Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Should you be lucky (or unlucky) enough to encounter these critters in the wild, stay calm,
do not provoke the animal and don't be afraid to make a little noise (talking, jiggling keys) to
alert the animal of your presence. In the rare and unfortunate event of an attack, do your
best to defend yourself and retreat to a covered position as soon as possible.
Jellyfish and stingrays
Florida beaches can see both; avoid swimming when they are
present (lifeguards often post warnings). Treat stings immediately; they hurt but aren't dan-
gerous.
Spiders
Florida is home to two venomous spiders - the black widow and the brown re-
cluse. Seek immediate treatment if bitten by any spider.
Health Care
In general, if you have a medical emergency, go to the emergency room of the nearest hos-
pital. If the problem isn't urgent, call a nearby hospital and ask for a referral to a local physi-
cian; this is usually cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. Stand-alone, moneymaking
urgent-care centers provide good service, but can be the most expensive option.
Pharmacies (called drugstores) are abundantly supplied. However, some medications
that are available over the counter in other countries require a prescription in the US. If you
don't have insurance to cover the cost of prescriptions, these can be shockingly expensive.
Health Insurance
The US offers some of the finest health care in the world. The problem is that it can be pro-
hibitively expensive. It's essential to purchase travel health insurance if your policy doesn't
cover you when you're abroad.
Citizens of some Canadian provinces may have a certain level of reciprocal health cover
within the US: check with your provincial health-care provider before traveling. Citizens
from all other nations should not even think about travel to the States without adequate
travel insurance covering medical care. Find out in advance whether your insurance plan
will make payments directly to the providers or if they will reimburse you later for any over-
seas health expenditures.
Accidents and unforeseen illnesses do happen and horror stories are common of
people's vacations turning into nightmares when they're hit with hefty hospital bills for
seemingly innocuous concerns. On a more serious note, hospital bills for car accidents,
falls or serious medical emergencies can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Look for
an insurance policy that provides at least $1 million of medical coverage. Policies with un-
limited medical coverage are also available at a higher premium, but are usually not neces-
sary. You may be surprised at how inexpensive good insurance can be.
