GEOS Member Benefit for SPOT3- worth it?

[Cameron M]

I can't ascertain if the Member Benefit is worth purchasing for Sierra hiking. Should a SAR occur in the Sierra, does this Member Benefit really offer any value? It looks doubtful-

[Greg Mihalik]

After a quick look at the terms and conditions I found –

• GEOS will not reimburse members for expenses they incur on their own.
(If you or others call in additional help and don't do that through GEOS)

Excluded –
• Any sickness medical or mental condition, injury, illness, chronic or recurring disease suffered or the undergoing of any planned or recommended medical procedure of a Member of the Assured which the Member knew about or, in the Underwriter's reasonable opinion should have known about at the commencement date of such Member's membership with the Assured.
(Got a pre-existing "condition? Knee, heart, GI etc. If that precipitates your extraction you are out of luck. This recently happened in a New England state.)

• Willlful exposure to danger except in an attempt to save human life …
(crossed a snowfield, free climbed a pour-off, attempted a pass in a thunderstorm …)

• A decision not to travel and/or to not continue to travel
(Weather-bound and made the wrong choice?)

• …any endurance events that require wakefulness, exertion, mental alertness, or physical activity for a period or more than 16 continuous hours
(like fastpacking the JMT?)

And …
The GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC) will not refuse to call out additional emergency response services when advised by 'first responders' that such additional services will be necessary. In such cases where a Member activates their emergency (911/SOS) signal for an emergency and it later transpires that the additional rescue service was not required or covered by the terms and conditions of the Search and Rescue Benefit cover, the member will be liable for the whole cost.

The member must first claim against their existing Medical Insurance. The GEOS Membership Search and Rescue entitlement is for any additional costs incurred or those costs not covered by existing medicalcoverage.

All claims for reimbursement under the Members Search & Rescue Benefit are dealt with by our Underwriters and their decision is final. [emphasis added]

Last – If you do stuff close to home, be sure there isn't an exclusion zone within the 99 mile radius from your home.

If I were you, and you are serious about coverage, I would get clarification relevant to your specific situation, look for all the loopholes, and talk to a good lawyer.

[Zorg Zumo]

The GEOS insurance is just to cover the cost of extraction, should there be a charge. Im not aware of any SAR in the PNW or Idaho, (my haunts), that charge.

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