While travel gives you the opportunity to get away from mundane life, to experience more of the world, and to sometimes have experiences so fantastical that they can sometimes feel unreal, you are still very much in the real world. As such, your health should always be a priority. However, health emergencies can happen, even if you do your best to stay safe. So, how do you deal with them when overseas? Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Know how to ask for help
A lot of us pick up a little of the language when going overseas, even if it’s just enough to know how to order our preferred drink at a bar. However, you should pick up the language that can help you ask for help if you need it. Don’t assume that everyone overseas is going to understand English. Learn enough of the language to be able to ask for the hospital, doctor, medical assistance, and so on.
Get to know the healthcare system
Every country has a different healthcare system and most of them are going to operate differently from what you might be used to, with Nomad Capitalist covering some of those with the best overseas care. Some of them might require more or less coverage, others might require more or less information than you’re used to. You might have heard that a country has public healthcare but this doesn’t mean you should assume that you will be treated for free if you, as a visitor, are injured or fall ill. Do your research on the specifics of the country that you visit.
Make sure you’re protected
Once you have a good idea of what, exactly, you can expect from the country’s healthcare system, that’s when you should look at getting the health insurance that you need. With a better understanding of how much coverage, exactly, you need, services like Generali can help you put the necessary protections in place. If you wish to pay a little more to get more comprehensive coverage, there are worse things to invest in. Whatever you do, you want to ensure that you’re not underinsured, as this can turn around to bite you when you actually need to use your insurance and find you’re not as covered as you thought you were.
Keep emergency details on hand
Always be ready with the numbers and details that you need. Keep the numbers for your insurance providers and your doctor on hand in the event of a medical emergency. If you have any pre-existing conditions that should affect treatment, such as allergies to certain medicines, you should keep a card in your wallet with the necessary information. Some people will even keep their medical records as a PDF file and save them to their phones so that they can easily share it with their doctors.
Prevention is always the best cure for health emergencies, but when that doesn’t pan out, you need to have a plan. The tips above can help you put one in place.