How to use the EMS cost calculator

How to use the EMS cost calculator

One of the first questions people ask when they’re searching for a medical repatriation service is an obvious one:

“How much does it cost?”

It’s a good question. And while the answer varies a lot depending on the trip details (see below), we’ve found it can be very helpful for people to have a rough idea of what’s involved. That’s why we recently built a cost calculator tool for our website. We wanted something that would be quick, clear and simple for our customers to use – and of course free!

How the cost calculator works

The aim of the calculator is to provide a lightning-fast estimate for your journey, based on your basic route details. We say “estimate”, because a repatriation has many variables.. Things like: the type of ground transportation needed, the aircraft requirements, and the countries and airports involved. Your patient’s condition is an important factor too. Do they need a basic, advanced or intensive-care ambulance service? Will they need a team of specialist doctors or paramedics to travel with them? So while the calculator can’t give an exact total, it can provide a “ballpark” figure to help your decision-making.

Step 1: Where does your patient need to get to?

The first step is to input your route. Type your starting location in the top box and select the right dropdown menu option. In this example, our patient needs to travel quickly home from Malaga in Spain to Manchester in the UK (a distance of about 1,800km direct, or 2,500km by road).

We also need to know if your patient has tested positive for COVID. This affects how we can carry out the repatriation – for instance, if they’ll need to travel in full isolation during the journey, or whether they might need an oxygen supply. Choose Yes, No or Unknown, then click the proceed button.

Step 2: How can we contact you?

Now fill out your contact details. We’ll send the estimate to the email address you supply. (The tool alerts us when you press Submit, in case your email goes to Spam by mistake.) Next, add your phone number and country code. Our team will use this to call you after you’ve received your estimate – normally within one working day, but often within 60 minutes.

Finally, click the currency for the estimate: euros, dollars, pounds sterling or Arab Emirates dirham. Then hit Submit. That’s it. You’ve completed the calculator.

Step 3: What’s the estimated cost for your journey?

Now simply head to your email inbox and look for the estimate. In most cases, it should arrive within minutes. (Email not received? Call or WhatsApp the EMS team direct.) In our example, you can see three cost estimates. Because it’s possible to do the trip overland, the first option is a repatriation by road ambulance. Option 2 is to travel on a commercial airline with a Medical Escort. Option 3 is a repatriation by private air ambulance, the quickest way to get your patient home.

Not sure which option you need? Don’t worry, our repatriation specialist can explain everything when we contact you shortly. It might be a good idea to write down any questions you have, and your patient’s details, so we’re ready to move as fast as possible.

To find out what details we’ll need, check out our recent blog article “I’m about to contact you: what details will EMS need from me?”