Medical Information for Foreign Travelers

Medical Information for Foreign Travelers

by: Herb Williams

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. However,

payment of hospital and other expenses is the responsibility

of the traveler.

Before going abroad, learn what medical services your health

insurance will cover overseas. If your health insurance

policy provides coverage outside the United States, REMEMBER

to carry both your insurance policy identity card as proof

of such insurance and a claim form. Although many health

insurance companies will pay "customary and reasonable"

hospital costs abroad, very few 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.

THE SOCIAL SECURITY MEDICARE PROGRAM DOES NOT PROVIDE

COVERAGE FOR HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL COSTS OUTSIDE THE U.S.A.

Senior citizens may wish to contact the American Association

of Retired Persons for information about foreign medical

care coverage with Medicare supplement plans.

To facilitate identification in case of an accident,

complete the information page on the inside of your passport

providing the name, address and telephone number of someone

to be contacted in an emergency.

A traveler going abroad with any preexisting medical

problems should carry a letter from the attending physician,

describing the medical condition and any prescription

medications, including the generic name of prescribed drugs.

Any medications being carried overseas should be left in

their original containers and be clearly labeled. Travelers

should check with the foreign embassy of the country they

are visiting to make sure any required medications are not

considered to be illegal narcotics.

A listing of addresses and telephone numbers of U.S.

embassies and consulates abroad is contained in Key Officers

of Foreign Service Posts . This publication may be obtained

through the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government

Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Also available from

the Government Printing Office is Health Information for

International Travel by the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC). This contains a global rundown of disease

and immunization advice and other health guidance, including

risks in particular countries. The CDC maintains the

international travelers hotline at 1-877-FYI-TRIP

(1-877-394-8747), an automated faxback service at

1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299) and a home page on the

Internet at http://www.cdc.gov .

For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases

abroad, consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) web

site at http://www.who.int/en. The WHO also provides travel

health information at http://www.who.int/ith.

For detailed information on physicians abroad, the

authoritative reference is The Official ABMS Directory of

Board Certified Medical Specialists published for the

American Board of Medical Specialists and its certifying

member boards. This publication should be available in your

local library. U.S. embassies and consulates abroad maintain

lists of hospitals and physicians. Major credit card

companies also can provide the names of local doctors and

hospitals abroad.

About the Author

Herb Williams has been in the Financial Services Profession for the last 38 years. He lived in the middle east for 10 years where he represented Swiss and French Banks and Insurance Companies.Herb Williams has been in the Financial Services Profession for the last 38 years.

He and his wife Marsha run a full financial services Allstate Agency in Chicago.

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