3 Tips For Seeking Medical Help While Visiting A Different Country
When you have a trip planned, one of the last things that you have anticipated or prepared for is the chance that you’re going to get hurt during your travels. But because accidents do happen, be it a car accident or some other type of medical mishap, it’s going to be worth it to you to at least think about how you’d handle getting hurt or sick while abroad. Medical care can vary greatly depending on what you’re used to and where you’re going, so it’s important to take the necessary steps to keep yourself safe and get the assistance you need. To help with this, here are three tips for seeking medical help while visiting a different country.
Know The Limitations Of Your Medical Insurance
Even if you have great medical insurance back home, Dr. Melissa Conrad Stoppler, a contributor to MedicineNet.com, shares that all coverage might cease as soon as you cross the border into a new country. So to keep you from getting stranded in another country needing major medical help with no way to pay for it, give your insurance carrier a call before you leave to see what the limitations of your medical insurance are. In some instances, you might be able to get assistance to bringing you from one country to another to get the care you need, but this will usually require you to get travel insurance, something many people don’t think to do until it’s too late.
How To Find A Quality Doctor
If you do find yourself in an unfamiliar country and you need to see a doctor for medical help, it can be hard to know where to even begin your search. To help with this, Smarter Travel recommends that you first check with your nearest embassy or consulate. The people working here will likely be able to give you a good idea of what hospitals or clinics you can go to for quality care. Additionally, guidebooks or even the concierge at the place you’re staying might be able to give you a good recommendation about quality doctors in the area you’re visiting.
Be Smart With Your Prescriptions
For those of have to take certain prescriptions on a daily basis, it’s going to be very important that you bring the right amount of medication with you. But if something happens to your medication or your trip gets extended for some reason, you might have a hard time getting the medicine you need when in a different country. To make this task a little easier on you, the U.S. Department of State recommends that you keep your prescriptions in their original bottles so you have all the necessary information on you for getting more medicine. You should also learn the generic names for what you’re taking in the event that that is all that’s available to you.
If you have a foreign trip planned, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you know what to do in the event that you require medical attention.
