My calendar is always rigidly marked off for family travel and events in July and August. It’s part of being raised British because the yearly ritual was always two weeks seaside when 14 days of heat and sunshine were pretty much a guarantee. The other 50 weeks, one could expect drizzle, rain, fog and chilly nights.
Here in Las Vegas, we enjoy the calendar year round. We still call it vacation if we bypass the crowded summer months and grab needed R&R at other times. Indian summers into October and November are especially beautiful, and Hawaii or Mexico are short flights away.
Dr. Laurine Tibaldi, chief medical officer of Health Plan of Nevada, has advice for staying healthy on vacation whatever time of year. Her information is valuable as travelers begin to worry about the Zika virus spreading globally, including here in Nevada and the United States. Congress returns this week with Zika funding at the top of the to-do list.
A record 231 million passengers flew U.S. airlines between June 1 and Aug. 31, up from 210 million a year ago, according to Airlines for America. That includes 30.5 million travelers on international flights. People have booked their Thanksgiving and Christmas escapes and are preparing next summer’s reservations.
Dr. Tibaldi points out that about 20 percent of people suffer illness or injury while on vacation, the most common of which include food poisoning and car crashes. Before you hit the road or take to the skies, consider her tips to make sure that your health, safety and wallet are covered:
Know before you go
Before traveling out of state or internationally, take time to review your health plan and understand what it covers. People traveling domestically should check if their health plan offers a national or local network of hospitals and health care providers and confirm what level of coverage is available out of network.
For people traveling overseas, it is important to contact the primary care doctor or travel medicine clinic to determine what pre-screenings or immunizations are recommended or required based on health history and the countries they’re visiting. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention enables people to search a list of countries and vaccines.
Find care anywhere
Many health plans offer telemedicine and apps to support customers’ health needs. Some health plans offer apps that enable members to access a digital ID card and connect with a registered nurse 24/7. For international trips, contact your global insurance carrier for the availability of approved medical facilities.
Protection abroad
People can help alleviate concerns about quality of care and financial anxiety with international medical coverage. Global insurance companies can provide foreign-language translation, direct you to appropriate facilities or support evacuation to alternative facilities and can work with local health care providers to coordinate and monitor care.
Most domestic insurance won’t cover prescriptions abroad, so, for long vacations, ask your provider for enough medication to cover the trip (as well as check that medications are legal in countries you’re visiting). Some international health plans might include prescription drug coverage that enables people to fill prescriptions.
Get your credit
Even with international coverage, consider carrying an extra credit card with a large limit to use for unanticipated medical expenses. Foreign hospitals typically want upfront payment rather than billing the health plan.
Get clear and complete copies of all bills, medical records and discharge notes for reimbursement from your health plan. Some global health plans provide direct payments to foreign hospitals and care providers, eliminating an inconvenience and providing peace of mind.
Be a savvy Medicare travel
Original Medicare in nearly all cases applies to the United States only and does not extend overseas or across the border (other than in cases in the Northern U.S. where the nearest hospital is in Canada).
Some Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplement plans offer worldwide emergency coverage for foreign travel, although some have restrictions and lifetime limits. Finally, it’s important to account for the working condition of durable medical equipment needed for the trip, such as glucose monitors and insulin pumps, before departure.
Following these tips will help you focus on fun, friends and family during vacations year round while helping alleviate stress from health care access or insurance issues during a medical emergency.
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