GLO BA L TE L E M E DI C I N E T H E E S S E N T I A L I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R AV E L C O M PA N I O N
Travel Medical Insurance
Why global telemedicine is now an essential benefit By Don Van Scyoc
W
hen it comes to travel medical insurance, the focus is often on major services not covered by domestic insurance. By “major” services I mean things like medical evacuation, emergency surgery and extended hospitalization — complicated services that require a lot of coordination and care and cost a lot of money. People envision injuries sustained by travelrelated activities like snorkeling, hiking or driving cars or scooters on unfamiliar roads. The fear of these worst-case scenarios coming true is often what drives people to purchase an international healthcare plan. But what about all the other, more everyday ways we use our domestic plans? Reasons for accessing care often don’t change when you leave the U.S. Chances are the same types of concerns and illnesses that prompt you to contact your doctor in the U.S. would be the same things that would push you to see a doctor in another country. 38 | CALIFORNIA BROKER
Sinus infection, swimmer’s ear, urinary tract infection, forgotten prescription refills — these are the everyday yet very important ways we’re using our health insurance. While they’re not “major” as compared with a medical evacuation, they certainly aren’t minor. And in recent years, many of us have started relying on telemedicine as the most convenient way to seek treatment for these and other types of issues. Telemedicine: an important benefit at home Telemedicine has become an essential feature of our domestic plans. Rather than spending hours driving to an office, sitting in a doctor’s waiting room and eventually meeting with the doctor in person, telemedicine allows us to speak with our doctors from the comfort of our homes, our cars or wherever we happen to be at the time. We can have medications prescribed via telemedicine (and then even filled and delivered to our doors). The efficiencies it offers — in terms of both time and money — cannot be understated. And that’s when we’re close to home.
And an essential benefit overseas Now, think how much of a difference telemedicine can make when you’re in another country. You likely aren’t familiar with your surroundings, don’t have any local doctors and don’t even know how healthcare works outside of the U.S. Where do you begin? Seeking medical care in other countries can feel so overwhelming that we may forego care for issues that would have us dialing up our doctor at home. Let’s look at two different travel experiences. Scenario 1: Traveling internationally without telemedicine A family traveled to Europe for spring vacation. They did not purchase travel medical insurance. While on the flight, one of the children started experiencing a headache, cough and congestion. After arriving, he developed a fever and wasn’t well enough to leave the hotel. His mother was up all night on her phone, researching the closest care facilities, but she was unsure where to turn. To make matters worse, it was a weekend, and many offices were closed.
