Medical Traveling United International Travelers Medicines Doctor States

Traveling to a foreign country is always exciting, but it requires a lot of preparation. This is especially true for medical "concerns" (things that one is worried about). When Americans travel to other countries, they often meet with their doctor first to get "vaccinations" (injections that protect against specific diseases) and learn whether the water is safe to drink. Similarly, people who travel to the United States need to take medical "precautions" (things that one does to prevent something bad from happening).

Perhaps the most important thing that international travelers can do is to get "temporary" (for a short period of time) "health insurance." One pays a small amount of money so that, if there is a medical "emergency" (a very bad thing that happens and cannot be controlled), the health insurance company pays for medical "treatments" (the things that a doctor does to make a person feel better and become healthy again). Medical care in the United States is very expensive, so it is important to have health insurance. Otherwise, a minor medical problem while traveling in the United States can cost a lot of money.

International travelers also need to know that medicines can be very expensive and difficult to get in the United States. Americans must have a "prescription" (written permission) from their doctor to be able to buy many medicines. Often international travelers are surprised by this, because it may be easy to buy those medicines in their home countries. International travelers who take medicines should buy those medicines in their own country and bring enough for the "duration" (the amount of time that something lasts) of their trip.