Such guarantees are commonly provided by travel insurers, in conjunction with assistance providers, but rarely by other insurers or managed care plans. This means you'll have to pay in advance, perhaps as much as tens of thousands of dollars, with your credit card. Of course, for this to work the hospital must accept foreign credit cards and your card must have a sufficient credit limit. Medical evacuations are tricky to arrange and there are some air ambulance providers who should be avoided. Worse, local authorities may have financial ties to certain evacuation companies.
Most travel insurance includes a medical assistance benefit, which is critical.
The assistance company will also be available to help with other travel related problems such as legal troubles, lost passports or credit cards, etc. Emergencies are rare but everyone should have a contingency plan. If you have health insurance in the U.S., the first step is to check with your insurance company and establish what kind of coverage you have. If you have difficulty getting a straight answer, that alone should be a warning. There are the three major types of coverage to consider.