The Importance Of Having Oneself Secured By A Travel Insurance Policy

The most startling medical circumstance I ever faced with in all of my travels happened in Afghanistan when a young Frenchwoman suddenly suffered from an appendicitis attack right before my eyes. Unfortunately, she was on a stranded bus in the middle of an empty desert when she experienced pain attacks. Americans who love going to remote places in the world could cause them to endure sicknesses or accidents, sometimes far from sufficient medical care or even none at all.

In the middle of someplace, the bust which was crowded with Afghans suddenly broke down just a couple of hours out of Kandahar. I could tell that the woman's friend who approached me, a westerner, was worried and confused. She showed me the Frenchwoman stretched out in the back seat who was suffering from a stomach pain. They couldn't do much that's why they just applied a wet handkerchief to her friend's forehead to somehow temper the day's searing heat.

Rarely do trucks heading near Kabul passed but after an hour, when a truck passed by, some passengers started hitching in. The Frenchwoman sobbed as the pain persisted, and then along came a sturdy European sedan, which I flagged down. The two French travelers were brought by the Swiss couple in the sedan to Kabul. After a few moments of waiting, another bus came which was able to accommodate us, including I and the remaining passengers. I was visited by the Frenchwoman's friend the next day and she thanked me. The first thing that the she and the Swiss did when they got in Kabul was to call the French Embassy which helped in bringing the Frenchwoman with appendicitis in a hospital for an immediate appendectomy. The close call chastened the companion but she was fine.

The safe and international road travel of Maryland based association can provide travelers with risky road conditions in 60 foreign countries. The report may cite the perils of night driving, the probability of livestock on the road, accident prone roads and bizarre driving practices depending on the country. Inadequate safety measures make rental cars or buses risky.

The death of a 25 year old Bethesda medical student in Turkey because of a bus accident prompted the buildup of the association. Accident prone roads according to the non-profit organization's accident statistics are Egypt, Kenya, South Korea, Turkey and Morocco. There is a probability that India might be on the list but it doesn't provide statistics. In every country's consular information sheets, the US State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs has included road hazard information.

Think of buying a medical evacuation policy and carry adequate health insurance. It is a good thing that the US Embassy can help you find a medical care but still, you will be responsible for your own expenses if ever you get sick or injured. Thousands of dollars could be the cost in transporting you to an emergency hospital from a remote area via air. As a proof of your insurance, before travelling, you should first find out what medical services your health insurance offers and you should also carry an insurance policy identity card and a claim form according to the State Department.

A treatment plan cannot be provided by the Social Security Medicare to a senior citizen if he/she is outside the country, but the American Association of Retired Persons is able to supply a Medicare supplement plan. A number of firms sell medical evacuation insurance which can be availed on an annual or per trip basis. The company sells insurance as well as its travel agents.

If the worst happens, call the nearest US Embassy. The very least that the embassy can do is to provide a list of local doctors or other medical facilities. The best medical care is ensured by the embassy personnel to Americans. This happens mostly in remote places where most Americans visit. It is the officer's duty to ensure that the victim receives adequate treatment, that the victim injured be transported to a better facility, and that the victim's family and friends be contacted in a foreign hospital.