Emergency evac for US residents trekking Annapurna Circuit

I don't know how is it in the USA, but in Europe some mountaineering associataions, Alpine Clubs offer good value and professional insurance together with membership.

Contact American Alpine Club or Sierra Club for advice.

If you are seriously concerned about this then I suggest that you take out a standard travel policy for general coverage and use Global Rescue. I'm assuming that you mean evacuation by helicopter. See: https://www.globalrescue.com/

GR get mixed reviews but as long as you stick to their nominated rescue suppliers they seem to do a good job. They are not cheap! You might also consider joining the UK section of the Austrian Alpine Club. See: http://aacuk.org.uk/

IMO you need to consider your degree of risk. The chances of having to be rescued from 5400m are probably quite low if you follow a sensible acclimatisation schedule. In any event, there are not too many helicopters in Nepal that can operate effectively at that altitude. Things like sprained ankles or broken limbs do not really need a helievac. It might be better to ensure that you can afford paying for your rescue on your credit card in the, unlikely, event that you need a helievac, rather than taking out expensive insurance. Obviously this is very much an individual choice and depends on how much risk/discomfort you are willing in incur.

The word "evacuation" seems to be equated with helicopters now only. It is also perfectly possible to be carried down a few hundred meters in case bad AMS hits, and it costs pennies compared to thousands charged by the helicopter companies, and can be arranged usually quite instantly in situ. I would not worry too much about it doing AC, where AMS is not as much an issue (quick up & down) as it is in Khumbu, where too many people ascend too fast to 5000m and stay there for day or two.

Agencies and guides do not like Global Rescue, as they do not get the 15% kickback from the helicopter operators because GR deals with the operators directly, so they might refuse to deal with them and want to use their "own" operators. By some estimates over 60% of helievacs are totally unnecessary and done only because somebody sees a change for big profits (guides and agencies get kickbacks, operators get big profits) or because a trekker just wants to call it quits and claims to have AMS/bellyache/sprained ankle etc. There have been cases where several people "needed" evacuation from the same place at the same time, and each got their own chopper, paid by the insurance. Talk about "green travel" there…

You need a statement from a medical doctor about the need for evacuation for the insurance company? No problem there, at least one helicopter operator has their own medical clinic in Kathmandu where the "patients" are flown to to get the proper papers, er… treatment.

I sent you a private message.

what altitude do those policies cover you to
pay for a good guide and porter and they will be able to carry you down to whatever altitude is needed
go slowly and carefully and no helicoptor will be needed

It is extremely unlikely you will need that insurance....first follow proper acclimatization schedule and you should be fine...if somehow something does occur, as Petrus says, just arrange to go down/get carried down a ways, one day's worth should do it......

Stomach, sprained ankle etc,,,,,do you really need a 10K helo?, deal with it. Leg snapped in half, well, ok then....but with all my experience I have never seen that....(I have a very bad history of ankle sprains so I carry and sometimes use ankle supports like basketball players--wraps with Velcro straps, plastic inserts etc...these I sometimes use on rocky sustained descents and also can be used if you do twist an ankle for support; also bring some prescription pain killers from your doctor, I do.) http://www.medspec.com/OnlineProducts.cfm?ID=20

ascend intelligently, watch wear you put your feet, bring stomach problem drugs....some info here and many other places.....http://ciwec-clinic.com/health-information/

other posters here can recommend other alt acclim sites if needed.

Roger

I use world nomad travel insurance every time
you need to select Option 2 for trekking up to 6000m
I Never had to use it but always get it just in case