Travel

Helpful Hints For Older Voyagers

Posted: 1/21/2011

It’s a healthy idea, particularly if you have special medical needs, to consult with your physician, travel agent and insurance company before going overseas.

(NAPSI) - Whether your next trip abroad is delightful or disastrous could depend on following these 10 tips:

1. Make multiple copies of passports and any visas needed for the trip. Keep one set with you in a separate location from the original. Give another set to a family member or friend at home.

2. Consult with your primary physician to discuss any medical needs, new treatments or required alterations in medical care that may be necessary based on your itinerary.

3. If you’re taking any type of medication, print and carry with you a list of medicines you take, along with doses and frequency of use. List both the brand and generic names. Also, print and carry with you a list of your medical problems and diagnoses with details furnished by your primary medical doctor.

4. Be sure you have an adequate supply of prescription and nonprescription medications and carry them and any other medical necessities with you in a carry-on bag on a plane flight. Don’t put medications or equipment in baggage that is not immediately accessible to you at all times.

5. Ask your doctor about taking a low-dose aspirin daily during periods of prolonged immobility, such as a plane flight or train trip.

6. Review in advance, with your travel agent and your doctor, medical locations and personnel at your destination should an unanticipated medical event occur.

7. For remote destinations, consider the need for additional vaccinations or other preventative measures.

8. Remember, medical services and even insurance coverage may vary significantly depending on your travel destination. Before you leave, contact your insurance company to learn about benefits available overseas. Check specifically for pre-existing condition exclusions and medical transportation benefits. Explore travel insurance if your primary health coverage is insufficient. One company many older travelers rely on is Mondial Assistance, a global leader in specialty insurance and emergency assistance services best known in the U.S. for its Access America brand of travel insurance. As with any insurance, review your travel insurance coverage carefully to be sure it suits your needs.

9. Medical evacuations can run in the tens of thousands of dollars. Consider supplemental travel insurance designed to address this type of emergency.

10. Confirm with your insurance company what services are available overseas. Confirm the number to call in the event of an emergency.

Learn More

For more information, visit www.AccessAmerica.com.

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