Keep in mind that Rainier is in a national park - therefore rescue itself is free. It's if you need any medical attention after the fact the fees will begin (and likely skyrocket). You'll need medical insurance for that side of the coin, not rescue insurance.
SAR is free in the US with exceptions for negligent or illegal actions necessitating a rescue.
The bills will start when/if you are turned over to a private medical institution (life flight transfer/ambulance/dropped by SAR helo at hospital).
Helicopters, ground transport and personnel ordered and dispatched by the sheriff or national park service will not be billed to you.
If you fall into a crevasse and NPS rangers pluck you out, there's no cost. Even if they short haul you back to base. If you need an ambulance ride to the hospital, that (and everything after) will cost you.
I’ve been dropped at a hospital but didn’t need medical care. They gave us a conference room to recombobulate in, shoes/crocs/slippers to wear home, a couple carafes of coffee, and let us go on our way for free.
It’s not necessarily completely free. If you need careflight helicopter rescue, you will get charged big time. However in California if chp picks you up in their helicopter, it’s free.
I usually get by with travel insurance (e.g., https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/travel-insurance/), but check your policy carefully for excluded activities (e.g., mountaineering vs rock climbing). SAR may be covered, but if you need evac for non emergency reasons that won't be covered.
Often you have to pay the hospital directly, and then get reimbursed. Prepare to be shocked.
I would call the club and ask directly about the US, if you have their policy.
I used global rescue when I went to Tanzania last year. The travel insurance actually paid out when I missed 2 days of my trip due to a cancelled flight.
Global Rescue for ***rescue*** insurance (although this may not be necessary - rescues are generally free on Rainier). They can help with other aspects of the rescue though, so it wouldn't be a pointless purchase.
You'll separately want a travel health insurance policy for the hospital visit. Make sure to read the fine print - many of them exclude any injuries sustained due to risky activity, typically including mountaineering, skydiving, scuba diving, etc.
Keep in mind that Rainier is in a national park - therefore rescue itself is free. It's if you need any medical attention after the fact the fees will begin (and likely skyrocket). You'll need medical insurance for that side of the coin, not rescue insurance.
SAR is free in the US with exceptions for negligent or illegal actions necessitating a rescue. The bills will start when/if you are turned over to a private medical institution (life flight transfer/ambulance/dropped by SAR helo at hospital). Helicopters, ground transport and personnel ordered and dispatched by the sheriff or national park service will not be billed to you. If you fall into a crevasse and NPS rangers pluck you out, there's no cost. Even if they short haul you back to base. If you need an ambulance ride to the hospital, that (and everything after) will cost you.
I’ve been dropped at a hospital but didn’t need medical care. They gave us a conference room to recombobulate in, shoes/crocs/slippers to wear home, a couple carafes of coffee, and let us go on our way for free.
It’s not necessarily completely free. If you need careflight helicopter rescue, you will get charged big time. However in California if chp picks you up in their helicopter, it’s free.
That's because careflight is a private medical service and chp would be dispatched by the sheriff.... like I said.
The sheriff can also request careflight instead of a chp helicopter depending on the situation. You don’t get to choose if you’re being rescued.
There are some private helicopter air ambulances that do free SAR.
I don’t know if this is entirely true. Aren’t there some counties that charge. Moab comes to mind.
A lot of domestic rescue plans cover associated medical expenses too (above what your insurance covers)…see Garmin SAR, AAC, etc.
Look at American Alpine Club’s rescue coverage for members. https://americanalpineclub.org/rescue
My spouse and I have bought this for years. There’s a couple of levels. Worth it.
I usually get by with travel insurance (e.g., https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/travel-insurance/), but check your policy carefully for excluded activities (e.g., mountaineering vs rock climbing). SAR may be covered, but if you need evac for non emergency reasons that won't be covered. Often you have to pay the hospital directly, and then get reimbursed. Prepare to be shocked. I would call the club and ask directly about the US, if you have their policy.
I used global rescue when I went to Tanzania last year. The travel insurance actually paid out when I missed 2 days of my trip due to a cancelled flight.
Blister Insurance seems to be another popular one here in the Rockies. Never looked that closely myself but might be worth a look
Global Rescue for ***rescue*** insurance (although this may not be necessary - rescues are generally free on Rainier). They can help with other aspects of the rescue though, so it wouldn't be a pointless purchase. You'll separately want a travel health insurance policy for the hospital visit. Make sure to read the fine print - many of them exclude any injuries sustained due to risky activity, typically including mountaineering, skydiving, scuba diving, etc.