§ Health & insurance

Repatriation of remains

also called repatriation of mortal remains

Cover for the cost of returning your body to your home country if you die abroad.

Medical evacuation coverRepatriationRepatriation of remains
Solid lines are terms people actually mix up with Repatriation of remains. Medical evacuation cover · Repatriation

Right, in plain English

Repatriation of remains is insurance for the cost of bringing your body home if you die abroad. It is not the same as medical evacuation cover, which flies you out for treatment while you are alive; this one deals with what happens after death. It is a bleak thing to think about, but ordinary travel policies may cap it low or leave it out entirely, and the cost is very real.

A traveller dies in an accident far from home, and the family assumes the travel insurance will handle everything. It turns out the policy capped repatriation of remains at a fraction of what airlines and authorities actually charge, leaving relatives to cover a large and painful bill at the worst possible moment.

Why it matters

It's a grim but real cost that ordinary travel policies may cap low or exclude.

Getting you home in a crisis · 2 terms

Both cover the cost of moving you across borders in the worst cases.
Medical evacuation cover pays to transport you to adequate care, or home, if you fall seriously ill or are badly hurt, while repatriation of remains covers returning your body to your home country if you die abroad.

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