Medical Care and Safety

Check with your medical insurance company to see if your policy covers you when you are outside of the U.S. If it does, ask your agent what special restrictions apply. Please include insurance information when you register with the UM Internationl Travel Registration Web Site. A UM login is required to access this site.

U.S. medical insurance is not always recognized outside the U.S., and hospitals often require payment in cash for all services. In addition, because UM medical insurance typically covers medical care at the nearest facility, you may want to purchase evacuation insurance. While some travelers have found it useful to purchase supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage, note that you still may be required to pay for treatment first and seek reimbursement later. Review policy provisions carefully before making a purchase. (See "Supplemental Travel Insurance.")

Please consult the UM International Travel Information Web Site http://www.umich.edu/itoc/ for additional information about medical issues for overseas travel.

Discuss your travel plans with your physician or a travel health clinic at least one month in advance of departure to make sure all appropriate immunizations can be received.

If you are going to be outside of the U.S. for an extended period of time, before you leave consider identifying a medical provider in the area to which you will be traveling. See also "Medical Issues if you are Traveling Outside the U.S.," "Prescriptions," and "Dealing with Prescription Medications Outside the U.S.."

Note: English-speaking doctors abroad may be located with the assistance of U.S. embassies and consulates. See U.S. State Department, Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, http://travel.state.gov/medical.html and U.S. State Department, Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts (contact information for all overseas U.S. embassies and consulates) at http://usembassy.state.gov/.

Inoculation/Vaccination Requirements/Health Concerns. You can obtain faxed information about inoculation and vaccination requirements and recommendations as well as health concerns in your destination country from the International Travelers Hotline at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at 888-CDC-FAXX (888-232-3299); follow the prompts. Or visit the CDC's Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. See also "University Health Services," and "UM Overseas Travel Clinic."

Travel Information and Services Provided by the U.S. Department of State Before you travel outside of the U.S., check the U.S. State Department's Travel Advisories for information about health and safety conditions worldwide. In addition, the State Department's Office of American Citizens Services should be the first resort in case of any emergency involving a U.S. citizen abroad (plane crashes, hijacking, natural disasters, etc.).

Contact the Office at 202-647-5225. Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets, and Public Announcements also may be accessed by calling this number or by fax at 202-647-3000 (call from your fax machine and use the receiver as you would a regular telephone to access publications). See also http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html.

Rail and Bus Passes Discount rail and bus passes for use abroad often are sold only in the U.S. and may be purchased from travel agencies. See the International Center's Web site for more information, http://www.umich.edu/~icenter/overseas/.

Driving Outside of the U.S. Traveling by car may be far less safe abroad than in the U.S., and there may be far higher accident rates. See the Web site for the Association for Safe International Road Travel for more information: http://www.asirt.org/.

In general, your U.S. auto insurance does not cover you abroad, but it may cover you in Canada and Mexico. Check with your automobile insurance agency. Even if your policy is valid, it may not meet the country's minimum requirements. If you are under-insured for a country, auto insurance usually can be purchased abroad.

If possible, obtain road maps before you leave. Many countries have different driving rules, so obtain a copy of them before you begin driving in that country.

In addition, many countries do not recognize a U.S. driver's license. Most, however, accept an international driver's permit, which you can obtain at your local automobile association before departure. Certain countries require road permits instead of tolls to use their divided highways and will fine drivers without a permit. If you intend to drive overseas, check with the embassy or consulate to learn the country's driver's license, road permit, and auto insurance requirements. See also "Transportation."