http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com//blog Blog for Tourists visiting USA en jakemalto@yahoo.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-02T06:49:37+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/baseball-fans-around-the-world-visiting-the-u.s.-for-international-health/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/baseball-fans-around-the-world-visiting-the-u.s.-for-international-health/#When:02:38:16Z While baseball is often called "the national pastime" in the United States, but the game has fans worldwide. And every year, fans from around the world descend upon the states of Florida and Arizona in the U.S. to watch baseball's "spring training." If you plan on visiting the United States to watch your favorite team's spring training, you will want to be sure to come prepared with international health insurance. During spring training, baseball teams get ready for the upcoming season with workouts and exhibition games against other teams. It gives teams a chance to determine which players will be ready to contribute to the club in the coming year, and it gives fans the chance to see both their favorite players and new players, while doing so in sunny vacation-friendly locales. For those reasons, it is a popular vacation theme for travelers. What you should keep in mind while planning your trip is the need to have medical care coverage. Because illness or injury can occur at any time with little or no warning, it is critical that you have immediate access to the best available medical treatment. The U.S. healthcare system demands anyone without medical insurance to pay for their care completely out of their own pocket. Therefore, what starts out as a relaxing vacation could turn into a very expensive dilemma. International health insurance was designed to combat this scenario. It covers the majority of medical treatment costs, protecting you from bills totaling in the hundreds or thousands of dollars. It is widely accepted, so you do not need to worry about network restrictions or other such problems, and it offers you and your companions valuable peace of mind during your travels. Blogging 2011-03-19T02:38:16+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/new-tests-on-airports-scanners-to-be-conducted-by-tsa/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/new-tests-on-airports-scanners-to-be-conducted-by-tsa/#When:06:49:37Z For several years there has been talk about radiation from airport scanner but the Transportation Security Administration or TSA have continued to turn a blind eye to these “rumors.” That is, until this month, January 2012 when TSA finally decided to test airport security officers for radiation exposure.  Imagine being a frequent traveler, local or international and having to pass these scanners repeatedly without choice. Doesn’t it make it imperative to have international travel health insurance? Technically, you are en route to your destination so radiation exposure could be included in your international health insurance. It’s worth checking on with your provider. It might also concern you that just last December 2011, TSA required all government vendors to have equipment that would measure radiation exposure. The spokesman for TSA, Nico Melendez said, “TSA is dedicated to the health and safety of its employees. We continuously test our technology to ensure it is safe for both passenger and our officers, and post all results to our website.” The problems critics have with this policy of not determining radiation levels in airport scanners is that these machines can malfunction, and have done so many times in the past year alone. This implies that radiation exposure could be at a level that isn’t safe. James Babb who co-founded the group, We Won’t Fly says that, “We still have no idea how much radiation is being imposed on travelers by a properly functioning machine. A malfunctioning machine could be particularly nasty.”  This consumer rights group wants an independent body to do the tests on the machines and not just on security personnel who worked with the scanners. However, they do accept that the TSA is moving forward by recognizing that there may be a potential hazard that needs to be addressed properly. Blogging 2012-02-02T06:49:37+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/the-mystery-behind-flight-from-cuba/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/the-mystery-behind-flight-from-cuba/#When:01:35:03Z The strange mystery of flights coming out of Cuba and ending up with passengers getting sick even before reaching their destination is starting to get scary. The flight from Cuba to Toronto a day ago reported 12 people sick by the time the plane landed in Canada. This would be the 4th time such an incident has happened. Fortunately for some, they had sufficient international travel health insurance to cover their treatment. But what the others passengers without insurance? Without international health insurance, they would have unexpected out-of-pocket expenses and not even know why it happened. Public officials in Canada have already raised the alarm and announced that the nature of the sickness was gastrointestinal illness. During the flight, passengers began to experience dizziness and diarrhea. They also had fever and nausea. According to public health officials, everyone on the flight had to be examined although no one was rushed to the hospital. They are currently investigating food sources on the airplane and from resorts in Cuba. A common thread is the 4 resorts many of the Canadian tourists stayed in while in Cuba. The timeline for past incidents for this past week alone as released by the Canadian authorities or the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) are: Tuesday – 7 passengers fell ill Thursday – 20 passengers got sick Friday – 12 got sick There has been no quarantine or epidemic declared but all flights from Cuba are under the strictest surveillance. One passenger did report getting sick while in Cuba because of a suspected seafood meal. Most of her time in Cuba was spent in bed, sick and vomiting. Along with her, she reports that there were around 10 other tourists in the same resort with similar problems. Blogging 2012-01-25T01:35:03+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/red-wine-health-hoax/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/red-wine-health-hoax/#When:23:42:24Z A researcher from the University of Connecticut, Dipak Das is being accused of fabrication and falsification of data regarding the use of grape pulp and delaying the aging process. Since this research was done several years and has been published in medical journals, the word has spread that resveratrol which is found in grape pulp and skin is going to make you live longer. Anyone who has believed it may have used it as an excuse not to take meds or get international health insurance. Frequent travelers are advised that if they drunk red wine to avoid getting international travel health insurance, they should reconsider. The sad part about this whole situation is that not everyone who read this hype about red wine will read this report, and keep drinking red wine under a false assumption. According to the university’s VP for Health Affairs, ““We have a responsibility to correct the scientific record and inform peer researchers across the country.” The investigation into this falsified research began almost 4 years ago and the results have just been released. It accounts for more than 145 incidents of falsification and fabrication of data. Others who may have been involved in the “lie” are being investigated as well. In response to this allegation, Dipak Das, he says a conspiracy is being launched against him. He says that his work has been confirmed and “repeated by many scientists all over the world.” He added that, “As you know, because of the development of tremendous amount of stress in my work environment in recent months, I became a victim of stroke for which I am undergoing treatment.” Nonetheless, the university is working on proceedings to have him dismissed and they have notified the medical journals that have published his research about the results of the investigation. The grant from the federal government amounting to $890,000 has been withheld by the school. In defense of Das, another researcher from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Nir Barzilai said that, “There are many investigators who are working on resveratrol.  That doesn’t mean we know the whole truth. But Rome wasn’t built on Dr. Das.” Blogging 2012-01-15T23:42:24+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/novartis-recalls-aspirin-and-caffeine-otc-drugs/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/novartis-recalls-aspirin-and-caffeine-otc-drugs/#When:01:35:32Z If you have just bought Novartis Over-The-Counter drugs Excedrin, Gas-X Prevention, NoDoz, or Bufferin, check the expiration dates. They may be included in the recall of the company due to complaints about broken pills. If you are traveling overseas and have these drugs in your medicine bag, use your international health insurance to make the necessary adjustments and changes. It would risky to keep taking these drugs and assuming that you can use your international medical insurance to cover any ill effects from taking the drugs. Why take the chance? According to Novartis, the recall is a precautionary and voluntary act on the part of company and should not have any adverse effect. They have even listed down the exact batches for each drugs that fall under the recall: • Excedrin and NoDoz – Expiration dates Dec 2014 or earlier • Bufferin and Gas X prevention – Expiration Dates Dec 2013 and earlier All new shipments have been postponed to determine the cause of the broken or chipped pills. They have several theories such as heavy handling during shipping, aggressive handling, problem with display, or a production foul-up. The problem with broken pills if they are time release-type tablets is that they can cause problems because a person is exposed to the drug all at once instead of over a period of time. Novartis promises to work hand in hand with the FDA to resolve and improve the problem before shipping out new batches. According the CEO of Novartis, Joseph Jimenez, “We are committed to a single quality standard for the entire Novartis Group and we are making the necessary investments and committing the right resources to ensure these are implemented across our entire network.” Blogging 2012-01-10T01:35:32+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/new-health-warning-from-who-for-travelers/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/new-health-warning-from-who-for-travelers/#When:06:44:16Z Hot off the tables of the top World Health Organization officers is a warning to those planning to travel over the holidays. First of all is the important need to get international travel insurance. International travel health insurance will protect you no matter where you are from having to pay exorbitant amounts for medical or travel problems. Second is the warning from WHO about new flu viruses. This warning comes on the heels of 10 new infections from a flu virus in the United States which appears to be a variant of the swine flu. WHO has also said that they have alerted the medical communities around the world about new outbreaks for polio, human flu, small pox and SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The last outbreak of SARS happened 9 years ago and started in China before spreading to the west including Canada. That outbreak caused more than 770 deaths. The WHO is determined to avoid something similar happening this year end, and into 2012. A stern warning has also been given to everyone about reporting any incident as part of a country’s obligation to the rest of the world. This refers only to diseases and infections that are new with symptoms that may resemble an outbreak or mutated virus. Travelers should keep track of what’s happening in the places they plan to visit before even getting on a plane or ship. If they have trip cancellation insurance, they can claim for a refund on their ticket.  Furthermore, they have to get their immunizations updated including the one for the influenza. According to WHO, “Influenza viruses are unpredictable, they have the possibility to change and become more transmissible among humans as shown by the emergence of the influenza pandemic H1N1 virus in 2009.” For this reason, continued monitoring of the occurrence of human infections with these viruses and characterization of the viruses themselves are critically important to assess their pandemic potential.” Blogging 2011-12-25T06:44:16+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/better-maternal-health-noted-in-afghanistan/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/better-maternal-health-noted-in-afghanistan/#When:15:39:20Z Most people would rather not talk about Afghanistan because of the civil unrest and the fact that it’s a place most associated with death and war. However, one of the silver linings on this particular situation is the fact that women now have better maternal health services and there are fewer problems with childbirth. It is partly because of the presence and help from NATO forces as well as increased consciousness on worldwide health insurance for visitors entering the country. Very few of visitors who travel to Afghanistan are tourists. Many are there because they are journalists or support groups of the NATO combat forces. They bring international travel health insurance with them. It’s part of their survival kit. It’s become even more critical that one of the legacies of the NATO presence is this gift to women who are pregnant now that NATO forces are finally withdrawing with finality. As of May 2011, the program known as Save The Children recognized Afghanistan as the worst place to have children. Prior to implementing any kind of reform, the ration of women dying from children was 1 for every 11. This is now a welcome 1 in 50 for women between the ages of 15 to 49. Children below 5 also improved from 1 in 5 dying before reaching 6th year to 1 in 10. Women in Afghanistan are more informed about their rights and what they can do to prevent childbirth problems. Unfortunately, pregnancy is not always a pleasant condition since women still face violence and rape and do not have legal means to protect them. In many cases women who have been violated have to marry their assailant to protect her family’s name.  Thus, many of these women care not to be careful about their pregnancy. Also, Asia Foundation reports that many rural areas have no sufficient medical care facilities. There is also lack of medical staff and midwives willing to travel around the rural areas. Hopefully, now that the NATO forces are leaving, there will be normalcy and less fighting. Blogging 2011-12-18T15:39:20+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/tb-contamination-in-nelson-hospital/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/tb-contamination-in-nelson-hospital/#When:15:04:48Z An alarm was sounded after a New Zealand hospital revealed that hospital staff contracted TB or tuberculosis from a patient who later died from an unrelated TB condition. It emphasizes once more the need for all travelers to protect themselves with international travel health insurance. With overseas health insurance, a visitor to any foreign country can get proper medical treatment in a major hospital with excellent facilities and the best doctors. The NZ hospital where the TB case occurred is admittedly a rare incident. The TB happened because he patient’s immune system was compromised by his condition. His inactive TB turned active and was unexpected. The hospital has taken all necessary precautions to have everyone who was exposed to the patient tested for TB. This includes hospital staff, doctors, relatives and friends of the patient and others. Thus far, only 3 have been tested positive for latent TB. Latent TB means that the condition is controllable and the infected person cannot contaminate anyone. Basically, they have bacteria in their lungs and this is treatable with drugs. According to medical experts, 90% of people with latent TB never get full-blown TB. Their immune system prevents it from becoming active. Symptoms include blood in the phlegm, coughing, chest pains, appetite loss, weight loss, and fatigue. Anyone can get TB but usually the cases come from developing countries which mean the man probably traveled to a developing country. It also means that anyone traveling to a developing country should take the necessary precautions. Blogging 2011-12-10T15:04:48+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/measles-outbreak-in-europe-spreading-to-the-us/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/measles-outbreak-in-europe-spreading-to-the-us/#When:03:22:06Z Technically, it isn’t an outbreak yet but there is a rise in measles cases across Europe. With the vast number of US travelers to Europe, it is of no surprise that measles cases are also increasing in the US. This is a major cause to get worldwide health insurance if you have any travel plans. At least with the inoculations required by international travel health insurance, you are not at risk of getting exposed and contaminated by the virus. In October, London health officials pegged the measles cases at over 26 thousand and 9 deaths. In France, the reported number of cases for measles was 14 thousand. Most of the cases were isolated to young children which suggest that there was a misstep in ensuring children were vaccinated and given the booster shots. Other countries that have reported a spike in measles cases are Spain, Macedonia, Romania, and Uzbekistan. These figures were confirmed by WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  In the US, so far only 205 cases were reported for this year although the usual number is 50. Thus, it’s still alarming because of the sharp increase. All medical authorities have confirmed that the main cause is a failure to keep vaccination rates at 95% for the entire population. More than of the measles cases were experienced by patients who did not get the measles shots and/or booster shots. Measles is very contagious and is an air-borne virus. You don’t even have to touch the infected person to get measles. It is especially dangerous for young children with a high death rate of 2 children in every 1,000 cases. Blogging 2011-12-04T03:22:06+00:00 http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/travel-toll-from-heat/ http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/blog/travel-toll-from-heat/#When:18:40:35Z Not many travelers are considering the consequences of heat on their health. For those thinking of escaping the cold winter by vacationing in tropical countries, experts strongly recommend worldwide health insurance. Without protection from international travel health insurance, you may not get the best medical attention while overseas. In Africa for instance, there is a lack of doctors. This is because many have migrated to other countries for a better life. While a safari sound exotic and enticing, being covered by the right kind of travel insurance means you get the kind of medical attention you’re used to. This doesn’t just apply to this winter but according to experts, the heat in tropical countries is expected to rise by 4 degrees Celsius by the time it gets to year 2100. If you’ve traveled to these countries before, don’t expect the same kind of weather. It will be hotter. The usual symptoms would be itchiness, excessive sweating, exhaustion, blisters, dizziness, headaches, insomnia, body aches, and leg pains. Even young people are vulnerable and can suffer from kidney failure because of severe dehydration. Of course, one has to stay out of the sun and be adequately covered. Drinking enough clean water is important. Just to give you an idea of the heat now in places like Africa: Africans who have to work outdoors usually carry 7 liters of water daily, and still they get dizzy or feel weak.  The effects of global warming will hit these countries first even if they did very little to cause global warming. Blogging 2011-11-26T18:40:35+00:00