California, Hawaii, Las Vegas, New York and beyond
Medical Repatriation from the USA to Australia
The United States has some of the best hospitals in the world and, for visitors, by far the highest bills. A few days in an American intensive care unit can cost more than an air ambulance home. That changes the conversation: families and insurers often want the patient moved as soon as it is safe.
Send patient details
A few details is enough. A coordinator calls you back to go through the rest.
What situations do Australians face in the USA?
It is also the longest trip we arrange. Los Angeles to Sydney is about 12,000 kilometres, and a dedicated aircraft needs a fuel stop and a crew change on the way. For many stable patients, a scheduled flight with a nurse is the more sensible option.
Hospital costs
US hospitals bill visitors at full rates. Without travel insurance, families can face very large bills within days, and hospitals will ask about payment early.
Hawaii and holiday accidents
Surf, snorkelling and road injuries in Hawaii, and accidents in national parks and on road trips through the western states.
Heart attacks and strokes
Older travellers on holiday or visiting family who are treated in the US and need to come home for recovery.
Students and workers
Australians studying or working in the US whose health insurance does not cover getting home.
How do hospitals in the USA handle discharge for a transfer?
US hospitals discharge patients quickly. A case manager or social worker coordinates the plan and will want to know, in writing, who is taking over the patient's care and where. We give them the receiving Australian doctor's details and the transfer plan as early as possible.
Hospitals need the patient, or their legal representative, to sign a records release before they can share information with us. Ask the case manager for the form on the first day. The billing office will want either insurer approval or a payment arrangement before discharge.
Commercial stretcher or dedicated jet: which is right?
Seated with a medical escort
Direct flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Honolulu reach Australia in about ten to fifteen hours. Many stable patients fly home in business class with a nurse escort, which costs far less than a dedicated aircraft.
Commercial airline stretcher
Stretcher places on trans-Pacific flights are scarce and need notice and airline medical approval. We check what is available before recommending it.
Dedicated air ambulance jet
A Gulfstream G550 flies Los Angeles to Sydney with one fuel stop, usually Honolulu, in about seventeen to eighteen hours. Reserved for patients who can't travel any other way.
Patients in Hawaii are about ten hours from Sydney, which makes both a commercial escort and a dedicated aircraft much simpler than from the mainland.
How stretcher repatriation compares in costWhat documents are needed?
We need the passport, the discharge summary and recent records, and the insurer's approval. The signed records release is essential; without it, the hospital can't send us anything.
Keep every itemised bill and letter, as insurers usually want itemised invoices rather than a total. If the patient's ESTA or visa will run out before they can travel, ask the hospital social worker about next steps; the Australian Consulate-General can also advise.
Which routes do we fly from the USA?
All routes we flyFlight details for the main route home from the US:
FAQ
Repatriation from the USA: common questions
Last reviewed 9 November 2026. Read alongside official travel advice: Travel advice: the USA (Smartraveller, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade); Travel insurance (Smartraveller, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade); IATA Medical Manual (International Air Transport Association).
International medical repatriation guide