posted by Travel Cat on Nov 17
Travel With Kids Series - Medical Details & Health Related Issues
Depending on the country, authorisation may be requested if traveling with certain medications or equipment - such as insulin needles. Many airports will see the needles or tablets in your hand luggage at security, and if they ask questions and you have no proof, they may be confiscated. Could you travel without them?
Medicines:
Any other health issues that could be important whilst traveling, should also be discussed in advance. For example, if entering some countries carrying certain medication, you may be asked for proof that they are for you or a member of your party. Travelling with huge numbers of needles is sure to raise concerns.
Travelling with liquids and powders is, at the moment, a great security issue in many countries. So if you absolutely cannot pack products into your hold luggage - you need to make sure that you will be allowed to travel with them on your person in the airport and on the plane itself. A certified letter from your doctor can sometimes be used for this, but you will need to check with both the airport and the airline yourself to be 100% sure.
Don’t rely on what someone else did last month in-case security procedures have been updated. And traveling out of an airport can have a whole different policy to traveling in, so check both.
Medical Certification:
You will need to prove your health status in most instances to be covered by many travel insurance policies. So, make sure that you have read the small print on these for all the family and get verbal or written confirmation of everything you feel could affect your claims or cause an issue abroad.
Always admit to anything your policy says could exclude you - as although this may bump up your premiums - it could mean the difference between getting your treatment paid for or getting the claim refused. For example if you claim for treatment abroad for a condition that you have had treatment for back home for (ie a heart condition) - and you didn’t tell the insurance firm when they sold you the policy - they could reject the claim, leaving you out of pocket.
Other things to consider:
If anyone in your group wears glasses, it might be worth taking a second pair, just in-case. Alternatively research where you are traveling and they may sell prescription glasses for a lot less than at home! Contact lenses and fluid must also be considered if you are to enjoy your vacation.
Make sure that everyone has recently been to the dentist, so that all fillings and loose teeth can be dealt with before travel. Basic dental kits can be purchased to take with you, containing a pack of temporary filling material and an inverted mirror if you think this will be a possibility.
If you are taking a written repeat prescription with you rather than carrying the medication from home, make sure that your doctor makes it out using the generic name of the product rather than a brand name - as that particular ‘make’ may not be available in your destination.
If you are pregnant or have a child with a specific medical or physical condition, it may be worth finding out about the best medical center or practitioner in the region you are traveling to. That way - if you have any issues, you know you will be getting the best treatment you can while abroad.
As a precaution, make sure that you travel with the basic details of any current treatment, any recent test results etc, so that treatment can start immediately rather than waiting for records to be sent over from home.
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