Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
41
Healthy Travels to You
The following government websites offer up-to-date health-
related travel advice.
•
Australia:
www.smartraveller.gov.au
•
Canada:
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html
•
U.K.:
www.dh.gov.uk; click on “EHIC & Information for Travel-
lers”
•
U.S.:
www.cdc.gov/travel
but you sure can “feel-um.” Mosquitoes are also a nuisance. Window
screens don't keep these critters out, so carr y bug repellent.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SICK AWAY
FROM HOME
Finding a good doctor in the Cayman I slands is not a pr oblem, and
all of them speak E nglish. See chapter 11, “Fast Facts,” and chapters
9 and 10 for hospitals and clinics.
For travel abroad, you may hav e to pay all medical costs upfr ont
and be reimbursed later. Medicare and Medicaid do not provide cov-
erage for medical costs outside the U.S. Before leaving home, find out
what medical ser vices your health insurance co vers. To protect your-
self, consider buying medical trav el insurance (see chapter 11, “F ast
Facts”). The Cayman I slands and the U.K. do not hav e a mutual
insurance agreement. For U.K. citizens looking for advice on healthy
travel and medical insurance, see
www.dh.gov.uk/travellers
.
Very fe w health insurance plans will pay for medical ev acuation
back to the U.S. (which can cost US$10,000 and up). A number of
companies offer medical evacuation services anywhere in the world. If
you're ever hospitalized more than 150 miles fr om home,
MedjetAs-
sist
(
&
800/527-7478;
www.medjetassistance.com) will pick you up
and fly y ou to the hospital of y our choice vir tually anywhere in the
world in a medically equipped and staffed air craft 24 hours day , 7
days a w eek. Annual memberships ar e US$225 individual, US$350
family; you can also purchase short-term memberships.
If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your
departure. Drugstores and pharmacies are not plentiful, but adequate.
They stock most generic dr ugs; however, if you are on special dr ugs,
it is best to arriv e in the Caymans with an adequate supply and not
count on local pharmacies. At Cayman hospitals, you will need to be
covered by health insurance—or else be pr epared to pay in cash or
with a credit card.
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