water precautions may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’ s( CDC) hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI- TRIP( 1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC website. You can find more information about particular food safety concerns in the Country Specific Information and U. S. Embassy or Consulate web pages.
If you take a regular prescription medication, be sure to include an ample supply for your trip, adjust your medication schedule as you cross time zones, and have a letter from your doctor describing your conditions and the medication you require. To avoid delays at customs or immigration, keep medications in their original, labeled containers. You may want to bring them in your hand-carry bag in case your luggage takes a tour elsewhere. Ask your physician and pharmacist for the generic or chemical name of your medication. Drug names differ in many countries, and pharmacists and physicians abroad are more likely to be familiar with their generic names.
Research if your destination has sufficient medical facilities and doctors that could provide treatment for major medical emergencies you might experience. If you are injured or become seriously ill abroad, a U. S. consular officer at the closest U. S. Embassy or Consulate can help you locate medical facilities and can contact your family in the U. S. on your behalf. The country’ s specific information and U. S. Embassy or Consulate web pages have lists of physicians and medical facilities which U. S. Government personnel use. To check on outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the infectious diseases section of the World Health Organization( WHO) website.
Getting Help If Needed
Obtaining medical treatment and hospital care abroad can be expensive, and medical evacuation to the U. S. can cost more than $ 100,000. U. S. medical insurance is generally not accepted outside the United States, and Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid do not provide coverage for hospital or
any medical expenses outside the United States. Check with your health insurance provider to see if and in which circumstances and countries you will be covered overseas. Your health insurance provider may also require you to provide notification of your travel before you depart the United States and for any treatment before it’ s provided.
If your insurance policy does not cover you abroad, it is a good idea to consider purchasing a short-term policy that does. There are health and other insurances specifically designed to cover travel. Check on coverage in case of cancellation. You don’ t want to
lose money because an emergency forces you to postpone or cancel your trip. Except for tickets on regularly scheduled airlines, almost any travel package you purchase will have a penalty for cancellation, and some companies give no refund at all. Take careful note
and consider purchasing trip or travel insurance. Many credit card, travel, and tourism companies offer travel protection packages for an additional fee.
Getting Started
Caravelle Travel, owned by our former mayor Al & Vilma Pinheiro and Pintello Travel, owned by Rod & Marian Pintello of Pintello Comedy Theater are but two of the many great sources locally. If you prefer to venture to worlds unknown on your own, the Internet is at your service.
Don’ t let age keep you from exploring— it’ s good for your heart and your soul!
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