Has anyone ever used the AAC rescue insurance benefit?

Please help empower other climbers to make better-informed financial decisions by sharing your experiences.

Has anyone ever used, or have firsthand knowledge of, a climber filing a claim through the the AAC rescue insurance benefit?

Thanks!

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/120328448/aac-membership-cost-increase#ForumMessage-120329082

This expedition too:

http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12201208100/The-Old-Breed

Both of the above were with Global Rescue.  AAC has since switched to Redpoint.  Dunno how they compare with GR.

I pocket dialed them one time and they called me back

Terry E wrote:

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/120328448/aac-membership-cost-increase#ForumMessage-120329082

This expedition too:

http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12201208100/The-Old-Breed

Both of the above were with Global Rescue.  AAC has since switched to Redpoint.  Dunno how they compare with GR.

Thanks for the info. From those examples it sounds like they used Global Rescue, which had to be purchased separately:

"Note that this was through Global Rescue itself, using my AAC discount for an international plan."

It sounds like Global Rescue was a good thing to have, but I'm trying to understand where the AAC fits in. 

I could buy a helmet at a gear store with an AAC discount. The helmet saves my head from a falling rock. I wouldn't say that AAC provided the protection.

For years it was a common understanding that AAC membership came with "rescue insurance" but few AAC members really knew what that meant. Most people don't really think about rescue until they need one and it was common understanding that if you did get a rescue and were an AAC member, the AAC would help pay the bill through some type of claims process. But it's very difficult to find concrete examples of how that works. We all have car insurance or renters insurance and some lucky climbers even have medical insurance. And we all know basically how that insurance works. The AAC rescue insurance is a mystery.

From what I can tell, the only thing the AAC brings to the table is possibly a discount from a service provided by a 3rd party. The complicated part is that it seems you have to use the 3rd party to get the benefit, and if you don't it's very unclear what happens. 

So if I'm in Yosemite and need a rescue, do I call 911 or the AAC's insurance provider? And if I call 911 and the rescue is done by YOSAR and they take me to the local hospital, where does the AAC fit in? Or if I call Global Rescue instead of 911, is the response and financial outcome any different? Or is this really just an international thing?

https://americanalpineclub.org/rescue/#RESCUE-FAQ

I used it once for a rescue and they paid in full

Jim Amidon wrote:

I used it once for a rescue and they paid in full

What did they pay for?

I’ve never known anyone who has been able to successfully be compensated for this in all my years of climbing (some I’ve known personally have tried). I’ve been saying revamp this club or create an alternative club for years. Mimic some of the European models perhaps. This could look like a regional thing or simply a new org. I dropped my AAC membership years ago, despite being written up in tons of the AAC Journals. AAC tried to rebrand itself with a marketing campaign without really changing anything about 12 years ago but it didn’t really work. 

They wont pay for your ambulance bills if you need emergency transport in an accident. This much I can tell you. I believe they told me they insurance is only for the rescue effort, not the transportation or anything else after. Not sure how you distinguish, but I guess if you self rescue you are kinda shit out of luck... 

I researched it a bunch years ago. From what I remember you have to call Global Rescue first, not 911. Global Rescue then contacts the helicopter or whatever and initiates the rescue. If you call 911 first, Global Rescue will not cover the expenses. 

This was a while ago so maybe the policy has changed

Marcus McCoy wrote:

They wont pay for your ambulance bills if you need emergency transport in an accident... I believe they told me they insurance is only for the rescue effort, not the transportation or anything else after.

That's not what the AAC web site says. Here's a quote: "Rescue services: Designed to get you from the site of an accident away from home to the nearest appropriate medical facility and aimed at covering rescue, ambulance, and other transportation expenses along the way".

sandrock wrote:

From what I remember you have to call Global Rescue first, not 911. Global Rescue then contacts the helicopter or whatever and initiates the rescue. If you call 911 first, Global Rescue will not cover the expenses.

That's not quite correct. Here's another quote. (It's now a different provider - Redpoint, not Global Rescue).

"For example, say you did not contact Redpoint and incurred $5,000 in rescue and transportation costs. However, upon evaluation, Redpoint determines that they could have coordinated your rescue through their global network for a cost of $3,000 had they been contacted at the time of the incident. You would only be eligible for a $3,000 reimbursement based on Redpoint's evaluation".

I think the reason they want you to contact them up-front is because of potential scams, like one that was doing the rounds in Nepal before COVID shut things down. A dishonest guide would inform a client that they were showing signs of AMS and needed to be rescued immediately. Lo and behold, a helicopter would appear and whisk the client away, and the helicopter operator would send a grossly inflated bill to the travel insurance company. The insurance company would pay up, and the helicopter operator would split the proceeds with the guide.

In my accident (domestic U.S./AK), I contacted the AAC after the fact. They were willing and happy to work with me (the AAC was very supportive in guiding me through the process) but ended up not being needed as there was no charge on the rescue side of the bills. I first called my local emergency response dispatch. This did not negate my access to AAC rescue coverage. But again, financial coverage wasn't needed for the rescue itself.

I was lucky to get a signal though, and lucky that I had my phone in my insert coat pocket. I did have a PLB, but it was in my gear and I was incapacitated. The reason I bring this up is that the PLB isn't going to contact the AAC service initially either, mine will goto the AFRCC which will delegate to law enforcement (AK Troopers) and then local SAR resources.

One unique thing I did learn, had any alcohol been involved, they would have considered charging.

Buff Johnson wrote:

..... I did have a PLB, but it was in my gear and I was incapacitated. The reason I bring this up is that the PLB isn't going to contact the AAC service initially either, mine will goto the AFRCC which will delegate to law enforcement (AK Troopers) and then local SAR resources.....

I have a PLB, and now use a Garmin Mini for its two way communication capabilities. I recently emailed Garmin asking:

"I have rescue insurance through the American Alpine Club. Is there a way to let Garmin know in advance that I have Redpoint Travel Protection, so I don't have to spend time communicating during the actual emergency?"

Garmin's reply:

My name is E****, I'm with the Garmin International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC). I received a question that you submitted and wanted to get that answered for you!

You could list this information in your Emergency Notes section of your Garmin inReach profile. That way when you initiate an SOS, the IERCC is able to see in your Emergency Notes that you need a specific company notified. If you need any assistance with these notes, please let me know and I'd be happy to assist you with this. 

I now have this in the Emergency Notes field for my Garmin Account:

"If a rescue needs to be initiated, please contact Redpoint Travel Protection at +1 628-251-1510, as I have rescue insurance via the American Alpine Club, which is provided by Redpoint."

I doubt I will need rescue, but I'd bet Redpoint will come through. Either way, I already get good value from the AAC. Rescue insurance is a bonus. 

It paid for my transport to the hospital from a fall

Terry E wrote:

I have a PLB, and now use a Garmin Mini for its two way communication capabilities. 

don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not sure Garmin cares if you have rescue insurance or not (in the states at least. international may be different). the entire point of a PLB is to (eventually) get local first responder resources moving to perform the rescue. insurance issues are generally not involved in this process at all.