| Health Insurance. Medicare/Medicaid
does not cover you when you are outside the United States.
If your insurance policy does not cover you outside the
United States, it is strongly recommended that you purchase
a policy that does. There are short-term health insurance
policies designed specifically to cover travel, which
can be as low as $50.00 for a trip of 30 days. As part
of the coverage, these programs usually offer emergency
consultation by telephone. They may refer you to the nearest
hospital or call for help on your behalf. They may translate
your instructions to a health care worker on the scene.
Because conditions in many hospitals are not adequate
to ensure recovery, medical evacuation is frequently necessary
for illnesses or injuries that could be treated locally
in other countries. This is an expensive option. For example,
minimum cost from Moscow to New York on a stretcher is
more than $15,000. Medical evacuation by hospital aircraft
on the same route approaches $130,000. Such services require
a substantial down payment before they commit themselves
to arranging a flight out of Russia. In addition, medical
evacuation from remote areas can be especially long and
difficult. Evacuation from the interior of the country,
such as Siberia, can take a day to organize and set into
motion.
If your travel agent cannot direct you to a medical
assistance company, look for information in travel magazines.
The names of some companies that provide medical evacuation
coverage or services are listed in the publication,
Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad ,
on our Internet site http://travel.state.gov under Travel
Publications . The U.S. government cannot pay to have
you medically evacuated to the United States.
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