Sick on vacation
The most important steps for travellers abroad
If you are properly prepared, you will not have to worry even if you get sick on holiday.
© Nicoleta Ionescu/Shutterstock.com
Unfortunately, the first aid kit is not always helpful. These steps can help travelers who become ill while on vacation abroad.
For many people, summer vacation is of course one of the best times of the year. But the planned trip does not always turn out as expected. If you get injured or sick abroad, you can run into a number of problems – particularly of a financial nature. Here are some tips to help you be as well prepared as possible for all eventualities.
The right precautions for your trip
Even before departing for their dream destination, holidaymakers should have several things on their radar. Once the first aid kit is well stocked (with plasters, bandages, disinfectant spray, disposable gloves, painkillers, sunscreen and more), all recommended travel vaccinations have been made and the necessary medications have been packed, travellers should find out how to contact the local police, fire brigade and emergency services. In the European Union, emergency services can be contacted everywhere via mobile and landline telephone using the emergency number 112.
It is also useful to find out in advance who you can contact in the event of illness, for example to clarify questions about medical treatment and health insurance coverage. The German Liaison Office for Health Insurance Abroad (DVKA) offers on its website Information sheets for numerous countries, mainly in the EU. These include important contact details and information on medical treatment, fees, medication and more. Your own health insurance provider can also answer questions about insurance coverage before you travel.
What is a European Health Insurance Card?
All family members should according to the European Commission must have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which can be found on the back of the health card. This allows “entitlement to medically necessary public health care services during a temporary stay in one of the 27 EU countries, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland or the United Kingdom” – at the same cost and under the same conditions as citizens of the respective country. The EHIC can be applied for at the statutory health insurance company, which must issue the card or a temporary replacement certificate on request.
This means that services relating to pregnancy and chronic illnesses are also partly covered. However, as the EU Commission points out, this does not guarantee completely free treatment. This depends on whether those with health insurance in the respective country have to make additional payments. In addition, no costs are covered for travel for the purpose of medical treatment and it is not a replacement for travel insurance. For example, no costs are covered in the context of a possibly necessary medical repatriation.
Do I need international health insurance?
If you don’t need a doctor and want to buy medication directly, you should make sure you go to real pharmacies to avoid the risk of accidentally buying counterfeit medicines. It can also be advantageous to note down the name of an active ingredient before you travel and not the proper name of a medication you are taking. Example: Aspirin is a brand/trade name, the active ingredient it contains is acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).
Health insurance companies do not cover the cost of treatment for every doctor in other EU countries. Anyone who is treated by a private doctor will be left with the costs if they do not have international travel health insurance. It is also advisable to take out such additional cover before travelling to other countries outside the EU.
The consumer advice center, the a detailed overview of insurance coverage abroad offers, describes international travel health insurance as the “most important protection” when on vacation. “Since the costs for any necessary return transport to Germany, co-payments and personal contributions, treatment by private service providers and vacations outside the EU are not covered by statutory health insurance, taking out international travel health insurance with a private health insurer is strongly recommended,” it says. Travelers should therefore address the issue early on and compare providers in terms of price and performance.