As I get ready to once again leave behind my family and friends here in the US and head back to my Italian home of Bologna, there are a number of things that I must tick off my list in order to ensure that all is well-planned. There are practical items such as  packing lists, contacting credit card companies, arranging mail pick-up and putting on hold services like Hulu and Sirius,  But along with these practical items you need to do some things that ensure you can travel with peace of mind.

Travel Insurance

When you book flights, cruises or tours nowadays they always ask you if you want to buy travel insurance.  This insurance may be simple flight cancellation insurance or may extend to all the expenses incurred  with your travel. The flight travel insurance was always pretty inexpensive but I never thought about insuring my total trip for all my hotels stays in case of cancellation along in addition to medical expenses.  That is until my first trip overseas to Italy where I landed in the emergency room with a bad case of e coli.  Thinking I was just suffering from typical travelers malaise I treated my self with over the counter medicine from the US until I was so ill I knew I had no recourse but go to a hospital.  After a day of tests and an IV I was told to settle in a place where I could nurse myself back to health before flying home.  This meant finding a small apartment for a few days, cancelling my upcoming hotel stay in Venice as well as my reserved train tickets. Luckily health care in Italy is inexpensive so a day in the hospital was a mere 170 euros compared to the US. But I was out-of-pocket for all my cancellations.

When I decided to live in Italy part-time I realized I would need coverage that was more extensive than the normal trip coverage provided.  These are things you need to consider:

• emergency medical and dental insurance – these usually only cover non pre-existing conditions, though some plans offer coverage at a higher cost
• emergency evacuation- this provides for you to be transported for necessary medical treatment, especially handy if you are caught in a natural disaster and there are no local facilities
• medical repatriation- if you need to travel home for further medical treatment this will provide for appropriate transportation
• return of children- if you are too sick to get them home this coverage provides peace of mind
• emergency reunion- if you need someone to travel back home wth you this will cover the costs of their flights
• return of mortal remains- we don’t like to think of this but if you die overseas it is nice to know you can get back home
• typical baggage loss, delay and trip cancellation insurance

Certain credit cards also provide trip cancellation insurance.  When I had to cancel my flights due to my back surgery last year I was easily reimbursed via the credit card company after submitting forms signed by my doctor. Hotels and other expenses such as tours were also covered.

Often emergency medical conditions may be covered by your own private medical insurance but for retirees like myself Medicare does not cover overseas expenses . If you have a supplemental medicare plan they only cover the first 60 days of travel. I understand that most Advantage plans provide worldwide emergency coverage

US Providers of Travel Insurance

There are a number of companies that provide travel insurance  and you can find reviews and recommendations on the internet.  If you are doing adventure travel such as rock climbing or scuba diving you will need insurance that covers these types of situations. Most plans will not cover sports or situations that are considered high-risk. World Nomads seems to be a favorite for the more adventurous.  I found myself paying about $350 for a good plan for each of my 3 month stays.  The costs are based on the amount of medical coverage you choose and your travel expenses. The last time around I found out that United Healthcare took over the company I was using and now offers a yearly premium that costs me the same as the 3 month plan.  It only applies to two 90 day stays in a year which is perfect for my travel in the Schengen area.

The US Department of State travel web site offers a link for US based travel and medical insurance. You can find websites that will also offer comparisons or rate the best companies based on your needs. This article from nerdwallet provides in-depth information about all the types of travel insurance and what you might need with links to websites that offer reviews and comparisons.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) also has a page devoted to travelers’ health.

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

I highly recommend signing up for STEP to ensure peace of mind not only for you but also for your loved ones. You supply where and when you are traveling, passport number and contact information for those to be notified about you. In turn you are provided with the following:

• Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
• Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
• Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

I also follow the US Department of State: Consular Affairs on Facebook.  This provides world travel alerts relating to weather, demonstrations, possible terrorist actions and health warnings.

Finding English-speaking medical help

It’s great to have health insurance and alerts from your government, but what do you do if you get sick?  When I started living in Bologna I did some research to find English-speaking doctors and pharmacies in the area.  I discovered universities that provided overseas education programs had the best resources.  I located several PDF’s that listed doctors, dentists and pharmacies. But if you are traveling to more than one place it is hard to maintain a list for each place you travel.  Of course, if it is am emergency, go to the emergency room.  Make sure you know the equivalent 911 numbers for each country you are in.  If you are staying in a hotel or B&B usually they will know doctors that will come to your room.

If you have travel insurance, they usually provide you with numbers to call based on the country you are visiting.  They will then find a doctor for you or recommend you go to the emergency room.

Recently I discovered Medinaction that provides English-speaking doctors in Italy. You can find them on the web at Medincation or download an iPhone app. They are located in the major cities and tourist areas.  On the app you indicate your location and you can either chat with a doctor to describe your symptoms or request a doctor come to your place.

I also discovered a new site that is still in beta call TripMedic. You can locate doctors in several European countries that speak your language.

Staying healthy and safe

When traveling we may be exposed to environments or foods that are bodies have not developed immunities for. I never get colds except when I am in Bologna and they seem to hit me harder than any I get in the US. I know friends who get colds from the long flights.  I usually travel with basic medicines as over the counter drugs are  more expensive and I can use those that I know have helped me in the past. But if you do find yourself sick, in a natural disaster or needing to know about local safety following my suggestions will at least give you peace of mind during your travels and how to deal with unexpected situations.

*** NOTE: These resources linked here can also be found on my Travel resources page and I will periodically update as I learn about others. If you know of any please let me know.