insurance cover is in place. They will need to provide your policy number at this stage and a description of your condition.

Once travel insurance cover is confirmed the Assistance Team will usually liaise direct with doctors at the hospital to ensure you get the appropriate medical care.

Typically the Assistance Team will discuss your treatment plan with the hospital including whether any surgery should be performed in the USA or wait until you have returned to the UK.

After a heart attack you may not be fit to fly for at least 7 days and even after that you are likely to need a medical escort on your return flight.

Alternatively, if a long stay in hospital looks likely the Assistance Team may decide that air ambulance transport back to the UK for further treatment is the best option.

The Assistance Team will monitor your condition closely until you are discharged from hospital and organise the most suitable form of transport to get you back to the UK. Depending on your medical condition this may be on a scheduled flight with a medical escort or by air ambulance.