Independent Thinking^®

Lessons from Florence: Preparing for Medical Emergencies Abroad

It’s difficult to make the best decisions or think clearly when faced with a stressful situation.

Managing a medical emergency abroad, especially in a country where you don’t speak the language, is about as stressful as it gets. And it’s a critical time to make the right decisions.
 
The key is to be prepared, so before your trip consider some of these suggestions:
 

• See your doctor before you go. Make sure you are in sound shape, obtain vaccinations, and request scripts for any prescriptions. Keep a copy of your medical history with your passport.
• Create a list, in order of priority, of whom to contact in the event of an emergency. Speak with your advisors, and with your credit card companies about their global assist programs.
• Research area hospitals and clinics. Create a contact list of English-speaking physicians and their practices. The International Association for Medical Assistance to travelers, International SOS, and the Travelers Emergency Network can aid your search.
• Review your insurance coverage to determine if coverage is available outside the United States. Understand the resources your health plan provides. Can they make a medical interpreter available to you? Can they speak to the hospital and doctor on your behalf?
• Consider purchasing a short-term medical policy that includes evacuation if your current policy does not provide coverage. Also purchase additional travel insurance for cancellation, interruption, and 24/7 travel assistance.
• Contact your hotel and ask if they provide concierge services such as a local guide or interpreter to help navigate the local country’s health care system.
• Consider registering your trip with the U.S. State Department. Registration enables the nearest American embassy to relay urgent messages or tell you about a looming crisis at your destination. Embassy staff can also provide a list of doctors, hospitals, and specialists at your destination.
• Know how to call for emergency services.Visit https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/students-abroad/pdfs/911_ABROAD.pdf.

The extent to which you prepare will, of course, depend on your circumstances and destination. But everyone should at least be aware of the resources available – and spend some time thinking about their options – well before something goes wrong. Knowing that you are well prepared will make your vacation all the more enjoyable.
 
Karen Francois is a Partner and Wealth & Fiduciary Advisor at Evercore Wealth Management. She can be contacted at [email protected].
 
Editor’s note: The author learned these lessons the hard way, after her husband had a medical emergency in Italy on the third day of their summer vacation. His diagnosis, treatment, transport home (on the Queen Mary, because he couldn’t fly), and recovery have taught her firsthand how important it is to make medical care a component of travel planning.