Pre-travel health screenings and travel insurance are not only for study abroad students.
One-quarter of international travelers required medical attention or hospitalization while abroad, but nearly half did not obtain a pre-travel health screening, according to a 2023 survey of more than 2,000 members of Global Rescue, a medical and travel risk management service provider.
During a pre-travel health screening, travelers meet with a healthcare provider to discuss health issues that may come up during their trip as well as what they can do to reduce health risks, according to Global Rescue.
The CDC recommends that travelers make an appointment for a pre-travel health screening with their primary care provider or a travel medicine specialist at least one month before departure. Doctors can help travelers get destination-specific vaccinations and medications as well as provide guidance on other travel-related risks, including Covid-19. (Meaning there may be more risks than just getting caught in bad weather when paragliding in Interlaken.)
“Certain health conditions and medications can increase your health risks during travel, and these risks will vary by destination, activities, and mode of travel,” Jeff Weinstein, medical operations associate manager at Global Rescue, said in a statement.
The typhoid vaccine was the most commonly administered travel vaccine, according to a 2022 Kaiser Permanente study of pre-travel health screenings at six healthcare systems from 2009–2018. The mean age of the travelers in the study was 42, 56% of the travelers were female, and 42% identified as non-Hispanic white, per the California-based healthcare provider's study.
Travelers usually must pay hospital and medical expenses out of pocket when abroad, according to the CDC. Medicare coverage for international health services is limited.
Instead, the CDC recommends travelers to check if their insurance covers international medical care. If not, they should purchase additional coverage for travel health and medical evacuation protections, which covers qualifying transportation to an appropriate nearby medical facility when abroad.
The travel insurance market is expected to reach $108.8 billion by 2030, up from $17.6 billion in 2022, according to management consulting firm Next Move Strategy Consulting.
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