Before You Go Overseas and Get Sick
Make Sure Your Prepared For Everything. Yes! Anything Can Happen to YOU
Only 40% of American companies have any type of travel risk-management program in place to help employees deal with medical emergencies, kidnapping and extortion threats or any of the other problems that can occur when traveling abroad, said Craig Banikowski, chairman of the global risk-management committee for the National Business Travel Association. The numbers are even more dismal when it comes to small business or the sole proprietor who travels. “People are under the impression that nothing bad can happen to them,” Mr. Banikowski said. “And if something does, they believe the embassy is going to step in and make everything right.” Truth is… “embassies can only do so much,” said Randy Spivey, executive director of the Safe Travel Institute, which provides survival training and travel risk-reduction training to companies like Wal-Mart and Boeing. “Business travelers have to take some responsibility to help themselves.” Small businesses and entrepreneurs do not have the resources of large corporations, but they can still mitigate risks. For example, experts suggest that you check out State Department warnings and advisories at travel.state.gov. The site also provides comprehensive information on other travel-related matters, including the role that United States embassies play when a traveler gets into trouble. They advise registering your trip with the State Department at http://travelregistration.state.gov/. Save those two sites for future travel.
- Make copies of all important documents, like a passport, credit cards, driver’s license and medical information and leaving a copy with a colleague or family member. Consider scanning and e-mailing these documents to yourself.
- Before going abroad for business/pleasure, find out if your medical policy covers sickness and injuries overseas. Even if policies do promise reimbursement, travelers probably will have to pay any costs upfront for medical care. Most insurance policies do not cover medical evacuation, which can easily run into the six figures.
- Purchase international health insurance. Some, for example, could range from a 10-day program for $80, which includes access to its 28 global alarm centers, medical assistance and evacuation, etc., to $4 to $6 a day for medical evacuation and cashless access to its worldwide network of 4,000 English-speaking doctors and 750 hospitals.
