Getting ill when you’re away from home is something most of us have experienced. From having to explain your condition using your charades skills to taking medicines that are as foreign as the destination you’ve chosen, it’s not usually a situation you want to repeat. But what happens when your illness is much more serious than the sniffles or a sore throat? Kevin Melton, sales director at international private medical insurance provider AXA PPP International, explains the ins and outs of medical evacuation, why no self-respecting expat should ignore the danger, and how to make sure you're covered for all eventualities.

Medical evacuation

There are a variety of ways to medically evacuate people. It all depends on where the evacuation is taking place and the condition of the patient.

Most evacuations are carried out via commercial flights. This is only appropriate for medically stable and conscious patients who are able to breathe on their own. If the patient is evacuated in this way, it usually involves buying either an upper-class seat or a couple of extra coach seats.

Other types of evacuation are for patients who are medically unstable. The Lufthansa airline has intensive care units (ICU) aboard some regularly scheduled flights. This option is good if the patient is at a destination that Lufthansa serves.

The ICU units have state-of-the-art equipment, and the costs are controlled, because the flight is part of Lufthansa’s regular activity. However, it does mean the patient has to be at the right place at the right time, and the aircraft must be able to accommodate him or her, because the ICU takes up an area of coach seats.

Leading plastic surgeons called for tighter regulation of the cosmetic surgery industry this week, deeming it to be an under-regulated “wild west”.

The surgeons are members of the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), and perform cosmetic surgeries both in the NHS and at leading private hospitals.

Members of the association believed that adverts for cosmetic procedures, which feature in the tabloids and in women’s magazines, should be banned.

BAAPS president Fazal Fatah said, “Over the last decade the BAAPS has worked tirelessly to educate the public on the many aggressive marketing gimmicks that not only trivialise surgery but endanger the patient”.

“We have warned against the unrealistic expectations set by reality ‘makeover’ shows and against crass competition prizes promising ‘mummy makeovers’ and body overhauls.

Have you bravely stumbled into work when ill? You're not alone. According to a survey published this week, the majority of UK workers go to work despite being sick, largely because of fears over job security.

In a poll of 1,600 workers conducted by Nuffield Health, 72% said they had gone into work while sick on at least one occasion in the last year. More alarmingly, 53% admitted that they may have risked colleagues' health by coming to work.

Moving can be a stressful time – even if you’re just going down the road. But what if you’re moving halfway across the world? Along with sorting out your home, taxes, the kids' schooling and all of the other items on your to-do list, don’t forget about your health. Kevin Melton, sales and marketing director at AXA PPP International, talks about health tips and what you can do before you go to ensure a smooth sailing into your new life.

Vaccinations

Depending on where you’re going, you may need to get vaccinated. For the latest information, you can check out the World Health Organisation website, or, if you have international health insurance, your provider should be able to help you, via either a medical helpline or an online personalised service.

On 18 October, the British Library, research organisation UKOLN and the Association of Medical Research Charities will launch the findings of the Patients Participate! project, in an event entitled Health in the Headlines: Making Sense of the Science?

The event – which is part of the British Library’s TalkScience series – will be chaired by Tracey Brown, director of the charitable trust Sense about Science.

Prime minister David Cameron has said that the government will consider introducing a tax to tackle Britain’s growing obesity levels.

Denmark recently became the first country in the world to impose a ‘fat tax’ on unhealthy foods.

The tax was approved as part of a goal to increase the average life expectancy of Danes. There is now a surcharge of 16 kroner (£1.85) for every kilogram of saturated fat in a product.

Employees under the age of 30 are much more likely to take time of work because of a cold, according to a survey carried out by vitimin producer Multibionta. The study, which involved 3,000 working adults in the UK, showed that over 70% of under-30s had taken a sick day during the past year. Contrastingly, just 46% of over-55s said that they had taken a day off.

Relocating overseas with your family? Kevin Melton, sales director at AXA PPP International, has some advice on how to ensure the children stay healthy

Choosing to move to another country with your children can be a challenge for many reasons. Not only might you have to ‘sell’ the idea to your children, you also have to make sure the move is as safe and secure for them as possible.

Most importantly, you wouldn’t take any chances on your children’s health at home, so why would you when you go abroad?

Depending on where you’re going, your children may be exposed to a whole new set of germs, viruses and bacteria, so you may want to prepare for them becoming sick with minor ailments more frequently than might be normal. Coughs, colds, tummy bugs, rashes, allergies and viral illnesses are all possibilities. You can be prepared by taking basic medicines from home that you know your children are familiar with and respond well to.

Countries around the world have very different regulations on drugs. Prescription and over-the-counter medicines that are available legally in the UK are among the items that could get you into a lot of trouble in your destination country, as international healthcare insurance provider MediCare International explains.

The term ‘illegal drug trafficking’ usually refers to drugs such as heroin, cocaine and marijuana. However, the truth is that ‘drugs’ can also encompass pharmaceutical drugs, together with herbal medicines and locally made preparations.

With global travel becoming easier, and an increasingly transient workforce, assumptions regarding what may, or may not, be illegal have tended to slip off the radar for many.

Rules regarding the legality of drugs differ from country to country, so travellers should be aware of the local statutory position. Rather than just checking the weather forecast before they set off, they should ensure their prescription medicine isn’t actually banned – it could cause more than a headache otherwise.

Alison Massey, of specialist health insurance provider Now Health International, looks at recent developments in health and considers the importance of transparency from insurers in such a volatile landscape.

For those looking to further their careers, experience new cultures or gain a fresh perspective on the world, the expat lifestyle has many appeals. However, the benefits of being abroad go beyond emotional wellbeing, as was shown recently by the British medical establishment’s apparent acceptance that it has been pushing anti-sun exposure too far.

Britons have now been told by a range of medical organisations, including Cancer Research UK and the National Heart Forum, that ‘little and frequent’ sun exposure is good for them. Sunlight is, of course, the best source of vitamin D, which is thought to slow cell growth and spread. Around the Mediterranean, cases of prostate, colon and breast cancer are less common than in northern European countries.

But there is, of course, a great deal more to consider than the effects of the sun when it comes to expat health. When arranging your move abroad, extensive planning of the medical insurance needed is essential. What’s covered by the policy, and what isn’t?

One important point to keep in mind is the volatility of life away from home. Personal plans regarding location often change, and the medical landscape is anything but predictable. You need to be confident that the insurance covers the things you didn’t see coming.

By way of a recent example, the deadly cholera outbreak in Haiti marks what medical director at Bupa International Dr Sneh Khemka calls “a new era in modern medicine – the war on re-emerging diseases”. With the growth of cities, globalisation of world commerce and increase in air travel, he says, “Health professionals are fighting a constant battle to keep the spread of big killers at bay.” Particularly in developing economies, diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, polio and dengue fever are “back and on the rise.”

The advice from Dr Khemka is that, as well as ensuring they’ve had the necessary vaccinations before moving to another country and giving their children the right childhood immunisations at the right ages, expatriates should familiarise themselves with the local healthcare system. How do they access care in an emergency? Are they insured by an organisation with good local knowledge?

Evacuation cover, a possibly dubious expense in developed countries with decent medical services, is critical in underdeveloped, high-risk places, particularly when disaster strikes, as in Haiti. Even if expats can afford the bills for a medical evacuation – which can exceed £50,000 before treatment even begins – they certainly won’t know how to negotiate their way to instant treatment at the right hospital. As medical journalist Peter Pallot puts it, “The ability to call in medical assistance specialists, contracted to insurers, saves lives. Swift intervention, that is not available locally, avoids or minimises long-term damage to health.”

It’s also important to find out exactly what constitutes an emergency to the insurer, and what evacuation would mean for the expat’s dependants. Portability – cover that can be continued in another country without re-underwriting – requires similar consideration. Will cover endure if the expat moves?

In such a complex, transient world, it’s absolutely imperative, when planning to move abroad, that you choose a health insurance company which is completely transparent about what is and isn’t covered, and at what cost. You shouldn’t have to sift through reams of small print to find out where you stand. The insurer should also demonstrate local knowledge and an understanding of the ever-shifting sphere. From that comes peace of mind, which means you can focus on the benefits of the expat life, relax a little, and perhaps soak up a few rays. As we now know, sunlight, like most things, is great in moderation.

Now Health International is strategically placed to serve the main expat hubs and global emerging markets, having offices in Hong Kong, Dubai and the UK.

For more information, see www.now-health.com