London United Kingdom Tourism: Health & Insurance

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Health & Insurance

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Insurance

Check your existing insurance policies and credit card coverage before you buy travel insurance. You may already be covered for lost luggage, cancelled tickets, or medical expenses. If your standard insurance doesn't cover travel and you decide that you'd like to purchase additional insurance, first ask your travel agent about a comprehensive package, which may be less expensive. The cost of travel insurance varies widely, depending on the cost and length of your trip, your age and overall health, and the type of trip you're taking, but expect to pay between 5% and 8% of the vacation itself.

Trip-Cancellation Insurance -- Trip-cancellation insurance helps you get your money back if you have to back out of a trip, if you have to go home early, or if your travel supplier goes bankrupt. Allowed reasons for cancellation can range from sickness to natural disasters, to the State Department declaring your destination unsafe for travel. In this unstable world, trip-cancellation insurance is a good buy if you're getting tickets well in advance -- who knows what the state of the world, or of your airline, will be in 9 months? Insurance policy details vary, so read the fine print -- and make sure that your airline or cruise line is on the list of carriers covered in case of bankruptcy. A good resource is "Travel Guard Alerts," a list of companies considered high-risk by Travel Guard International. Protect yourself further by paying for the insurance with a credit card -- by law, consumers can get their money back on goods and services not received if they report the loss within 60 days after the charge is listed on their credit card statement.

For more information, contact one of the following recommended insurers: Access America (tel. 866/807-3982; www.accessamerica.com), Travel Guard International (tel. 800/826-4919; www.travelguard.com), Travel Insured International (tel. 800/243-3174; www.travelinsured.com), or Travelex Insurance Services (tel. 888/457-4602; www.travelex-insurance.com). For information in Great Britain, contact the following agency: Columbus Direct, Southgate Place, 41 Southgate, Chichester West Sussex PO19 1ET (tel. 0845/330-8518). For emergency assistance, call tel. 0870/905-8545.

Medical Insurance--For travel overseas, most health plans (including Medicare and Medicaid) do not provide coverage, and the ones that do often require you to pay for services up front and reimburse you only after you return home. Even if your plan does cover overseas treatment, most out-of-country hospitals make you pay your bills up front, and send you a refund only after you've returned home and filed the necessary paperwork with your insurance company. As a safety net, you may want to buy travel medical insurance, particularly if you're traveling to a remote or high-risk area where emergency evacuation is a possible scenario. If you require additional medical insurance, try MEDEX Assistance (tel. 410/453-6300; www.medexassist.com) or Travel Assistance International (tel. 800/821-2828; www.travelassistance.com; for general information on services, call the company's Worldwide Assistance Services, Inc., at tel. 800/777-8710; www.worldwideassistance.com).

Lost-Luggage Insurance--On international flights (including U.S. portions of international trips), lost baggage is reimbursed to approximately $9.07 per pound, with a limit of about $635 per checked bag. If you plan to check items more valuable than the standard liability, see if your valuables are covered by your homeowner's policy, get baggage insurance as part of your comprehensive travel-insurance package, or buy Travel Guard's BagTrak product. Be sure to take any valuables or irreplaceable items with you in your carry-on luggage, as many valuables (including books, money, and electronics) aren't covered by airline policies.

If your luggage is lost, immediately file a lost-luggage claim at the airport, detailing the luggage contents. For most airlines, you must report delayed, damaged, or lost baggage within 4 hours of arrival. The airlines are required to deliver luggage, once found, directly to your house or destination free of charge.

Health & Safety

You'll encounter few health risks while traveling in England. The tap water is safe to drink, the milk is pasteurized, and health services are good. The mad cow disease crisis appears to be over, as does the epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease. Traveling to London doesn't pose any health risk.

What To Do If You Get Sick Away From Home--If you need an ambulance, call tel. 999. If you need a doctor, your hotel can recommend one, or you can contact your embassy or consulate. Outside London, dial tel. 100 and ask the operator for the local police, who will give you the name, address, and telephone number of a doctor in your area. Note: U.S. visitors who become ill while they're in England are eligible only for free emergency care. For other treatment, including follow-up care, you'll be asked to pay.

In most cases, your existing health plan will provide the coverage you need. But double-check; you may want to buy travel medical insurance instead. (See "Travel Insurance," earlier in this chapter.) Bring your insurance ID card with you when you travel.

If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. For conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, or heart problems, wear a MedicAlert Identification Tag (tel. 888/633-4298; www.medicalert.org), which will immediately alert doctors to your condition and give them access to your records through MedicAlert's 24-hour hot line.

Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage and in their original containers, with pharmacy labels -- otherwise, they won't make it through airport security. Also bring along copies of your prescriptions in case you lose your pills or run out. Carry the generic name of prescription medicines, in case a local pharmacist is unfamiliar with the brand name.

And don't forget to bring along an extra pair of contact lenses or prescription glasses.

Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT;tel. 716/754-4883; www.iamat.org) for tips on travel and health concerns in London or England. In Canada, call tel. 416-652-0137. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (tel. 800/311-3435; www.cdc.gov) provides up-to-date information on necessary vaccines and health hazards by region or country (their booklet, Health Information for International Travel, is $25 by mail; on the Internet, it's free).

Staying Safe--Like all big cities, London has its share of crime, but in general, it is one of the safer destinations in Europe. Pickpockets are the most major concern. Violent crime is relatively rare, especially in the heart of London, which hasn't seen a Jack the Ripper in a long time. Even so, it is not wise to go walking in parks at night. King's Cross at night can also be a dangerous area, frequented by prostitutes and their clients. In London, take all the precautions a prudent traveler would in going to any city, be it Los Angeles, Paris, or New York. Conceal your wallet or hold on to your purse, and don't flaunt your wealth by displaying jewelry or cash. In these uncertain times, it is always prudent to check the U.S. State Department's travel advisories at http://travel.state.gov.

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London United Kingdom Tourism: Health & Insurance

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