Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of pocket. Many domestic health insurance companies don't cover out-of-
network expenses even within the United States. It is a sure bet that they
won't cover you out of the country. Other health plans do provide such
coverage. Call your insurance provider before you travel and find out.
If you do not have coverage (seniors take note: Medicare and Medi-
caid do not cover you overseas), several companies provide inexpensive
overseas coverage to travelers. This issue is even more important if you
are going to be residing abroad for extended periods of time. Interna-
tional SOS is a good company to contact with these types of questions. It
specializes in providing worldwide medical assistance to individuals living
or traveling abroad. International SOS is the premier company of this sort
and is able to provide for your health needs even in the most remote areas
of the world. The company also specializes in dealing with medical emer-
gencies, which require rapid evacuation to a quality healthcare facility.
In addition, International SOS can provide evacuation assistance in cases
where political unrest or civil disturbances abroad require immediate evac-
uation to an area of safety. Its complete worldwide contact list can be found
in Appendix B.
If you are currently taking prescription medication, make sure you
take enough with you. Splitting the contents up and placing some in carry-
on luggage and some with checked baggage is a good idea. Try to do the
same for glasses or contact lenses, and make sure you have a copy of your
prescription. Leave prescription medicines in their own properly labeled
bottles to avoid any questions with foreign customs agents or police offi-
cers. When you split your prescriptions as recommended above, have the
pharmacy provide you with a second labeled bottle. It isn't a bad idea to
have a doctor's letter explaining your need for certain medications if they
might be unlawful to possess in the country you are traveling to. Make
sure you consult the State Department for country-specific recommended
inoculations and health alerts as well.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT AIRLINE
When booking your flight, check the safety record of your intended car-
rier. The extra few bucks you may save flying a bargain airline is not the
place to look for savings. Both of us and our wives always fly wide-bodied
jets like the 747. David and his wife initially started doing so for nonse-
curity reasons. His wife doesn't like the steep takeoff trajectories that you
