Traveling abroad can be a fun and exciting experience. With new countries, cultures, food, and people to explore, it can be easy to forget about the potential medical issues you could face while you’re away from home. While it’s important not to let fear keep you from your dream trip, it’s also crucial to know how to handle any unexpected medical expenses that come up while traveling abroad. To help keep things under control in case of an emergency, read on for six tips on handling medical expenses while traveling abroad:
It’s important to take out travel insurance when you go abroad.
If you’re planning to travel abroad, it’s important to take out travel insurance. This is particularly true if you’re going somewhere remote or less developed, where medical care might be more difficult to access and more expensive than at home.
Travel insurers will cover medical expenses in different ways—for example, by paying directly for treatment or paying you cash so that you can cover your own costs (read World Nomads travel insurance reviews). It’s worth reading reviews of different providers to make sure that the coverage they offer matches your needs.
Find out what’s covered by insurance and what isn’t, and plan accordingly.
For example, if you’re travelling for medical reasons, make sure you know whether the cost of transportation to and from treatment will be covered as well as any related costs (e.g., lodging or food).
Moreover, find out if there are alternative options that aren’t covered by your insurance but would be more affordable than the ones offered in-country. For example, if a doctor’s visit at home would cost $50 while one abroad would cost $300, compare those two prices against other options within driving distance of where you’re staying (like another city). If there are no alternative options within driving distance or on another continent that would work better for whatever reason—for example, because they’re closer to home or cheaper—then perhaps it’s worth paying for treatment abroad instead of waiting until after vacation ends so that this doesn’t happen again next time around!
Get checked out before you go.
It’s important to get checked out before leaving the country. Before you go, contact your doctor to arrange a physical exam and make sure all of your vaccines are up to date. Also, check with them about any medications that may be needed while you travel abroad. Many doctors will provide prescriptions for malaria prophylaxis and other necessary drugs. It’s also important to note that some diseases are common in certain parts of the world, so if you will be travelling to an area known for them (such as Africa), consider getting shots beforehand—particularly if they’re required by the country or region where you’re planning on visiting.
Don’t wait to get care for a medical emergency.
While you should always have a plan in place for getting medical care if you fall ill while travelling, it’s imperative not to delay getting treatment for an emergency.
The worst-case scenario is that you’ll need to spend more money on medical care than expected. That can happen if your illness or injury requires treatment at a hospital that isn’t covered by your insurance plan, or if your insurance company won’t cover the cost of the procedure. They may even deny the claim completely if they believe it was unnecessary.
On top of that, waiting too long can cause further damage and make recovery more difficult—and painful! In some cases, this could mean needing surgery later on when there’s no time left for recovery between now and then which would also result in higher costs due to additional care being needed later down the road (i.e., being hospitalized longer).
Choose your doctor carefully.
While it’s important to be able to communicate with your doctor, it’s also vital that the doctor understands what you are saying. If the doctor doesn’t speak English, he or she may not be able to understand your concerns and instructions fully. If you have a complicated medical condition and need specialized care, choosing a doctor who can speak English will make all of the difference in understanding how best to treat these issues while abroad.
You want your experience abroad to be as pleasant and stress-free as possible; therefore, selecting a well-respected physician who is familiar with your medical history makes sense.
Learn the language of your vacation country.
If you’re travelling in a foreign country and have an injury or illness, make sure you can understand the local language. If not, find someone who does. If that’s not possible, use a translator app on your smartphone (such as Google Translate). This will allow you to communicate with medical staff and get the necessary help.
Keep documents and receipts in order.
While you’re travelling abroad, it’s important to keep your documents and receipts in order so that you don’t have any trouble when it comes time to file your insurance claim.
Make sure you keep copies of all medical documents, including doctor’s notes, prescriptions and invoices from pharmacies. You should also keep copies of the insurance policy that covers your trip and passport/visa information just in case something were to happen where police or airport security would need them. Of course, don’t forget about keeping a copy of all the travel itineraries (hotels, flights) as well as bank statements because they may be needed by the insurance company if they are requesting proof of expenses incurred while travelling abroad.
Conclusion
If you’re planning a vacation and want to be prepared for any medical expenses that may arise, the best way is to take out travel insurance. The right plan will cover your trip no matter what happens, so you don’t have to worry about running up huge bills on top of everything else that comes with travelling.
