Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad

Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad

State Department link: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1215.html 

Health Information for Travelers

If an American citizen becomes seriously ill or injured abroad, a U. S. consular officer can assist in locating appropriate medical services and informing family or friends. If necessary, a consular officer can also assist in the transfer of funds from the United States. However, payment of hospital and other expenses is the responsibility of the traveler.

Before going abroad, learn what medical services your health insurance will cover overseas. If your health insurance policy provides coverage outside the United States, REMEMBER to carry both your insurance policy identity card as proof of such insurance and a claim form. Although many health insurance companies will pay "customary and reasonable" hospital costs abroad, very few will pay for your medical evacuation back to the United States. Medical evacuation can easily cost $10,000 and up, depending on your location and medical condition.

THE SOCIAL SECURITY MEDICARE PROGRAM DOES NOT PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL COSTS OUTSIDE THE U.S.A.

Senior citizens may wish to contact the American Association of Retired Persons for information about foreign medical care coverage with Medicare supplement plans.

To facilitate identification in case of an accident, complete the information page on the inside of your passport providing the name, address and telephone number of someone to be contacted in an emergency.

A traveler going abroad with any preexisting medical problems should carry a letter from the attending physician, describing the medical condition and any prescription medications, including the generic name of prescribed drugs. Any medications being carried overseas should be left in their original containers and be clearly labeled. Travelers should check with the foreign embassy of the country they are visiting to make sure any required medications are not considered to be illegal narcotics.

Additional information, including disease and immunization advice, risks in particular countries, and other health guidance, is available on the Travelers' Health web page http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The CDC hotline is 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).

For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, please consult the web site of the World Health Organization.  The WHO also produces a publication on International Travel and Health. 
For detailed information on physicians abroad, the authoritative reference is The Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists, published for the American Board of Medical Specialists and its certifying member boards. This publication should be available in your local library.  For more information, please see http://www.abms.org/ .  U.S. embassies and consulates abroad maintain lists of hospitals and physicians, and many of these lists are posted on the embassy or consulate web site.  Major credit card companies also can provide the names of local doctors and hospitals abroad.

Some countries require foreign visitors to have inoculations or medical tests before entering. Before traveling, consult our brochure on Foreign Entry Requirements, and check the latest entry requirements with the foreign embassy of the country to be visited.

AIR AMBULANCE/MED-EVAC

Several private organizations will provide medical information and insurance for overseas travelers. Most charge a fee for this service. The following is provided FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY and in no way constitutes an endorsement, expressed or implied, by the Department of State.

U.S.-based Companies_________________________________________________

ABLE JET http://www.ablejet.com/
Fort Pierce, FL; Tel 800-225-3538

ACADIAN AMBULANCE & AIR MED SERVICE, INC. http://www.acadian.com/
Lafayette, LA ; Tel 800-259-3333

ADVANCED AIR AMBULANCE
Miami, FL http://www.flyambu.com/
800-633-3590 / 305-232-7700

AIR AMBULANCE AMERICA
Austin, TX http://airambulance.com/
800-222-3564 / 512-479-8000

AIRMD AIR AMBULANCE SERVICES
Clearwater, FL http://www.airmd.net/
800-282-6878 / 727-530-7972

AIRMED INTERNATIONAL LLC
Birmingham, AL 35242
http://www.airmed.com/
800-356-2161 / 205-443-4880

AIR AMBULANCE CARD LLC
Birmingham, AL 35222
http://www.airambulancecard.com/
877-424-7663 / 205-297-0060

AIR AMBULANCE NETWORK
Sarasota, FL; Tel 800-327-1966
http://www.airambulancenetwork.com/

AIR AMBULANCE PROFESSIONALS
Fort Lauderdale, FL
http://www.airambulanceprof.com/
800-752-4195 / 954-491-0555

AIR AMBULANCE SPECIALISTS, Inc
Englewood, CO; Tel. 800-424-7060
http://www.airaasi.com/

AirEvac - http://www.airevac.com/
Phoenix, AZ Tel. 800-421-6111

AIR MEDIC - AIR AMBULANCE OF AMERICA http://www.aeronational.com/
Washington, PA; Tel 800-245-9987

AIRescue INTERNATIONAL
Van Nuys, CA
800-922-4911 / 818-994-0911

AIR RESPONSE
Orlando, FL http://airresponse.net/
800-631-6565 / 303-858-9967

AIR STAR INTERNATIONAL
Thermal, CA
877-570-0911 / 800-991-2869
e-mail: AirStar1@aol.com

AMERICAN AIR AMBULANCE
Cincinnati, OH
http://www.americanairambulance.com/
800-863-0312 / 941-536-2002

AMERICAN CARE, INC.
San Diego, CA
800-941-2582 / 619-486-8844

AMERICAN JET AIR MEDICAL
Houston, TX http://www.iflyaji.com/
888-I-FLY-AJI / 713-641-9700

CRITICAL AIR MEDICINE
San Diego, CA
800-247-8326 / 619-571-0482

CRITICAL CARE MEDFLIGHT
Lawrenceville, GA Tel 800-426-6557
http://www.criticalcaremedflight.com/

GLOBAL CARE / MEDPASS
Alpharetta, GA Tel 800-860-1111
http://www.globalems.com/

GLOBAL RESCUE
Boston, MA http://www.globalrescue.com/
800-381-9754 / 617-459-4200
email: help@globalrescue.com
Worldwide rescue and medical transportation to hospital of choice

INFLIGHT MEDICAL SERVICES INTERNATIONAL INC.
Naples, FL
800-432-4177 / 941-594-0800

INTERNATIONAL SOS ASSISTANCE
http://www.internationalsos.com/
Philadelphia, PA
800-523-8930 / 215-244-1500
Also provides travel insurance services.

LIFE FLIGHT NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans, LA
http://www.neworleansjets.com/
800-942-0455 / 504-243-9800
e-mail: Info@NewOrleansJets.com

Lifeguard Air Ambulance
http://www.lifeguardambulance.com

LIFE GUARD INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Las Vegas, NV
866-SKY-LIFE (866-759-5433)
e-mail: lifeguardinternational@msn.com

MEDAIRE http://www.medaire.com/
Tempe, AZ Tel 480-333-3700
e-mail: info@medaire.com

MED ESCORT INTERNATIONAL INC.
Allentown, PA http://www.medescort.com/
800-255-7182 / 610-791-3111

MEDEX ASSISTANCE CORPORATION http://www.medexassist.com/
Baltimore, MD
888-MEDEX-00 / 800-537-2029
Also provides travel insurance services.

MEDJET ASSISTANCE
Birmingham, AL Tel. 800-963-3538
http://www.medjetassistance.com/

MEDWAY AIR AMBULANCE
Lawrenceville, GA Tel 800-233-0655
http://www.medwayair.com/

MERCY MEDICAL AIRLIFT
Manassas, VA Tel. 800-296-1217
http://www.patienttravel.org/
(Service area: Caribbean and part of Canada only. If necessary, will meet commercial incoming patients at JFK, Miami and other airports.)

NATIONAL AIR AMBULANCE
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
http://www.nationaljets.com/
800-327-3710 / 305-525-5538

Premier Jets/Lifeguard Air Ambulance - Hillsboro, Oregon
http://www.premierjets.com/

SMARTRAVEL - Alexandria, VA
800-730-3170 / 703-379-8645
http://www.smartravel.org/
Provides a range of travel medicine services.

TRAVEL ASSIST NETWORK
Austin, TX
866-500-0333 ; 512-330-0306
http://www.travelassistnetwork.com/
Worldwide rescue and medical transportation to hospital of choice

TRAVEL CARE INTERNATIONAL, INC - Eagle River, WI
http://www.travel-care.com/
800-524-7633 / 715-479-8881

TRAVELERS EMERGENCY NETWORK - Tierra Verde, FL;
800-ASK-4-TEN
http://www.tenweb.com/
e-mail: ten@intrex.net

TRINITY AIR AMBULANCE INTERNATIONAL
Ft. Lauderdale, FL Tel 954-771-7911
http://www.trinityairambulance.com/ 

Foreign-based Companies________________________________________________________

AEA INTERNATIONAL Singapore
U.S. Phone: 800-468-5232
Service worldwide, also provides travel insurance services

AUSTRIAN AIR AMBULANCE
Vienna, Austria Tel 43-1-40-144
http://www.oafa.com/
EUROPASSISTANCE
Johannesburg, South Africa
27-11-315-3999 http://www.europassistance.com/ 

GERMAN AIR RESCUE (DRF)
Filderstadt, Germany
http://www.drf.de/
49-0711-7007-0
e-mail: alarmzentrale@drf.de

TYROL AIR AMBULANCE
Innsbruck, Austria http://www.taa.at/
43-512-22422

TRAVEL INSURANCE COMPANIES

U.S.-based Companies__________________________________________________________

ACCESS AMERICA, INC.
Richmond, VA Tel 866-807-3982
http://www.accessamerica.com/

AIGAssist
American International Group, Inc.
New York, NY
800-382-6986

Air Rescue Card
Austin, TX
866-500-0333 ; 512-330-0306
http://www.theairrescuecard.com/
info@TravelAssistNetwork.com
Worldwide rescue and medical transportation to hospital of choice

ASA, INC. http://www.asaincor.com/
International Health Insurance
Phoenix, AZ Tel 888-ASA-8288

AXA ASSISTANCE
Bethesda, MD Tel 301-214-8200
http://www.axa-assistance-usa.com/

CLEMENTS INTERNATIONAL
Washington, DC
800-872-0067 / 202-872-0060
http://www.clements.com/
e-mail: info@clements.com

CSA TRAVEL PROTECTION
San Diego, CA Tel 888-873-5484
http://www.csatravelprotection.com

 

GATEWAY
Seabury & Smith
Washington, DC
800-282-4495 / 202-457-7707
e-mail: gateway.dc@seabury.com

HEALTH CARE GLOBAL
http://www.wallach.com/
(also known as MEDHELP or WALLACH & COMPANY or HEALTHCARE ABROAD)
Middleburg, VA
800-237-6615 / 540-687-3166

HIGHWAY TO HEALTH
Fairfax, VA Tel 703-322-1515
http://highwaytohealth.com/
(Also provides destination-based travel health information for cities worldwide.)

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GROUP (IMG) - Indianapolis, IN
800-628-4664 / 317-655-4500
http://www.imglobal.com/

MULTI NATIONAL UNDERWRITERS, INC.
Indianapolis, IN Tel 800-605-2282
http://www.mnui.com/
e-mail: insurance@mnui.com

QUOTE WRIGHT TRAVEL INSURANCE  - East Hartford, CT.
(800) 821-4940
http://www.quotewright.com

PETERSEN INTERNATIONAL UNDERWRITERS, INC.
Valencia, CA Tel 800-345-8816
e-mail: piu@piu.org

TRAVELEX
Omaha, NE Tel 800-228-9792
http://www.travelex-insurance.com/

TRAVEL GUARD
Stevens Point, WI
http://www.travelguard.com/
800-826-1300/715-345-0505

TRAVEL USCISURED INTERNATIONAL
E. Hartford, CT Tel 800-243-3174
http://www.travelinsured.com/

TRAVEL INSURANCE SERVICES
InterMedical Division
Walnut Creek, CA
http://www.travelinsure.com/
800-937-1387/925-932-1387

UNIVERSAL SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE
Alexandria, VA
800-770-9111 / 703-370-7800
http://www.worldwideassistance.com/

WORLDWIDE ASSISTANCE
Washington, DC
800-777-8710 ext. 417
http://www.worldwideassistance.com/ 

Foreign-based Companies____________________________________________________

INTEGRA GLOBAL
Hallein, Austria Tel 43-6245-71303
http://www.integraglobal.com/
e-mail: info@integraglobal.com

EXECUTIVE MEDICAL SERVICES_______________________________________________

AMERICAN MEDICAL CENTERS
Moscow, Russia
http://www.amcenters.com/
Offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Prague, Warsaw, Istanbul
(7-095) 933-77-00 (Moscow)

DOCTOR ON CALL
http://www.doctoroncall.com/
817-255-4083 ; 888-636-0711

HEALTH QUEST TRAVEL INC.
Wexford, PA Tel 888-899-3633
e-mail: HQT@HealthQuestTravel.com

WORLD CLINIC
Burlington, MA Tel. 800-636-9186
http://www.worldclinic.com/

MEDICAL ESCORT__________________________________________________________

AIR MEDICAL ESCORT SERVICES
1135 Kildare Farm Road Suit 200
Cary, North Carolina 275111
1-866-302-0054  http://www.airescort.com/

FLYING NURSES INTERNATIONAL
1-808-521-1333 http://www.flyingnurse.com/
Toll free within the United States: 1-877-521-1333