The insurance clause that voids your helicopter evacuation
Go Heli Nepal6 min readReviewed
Photograph: © Mondo79 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Two numbers decide whether your policy pays for the flight: the altitude limit and the evacuation cap. Most travellers have read neither before flying.
Everybody trekking in Nepal has travel insurance. A striking number of them are carrying a policy that would not pay for the one thing they bought it for.
Two numbers in the policy document decide it, and both sit well below what a Mount Everest helicopter rescue actually costs. How that flight is dispatched and who pays for it is a separate post; this is how to read your policy before you need it.
| The clause | What policies commonly say | What Nepal actually needs |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude limit | Trekking excluded above 4,000 m | Above 5,545 m — Kala Patthar, the high point of a standard Everest trek |
| Evacuation cap | US$1,000–2,000, or no explicit helicopter wording | Tens of thousands, with the words “helicopter evacuation” written in |
| Documentation | Rarely mentioned at purchase | Medical report, flight record, proof the evacuation was necessary |
An evacuation from the Everest region costs about US$3,000–8,000, and more with a longline and a specialist crew. If you are reading this because somebody is already unwell, go to rescue rather than to your policy.
What altitude does travel insurance exclude in Nepal?
Many standard policies exclude trekking above a stated altitude, and that altitude is frequently 4,000 m. Everest Base Camp is at 5,364 m. Kala Patthar is 5,545 m. Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit is 5,416 m.
In other words, the exclusion begins roughly where the interesting half of the trek does. An insurer applying it will decline the whole claim, not part of it.
How big does the evacuation cap need to be?
A policy that permits high-altitude trekking may still cap helicopter evacuation at $1,000 or $2,000. An evacuation from the Everest region costs between US$3,000 and US$8,000, and more if a longline and a specialist crew are needed.
A cap below the real cost is not cover, it is a contribution. Look for an evacuation limit in the tens of thousands and for the words "helicopter evacuation" written explicitly.
Why did insurers get strict about Nepal claims?
A 2018 government investigation in Nepal found evacuation claims that had been inflated, duplicated or fabricated outright. The industry it exposed has been cleaned up considerably, but the insurers' response was permanent: they now want a medical report, a flight record and evidence that the evacuation was necessary rather than convenient.
Keep every piece of paper you are handed at the hospital and at the operator's desk. A genuine claim with no documentation is a slow claim.
Where should you keep your policy details while trekking?
Write down the policy number and the assistance company's phone number on paper, and keep them somewhere that does not need a signal or a charged phone.
Operators usually fly on the medical need, but most will ask for that assistance number or a guarantee of payment, so a policy you can quote at 04:00 is one fewer thing between a casualty and a hospital.
FAQs
What altitude do travel insurance policies usually exclude in Nepal?
Many standard travel policies exclude trekking above a stated altitude, and that altitude is frequently 4,000 m. Everest Base Camp is at 5,364 m, Kala Patthar is 5,545 m and Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit is 5,416 m, so the exclusion begins roughly where the interesting half of the trek does. An insurer applying it will decline the whole claim, not part of it.
How much does a helicopter evacuation from the Everest region cost?
A helicopter evacuation from the Everest region costs between about US$3,000 and US$8,000, and more if a longline and a specialist crew are required. That is the figure an insurance cap has to clear to be worth anything.
What evacuation cover limit do you need for trekking in Nepal?
Look for an evacuation limit in the tens of thousands of US dollars, with the words "helicopter evacuation" written explicitly in the policy. A policy that permits high-altitude trekking may still cap helicopter evacuation at US$1,000 or US$2,000, and a cap below the real cost is not cover — it is a contribution.
What documentation do insurers require for a Nepal evacuation claim?
Insurers now generally want a medical report, a flight record and evidence that the evacuation was necessary rather than convenient. That change followed a 2018 Nepali government investigation which found evacuation claims that had been inflated, duplicated or fabricated. Keep every piece of paper from the hospital and the operator's desk, because a genuine claim with no documentation is a slow claim.
Should you carry your insurance details on paper when trekking?
Yes. Write the policy number and the assistance company's phone number on paper and keep them somewhere that needs no signal and no charged phone. Operators usually fly on medical need, but most ask for the insurer's assistance number or a guarantee of payment before or soon after launch, so details you can quote at 04:00 remove one obstacle between a casualty and a hospital.
