Air Ambulance Card - We Bring You Home!

A couple of months ago, you couldn’t hear anything else for the low roar of Swine Flu talk. It was on television, the radio, the subject of every casual conversation, email, chat and tweet.

And then Iranians revolted, Michael Jackson died and swine flu seemingly ceased to exist. Travelers: breathe a sigh of relief. But according to a leading travel medicine doctor, you may still want to take that breath at least six feet from the closest coughing stranger.

While we fixated elsewhere, the number of Swine Flu cases grew to some 55,000 world wide. There’s been a case reported in nearly every country by now. So why isn’t Dr. David Freedman, director of the UAB Traveler’s Health Clinic (an Air Ambulance Card partner, see directory at left), sounding a code red for travelers? “The United States still has a whole lot of [Swine Flu] cases and people who worry about going to a foreign country and getting Swine Flu while there, I’d have to tell them their chances are probably greater getting it in New York City.”

Add to that, those who don’t travel much, the very young, are more likely to contract Swine Flu. Only 5% of cases are those over 50 years of age. Freedman says travelers in their 50′s and 60′s likely were exposed to a similar flu some 30 or 40 years ago and still carry some effective antibodies.

Still, there are some areas of concern. Flu viruses transmit better in winter. So travelers planning a trip to Australia, Chile, South Africa or anywhere far south of the equator should take precautions. Freedman recommends:

• Stay 5-6 feet from travelers who are coughing
• Wash hands frequently, especially before eating
• Carry tissues and hand them out to fellow travelers who are not covering their mouths when coughing or sneezing

But, perhaps most importantly, don’t become so fixated on Swine Flu that you neglect other travel health practices. Freedman says travelers headed for tropical or developing countries face far more serious health problems from diseases like malaria if they fail to get the necessary vaccines and medication. “They are probably more serious risks at this time,” says Freedman.

By now you know, if you are headed to Mexico… or states that border our friends to the south, the US and Mexican governments are urging certain precautions against contracting Swine Flu. Here are the highlights:

1. Avoid close contact.

2. Stay home when you are sick.

3. Cover your mouth and nose.

4. Clean your hands frequently.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

6. Practice other good health habits.

Of course, we at Air Ambulance Card recommend you take one added precaution. In the event you are hospitalized while traveling away from home, make sure youcan get home to the doctors and hospitals you trust. Air Ambulance Card flies sick or injured members home to the US or Canadian hospital OF THEIR CHOICE about a dedicated medical aircraft when they are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home, domestically or internationally. An affordable yearly membership fee covers all of your travel, business and pleasure. Mexico is a great place to vacation, but in the event of a medical emergency, don’t you want to be home?

I’ve always believed in Air Ambulance Card. Always known that if I got hurt on the road, I’d rather be home than in some random hospital. But it’s never scarier than when it happens to your young daughter. Last week, while on spring break in South Florida, we took the kids on a trek through Lion Country Safari. When our four year old daughter Phoebe couldn’t turn her neck to the see the lions, we knew something was wrong. By the time we got to the elephants, she was burning up with fever and limp as a wet rag. A quick search on the iPhone convinced my wife and I that Phoebe had Disney-Contracted Menengitis.

The next search found us a small hospital a few miles away. Amazingly, they had a Pediatric ER. A sharp doctor quickly diagnosed her with a peritonsillar abscess, which in kids can cut off the airway. A CAT Scan confirmed it. While the doctor was hopeful we could treat it with IV Antibiotics (and three lovely days in a South Florida hospital) there was a chance they would have to operate. That’s when I called my colleagues at Air Ambulance Card. They would have flown us home on a medical jet to be treated by our own doctors and recover at home.

Turns out, the drugs did the trick… but had our little girl needed surgery, there was no way I wanted it done there. Fine hospital, but not our pediatrician, not the Children’s Hospital where our other kids have been so kindly and competently cared for.

A trip to Florida is not exactly an exotic adventure… not something that strikes fear into the hearts of travelers. We know many people buy Medical Evacuation coverage when flying overseas, but our experience demonstrates how valuable this product is even a state or two away. For less than $300 a year, we are covered for all of our travel, and if we’d needed the flight, we wouldn’t have paid a dime. Thank goodness we didn’t use it, but it was sure nice to know we had it.

Atticus Rominger

Public Relations

Air Ambulance Card

Ok, what’s your favorite? I am a big fan of Urban Spoon, and think the Google Maps is as good as any Garmin. CNN.com has a few favorites. I love the Stanza App. Download books and mags… read ‘em on the plane from your iPhone. No wonder the paper industry is dying!

With Americans, and travelers around the world, watching every penny these days, of course trip cancellation insurance is important. According to a survey from InsureMyTrip, 85 percent consider the coverage “very important.” What grabbed our interest here at Air Ambulance Card though was a second stat. 70 percent of those surveyed rated medical evacuation coverage as “critical.” What we want to travelers to look at is the fine print of their medical evacuation policies. Many of the medevac clauses in standard trip insurance policies have “Nearest Appropriate Facility” or “Nearest US Facility” exlusions and “Medical Necessity” clauses. That means the company, not you and your doctor, decide if you will be transported. Not the peace of mind you are looking for. Shop around, then come back to Air Ambulance Card for peace of mind you can count on.

Some good suggestions from writer Laura Daily in the Kansas City Star for holiday travelers. As if you need something else to think about as you are trying to rush the family out the door. Still, take a few minutes to look it over… could save you a lot of time and many headaches.

Oh, and take special note of what she says about medical evacuation coverage… then go visit airambulancecard.com to enroll.

Here’s the article.