Understanding the Transportation Home Service

The Transportation Home service from Emergency Assistance Plus® (EA+®) is one of our most valuable and utilized services. In this article, we will take a deeper dive into this critical service.

Transportation Home services kick in when you have reached maximum medical improvement from your injury, illness or accident while traveling away from home and you can no longer continue your trip. When you are ready to be discharged from the hospital, most treating physicians may not consider the fact that you are not near your house and that you will need to travel to get home — which could mean hours in a vehicle or even on a plane. This is where EA+ is a valuable resource in evaluating your medical condition to determine where you need to go afterwards and what level of transportation will be necessary to get you home safely.

Depending on your medical condition, Emergency Assistance Plus will arrange and provide one of the following methods of transportation home:

Commercial Airfare

If you are well enough to fly commercially, and don’t need any additional assistance or ongoing medical care during the trip home, Economy tickets will be arranged and provided on your behalf, unless your original flight was booked in upgraded seating. In that case, or if you have purchased the Premier plan, we will arrange and provide upgraded seating for your flight home.

“EA+ immediately contacted the hospital, spoke to my wife’s case manager, then monitored her progress throughout the ordeal. After 2 weeks of hospitalization and rehab, EA+ paid for our flights home, paid for our overnight hotel stay in Chicago during the layover, paid for one week of my hotel stay while my wife was in the hospital, hired a driver who returned our car to Colorado, and kept in contact with me to make sure all services were performed properly and timely. We are forever grateful for the attention given to us in our extreme time of need.” – EA+ Premier Member, Ivan

Commercial Airfare – with a non-medical escort

If you are well enough to fly commercially, but need some extra assistance, EA+ will arrange for a companion (a “non-medical” escort) to accompany you on your trip home. If you were traveling with a spouse, family member or friend, they can serve as your companion. If you were alone at the time of your medical emergency, our Transportation to Join a Hospitalized Member service will bring a companion to you so that they can accompany you on your return flight.

Similar to the commercial airfare transportation (above), Economy tickets will be arranged and provided on your behalf, unless your original flight was booked in upgraded seating. In that case, or if you have purchased the Premier plan, we will arrange and provide upgraded seating for your flight home.

“I had broken my pelvis in two places. EA+ came to the rescue and as soon as I could fly, they had my husband and me on the next plane home. I could not sit for the duration of the flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles so we were upgraded so that I could lie down. The help we received was flawless and I would recommend EA+ to anyone. I had purchased EA+ in case my husband needed to be transported home, never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be me!!  Thank you, EA+.” — EA+ Member, Wendy

Commercial Airfare – one nurse escort

We also often see situations where you are well enough to fly commercially but need assistance from a medical professional during the trip home. This may be due to being on supplemental oxygen, wound care, or the need for mobility assistance, although each member’s case is unique.

In these cases, we will arrange to have a nurse escort accompany you during your trip home.

When a nurse escort is deemed necessary, it’s also often necessary to travel in upgraded seating, and have transportation arranged to and from the airport. This is arranged and provided for you by EA+.

“EA+ arranged for a nurse escort to accompany me, as the doctors agreed that I could not make the trip by myself. EA+ also arranged for a non-stop first-class seat for both me and the nurse escort, plus a driver to pick us up, drive us to the airport, meet us in Los Angeles, and drive us to my home in Orange County. I would not have been able to face that trip without this help. The nurse escort came the day before, took my vitals to make sure I was physically ready for the trip, addressed any concerns I had, and showed me how she could transfer me from car to wheelchair, wheelchair to seat, etc. She was amazing! They couldn’t have sent me anyone who could have taken better care of me than she did.” — EA+ Member, Angela

Commercial Airfare – two nurse escorts

In a rare number of cases, it’s deemed medically necessary that you travel home with assistance from two nurse escorts. This may be warranted when there are more complex health circumstances to consider. In these cases, ground transportation and upgraded seating are typically also deemed necessary and are arranged and provided by EA+.

“Multiple broken ribs, a broken breastbone, injury to both lungs and other injuries were all sustained without a scratch on my body due to protective clothing. It’s too bad the clothing didn’t prevent the impact. A several-day stay before the trauma doctors approved my transfer back to Florida. Unfortunately, the trauma team determined that air transport was not possible due to the lung and chest injury. EA+ quickly arranged alternative transport via train with two escort nurses. EA+ and nurses Frank and Jen did everything possible to assist me. EA+ has certainly proven its value to me! One of my trauma physicians even commented that he was not accustomed to dealing with such “Cadillac” quality care.” – EA+ Member, Ken

Air Ambulance

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at EA+ has seen increasing numbers of patients being discharged from the hospital — but still requiring significant levels of medical care to travel back home, or a medical facility closer to home. In these cases, EA+ will provide transportation home via air ambulance, a service that can often involve significant costs. To understand the cost of a life flight, it’s important to consider all related expenses and options for coverage.

“When that call came in to let us know that EA+ had agreed to supply transportation via air ambulance, I was literally speechless, and a floodgate of tears tore open! (Actually, I almost called back to make sure I hadn’t dreamed what I had just been told!!) In this day and age of “bottom line” businesses and everyone out to get by at the least amount of cost, you have renewed our faith that there are caring businesses with a heart!” – EA+ Member, Jeanne

To learn more about air ambulances, we recommend you explore these articles:

5 Reasons You Might Need an Air Ambulance 

Need a Medical Evacuation? Here’s What to Expect

Flying ICUs: Inside the world of Air Ambulances

A final note on the Transportation Home service from Emergency Assistance Plus:

Members who have chosen a Premier membership are eligible for transportation via the levels described above to a destination other than their home, or a medical facility near their home. This may be desired if you’d like to be closer to family who can provide additional support during your recovery. After you have been transported to your home or medical facility/location of your choice, all transportation services will cease for this condition.

Choosing Emergency Assistance Plus means opting for peace of mind. With 24/7 access to a worldwide network and comprehensive support in managing transportation logistics, EA+ ensures that no detail is overlooked.

This commitment to safety, comfort, and professional medical care, backed by robust support systems, makes EA+ an invaluable partner in managing long-distance transportation needs after a medical emergency.

So, as you consider the best options for travel protection, remember that EA+ is not just about transportation — it’s about delivering comprehensive care and support when you need it most.

Visit our Plan Information page for a detailed description of all services included in an EA+ membership, or our Compare and Choose page for an easy side by side comparison of available membership levels.