International Medical

Rarely do we give a thought of having adequate medical insurance coverage until we actually need it, and then it is often too late. Don't make the mistake of waiting, particularly when moving to a new country! One of the most important criteria when relocating to a new country is the accessibility and quality of medical care. Each person has individual health maintenance needs, but we recommend reducing the financial risk as a result of a terminal illness or accident which requires ongoing medical care.

Until you are comfortable utilizing the national or social health care system, buy a short-term international major medical policy. It is inexpensive and you can pay for it on a month to month basis. After you have relocated find a local doctor or primary physician you are comfortable with and review your medical needs. Many expatriates find adequate local medical care but still prefer an international health insurance policy which gives them the choice to choose any doctor they wish, including private hospitals and medical practitioners, as well as the option of returning to the US for medical treatment. Feel free to call us with your needs. We can also tell you if there are English speaking doctors at your destination along with their credentials. You can reach us toll free at 800.647.4589 with the US or Canada or 001.480.821.9052 worldwide. Feel free to email us at health@globalcitizeninsurance.com.

Featured Country: Germany

Like all European economies, Germany did not escape the international economic crisis. Its economy contracted 5.3% (according to IMF estimates) in 2009, one of the most serious recessions in Europe. The German government rescue plan to bolster the banking system (around 500 billion euro) has restored confidence. A small positive economic growth rate of 0.3% is expected for 2010.

With its 82 millions inhabitants, Germany is the biggest market in the European Community. The country has a long history of industrial development and offers opportunities for potential subcontractors in the automotive industries, machinery and equipment, chemistry, information technologies, etc.

The German American Chambers of Commerce, based in New York with branches in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia ! and San Francisco offer a broad range of services to their member companies and their websites offer good resources for doing business with Germany. For further details also visit their joint web portal.

Germany is also the location of many of the largest trade shows in the world. The largest of all is the Hannover Messe, this year to be held April 19-23 in Hannover. In 2010 the spotlight of the Messe will be industrial automation, energy, technology, industrial subcontracting and cutting-edge technologies. U.S. companies should consider exhibiting at the fair in the U.S. Commercial Service’s American Business Center, co-sponsored by FEDEX and Hannover Fairs USA.

To find business partners and sources for German goods take a look at the Federal German Ministry of Economics and Technology’s eTrade Center, a database of most German companies that are looking for trade opportunities. For Visa, Education and Business Travel, look at the Website of the German Missions in the United States. And for other general purpose and more useful links, visit Deutschland.de , the German Information Portal. If you are needing international health and life insurance, then visit http://www.globalcitizeninsurance.com/ or http://www.worldwidemedical.com./ don't forget also the website of the U.S. Commercial Service in Germany. The site gives extensive information about the markets and business culture there.

If that's not enough, you'll also find plenty of good research at the German Mini Portal, a feature of the FITA Web site. The German Mini Portal has an overview of Germany, with facts about the language, currency, climate, etc., plus more specific information about the economy, markets, taxes, labor market indicators and tips on doing business in Germany.

Featured Country: NORWAY

Norway is on the northern edge of the European continent and the eastern edge of the Scandinavian Peninsula. More than 50% of its border is the maritime coast of the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas.

Norway is not a member of the European Union. Together with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, it is part of the European Free Trade Association. But because Norway is also a member of the European Economic Area, economic rules are the same as the European Union for several industry sectors.

Norway is a small country of only 4.8 million inhabitants. Nevertheless, the country is the third largest oil exporter in the world and the second largest seafood exporter. 60% of the country’s trade is with other European countries. Services such as maritime freight, finance and services to enterprises make up 50% of Norway’s GDP.

To evaluate business opportunities with Norway visit Nortrade, the official Norwegian trade portal. The website provides Norwegian business news, industrial studies and directories of Norwegian companies indexed by industry sector.

To learn more about the country, visit Norway.org, the official site in the United States, or the website of FITA member association Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce. And don't forget also the website of the U.S. Commercial Service in Norway. The site offers extensive information about the markets and business culture there.

Medical facilities are widely available and of high quality, but may be limited outside the larger urban areas. The remote and sparse populations in northern Norway and the dependency on ferries to cross fjords of western Norway may affect transportation and ready access to medical facilities. Click Here for an International Health Insurance Quote.

According to Corporate Risk International, while Norway enjoys an extremely low crime rate, criminal activity has increased over the past few years. The rise in crime rates is attributed to the increased use of narcotics and activity of criminal youth gangs. Instances of pick-pocketing and purse-snatching are common in major tourist areas, train and transit stations, hotel lobbies, and high transit areas. Thieves, many from Eastern Europe, have been known to break into homes both during broad daylight and at night, while the occupants are asleep. Residential burglaries and petty thefts are the most prevalent crimes, with the former witnessing a 37% increase in 2008.

In July 2008, at least 16 tour buses, nearly half from Spain, were vandalized at various locations in Oslo, causing some tour operators to consider halting trips to the city. In one instance, a bus carrying Spanish tourists was set on fire near the new Opera House on the waterfront just two days after its windshield was smashed. Two other buses parked in the Vika district had their windows smashed and a number of valuables, including DVDs and a GPS device, were stolen.

The overall threat of violent and weapons-related crime is low in the city; however, such incidents are increasingly reported, particularly in areas known to have drug and gang activity, including certain areas of eastern Oslo. As incidents of rape and sexual assaults are on the rise, female foreign nationals are urged to remain alert, particularly when walking alone or at night.

Although there is a low risk of terrorism in Oslo, foreign terrorist organizations have been known to operate in the city. According to Norwegian security officials, the terrorist threat in Oslo has risen and Norway may serve as a potential recruiting ground and source of financing for terror groups operating abroad. In addition, several radical Islamist clerics are based in the city and could potentially incite acts of extremism. In February 2008, Oslo police arrested three individuals on suspicion of financing terror groups.

While the threat of kidnapping in Oslo is low, it should not be discounted. Though organized crime exists in Norway, their activities are largely underground and rarely affect foreign nationals.

The overall threat of civil unrest is low; however, there were a number of uncharacteristically violent protests in Oslo in late December 2008 and early January 2009 against the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Several of these demonstrations, which were held largely by groups of immigrant Muslim youths near the Israeli Embassy and in the central parts of downtown Oslo, saw tear gas deployed to subdue violent protestors. On two occasions, demonstrations turned into riots, resulting in attacks on police with fireworks and the smashing of police vehicles. Additionally, at least five fast food restaurants were damaged by rioters, who had apparently received SMS text messages indicating that these restaurants were financially supporting Israel.

In July 2009, about 100 ethnic Uighurs waving their national flag gathered outside China's Embassy in Oslo, demanding that China end violence and ethnic discrimination in Xinjiang. Two people were injured in the protest, including one who attempted to scale the embassy fence, and 11 demonstrators were detained.

Protests against specific U.S. Government positions have been staged at the American Embassy and in the central areas of Oslo. Such demonstrations have remained largely peaceful and have not targeted U.S. citizens.

Oslo police are professional and cooperative, with excellent equipment and an efficient response time. Law enforcement personnel in Norway are well trained and largely fluent in English. Foreigners should note that police will not usually come to the scene of routine incidents such as minor traffic accidents.

Most Dangerous Areas
Crime typically occurs around the main tourist center, including Karl Johans gate and park-piazza area, the Stortinget, the Basarhallene, the Domkirke, the Nationaltheatret, the Royal Palace, the train station Oslo Sentralstasjon (Oslo S), and the bus terminal Bussterminalen. The area around the city's plethora of museums is also home to pickpockets, which includes the areas in and around the Munch Museum, the Viking Ships Museum, the Kontiki Museum, the Fram Museum, the Norwegian Maritime Museum, and the Norwegian Folk Museum. As in all foreign cities, foreign nationals are urged to limit travel after dark and to travel in groups whenever possible.

SWINE FLU - IT'S BACK!!!

Well i guess it never left. The World Health Organization, better known as WHO has raised the SWINE FLU to level 6 which is Pandemic Level. This is the first flu epidemic in over 41 years. This is quite a historical moment in modern day medicine. The last pandemic — the Hong Kong flu of 1968 — killed about 1 million people according to the Associated Press. The New York Times reported the Hong Kong Flu "killed about 700 million people worldwide"

What does that mean for you? If you are traveling abroad, then be prepared for possible delays as foreign and domestic health officials screen for fever and flu symptoms. Worse case scenario is you would be quarantined and not be allowed to travel.

This could be the tip of the SWINE FLU iceberg, other possible affects are decreased global trade, local and regional panic or global hysteria.

As always keep a level head, be informed and prepared. Receive up to date Country and City Health Profiles when you apply for our Global Citizen or Travel Gap international health insurance policies.

Quote for Your Week

"We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers." - Carl Sagan

Knowledge is key. We try to prepare our clients with the necessary information to receive assistance and medical care when traveling. This vital information can be retrieved by accessing our website, mobile device or telephone.

Our clients have access to Country, City, Security and Health data for your destination.

Our clients have access to drug and medical phrases translations

Our clients have access to English speaking doctors and medical centers in 180 countries

Need travel assistance or international health insurance? Please call or email us for personal service.

Air Security International

Produced in partnership with ASI Group, The Global Citizen International Health Insurance Security Profiles are specifically designed for the international traveler. These up-to-date reports contain critical information about terrorism, crime, kidnapping, and political stability. In addition, the reports contain important practical information, including cultural tips and the status of telephone service in the country. All of our Global Citizen clients can access these profiles at no additional charge.

Knowledge is key to prevention and preparation.

Combating Swine Flu: Global Citizen Insurance Offers Tips to Travelers

Over one million American businesspeople, expatriates, students studying abroad and vacationers are already in Mexico. For those travelers, the Global Citizen Insurance offers five basic tips:

Do your homework. Smart travelers should take time to understand the nature of Swine Flu, including its symptoms and transmission. (READ MORE)

Know the hospital emergency rooms in your destination. This is a step that people rarely take the time to consider, but understanding the local healthcare landscape in a city such as Mexico City can be important, especially in an emergency. As a client you have online and mobile resoureces to identify reliable emergency rooms throughout Mexico and in Mexico City neighborhoods typically frequented by U.S. visitors. You don’t want to rely on the hotel concierge for a recommendation on a good doctor or hospital.

Understand what medications are needed. Tamiflu® or Relenza® are the drugs of choice. Tamiflu is not available commercially but has been stockpiled by the government in adequate supplies and is being dispensed via large hospitals. Relenza has been commercially available in Mexico but demand may exceed supply. As a Global Citizen International Health Insurance client you have access to drug translations and interpreters via mobile device, web or 24 hour telephone asssitance.

Know the language, at least a little bit. In an emergency situation, a language barrier can be tragic. If you don’t speak the local language, have a translation tool or resource with you.
Don’t panic. The outbreak of Swine Flu has garnered international media attention. Even though the Centers for Disease Control have advised against non-essential travel to Mexico, stay informed and keep you perspective – you might not have to cancel that trip just yet. Sign up for travel alerts, they can be sent via email or SMS Text Message.

“Knowledge is the great equalizer; everyone who is traveling to Mexico City should immerse themselves in facts and not simply listen to the rumors,” said Angelo Masciantonio, director and CEO, HTH Worldwide. “There are numerous technologies and tools that will help you remain informed about the true nature of this outbreak. If a traveler does encounter swine flu or other issues while abroad, it’s critical that they receive high quality healthcare,

Remember as a Global Citizen Insurance client you have access to a global network of more than 5,000 hospitals and English-speaking doctors in 180 countries. This network includes twenty-one hospitals and 84 doctors in Mexico City alone.

Digital IDs Will Allow US Citizens to Clear Forign Customs Easier

For the first time, U.S. travelers flying overseas may avoid customs lines at a foreign airport by swiping a digital ID card. Read More

Advocates say this will open doors for much more..... "more of what." I hardly find Passport Control a deterent from traveling abroad or returning / visiting the USA. Will your passport picture be replaced with a digital image of your iris?

Withoug having to sacrafice a copy of your fingerprint, you can receive pre-trip information regarding customs, entry visa or city profiles for any country you are traveling to when you purchase our Global Citizen, Travel Gap and Trip Protector international health insurance policies. Call us at 800-647-4589 for your free destination profile.

Spiritual Tours and Mission Trips

Mission trips, volunteer tourism and spiritual tours are a great way to spend your vacation. Wither you are visiting Egypt as an ancient sacred homeland or spending your summer vacation on a humanitarian, eco-tourism or mission trip, people are planning their time off with the intention of more than just relaxing on the beach. While the world economic crisis forces many consumers to change spending habits, at least one of Italy's tourism sectors has boomed... read more. Vacations or tourism with a purpose is not new and many churches and religious mission organizations organize trips for individuals and groups who want to spend a couple days, weeks or even months helping people who are in need of basic food and shelter as well as spiritual nourishment. I can't of think of a better way of spending some of your personal time helping others abroad.

Eco-tourism is becoming very popular as citizens of the world are becoming more aware of the dwindling precious resources. What might be in abundance today could be extinct by the end of our generation. Animal species, fauna, flora and many other natural wonders are becoming destinations and people are traveling with an eco-friendly conscience investigating new ways of transportation and lodging that leave a smaller carbon footprint.

When planning your next mission trip, spiritual tour or eco-tour, check out our international health insurance for volunteers and individuals needing global, local and affordable coverage. Call us for references as we provide over 400 humanitarian and mission organizations with international health insurance.

U.S. saw record number of visitors in 2008

"A record number of foreigners visited the USA in 2008, thanks largely to an increasing number of Mexicans and Canadians on vacations or business trips, according to government reports. " Read more at USA Today

The article further states the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Travel Association say some Europeans, Asians, South Americans and Middle Easterners avoid flying to the US due to the difficulty in obtaining a Visa. We have client's contact us purchasing affordable visitors insurance because financial responsibility of the host is required to pay for any medical expenses. In addition to the security measures, it all adds up to a lot of red tape for the foreign visitor and US host. Does the measures increase our country's security? I don't know, but what i do know is the health insurance requirement reduces the cost of doctors, hospitals, local and federal government having to pay for incurred expenses of non-US Citizens temporarily in the U.S.

Is you, a family member or colleague is visiting the US, then we recommend taking a look at one of our affordable health insurance plans for visitors or immigrants. Check out our Atlas or Inbound Immigrant plan for visitors and our Amigo short term health insurance and Citizen Secure policies for foreign nationals residing or immigrating to the U.S. http://www.immigrationhealth.com/ or http://www.overseashealth.com/.

Misconception #6 about COBRA

From Kiplinger

“Misconception #6: You can receive the COBRA subsidy the entire time you're covered by COBRA.

Federal law requires most companies with 20 or more employees to let former employees keep group health-insurance coverage for up to 18 months after they leave their jobs. But the 65% COBRA subsidy lasts for only nine months. After that, the premiums will jump back to the full price - and the average employer health-insurance plan costs $12,680 per year for family coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

…. And COBRA does not apply if the company stops offering health coverage to current employees or shuts down entirely.”

So the average family would still have to pay $6,498.52 per year for COBRA and it is only valid for 18 months. Read more about COBRA

If you want an affordable option to COBRA or will be receiving Medicare benefits within the next year or want a more affordable health insurance, then consider short term health insurance. You can save 20 - 50% for up to 12 months of major medical coverage. Visit http://www.bestshorttermplan.com/ for more information.

If you are like and located in the US, then you know how fragile the US economy is. Many US Citizens are investigating offshore investments and even relocating outside the US to protect their bank accounts and assets from the unavoidable tax increase, especially family making over $250,000.00. If you are considering relocating or retiring abroad, then visit our website for more information on international health insurance. Many people are pleasantly surprised to find our Global Citizen International Health Insurance is less expensive than traditional or domestic policies and it costs less money out of pocket for medical expenses incurred abroad.

Not ALL International Health Insurance is the same

Get Hip to HIPAA before heading overseas

Navigating your health plan to get the most out of your benefits can be a challenge —the administrative hurdles alone can sometimes be daunting.

But for international travelers there’s a little known trapdoor that can open large gaps in healthcare coverage that quickly spiral beyond your control, exposing world travelers to significant financial risk.

Traveling or residing outside the U.S. for six months or more often means that one of the key benefits of a health insurance plan—coverage of pre-existing conditions—is in jeopardy when you return home. How so? If you’re not hip to HIPAA, you wouldn’t know - the catch is in the fine print of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (link: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_hipaa.html.)

Unless you are enrolled in a well-designed international health insurance program, you can be caught up in technicalities that subject you to a 12-month waiting period for a pre-existing condition when you return home and re-enroll in a domestic group health plan. Even if you purchased another plan to fill the gap, HIPAA rules permit the group plan to institute the waiting period. That’s bad news if you have developed a serious medical condition in the meantime.

Doesn’t sound fair? Well, it’s all perfectly legal. The waiting period can be reduced or eliminated if the time you spent in your alternative health plan is viewed as “creditable coverage” and applied as an offset. But that decision is made unilaterally by the health plan.

What’s the answer? Staying healthy certainly helps. But if you want to do more than cross your fingers (and that is what this is all about) do your homework before heading out of the country, like this smart person did (at least we think she’s smart… she chose a product we offer) (link: http://francesandaustin.blogspot.com/2009/03/swiss-doctor-worldwide-health-insurance.html).

If you are employed and posted abroad, ask your employer to enroll you in an international plan that provides seamless eligibility no matter how much time you spend abroad. If group coverage is not an option, choosing the right individual plan can help you avoid similar, even larger gaps in coverage.

Most individual international plans on the market are constructed and administered to minimize coverage for pre-existing conditions. They typically feature exclusions or very low benefit limits for conditions that were treated over the past two years. To your peril, they also define pre-existing conditions much more broadly than U.S. plans, and they don’t recognize the group plan you may be leaving as “creditable coverage.” Check to see if the individual plan you are considering is filed with U.S. state insurance regulators as an “admitted” plan. Check out our Global Citizen or Travel Gap Excursion.

Lastly, ask about what happens to your eligibility when you return home. Will the plan continue to offer benefits after your assignment ends? Many plans discontinue benefits after six months at home; others will cover you all the way up to age 84. This is a critical issue: you clearly don’t want to be left out in the cold as uninsurable.

The last thing you need when going abroad or coming home is to trip over technicalities and fall through a trapdoor . Be a savvy health insurance buyer. Ask the right questions and don’t leave anything to chance.