Insurance when traveling abroad: The benefits and the limitations
A very important part of the homework done by a Medical Tourist needs to be evaluating the risk of traveling outside the country. One of those risks is evaluating the environment and how it may impact ones health.
Issues such as required immunizations, hospitals and medical facilities, climate and altitude are all factors that should be evaluated and taken into consideration when preparing to travel abroad.
Unexpected medical and hospital care abroad can be expensive. Medical evacuation to the United States can cost more than $50,000. Today, US medical insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid) is generally not accepted outside of the US. A Medical Tourist should include, as part of the planning process, a call to his/her medical insurance provider to determine what, if any, aspect of their trip may be covered. If your insurance policy does not provide coverage abroad, exploring short-term policies to cover your trip may be an option.
A complete physical examination with your local physician should also be considered in preparation of your trip. If you have pre-existing conditions, they should be discussed with your physician as part of evaluating fitness for travel. If the Medical Tourist is having a cosmetic procedure, lab tests need to be carried out and pre-existing conditions should reviewed by the physician abroad to ensure that you are a viable candidate for the procedure.
Although there are limitations on medical insurance, there are many private insurance plans to assist the Medical Tourist regarding travel. “Travel insurance can provide you coverage for certain emergency medical expenses, trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage damage or loss, and much more. Plus, most plans include travel assistance services to help with anything from tracing lost luggage to coordinating medical evacuations from remote locations.” Adam Wertheimer, Representative for MetLife, promotes AIG Travel Guard services. “A major difference for example, is that AIG Travel Guard insurance plans come with AIG Travel Assist’s 24-hour travel assistance hotline to help their travelers anytime, anywhere.” The cost for a Travel Insurance policy is usually under $100 per person, per trip. Many credit card companies, such as American Express, also carry travel protection as part of their card services.
An additional source of reference for health insurance information is the US Government Travelers’ Health page of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The website is at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. It is also very helpful to obtain the contact information of the US consular officer in the country that you are traveling, prior to your departure.
As a Medical Tourist, the best advice is to check into what Insurance is available to your prior to your departure. While sometimes it can be confusing and challenging, it is always better to have the information and coverages in place prior to departing to your destination.
Lourdes Gasparoni is a proprietor of Premier MedEscape in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and may be reached at info@premiermedescape.com.