|
Healthcover.ca
Health
Information Page
Looking for health information and tips?
Here are some helpful health tips for
Canadians
Table of Contents
- In developing and third world countries it is
often wise to avoid raw vegetables, salads, unpeeled fruit, raw
shellfish such as clams, cream, ice-cream and ice cubes and even
undercooked or cold fold, which can be contaminated. Fresh Cooked
foods are often safer.
- Try to avoid swimming, bathing and wading in
freshwater streams and marshes etc... as they often contain microbes
and other microbes that can make you sick. It pays to check with
authorities that there is nothing dangerous in the water as well.
- See your doctor and check with a Travel Health
advisory such as the Centers for Disease Control or World Health
Organization to see what shots you need for the country you visit and
when. Remember to do the same for children who are traveling with you.
- Wash your hands as often as possible
- Bring insect repellant & sunscreen - some
insects carry diseases such as malaria. Mosquitoes generally bite from
dusk to dawn, but some are daytime biters. When outside, try to wear
light coloured clothing and long pants and sleeves.
- Make sure that the medication you bring is
clearly labeled in its original bottle.
- It's always a good precaution to have a full
check-up prior to departure, including a dental check. A visit to the
optician for an eye test or a change of glasses is also advisable
- Check if it is ok to drink the water - try soft
drinks or bottles water (make sure that it is not a fake). Avoid ice
and ice cream in suspect areas
-
- Don't leave home without a recent dental
checkup, as you won't want to be going to see a dentist while you are
away, especially in the third world
- Try to acclimatize yourself slowly to changes
in heat, environment and altitude
- Avoid sharing water and glasses as you never
know what he/she has
- always wear something on your feat as you might
catch diseases such as ringworm and athletes foot.
Use Back Button on Web Browser to Get Back to
This Page after Conversion is complete.
- Arrange for your travel insurance at least a
month before leaving if possible.
- If you are covered at work, examine your plan
booklet and call the insurance company to make sure you know what you
are covered for. Most plans do not cover you abroad &/or do not cover
evacuation expenses.
- In the event of a claim, especially if at a
hospital, have someone immediately call the insurance provider/company
to pre-certify the claim. This is important because you will want to
make sure that treatment is covered and you want to avoid any
penalties which some travel plans have for non pre-certification.
- make sure you bring your travel insurance card
and/or travel insurance confirmation with you on your travels.
- For the Single and Multi-Trip Travel plans, All
Hospitalizations, Emergency Evacuations, Emergency Reunions, Trip
Cancellation, and Repatriation of Remains must be Pre-certified.
Simply call, or have your Physician call, insurance provider and/or
administrator with all information relative to your claim. Be sure to
have your ID number available. If you do not Pre-certify, some
company's medical expenses will be reduced by 50%, and all other
expenses will be forfeited
- Make sure the insurer has a toll free line or
collect number that you can call in the event of a claim.
- The larger the deductible, the lower the
premium
- Be careful about buying your travel insurance
from a cruise line, airline or other travel company that may go out of
business, and you travel insurance may not be honored.
- Remember that the insurance generally only
covers emergencies. So if you broker your arm before leaving and it
needs treatment, it probably won't be covered
- As obvious as it sounds, pay your premium!
Coverage will not take affect if you forget to pay your premium
- Make sure you tell someone you are traveling
with and/or a friend or relative at home you have travel insurance.
Make sure that they have the policy number and insurance company
contact
- Make sure that travel insurance company is able
to pay claims directly to hospitals
- Most plans do not cover pre-existing medical
conditions - make sure you read the plan terms and conditions
carefully.
Some Links
Here are some links to site with important
information about health, environmental and political conditions that
could be encountered on your next international trip.
Health Canada
US Centre for Disease Control
(CDC)
Canadian Institute for Health Information
International
Terrorism and Travel Warnings
Canadian Health Network - Réseau canadien de la santé
Note: Use of Travel Tips & Travel Links
information is at your own risk. Travel safe and enjoy yourself!
See Legal Disclosure & Terms of Use
|
Get
Quote NOW!
 |
