A Change of Plans
Written by: Christina Holder
If Meredith College senior Joni Smith happens to contract an illness more severe than the sniffles during her semester studying abroad in Russia, she won't have to worry about how she will pay for treatment.
When Smith hops her plane to Moscow in a few weeks, she will be insured with special travel coverage, a supplement to her standard insurance plan, that covers expenses should she require emergency medical care.
"If I get really sick or injured," said Smith, "I can get flown out of St. Petersburg in a helicopter-like James Bond-to a Finnish hospital."
Purchasing extra travel insurance to cover emergency medical care while studying abroad is a wise option according to Laura van Tassel, the program development coordinator at the International Service and Travel Center based at the University of Minnesota. The non-profit center, which receives around 400 calls a month from students across the United States, is staffed primarily by students who are trained to provide their peers with information and resources on studying abroad.
Often, students are initially insured through a package included in the price of their study abroad program, but "their policies expire at some point," van Tassel said. And because many opt to travel before or after the program, students will need insurance for the period of time in which they are uninsured.
Experts in the industry do point out that not every student needs to purchase an extra plan, but in the long run, it can pay off-especially if you are an adventurous traveler.
"If they like sitting on couches in Europe," said Mike Constandy, vice president of Isis Healthplan, "they probably don't need any."
However, he said, when one Isis client fell off a mountain in Kenya, she was covered for the cost of a helicopter rescue and a transfer to a London hospital. Her bill was several hundred thousand dollars, but she paid under $50 for the coverage.
If you are considering purchasing extra health insurance, you first need to examine the availability of healthcare in the country in which you will be studying.
"If you are in a very remote location where they have very basic health" said Betina Kohler, an insurance specialist with CTS/Kitt Insurance, "you might need to be air-ambulanced."
Choosing a plan can be daunting-especially when comparison shopping. At InsureMyTrip.com, the Internet's only site where prospective travelers can compare insurance plans, you can examine policies from 28 major insurance providers and get answers to your questions 24 hours a day.
A standard plan, which includes medical expenses up to $100,000, medical evacuation up to $200,000 and other benefits such as the cost of recovering remains will cost under $200 for a 4-month-stay.
But whether you choose to put down the extra cash for travel health insurance, you should heed a few precautions from experts who say that staying in good health is all about being practical.
Students should make sure they have had a dental visit within the last six months, a physical within a year and get all of the vaccinations recommended by a doctor or travel nurse, according to Elaine McSorely-Gerard, PRN of Georgetown University Medical Center-Ballston in Arlington, VA, who helps D.C.-area students, Washington Post reporters and State Department officials prepare for travels abroad.
The number of vaccinations a student receives will depend on the length of time the student is staying, the country in which the student is traveling and whether the student is traveling to a rural part of the country, said McSorely-Gerard.
Often the most helpful health tips for traveling abroad are the ones that slip your mind. For example, she said that many people forget that they should only drink bottled water or otherwise, boil the water. "Even if they are brushing their teeth or staying in a Ritz-Carlton hotel," McSorely-Gerard said.
She also mentioned staying away from food in markets and from street vendors. Paying attention to the water and food you are consuming abroad will benefit you considering the top cause of illness among travelers is food and waterborne diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Other tips the CDC lists for staying healthy include washing your hands with soap and water often, wearing insect repellent to ward off disease-carrying insects and refraining from swimming in fresh water-including the Nile River.
Yet Constandy, who has 15 years of experience in the insurance business, said he frequently deals with students who have let "common sense fall by the wayside."
He said that most students will not suffer from major medical emergencies and "most people will not use insurance when they are overseas." However, perhaps the best precaution to take to avoid the helicopter airlift to the Finnish hospital is to find the adventure-but to remember you aren't James Bond.
Got Your Vaccinations?
According, to a 2002 report by Open Doors, published by the Institute of International Education, students traveling to "less traditional destinations" has increased in significant numbers over the last 15 years. Europe is the most popular study abroad destination, but Latin America has more than doubled and Oceania and Africa are experiencing increases, up 29 percent and 14 percent respectively. Below, a list of the vaccinations you will need if you travel to these study abroad hot spots.
EUROPE
Eastern: Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG), Hepatitis B, Rabies, Typhoid, Malaria, Tetanus-diptheria booster, Measles booster, Polio.
Western: Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG), Hepatitis B
LATIN AMERICA
Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG), Hepatitis B, Rabies, Typhoid, Tetanus-diphtheria booster, Measles booster, Malaria, Yellow Fever (for travelers to Panama or travelers coming to Latin America from tropical South America or sub-Saharan Africa.
OCEANIA (Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji and surrounding islands)
Rabies, Tetanus-diptheria booster, Measles booster, Polio, Malaria for travelers to Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
AFRICA
East, West, Central: Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG), Hepatitis B, Meningococcal, Yellow Fever, Rabies, Typhoid, Tetanus-diptheria booster, Measles booster, Polio.
North, South: Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG), Hepatitis B, Rabies, Typhoid, Tetanus-diphtheria booster, Measles booster, Polio.
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