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Leave Your Home Safe Checklists
Packing Tips
Dollars and Sense
Health and Safety
Your Special Needs
Ticket Vocabulary
Ticket Information
Documented to Travel
Airport Arrivals
At the Gate
Your Luggage and Security
Rental Car Tips
Hotel Tips
Cruise Line Tips |
* If you have food allergies, learn their names in the language of the countries you’re visiting (oral and written).
* Learn what diseases are common in the area you’ll be visiting and what you can do to avoid them. Also, find out what vaccinations you’ll need to enter the country. Get vaccinated several weeks in advance of your trip. There may also be medications you can take before, during and after your trip.
* See your dentist way before your departure date. You don’t want a toothache to ruin your vacation.
* Drink bottled water and be wary of fresh fruits and vegetables that may not have been washed.
* Complete and carry with you your health history. Your physician’s office should be able to do this for you. It should include your blood type, a list of current medications with generic names, a list of allergies including know food or drug ones, a list of immunizations and their dates, and a basic description of your past and present medical condition to include past hospitalizations, surgeries and any current problems.
* You may want to join Medic Alert or IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers.
* Take your insurance cards and/or trip insurance contact information with you, as well as a contact person to call in case of an emergency.
* Ask your insurance agent to see if your current medical coverage will cover you outside the country.
* In most foreign countries, you’ll be expected to pay your medical bill in cash and be reimbursed from your insurance company later. Make sure you get an itemized receipt with diagnosis, treatment and charges in English. If they can’t produce it in English, get someone else to do it. Your insurance company will take too long to get it translated. If your insurance has a co-pay or deductible, you may want to take out trip insurance to cover the difference.
* Note that neither Medicare nor Medicaid provide payments for medical care given outside the U.S.
* Trip insurance is strongly recommended to cover you outside the U.S. Check the coverage, noting any deductibles, exceptions or exemptions for pre-existing conditions, activities, diseases or areas of the world.
* Make sure the policy will cover any evacuation costs. There are areas of the world that may not be able to provide the medical care you need.
* If you’re making your travel plans months in advance, consider the many things that could occur to cause you to cancel your trip. You could lose your deposits. Get trip insurance that covers trip cancellation.
* Often travel delays, usually beyond your control, can cause you to miss all or part of your trip. Once again, check the policy to make sure you are covered for expenses incurred due to travel delays. These would include higher ticket cost, hotel room, food, etc.
Informative Web Sites for Your Health
* www.cdc.gov/travel The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travel Information site has the latest information on diseases, and the destination section has detailed specific information on diseases common to particular regions of the world, along with recommended precautions and vaccines to avoid getting those diseases.
* www.who.int/ith/english/index.htm The World Health Organization International Travel and Health Web page contains information on recommended vaccinations and general health advice for travelers.
* www.who.int/ith/english/region.htm This WHO site contains information, divided by regions of the globe, on potential health hazards for travelers in those regions.
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