U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs Overseas Citizens Services |
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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.
A listing of addresses and telephone numbers of U.S. embassies and consulates abroad is contained in Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts. This publication may be obtained through the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Also available from the Government Printing Office is Health Information for International Travel by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This contains a global rundown of disease and immunization advice and other health guidance, including risks in particular countries. The CDC maintains the international travelers hotline at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747), an automated faxback service at 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299) and a home page on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov.
For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organizations (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en. The WHO also provides travel health information at http://www.who.int/ith.
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. U.S. embassies and consulates abroad maintain lists of hospitals and physicians. 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, check the latest entry requirements with the foreign embassy of the country to be visited.
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.
AIR AMBULANCE / MED-EVAC
U.S.-based Companies
ABLE JET
Fort Pierce, FL
800-225-3538ACADIAN AMBULANCE & AIR MED SERVICE, INC.
Lafayette, LA
800-259-3333ADVANCED AIR AMBULANCE
Miami, FL
800-633-3590 / 305-232-7700AAA - AIR AMBULANCE AMERICA
Austin, TX
800-222-3564 / 512-479-8000AIR AMBULANCE CARE FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Clearwater, FL
800-282-6878 / 1-727-530-7972 (international)AIR AMBULANCE NETWORK
Sarasota, FL
800-327-1966AIR AMBULANCE PROFESSIONALS
Fort Lauderdale, FL
800-752-4195 / 954-491-0555AirEvac
Phoenix, AZ
800-421-6111AIR MEDIC - AIR AMBULANCE OF AMERICA
Washington, PA
800-245-9987AIRescue INTERNATIONAL
Van Nuys, CA
800-922-4911 / 818-994-0911AIR RESPONSE
Orlando, FL
800-631-6565 / 303-858-9967AIR STAR INTERNATIONAL
Thermal, CA
877-570-0911 / 800-991-2869
e-mail: AirStar1@aol.comAMERICAN CARE, INC.
San Diego, CA
800-941-2582 / 619-486-8844AMERICAN JET AIR MEDICAL
Houston, TX
888-I-FLY-AJI / 713-641-9700CRITICAL AIR MEDICINE
San Diego, CA
800-247-8326 / 619-571-0482CRITICAL CARE MEDFLIGHT
Lawrenceville, GA
800-426-6557GLOBAL CARE / MEDPASS
Alpharetta, GA
800-860-1111INFLIGHT MEDICAL SERVICES INTERNATIONAL INC.
Naples, FL
800-432-4177 / 941-594-0800INTERNATIONAL SOS ASSISTANCE
Philadelphia, PA
800-523-8930 / 215-244-1500
Also provides travel insurance services.LifeFlight New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
800-942-0455 / 504-243-9800
e-mail: Info@NewOrleansJets.comLIFE GUARD INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Las Vegas, NV
866-SKY-LIFE (866-759-5433)
e-mail: lifeguardinternational@msn.comMedAire
Tempe, AZ
480-333-3700
e-mail: info@medaire.comMED ESCORT INTERNATIONAL INC.
Allentown, PA
800-255-7182 / 610-791-3111MEDEX ASSISTANCE CORPORATION
Baltimore, MD
888-MEDEX-00 / 800-537-2029
Also provides travel insurance services.MEDJET ASSISTANCE
Birmingham, AL
1-800-963-3538MEDJET INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Birmingham, AL
800-356-2161 / 205-592-4460MEDWAY AIR AMBULANCE
Lawrenceville, GA
800-233-0655MERCY MEDICAL AIRLIFT
Manassas, VA
800-296-1217
(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
800-327-3710 / 305-525-5538SMARTRAVEL
Alexandria, VA
800-730-3170 / 703-379-8645
Provides a range of travel medicine services.TRAVEL CARE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Eagle River, WI
800-524-7633 / 715-479-8881TRAVELERS EMERGENCY NETWORK
Tierra Verde, FL
800-ASK-4-TEN
e-mail: ten@intrex.netForeign-based Companies
AEA INTERNATIONAL
Singapore
U.S. Phone: 800-468-5232
Service worldwide, also provides travel insurance servicesAUSTRIAN AIR AMBULANCE
Vienna, Austria
43-1-40-144EURO-FLITE LTD.
Helsinki International Airport
Vantaa, Finland
358-9-870-2544EUROPASSISTANCE
Johannesburg, South Africa
27-11-315-3999GERMAN AIR RESCUE (DRF)
Filderstadt, Germany
49-0711-7007-0
e-mail: alarmzentrale@drf.deMEDIC'AIR
Paris, France
331-41-72-14-14LUXEMBOURG AIR RESCUE
Luxembourg
352-420-440-1
e-mail: office@air-rescue.luTYROL AIR AMBULANCE
Innsbruck, Austria
43-512-22422TRAVEL INSURANCE COMPANIES
U.S.-based Companies
ACCESS AMERICA, INC.
Richmond, VA
866-807-3982AIGAssist
American International Group, Inc.
New York, NY
800-382-6986ASA, INC.
International Health Insurance
Phoenix, AZ
888-ASA-8288AXA ASSISTANCE
Bethesda, MD
301-214-8200CLEMENTS INTERNATIONAL
Washington, DC
800-872-0067 / 202-872-0060
http://www.clements.com
e-mail: info@clements.comCSA TRAVEL PROTECTION
San Diego, CA
888-873-5484
http://www.csatravelprotection.comGATEWAY
Seabury & Smith
Washington, DC
800-282-4495 / 202-457-7707
e-mail: gateway.dc@seabury.comHEALTH CARE GLOBAL
(also known as MEDHELP or WALLACH & COMPANY or HEALTHCARE ABROAD)
Middleburg, VA
800-237-6615 / 540-687-3166HIGHWAY TO HEALTH
Fairfax, VA
703-322-1515
(Also provides destination-based travel health information for cities worldwide.)INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GROUP (IMG)
Indianapolis, IN
800-628-4664 / 317-655-4500MultiNational Underwriters, Inc.
Indianapolis, IN
800-605-2282
e-mail: insurance@mnui.comMUTUAL OF OMAHA
Tele-Trip Company
Omaha, NE
800-228-9792PETERSEN INTERNATIONAL UNDERWRITERS, INC.
Valencia, CA
800-345-8816
e-mail: piu@piu.orgTRAVELEX
Omaha, NE
800-228-9792TRAVEL GUARD
Stevens Point, WI
800-826-1300/715-345-0505TRAVEL BCISURED INTERNATIONAL
E. Hartford, CT
800-243-3174TRAVEL INSURANCE SERVICES
InterMedical Division
Walnut Creek, CA
800-937-1387/925-932-1387TRIPGUARD PLUS
Northridge, CA
800-423-3632UNICARD TRAVEL ASSOCIATION
Overland Park, KS
800-501-0352UNIVERSAL SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE
Alexandria, VA
800-770-9111 / 703-370-7800WORLDWIDE ASSISTANCE
Washington, DC
800-777-8710 ext. 417Foreign-based Companies
INTEGRA GLOBAL
Hallein , Austria
43-6245-71303
e-mail: info@integraglobal.com
EXECUTIVE MEDICAL SERVICES
AMERICAN MEDICAL CENTERS
Moscow, Russia
Offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Prague, Warsaw, Istanbul
(7-095) 933-77-00 (Moscow)HEALTH QUEST TRAVEL INC.
Wexford, PA
888-899-3633
e-mail: HQT@HealthQuestTravel.comWORLD CLINIC
Burlington, MA
800-636-9186