It's never fun to get sick or hurt, but it's an
even bigger pain in the ass when you're away from
home. When recent Boston University graduate Joy
Follett was traveling in Seville, Spain, she got
the flu — bad. "I had never been that sick in my
life," she recalls. Follett tried to wait it out
in her hotel room, but as her temperature rose,
she decided she should seek professional help. She
headed to the nearest hospital. It wasn't a
successful outing.
Follett sat in the waiting room for over two
hours, but was never seen. No one else in the
waiting area got treatment, either. She decided to
return to the hotel, where the director found a
Spanish physician to make a "hotel call."
Follett got a "shot in the butt to bring the fever
down", which cost $100, outofpocket. Her home
insurance company did not reimburse her. And being
sick abroad sucked. "It was disconcerting to be
sick in Spain. It was hard enough to speak Spanish
when I had all my faculties. It was really hard to
figure out what to do when I was dizzy and feverish."
So the lesson is: Don't get sick or hurt when
you're traveling. But that's easier said than
done. You never know what's going to happen, but
you can take precautions to maximize your safety
and minimize your chances of having an unpleasant
or downright dangerous health experience.
There are a whole host of issues you may need to
address. "It really all depends on where you're
traveling," says Tom Skinner, a spokesperson for
the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA.
"The most important thing you can do is contact a
travel health clinic before you go. They can give
you information about what's going on where." Many
destinations require travelers to obtain specific
immunizations and vaccinations prior to entrance.
Others destinations, obviously, have no special
requirements.
Skinner says the most critical considerations for
travelers are vaccinations (if necessary), safe
food and water information, insect protection, and
establishing a plan in case of medical
emergencies. Check with a travel clinic for most
of those. For a medical emergency plan, the U.S.
State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs has
information and advice for travelers.
According to the Bureau, if an American citizen
becomes seriously ill or injured abroad, a U. S.
consular officer can assist in locating
appropriate medical services and informing family
or friends. If necessary, a consular officer can
also assist in the transfer of funds from the
United States.
The Bureau reminds travelers that payment of
hospital and other expenses is the responsibility
of the traveler. So before you go abroad, make
sure you know what medical services your health
insurance will cover overseas. If your health
insurance policy provides coverage outside the
United States, you must carry both your insurance
policy identity card and a claim form. Although
many health insurance companies will pay certain
customary and reasonable hospital costs abroad
(check to see what your insurance company
considers customary and reasonable), it's rare
that they will pay for your medical evacuation
back to the United States. Medical evacuation can
easily cost $10,000 and up, depending on your
location and medical condition.
If you know where you'll be traveling and would
like to obtain a listing of addresses and
telephone numbers of U.S. embassies and consulates
abroad, contact the Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
Christie Matheson believes if you're going to
get sick abroad, you should make sure it's in a
place with five star hotels and movie channels.
