Dominican Emergency Medical
The Department of State and many U.S. based medical professionals suggest that before heading out to a holiday retreat in the Caribbean including the Dominican Republic that you contact your medical insurance company prior to traveling to find out what and where you are covered when leaving the country. Find out if you are covered for emergency expenses and if you have coverage for medical evacuation. If you suffer a severe injury and need immediate transport back to the United States it could cost up to ten thousand dollars.
Ask your health insurance company if you are covered in the Dominican Republic for some of the risky excursions you may be considering like river rafting, windsurfing or scuba diving! Ask if there are any pre-authorizations required under the terms of your policy before treatment can begin in an emergency situation. Will you be required to make full payment to the the Dominican medical facility and be reimbursed upon your return to the U.S. or will your health provider pay the hospital and doctors directly.
Make sure you find out where and how to contact your U.S. consular officer in the event of a serious injury. The U.S. consular officer will be able to offer valuable medical information and tell you what you will need to do, inform family members in the United States and assist in getting any necessary funds transferred to the Dominican Republic medical facility if required to do so.
It is important for you to have the medical facts prior to your trip. If you have Social Security medical coverage you need to know that there would be no coverage available to you outside the United States. Many other health providers do not offer protection outside the country either.
Even if your medical insurance does offer payment to Dominican medical centers it may be the policy of the Dominican doctor or medical facility to require payment from you before any medical attention is offered. If you have no money or coverage the Dominican facility may refuse to provide medical assistance.
When traveling to the Caribbean carry your health insurance identification card and take a couple of claim forms with that your carrier uses.
You may also want to look into travel insurance that includes emergency medical 24 hour assistance worldwide. Many of these plans also include insurance for the flight, lost luggage and more. There are many different companies and ever more types of plans. Shop around for a comprehensive travel plan and make sure that your are dealing with a worldwide company with a B+ rating or higher and make sure you have medical evacuation coverage.
