Medical Care Outside the U.S. ?

I'm wondering how many of you have ever needed medical help when you were traveling outside the U.S.? So many of these great destinations are pretty remote in third world countries and accidents and illnesses do happen.

A few years ago I was at Isla Holbox and crushed the front of my tibia against some coral blocks and couldn't get back to civilization in Cancun. As it was, three days later, I got on our plane home and first stop was Kaiser ER in Roseville.

A few weeks ago I was fishing the delta with a couple of good friends. Came home that night and woke the next day with fever, chills, and menengitis. No notice at all. I'm still hooked up an IV for next few weeks. I asked the doc about what would have happened if I'd been in another part of the world when this happened and all she could say was that I might not be here.:(

Any words of confidence about visiting foreign hospitals?
TONY

This is what my dad uses when he travels. He's in his 80's and just got back from Egypt and Jordan.

http://www.medexassist.com/Default.aspx

He definitely carries the evacuation/air ambulance coverage.

I've lived in foreign areas with less-than-stellar medical services. My colleagues and I had a pact that if anyone got seriously ill, the others would take them to the airport and put them on a plane. Hospitals are no place for sick people. Especially third world hospitals.

Cheers,
Mike

Here is a helpful web page from Keith Kaneko's "Angling On The Fly" travel site:

http://www.anglingonthefly.com/Trave...Resources.html

I get the travel medical evacuation insurance by the year for under $200.

I've known of dispicable care in the US, and of foreign government funded stellar care in other countries. But maybe this might get a bit too political.

Suffice it to say that the care you receive is reflective of your remoteness in location, and the attention, skill, and technology of your caregivers. You can get piss poor care 100 miles from an American city and great care in a place you might least expect it.

A few years ago, we had a client who needed "big time" medical assistance. All of this happened on the beach. First, he was taken to the local medical (walk in) facility at Los Planes, they said that he needed more attention that they could provide, so they transported him to La Paz, about 50 miles. Ambulance cost - around $20.00.
Then at the hospital in La Paz, he was well cared for. Had all the tests, MRI, EKG, Scans, the whole package and was also stiched up. He spent a night in the hospital and release the next day. I understood that he had some great medical attention from some of the top doctors and I also understand that a doctor friend of one of my captains, who is a specialist also drove in from Aqua Amarga. After his return home he went to Kaiser for a check up and they said that he'd been well taken care of.

Just a note, this was not in the jungles and the facilities were close. I've only had one experience myself but nothing tramatic.

Jay

A lot of the med-evac insurances are from a hospital. One outfit I just found out about, Global Rescue, will go 'up the river, etc.' to get you. No affiliation with them, just my searching, and I am switching to them(yes, a little more expensive) from my previous coverage(didn't ask/read the fine print). Of course it depends on where you are going and your medical requirements. Sorry if this sounds like a sales pitch, but, I found out after several years I didn't have the right coverage and thought it was important to share the info. There are probably other companies that provide this coverage. I just quit looking when I found the coverage I needed, and I certainly hope nobody ever needs it.
Too old and tired to walk out anymore!!
Steve

Steve, you're right on about getting good insurance no matter what kind it is. I'm sure some hospitals in various parts of the world are good, but I don't want to find out the hard way. Any place that is considered a third world country (or less) can't have the facilities or standards we have here. Even here when I went in to emergency I had to have a spinal tap immediately for a culture so that they could identify what it was. I was hooked to an I.V. almost immediately and started on antibiotics. Its been nine weeks now with this thing stuck in my arm and I'm still not done.

Had this been tried in a foreign country I can only imagine what the outcome might have been. Its tough enough going through it here.

A lot of the hunting shows showing African safari's advertise heavily with medical evacuation companies and the promise that they'll get you home no matter where you are. I think anyone who travels anywhere should have this kind of protection.
TONY

Encourage all of you to read T.R. Reid's "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care".
Travel health insurance does make a lot of since. A good friend's husband (healthy, but, in his late seventies) suffered a heart attack while kayaking off lower Baja last fall. Sent by med-evac to San Diego which probably saved his life.
Stay safe!
Larry S

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tony Buzolich

Any place that is considered a third world country (or less) can't have the facilities or standards . . ."

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Talking about Oroville?

Seriously though, international medi-vac can vary by country. DAN has a wonderful network in the South Pacific but doesn't have the same in Peru.