Traveling? What if You get Sick or Injured?

Before you take that next big trip, there are lots of things you need to do. You should check any traveler’s health reports for wherever you’re going for starters. While on your trip you should try to remain healthy. Be cautious when it comes to what you ingest, try to prevent insect bites, etc. But what happens if, in spite of your efforts, you still get injured or become sick on your trip?

If you get sick or injured while you’re on your trip, you might be in a foreign country, on a plane or a ship when tragedy strikes. If you’re not familiar with the area where you happen to be traveling or aren’t familiar with the language, it can be a bit tricky to locate a medical professional who can assist. For those reasons, it’s critical for anyone who travels to know a few basic rules and the steps they should take. 

Seek Help

Maybe you’re traveling in the States, maybe not, but if you happen to get sick while traveling, you can always schedule an online doctor appointment if you have access to the internet. This means not delaying any more than you need to, and you won’t need to travel to the nearest doctor’s office. You can remain right in your hotel room and get the help you need.    

Some of the reasons it’s important to seek medical help immediately if you get sick while traveling include:

• A scratch or bite from a bird, reptile, or animal
• A vehicle accident
• A physical attack or sexual assault
• A fever of more than 102 degrees with either regular diarrhea or even diarrhea that contains spots of blood.

If You Get Sick on a Cruise Ship or Airplane

If someone you’re traveling with, or you yourself, gets sick while traveling on a cruise ship or airplane, you should:

• Tell a crew member or flight attendant ASAP so that they can get assistance and alert others.
• Cruise ships tend to be equipped with small medical facilities where you can be treated. If you’re on an airplane, you might get lucky to be traveling with a doctor on board.
• Understand that if you’re coughing, you might be asked to don a surgical mask that will cover your nose and mouth so as to avoid spreading germs to others. 
• If it’s a serious illness, the crew and/or medical professionals might move you to a different area of the plane and might even make an unscheduled landing so that you can get the care you need. If you’re on a cruise ship, you might be medevacked so that you can be treated on land. 

Arranging and Paying for Medical Evacuations or Health Care

If you get treated in a medical facility that isn’t under contract with your regular health insurance, you might be held responsible for all of the associated costs. If you happen to have travel insurance that includes medical coverage, you might be able to be reimbursed for anything medical related that you paid out of pocket. Then again, the travel insurance might simply pay the hospital itself. 

If you’ve been evacuated from a cruise ship, this is generally done at your expense, so making sure that you have medical evacuation coverage will be incredibly helpful in a situation like this. The representatives at the travel assistance services will arrange for and coordinate the evacuation.

Things always happen when you travel. It might not be an injury or illness, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared for things of this nature in case they happen.