How to prepare for medical travel: before leaving home
In this article we will go over the different things you need to think about previous to taking off to get your surgery and/or treatment done abroad. It includes useful tips and reminds you of all the essential items that you need to prepare in advance to avoid getting caught off-guard.
You have decided on a doctor, location and medical team that you’re comfortable with. You’re confident that you know enough about them and treatment offer and are now pretty much ready to go. Sort of. Now you just need to sort out some logistical details, but those are inconsequential, really. Or are they? As you dig deeper into it, you start realizing that the details seem to go down a rather deep rabbit hole. There’s decisions you seem to be needing to make and some paperwork to sort out. We’re here to discuss this often-forgotten part of medical travel.
How to get there: now that you know who and where your medical team is, you actually have to get to them. Depending on the country, you will need to book flights and hotels to stay there for you and your eventual travel companions. Keep in mind that, even though you know what dates you want to arrive at your destination, there is the possibility that your date of return might be variable. Your medical recovery might be longer than you expected it to be and you may suffer complications that require you to extend you stay. So make sure that the airline fares you book include unlimited changes. Keep in mind that, the closer you are to your date of booking, the higher the airline prices tend to be.
The flight itself: if you’re traveling for medical purposes, the equation on how to get there changes a little bit. It might be worth it to pay a little extra money in exchange to get a seat with a little extra leg-room or even book a class of travel that offers a little extra room and amenities. Getting on a plane for several hours is a stressful, tiresome experience in general at the best of times. So consider that cost may not be the only factor you should take into account when booking your travel. Comfort will factor in, especially in longer flights. When returning from your procedure, you may not be feeling your best. And it is especially discouraged to take a flight if you’re not feeling well and stable. Some people have “get-there-itis” and want to not miss their return flights. If you do this, you expose yourself to developing a medical crisis during the flight and, in extreme scenarios, the flight crew might decide to land to get you emergency medical treatment. This is not an ideal outcome. So make sure to take this into account. Don’t hesitate to inform your airline that you may require assistance.
Paperwork: there is a temptation to think that traveling to get medical treatment abroad will be as straightforward as traveling as a “vanilla” tourist. This is partially true. Some countries make no distinction and others make it really easy for you to enter for medical reasons. But there are exceptions. The first thing you need to look into is whether you have a passport and, if you do, that your passport is still valid and its expiration is not closer than 6 months. Then, you should check that your destination country does not require a separate visa for medical travelers. The last thing you want is to be denied boarding to a flight because you don’t have the required visa or to be detained on arrival by immigration authorities and be exposed to fines, detention and possibly being deported. This documentation requirements also may apply for countries where you will only be transiting for a few hours. This often-overlooked aspect can turn your trip upside down if not addressed properly.
Medical information: when preparing to travel, make sure that your doctors at your destination have all the information they need from you. Check that you have sent the results of your latest medical tests and all the medical imagery. Verify that you have a copy of them with you and that you have online access to a copy of all this documentation. Once at your destination, it is likely that your medical team will run tests of their own to determine the evolution of your condition. If you’ve sent this information prior to your departure, they will probably have it. But in case the information arrived partially, it is useful to be able to share it at a moment’s notice.
Hotels and transportation: for most medical procedures, the hospital will only keep you for a very little time (on average for 2 to 3 days). After this, you will probably need to return to your doctor to do follow-up appointments and some testing, but you will be treated as an out-patient. This means that you will need to figure out where to stay. In general, as with the flights, we advise you to consider cost as a secondary factor while prioritizing your physical needs. The hotel you reserve should have accessible facilities (such as functioning elevators, access ramps), be safe and offer a calm and relaxing space for both your treatment preparation and your recovery. Additionally, make sure the hotel is close to your hospital.
Another aspect to consider is ground transportation. It is no secret that getting around can get challenging, especially in a country and city you’re not familiar with. Most travelers agree that the one time where petty scams are the most common is during local travel. Fake taxis, overcharging, upcharging, bait and switch are all too familiar aspects when looking to get around. So, to avoid getting into pointless and stressful arguments with unscrupulous individuals when you’re at your destination, it is often best to reserve transportation in advance. The slight uptick in cost may preserve you from unpleasant surprises and stressful experiences once you’re at your destination.
Stay safe: every country and every city has challenges and people who are not 100% invested in your well-being. Do read a little more on the city and country you’re going and get an idea for what to expect. Police departments, online forums and travel guides will often have useful briefs on what you should be looking out for. Even the safest places have some degree of criminality so use basic precautions and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Never display cash in public. Never leave your passports and ID documents unattended or outside a safe. If you’re carrying them with you, make sure they’re in a secured bag. Make sure people you trust know where you are at all times and keep the phone numbers of your embassy and/or consulate with you.
Basics know-how for a traveler: at a minimum, make sure you understand (roughly) what currencies you will be expecting to handle and what the official exchange rates are. Often, it will be difficult to get the officially published rate, but it is nonetheless useful to understand what you should be getting. Make that your cellphone will work once at destination by having your carrier activate an international plan. This will help you avoid having your phone not work or getting charges of several hundreds of USD for international service. Call your bank and credit card providers to inform them where you will be going. Like this, they’ll be on the lookout for you and will avoid freezing your accounts for fear of fraud. Keep all the useful contact information in a printed document that you can easily access, in case your means of going online are unavailable.
The language barrier: you may be headed to a country where the language used in everyday life may be different from the ones you know. Your hospital team will surely have English-speaking staff available (as well as your hotel staff) and, if not, translators that can help you wade through the language barrier. However, this might not be true of the rest of the country you’re visiting. This may cause you some issues and it is wise to be prepared and to know that you will face some difficulties related to communication.
Talk to your doctor: prior to leaving for your surgery, it is important that you let your doctor and medical team know. They already know that you need the surgery and what surgery you will be getting. They will share your medical history and any test results that they may have so that you can communicate them with the doctor that will be performing the surgery.
