Garmin Inreach: What plan?

[Mak10]

I’ve recently got a Garmin inreach mini and I am wondering what plan do you use? Right now I have it on the lowest plan and use it for emergency use. Suggestions?

 

[ballisticexchris]

Hi there Mark. I would recommend keeping the cheap plan if it's just for a safety device. I also highly recommend looking at getting insured for an airlift/SAR in case SOS is activated. Most health care plans do not insure for SOS. I can tell you from experience that airlifts and SAR operations are north of 25,000.00 per incident. Just a simple airlift from the desert to a local hospital I called in was over 60,000.00 for my buddy. Fortunately his PPO health care plan covered it.

I really wanted to switch to the InReach but it was too expensive to insure for SOS. I have decided to keep my SPOT since it offers 2 free airlifts/SAR operations per season insured through Lloyds Of London.

For comparison I pay 273.00 annually which includes a 50 mile recovery and tow anywhere in the US on a 2 track road dirt or paved. As soon as I'm back on my feet I'll be getting the new Spot X.

The InReach is a fantastic device and arguably has some of the best coverage available. If you are going to be texting a lot you might want to upgrade to one of the better plans:

inReach® Satellite Communicators | Messengers | Garmin

Stay safe off-the-grid with inReach® satellite communicators. Features include two-way text messaging (satellite subscription required), SOS trigger, and GPS.

discover.garmin.com

 

[Mak10]

So far I’m thinking the basic plan. It doesn’t make much sense to have the intermittent on off plan with an 25 dollar fee to activate again.
In the backcountry of central/southern Utah there was no cell service. It will be nice to check in when making camp and leaving.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I do the plan where I can change at will. It's shutoff most of the year, but when going on trips I activate it to the plan that lets me drop a pin every 10 minutes. I cancel the plan upgrade one day after activation. It operates for a month, then goes back to no cost. Works out to be far less expensive than a Spot. Been doing that for years now.

 

[Cycledude]

Bought one for our last Alaska trip but never activated it because another friend that was along had one. Maybe next time.

 

[SkunkWorks]

I have the annual recreation plan.
I go snow-wheeling on occasion with a few different Jeep friends in the mountains, so I keep it active all year.
I have the Explorer-plus, and it's nice to be able to text my wife when I'm out of cell range.
Garmin also offers SAR coverage through GEOS for an additional annual cost (minimal) I opted for the SAR coverage as well.
They cover $100,000 per year/ $50,000 per incident.
I want to say it was only around $25 for a year.

 

[Don in Lodi]

I do the plan where I can change at will. It's shutoff most of the year, but when going on trips I activate it to the plan that lets me drop a pin every 10 minutes. I cancel the plan upgrade one day after activation. It operates for a month, then goes back to no cost. Works out to be far less expensive than a Spot. Been doing that for years now.

That is a neat trick. I usually keep it active for a couple/three months at a time, but I only really need it for a couple weeks per summer.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

That is a neat trick. I usually keep it active for a couple/three months at a time, but I only really need it for a couple weeks per summer.

Up until last year I could terminate the plan immediately after activating it. In 2020 they made a change and had to do it one day later. A tiny bit less convenient, but still workable.

 

[Cycledude]

Up until last year I could terminate the plan immediately after activating it. In 2020 they made a change and had to do it one day later. A tiny bit less convenient, but still workable.

so they would allow you to do that 12 times per year- every month if you wanted to ?

 

[Dirt_Dad]

so they would allow you to do that 12 times per year- every month if you wanted to ?

I don't see why not. I've done it 3 or 4 times in a year. Never done 12, but by having the Freedom (I think that's the name of it) plan, turn on and turn off is included. I believe I pay an extra $35 a year to have that right. I think I only turned it on once in 2020. Twice at most.

As a former Spot user, I would never go back to Spot and the pay one price for the whole year crap. My tracker sits in a drawer the vast majority of the year. I pay for the month I use it and then done again.

 

[SilverBullet]

...As a former Spot user, I would never go back to Spot and the pay one price for the whole year crap...

I guess that all depends on how much each on demand month costs, times how many months per year, plus the $35.

My Spot is only $100 for 12 months with unlimited tracking. Just takes one phone call a year prior to expiration. Connect to customer retention dept and tell them they can keep my $100 rate of last 6-7 years and I'll renew. If not I'll cancel.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

 

[StephanSF]

I have the annual recreation plan.
I go snow-wheeling on occasion with a few different Jeep friends in the mountains, so I keep it active all year.
I have the Explorer-plus, and it's nice to be able to text my wife when I'm out of cell range.
Garmin also offers SAR coverage through GEOS for an additional annual cost (minimal) I opted for the SAR coverage as well.
They cover $100,000 per year/ $50,000 per incident.
I want to say it was only around $25 for a year.

Is your information about the SAR insurance coverage still correct ? Ive been researching what insurance options are available and I was reading that Garmin no longer offers it. I would think that insurance is absolutely crucial given the cost of a helicopter trip ! Dp you happen to have a link to that insurance coverage ? Do you also take out travel accident coverage (hospital, EF etc) as I understand that SAR insurance only covers the actual SAR, but not any medical care you may require once you're safe.

 

[SkunkWorks]

Is your information about the SAR insurance coverage still correct ? Ive been researching what insurance options are available and I was reading that Garmin no longer offers it. I would think that insurance is absolutely crucial given the cost of a helicopter trip ! Dp you happen to have a link to that insurance coverage ? Do you also take out travel accident coverage (hospital, EF etc) as I understand that SAR insurance only covers the actual SAR, but not any medical care you may require once you're safe.

It was available as of June of 2020. That's when I activated it.
It's listed in my Inreach subscription as "Geos SAR" coverage, and says it will auto-renew on May 31st 2021 at $24.95 USD.
It's the "SAR 50" plan which covers $50,000 per incident, $100,000 per year maximum.
https://my-geos.com/products/view/ff5bbf4c-3758-40a6-9fe8-6e9c85240476
https://www.geosresponse.com/assets/pdf/GEOS-SAR-BENEFIT-TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.pdf

I have really good medical coverage through my work (Govt.) and also medical coverage through my motorcycle insurance policy, so I'm pretty sure I'll be mostly OK as long as I'm not killed outright.
(in that case, my Wife gets my life-insurance policies)

Since Garmin just acquired GEOS, I'm pretty sure they will continue to offer the SAR coverage with their subscriptions.

 

[StephanSF]

It was available as of June of 2020. That's when I activated it.
It's listed in my Inreach subscription as "Geos SAR" coverage, and says it will auto-renew on May 31st 2021 at $24.95 USD.
It's the "SAR 50" plan which covers $50,000 per incident, $100,000 per year maximum.
https://my-geos.com/products/view/ff5bbf4c-3758-40a6-9fe8-6e9c85240476
https://www.geosresponse.com/assets/pdf/GEOS-SAR-BENEFIT-TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.pdf

I have really good medical coverage through my work (Govt.) and also medical coverage through my motorcycle insurance policy, so I'm pretty sure I'll be mostly OK as long as I'm not killed outright.
(in that case, my Wife gets my life-insurance policies)

Since Garmin just acquired GEOS, I'm pretty sure they will continue to offer the SAR coverage with their subscriptions.

Thanks for the links, very helpful

 

[ballisticexchris]

I keep my subscription active year round. The mapping and tracking features for mileage while riding, driving, walking, etc make it very well worth it.

 

[StephanSF]

Im trying to get a handle on what different type of insurances are available and which one should consder for motorcycle trips. Im hoping people can point out what I might be missing or not considering.

So first you need vehicle insurance that operates in the area you are going to.. In my case this will be Baja and I see that the insurances offered range from just liability to higher levels including theft etc.

Secondly, you would need some coverage that will get you out of a bad situation. As I understand it the Inreach type devices are the mechanism whereby you conbtact sucha service, in their case its GEOS which is search and rescue and is the entity which arranges for you to get help, whether it be people hiking in or helicoptering etc. So the amount you pay to GEOS only covers you getting from your accident to the nearest hospital, or if you dont need a hospital, out of the situation that caused you to push the SOS button.

But GEOS doesnt cover your treatment AT the hospital ?

The other insurance names I have come across are Global Rescue and MedJet. As far as I can tell, these two both offer similar services, get you to a hospital near your home.

So beyond insurance for your bike/accident and insurance to get you out of a bad sitation to safety, how does one get covered once one is safe but need treatment ? And should one layer that with the evacuation insurance ?

Is there one insurance provider that covers all this for one fee ?

Thanks, Stephan

 

[HiJincs63]

I'm doing a California to Georgia trip later this month and what I really worry about is out of network medical bills. I'm going to go with Medjet for the evac but what happens at the medical facility you get taken to in the event of the biff? Those bill can be astronomical. Any suggestions?

 

[patrickg450]

the 12 bucks a month plan

 

[scott123007]

I'm doing a California to Georgia trip later this month and what I really worry about is out of network medical bills. I'm going to go with Medjet for the evac but what happens at the medical facility you get taken to in the event of the biff? Those bill can be astronomical. Any suggestions?

As far as I know, if you are taken to an emergency room at ANY hospital and ADMITTED, it is covered whether you are in network, or not.

 

[StephanSF]

As far as I know, if you are taken to an emergency room at ANY hospital and ADMITTED, it is covered whether you are in network, or not.

This is what I was told as well when I called my insurance company. The issues is if your injuries dont quite qualify for ER treatment, which I think is the doctor's call, then it can get tricky. I would opt for travel insurance like they offer you when you buy airline tickets. There are several insurance companies that offer this type of coverage. I chose World Nomad coverage for my Baja trip. I have no idea how it would have worked since nothing happened. I have travelled within the US without supplemental insurance like this because I relied on my health coverage to kick in within the US. For the Baja Trip I didnt want to chance that