International Travel Safety:

International travel is an exciting adventure but also poses many unpredictable situations. One of the most serious is the risk of injury or illness in a foreign country. Unfamiliarity with a different culture and medical system is intensified without the proper resources to assist you in securing medical care and covering the associated costs. While traditional medical plans offer fine domestic coverage, few are designed for international use or visitors.

International Benefits is dedicated to eliminating these uncertainties from international travel by making international medical insurance coverage convenient and affordable. We offer different international medical insurance plans for your short-term or long-term travel plans. At enrollment you simply pick the plan that applies to your citizenship and travel plans. All plans provide you with inpatient and outpatient medical expense coverage, emergency medical evacuation, and in most cases, an option for accidental death and dismemberment coverage - a complete assistance package of international benefits and 24-hour availability for your total peace of mind.

If an illness, accident, emergency, or other covered unforeseen event occurs before or during a trip, you could lose hundreds or thousands of dollars in non-refundable deposits. Cruises, package tours, and airline tickets typically require 100% prepayment. Our trip cancellation insurance coverage protects you against these types of losses and much more.

To help you plan a safer trip, International Benefits lists below safety tips and precautions that you can arrange before you take your travel abroad. These safety tips have been created by the U.S. U.S. Department of State and can be viewed in their entirety in their brochure: U.S. Department of State Publication 10942, Bureau of Consular Affairs, March 2002.

Planning A Safe Trip Abroad

When you travel abroad, the odds are in your favor that you will have a safe and incident-free trip. However, crime and violence, as well as unexpected difficulties, do happen to U.S. citizens in all parts of the world. Every day of the year, U.S. embassies and consulates receive calls from American citizens in distress.

Most problems can be solved over the telephone or by a visit of the U.S. citizen to the Consular Section of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. But, there are less fortunate occasions when U.S. diplomats are called on to meet U.S. citizens at foreign police stations, hospitals, prisons and even at morgues. In these cases, the assistance that diplomats can offer is specific but limited.

Travel Tips To Help You Travel Safely

Listed here are travel tips to arrange before you take your trip to make your trip easier and safer.

What to Bring On Your International Trip

Safety begins when you pack. To avoid being a target, dress conservatively. Don't wear expensive looking jewelry. A flashy wardrobe or one that is too casual can mark you as a tourist. As much as possible, avoid the appearance of affluence.

Always try to travel light. You can move more quickly and will be more likely to have a free hand. You will also be less tired and less likely to set your luggage down, leaving it unattended.

Carry the minimum amount of valuables necessary for your trip and plan a place or places to conceal them. Your passport, cash and credit cards are most secure when locked in a hotel safe. When you have to carry them on your person, you may wish to conceal them in several places rather than putting them all in one wallet or pouch. Avoid handbags, fanny packs and outside pockets that are easy targets for thieves. Inside pockets and a sturdy shoulder bag with the strap worn across your chest are somewhat safer. One of the safest places to carry valuables is in a pouch or money belt worn under your clothing.

If you wear glasses, pack an extra pair. Bring them and any medicines you need in your carry-on luggage.

To avoid problems when passing through customs, keep medicines in their original, labeled containers. Bring copies of your prescriptions and the generic names for the drugs. If a medication is unusual or contains narcotics, carry a letter from your doctor attesting to your need to take the drug. If you have any doubt about the legality of carrying a certain drug into a country, consult the embassy or consulate of that country first.

Bring travelers checks and one or two major credit cards instead of cash.

Pack an extra set of passport photos along with a photocopy of your passport information page to make replacement of your passport easier in the event it is lost or stolen.

Put your name, address and telephone numbers inside and outside of each piece of luggage. Use covered luggage tags to avoid casual observation of your identity or nationality. If possible, lock your luggage.

Consider getting a telephone calling card. It is a convenient way of keeping in touch. If you have one, verify that you can use it from your overseas location(s). Access numbers to U.S. operators are published in many international newspapers. Find out your access number before you go.

What to Leave Behind When Traveling Abroad

Don't bring anything you would hate to lose. Leave at home:

• Valuable or expensive-looking jewelry
• Irreplaceable family objects
• All unnecessary credit cards
• Social Security card, library cards, and similar items you may routinely carry in your wallet.

Leave a copy of your itinerary with family or friends at home in case they need to contact you in an emergency.

A Few Things to Bring and Leave Behind

Make two photocopies of your passport identification page, airline tickets, driver's license and the credit cards that you plan to bring with you. Leave one photocopy of this data with family or friends at home; pack the other in a place separate from where you carry your valuables.

Leave a copy of the serial numbers of your travelers' checks with a friend or relative at home. Carry your copy with you in a separate place and, as you cash the checks, cross them off the list.

What to Learn About Before You Go To a Foreign Country

Security. The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Sheets are available for every country of the world. They describe entry requirements, currency regulations, unusual health conditions, the crime and security situation, political disturbances, areas of instability, and special information about driving and road conditions. They also provide addresses and emergency telephone numbers for U.S. embassies and consulates. In general, the Sheets do not give advice. Instead, they describe conditions so travelers can make informed decisions about their trips.

In some dangerous situations, however, the U.S. Department of State recommends that Americans defer travel to a country. In such a case, a Travel Warning is issued for the country in addition to its Consular Information Sheet.

Public Announcements are a means to disseminate information about relatively short-term and/or trans-national conditions posing significant risks to the security of American travelers. They are issued when there is a perceived threat, even if it does not involve Americans as a particular target group. In the past, Public Announcements have been issued to deal with short-term coups, pre-election disturbances, violence by terrorists and anniversary dates of specific terrorist events.

Local Laws and Customs. When you leave the United States, you are subject to the laws of the country where you are. Therefore, before you go, learn as much as you can about the local laws and customs of the places you plan to visit. Good resources are your library, your travel agent, and the embassies, consulates or tourist bureaus of the countries you will visit. In addition, keep track of what is being reported in the media about recent developments in those countries.

Things to Arrange Before You Travel Abroad

Your Itinerary. As much as possible, plan to stay in larger hotels that have more elaborate security. Safety experts recommend booking a room from the second to seventh floors above ground level to deter easy entrance from outside, but low enough for fire equipment to reach.
Because take-off and landing are the most dangerous times of a flight, book non-stop flights when possible. When there is a choice of airport or airline, ask your travel agent about comparative safety records.

Legal Documents. Have your affairs at home in order. If you leave a current will, insurance documents, and power of attorney with your family or a friend, you can feel secure about traveling and will be prepared for any emergency that may arise while you are away. If you have minor children, consider making guardianship arrangements for them.

Credit. Make a note of the credit limit on each credit card that you bring. Make certain not to charge over that amount on your trip. In some countries, Americans have been arrested for innocently exceeding their credit limit. Ask your credit card company how to report the loss of your card from abroad. 800 numbers do not work from abroad, but your company should have a number that you can call while you are overseas.

Insurance. Find out if your personal property insurance covers you for loss or theft abroad. More importantly, check on whether your health insurance covers you abroad. Medicare and Medicaid do not provide payment for medical care outside the U.S. Even if your health insurance will reimburse you for medical care that you pay for abroad, normal health insurance does not pay for medical evacuation from a remote area or from a country where medical facilities are inadequate. Consider purchasing one of the short-term health and emergency assistance policies designed for travelers. Also, make sure that the plan you purchase includes medical evacuation in the event of an accident or serious illness.

International Medical Insurance

International Benefits is dedicated to eliminating these uncertainties from international travel by making international medical insurance coverage convenient and affordable. We offer different international medical insurance plans for your short-term or long-term travel plans. At enrollment you simply pick the plan that applies to your citizenship and travel plans. All plans provide you with inpatient and outpatient medical expense coverage, emergency medical evacuation, and in most cases, an option for accidental death and dismemberment coverage - a complete assistance package of international benefits and 24-hour availability for your total peace of mind.