| If you are thinking about traveling abroad, whether for | | | | most importantly, coverage for your return home |
| business or on pleasure and for merely a few days or | | | | should this prove to be necessary. |
| many months, you should not set out before you have | | | | Remember too that, if you are vacationing as a family, |
| bought suitable international travel health insurance | | | | then any plan should cover all members of the family |
| coverage. | | | | and provide for such things as expenditure should it be |
| Medical care can be extremely expensive abroad and | | | | necessary for one or both parents to stay in the |
| in many areas you will discover that you will not be | | | | hospital with a sick child or to travel home with a child |
| able to receive medical care, even in emergency | | | | by air ambulance. |
| circumstances, unless you are able to pay up front. If | | | | One of the very last things that we ever imagine |
| you think this is strange then believe me � it is | | | | happening when we travel abroad, especially on |
| fact. | | | | vacation, is being involved in an accident or being taken |
| On a recent vacation I accompanied a friend to the | | | | ill while we are away with anything more than a simple |
| local hospital in a well known Far Eastern holiday town | | | | upset stomach. However, accidents happen daily and |
| following a luckily minor road traffic accident in which | | | | sudden and serious illness can and does strike without |
| he suffered a nasty cut to his foot requiring stitches | | | | any warning. Indeed, the chances of such an event are |
| and, in addition to the nurses and doctors in the | | | | considerably heightened when we find ourselves out |
| emergency room, we were also met by one of the | | | | of our normal environment, so why should we take the |
| hospital cashiers who required details of my friend's | | | | risk. |
| travel health insurance or a credit card/cash payment | | | | When it comes to buying international travel health |
| before any treatment could be commenced. | | | | insurance the principles are exactly the same as those |
| International travel health insurance is designed to | | | | which apply to buying any other form of insurance. Do |
| provide medical coverage for people traveling abroad | | | | not rush and shop around looking at plans from several |
| and is a very flexible form of health insurance. It often | | | | companies before selecting a plan. Stick with well |
| allows for daily rates (rates based on the number of | | | | know major insurers, which have an international |
| days you will be traveling) and can usually be bought | | | | reputation, and read carefully through the small print of |
| without the need to answer health questions and | | | | any contract document before signing on the dotted |
| regardless of age. Coverage is also usually available | | | | line. |
| on a worldwide basis and can also be arranged to | | | | Finally, keep in mind that dealing with health problems |
| provide cover for travel to specified countries. | | | | when you are sick and hundreds or thousands of miles |
| One especially important thing to think about when | | | | from home is something which needs to be quick and |
| buying international travel health insurance however is | | | | simple. So, do not be tempted to cut corners when |
| just where in the world you will be traveling to and | | | | arranging your plan! You may pay a little more than |
| what sort of health care will be available on arrival. | | | | you would perhaps like to but, if you have to use your |
| Against this background, you should ensure that any | | | | plan, you will be extremely glad that you spent those |
| plan covers you for every possible eventuality including | | | | few extra dollars. |
| such things as hospitalization, ambulance fees and, | | | | |