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Important Travel News Articles Important Travel Safety Tips
Important Travel News Articles Important Travel Safety Tips
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International Travel Safety: International travel is an exciting adventure but also poses many unpredictable situations. One of the most serious is the risk of injury or illness in a foreign country. Unfamiliarity with a different culture and medical system is intensified without the proper resources to assist you in securing medical care and covering the associated costs. While traditional medical plans offer fine domestic coverage, few are designed for international use or visitors. International Benefits is dedicated to eliminating these uncertainties from international travel by making international medical insurance coverage convenient and affordable. We offer different international medical insurance plans for your short-term or long-term travel plans. At enrollment you simply pick the plan that applies to your citizenship and travel plans. All plans provide you with inpatient and outpatient medical expense coverage, emergency medical evacuation, and in most cases, an option for accidental death and dismemberment coverage - a complete assistance package of international benefits and 24-hour availability for your total peace of mind. If an illness, accident, emergency, or other covered unforeseen event occurs before or during a trip, you could lose hundreds or thousands of dollars in non-refundable deposits. Cruises, package tours, and airline tickets typically require 100% prepayment. Our trip cancellation insurance coverage protects you against these types of losses and much more. To help you plan a safer trip, International Benefits lists below safety tips and precautions that you can arrange before you take your travel abroad. These safety tips have been created by the U.S. Department of State. Planning A Safe Trip Abroad When you travel abroad, the odds are in your favor that you will have a safe and incident-free trip. However, crime and violence, as well as unexpected difficulties, do happen to U.S. citizens in all parts of the world. Every day of the year, U.S. embassies and consulates receive calls from American citizens in distress. Most problems can be solved over the telephone or by a visit of the U.S. citizen to the Consular Section of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. But, there are less fortunate occasions when U.S. diplomats are called on to meet U.S. citizens at foreign police stations, hospitals, prisons and even at morgues. In these cases, the assistance that diplomats can offer is specific but limited. Travel Tips To Help You Travel Safely
What to Leave Behind When Traveling Abroad:
A Few Things to Bring and Leave Behind: Make two photocopies of your passport identification page, airline tickets, driver's license and the credit cards that you plan to bring with you. Leave one photocopy of this data with family or friends at home; pack the other in a place separate from where you carry your valuables. Leave a copy of the serial numbers of your travelers' checks with a friend or relative at home. Carry your copy with you in a separate place and, as you cash the checks, cross them off the list. What to Learn About Before You Go To a Foreign Country: Security. The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Sheets are available for every country of the world. They describe entry requirements, currency regulations, unusual health conditions, the crime and security situation, political disturbances, areas of instability, and special information about driving and road conditions. They also provide addresses and emergency telephone numbers for U.S. embassies and consulates. In general, the Sheets do not give advice. Instead, they describe conditions so travelers can make informed decisions about their trips. In some dangerous situations, however, the U.S. Department of State recommends that Americans defer travel to a country. In such a case, a Travel Warning is issued for the country in addition to its Consular Information Sheet. Public Announcements are a means to disseminate information about relatively short-term and/or trans-national conditions posing significant risks to the security of American travelers. They are issued when there is a perceived threat, even if it does not involve Americans as a particular target group. In the past, Public Announcements have been issued to deal with short-term coups, pre-election disturbances, violence by terrorists and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events. Local Laws and Customs. When you leave the United States, you are subject to the laws of the country where you are. Therefore, before you go, learn as much as you can about the local laws and customs of the places you plan to visit. Good resources are your library, your travel agent, and the embassies, consulates or tourist bureaus of the countries you will visit. In addition, keep track of what is being reported in the media about recent developments in those countries. Things to Arrange Before You Travel Abroad: Your Itinerary. As much as possible, plan to stay in larger hotels that have more elaborate security. Safety experts recommend booking a room from the second to seventh floors above ground level to deter easy entrance from outside, but low enough for fire equipment to reach. Because take-off and landing are the most dangerous times of a flight, book non-stop flights when possible. When there is a choice of airport or airline, ask your travel agent about comparative safety records. Legal Documents. Have your affairs at home in order. If you leave a current will, insurance documents, and power of attorney with your family or a friend, you can feel secure about traveling and will be prepared for any emergency that may arise while you are away. If you have minor children, consider making guardianship arrangements for them. Credit. Make a note of the credit limit on each credit card that you bring. Make certain not to charge over that amount on your trip. In some countries, Americans have been arrested for innocently exceeding their credit limit. Ask your credit card company how to report the loss of your card from abroad. 800 numbers do not work from abroad, but your company should have a number that you can call while you are overseas. Insurance. Find out if your personal property insurance covers you for loss or theft abroad. More importantly, check on whether your health insurance covers you abroad. Medicare and Medicaid do not provide payment for medical care outside the U.S. Even if your health insurance will reimburse you for medical care that you pay for abroad, normal health insurance does not pay for medical evacuation from a remote area or from a country where medical facilities are inadequate. Consider purchasing one of the short-term health and emergency assistance policies designed for travelers. Also, make sure that the plan you purchase includes medical evacuation in the event of an accident or serious illness. International Medical Insurance International Benefits is dedicated to eliminating these uncertainties from international travel by making international medical insurance coverage convenient and affordable. We offer different international medical insurance plans for your short-term or long-term travel plans. At enrollment you simply pick the plan that applies to your citizenship and travel plans. All plans provide you with inpatient and outpatient medical expense coverage, emergency medical evacuation, and in most cases, an option for accidental death and dismemberment coverage - a complete assistance package of international benefits and 24-hour availability for your total peace of mind. |
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