Be Sure To Have Health Insurance When Traveling

I did considerable research for my chapter on Overseas Travel in 101 Ways To The Best Medical Care. However, an article in the Sunday New York Times (1/4/09) by Mary Billard added considerably to my knowledge and I think the infrmation the author gives is important for anyone to have if they do much overseas traveling. Many young people think they will be fine and never need medical help when traveling, but if they have a broken leg or serious illness, they might not want to rely on the local medical help, particularly if they are in a remote area with few good medical facilities.

If you get ill, I suggest doing so in France or Australia. They are reported to have the best medical care in the world. If you are in some other country, you might want to be aware of available resources and make plans before you leave. Mary Billard notes that medical travel insurance is available through the Medex Global Group. Their Web site is www.medexassit.com. To be evacuated, you need to have been hospitalized first, she notes. That seems like a strange requirement to me.

There is also a Travel Insurance Association at www.ustia.org. Other sites the author lists that are worthwhile knowing are: "Insuremytrip.com., Squaremouth.com, and Totaltravelinsurance.com."

I have never carried travel insurance, but will probably decide to do so for my next trip unless I am lucky enough to be able to go back to France or England; two of my most favorite countries.

By Dr. Charlotte Thompson