Skip to main content

Emergency Guidelines

What to do in the event of a medical emergency abroad

You can call our hotline from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to receive support from our team of specialists.

BDAE 24-HOUR EMERGENCY HOTLINE ON +49-40-30 68 74-74

We’ve put together four tips on what to do if you experience a medical emergency while abroad:

  • Print out our Emergency Guidelines and pack them in your luggage! 
  • Call BDAE’s emergency hotline immediately and describe your emergency. Please be ready to provide a number (if possible, a landline) where we can reach you. Our emergency support team is available 24/7!
  • Wherever possible, have all relevant information at the ready, such as insurance documents, your BDAE Service Card, name of the clinic/doctor, telephone number(s), room number.
  • When paying bills insist on receiving clear and comprehensive receipts and medical reports! Submit these to us as soon as possible.

If you need medical assistance abroad, you’ll want to receive fast, expert support without a hitch. The BDAE Group makes this possible thanks to the Assistance Programme integrated into its insurance policies, which includes emergency and non-emergency assistance as well as a range of other services. BDAE provides these assistance services to its policyholders and members in cooperation with the specialist AGA Service Deutschland GmbH.

The following assistance services are available via AGA:

  • Patient advice for routine and emergency cases
  • Help in arranging outpatient appointments with hospitals and doctors
  • Organising hospitalisation in the event of illness
  • Support in purchasing and shipping prescription medication (where legally allowed)
  • Organising interpreters and translation services
  • Organising patient transport and repatriation

What is a medical emergency?

While abroad, we often need support in dealing with unfamiliar situations. But not all questions about your overseas health insurance will be part of a medical emergency.

Our emergency hotline is there to help you with acute medical situations where you require treatment. This includes emergency inpatient treatment or surgery following an accident, as well as unplanned operations which cannot be postponed.

An emergency does not include:

  • Asking for updates on the processing of invoices which you have submitted
  • Clarifying details regarding necessary but non-urgent inpatient treatment – i.e. operations taking place in several days time or later – and coverage of costs
  • Making changes to your personal information, such as updating your address or bank details
  • Asking questions about your overseas health insurance, for example regarding coverage or contribution payment

To discuss these and similar issues, please call the BDAE switchboard at +49-40-30 68 74-0, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact your customer advisor.

You can find more information on reimbursement and accounting on our FAQ page: https://www.bdae.com/en/service/faq.

For more information on the assistance services, please see your insurance documents.