Travel Be 4U

Healthbase asked:


Going overseas for surgical treatment can be overwhelming for anybody. After all, it’s not like going to a hospital down the road where you have been to before and know all the doctors and nurses. To be successful in your pursuit of low-cost high quality medical treatment, there is a step by step process that you must follow to gain confidence in your decision, get the right care and save money.

STEP 1: FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE TREND OF MEDICAL TOURISM

Find out why everybody is raving about it and why they are willing to travel half the world for it. Learn from the experience of others. Read news and articles on the subject. Check out the frequently asked questions that medical tourists have at https://www.healthbase.com/hb/pages/medical-tourism-faq.jsp.

STEP 2: RESEARCH ON THE MEDICAL PROCEDURE

Find out all you can about the medical procedure in question – problems it solves, follow-up care needed, physical therapy required, etc. This will help you clear 3 doubts: is the procedure right for your condition; are you the right candidate for the procedure; and should you go abroad for it.

STEP 3: FIND OUT IF MEDICAL TOURISM IS WHAT YOU WANT

Medical tourism is not always a good choice for non-emergency medical treatments. Sometimes transportation costs may outweigh the possible savings achievable by going abroad. In some cases, the time required for the surgery abroad may be too much for you to spare. Or, the surgery you need may not be available abroad with a reputable health care provider.

STEP 4: LEARN ABOUT MEDICAL TOURISM DESTINATIONS

Some countries have the reputation for top-quality cardiac surgery while others for world-class orthopedics and yet others for cosmetic procedures. So make your selection wisely. Sometimes distance can also play an important role in your decision-making, like in the case of small dental jobs. You should also prepare yourself for culture differences.

STEP 5: LEARN ABOUT INTERNATIONAL FACILITIES AND SURGEONS

When researching on any health care provider try to find answers to the following:

Does the hospital or clinic employ the latest equipments and technology? Do they have expertise in the medical procedure you are seeking? What accreditations and awards do they have? Are the surgeons qualified enough? Where did they receive their education and training?

Answering these questions will give you a fair idea of the standard of quality of the provider.

STEP 6: ARRANGE ALL YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS

You will need them at the time of pre-consultation with your overseas surgeon as well as when you go abroad for surgery. Depending upon the condition you are treating, medical records you may need are: X-Rays, X-Ray reports, MRI’s, health histories, photographs, immunization record, prescriptions, etc..

STEP 7: REQUEST AND COMPARE QUOTES

Costs of health care vary from country to country and provider to provider. So request for quotes and compare them. Your selection of a particular provider and country should be based not just on low cost but also on quality as well as distance.

STEP 8: CHECK WITH YOUR INSURANCE FOR COVERAGE

With the numerous benefits that medical tourism offers, today some insurance companies have medical tourism plans. So, if you are covered under an overseas medical treatment plan, your insurer might cover your medical tourism expenses in full or in part. So check with your health insurance company for coverage details.

STEP 9: ACQUIRE YOUR PASSPORT AND VISA

If you and/or your travel companion (if any) do not have a passport, you will need to acquire it. Check with the foreign country’s embassy if a visa is required for entry and apply for it accordingly.

STEP 10: PLAN YOUR ITINERARY

When planning your itinerary, allow ample time for recovery. Be prepared to stay longer/shorter than expected. If you have travel or tourism on mind, allow time for that as well.

STEP 11: BOOK TICKETS AND ROOMS

Book tickets for yourself and your companion. After your surgery, you can choose to relax at a resort or in a hotel or go traveling in the foreign country. So if possible, make arrangements beforehand.

STEP 12: APPLY FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE PLAN

Consider purchasing one of the short-term health and emergency assistance policies designed for travelers. Travel insurance gives medical tourists coverage for unforeseen problems, from a canceled flight to a serious illness.

STEP 13: APPLY FOR MEDICAL FINANCE LOAN

If you do not have enough money for your medical treatment overseas, you may consider applying for medical loan or dental loan. Loan processing companies provide patient payment plans for plastic surgery, dental procedures, bariatric procedures, dermatology treatments, hospital, etc.

STEP 14: PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR RECOVERY

In certain cases, you may need to prepare your home for recovery. For example, if you are seeking affordable hip resurfacing surgery abroad, you may want to rearrange furniture in your house in advance before you leave to aid during the recovery stages.

STEP 15: PACK YOUR BAGS AND TAKE THE TRIP

Ensure that you have packed comfortable clothing. Bring some local currency, travelers checks, and one or two major credit cards. Keep important contact information handy. Bring all the required medical records. Remember to carry all your medical reports as well as any medicines in your carry-on luggage. Finally, take your well-planned medical trip and return home happy and healthy!

The above step by step medical tourism guide will help you with most aspects of medical tourism. To make your medical travel easy you may want to use a medical tourism provider to help you with all the logistics of medical tourism. Medical tourism providers like Healthbase (http://www.healthbase.com) connect you with the hospital of your choice while providing many other related valuable services.

You can learn more about the growing trend of medical tourism, international healthcare facilities and surgeons, and the details of the medical tourism process by logging on to http://www.healthbase.com. Healthbase.com is a medical tourism facilitator committed to providing low-cost high quality medical travel services to the global medical consumer.

Mark Hammond asked:


Thinking about travelling around Europe via train? Many students, couples, and groups of friends choose train travel as their main method of getting around Europe, and for good reason. Train travel can be a very convenient, beneficial, and cost-effective method of traversing this wonderful continent.

However, European train travel can get confusing, especially if you don’t know where to start. Here are a few tips to help you with train travel in Europe:

First, opt for a train station information desk rather than the ticket window if you need more information or help in planning your trip. The ticket agent is simply there to help you buy your train ticket. Find out if you qualify for any special discounts, or if you can lower your ticket price by taking a different train.

If you’re looking for ways to cut down on costs for European train travel, you have a few options. First, travelling by train in southern Europe is almost always cheaper than travelling by train in northern Europe. Second, slower trains are usually significantly cheaper than express trains. Third, travelling overnight for longer trips will help you save money, time, and hotel/hostel accommodation fare. A rail pass or other train pass may also help you to save money, especially if you’ll be doing a lot of train travel.

When you do go to buy your ticket or pass at the ticket window, make sure you know the train time or number, whether you’ll be travelling first or second-class, whether it’s one-way or round trip, and when you’ll be travelling. Keep in mind that express trains often require advance reservations and will likely be significantly pricier.

Whether or not you have a reservation for a train seat will affect your train travel in Europe. If you have one, you’ll have a number for a car and seat. When you’re at the train station, check each track or the wall for the Composition of Trains board, which should illustrate where each numbered car will be when the train comes in. If you don’t have a reservation, this means you can sit anywhere-but check to make sure that the seat you’ve chosen isn’t reserved for someone else.

For train travel in Europe, it’s quite common for you to have to “validate” your ticket before you can board through a validation machine that will show you which end of the ticket to put in.

The train’s eating options is another matter to think about insofar as European train travel is concerned. The longer the travelling distance, the more likely the train is to have a restaurant or café car. For medium distances, expect maybe a cart with a few drinks and snacks on it, but regional trains likely won’t carry anything. Consider purchasing a few snacks at the train station before boarding to ensure you’ll be fed, and to cut down on costs as well.