A Relative Is Hospitalized Abroad: What to Do in the First Hours

First, get reliable information

When the call comes, the most urgent need is to understand the situation. If you can, obtain the name and phone number of the treating physician, the name of the hospital and a first idea of the diagnosis and of the patient's condition. If language is a barrier, ask whether the hospital has an interpreter. Write down what you are told, with the date and the time.

Call the assistance company or the insurer

If the patient has a travel insurance contract, a bank card with insurance or an employer's contract, call the assistance number as early as possible: many contracts ask to be informed before expenses are incurred. The assistance company can contact the hospital, follow the patient's condition and, if relevant, organize a repatriation. Have the policy number and the patient's identity details at hand.

Contact the consulate or the embassy

The consulate of your country can help with local contacts and information for the family. In general, it does not cover medical or repatriation costs.

Gather the useful documents

• The patient's identity document and, if possible, a copy of the passport.
• The insurance or assistance contract, and the card used to pay for the trip.
• The medical reports, test results and the list of current treatments, including any known allergies.
• The contact details of the family doctor and of the patient's usual specialists.

Designate one contact person

Choose one person in the family who talks to the hospital, the insurer and the assistance company, and who is reachable at any hour. It avoids contradictory messages and lost time.

When to consider a repatriation

A repatriation is considered when the patient needs care that the local hospital cannot provide, when a prolonged stay abroad is foreseeable, or when the family wishes to bring the patient closer to home once the patient is stable enough to travel. The decision is taken by the treating physicians with the coordinating physician, never by the family alone and never at the expense of the patient's safety.

How we can help

Our team is reachable 24/7. We can gather the medical file, assess with our coordinating physician whether and when the patient can travel, propose the right means of transport with a written quote, and work directly with the insurer or the assistance company. We organize the transfer from bed to bed.

To go further, read how long it takes to organize a medical repatriation and whether your travel insurance covers an air ambulance.

General information only — not personalized medical, legal or insurance advice. Your insurance contract and the treating physician's opinion prevail in your situation.