When did you become fearful of health issues when traveling

[nancyfrank232]

I never thought twice about health issues coming up during travel

My parents are in their 80s and I’m noticing that it’s always on the minds of their cohort every time they plan a trip. They constantly relay stories in the media about unplanned emergency visits to the hospital in a foreign land

Some of them even choose to not travel at all, citing potential unplanned health issues abroad (despite not having any health or mobility issues)

Do we get hyper anxious as we get older?

Has this happened to you already? When did it start being a concern when travelling?

 

[Dtail]

I thought about it for the first time on our cruise this year, even though there was no illness involved.
I didn't take and don't have any medivac type insurance.
Interesting topic. Am curious on the responses.

 

[freedomatlast]

Probably depends on whether the person or people were worriers their entire life...you know, the type that everything can be going perfectly and they can still find something to dwell or focus on, to worry about.

 

[VanWinkle]

I don't think about it yet, but my father seemed to worry about it once he hit 80. It may come at different ages for people, but I worry that it may slow me down from traveling in my later years.

 

[Nemo2]

Oct 20, 2018.

 

[Aerides]

Two probable factors:

1 - existing conditions. If they are starting to have illnesses and/or frailties, it makes sense that they'd have more concern for those when travelling than someone with zero medical challenges.

2 - (the biggie) that's what they are hearing from their peer group all the time. Traveling or not, medical topics make up a noticeable increase in small talk as one gets older. It's the big thing in common, replacing the weather.

 

[Sarah S]

I think it would be health status dependent. While any of us could have an accident or an unexpected medical emergency it’s going to be much more on your mind if you are medical compromised and frail.

The point in time when you get that way is going to be very different for different people

 

[MichaelB]

Some folks just seem to become more interested in health related topics as they age. The first sign of this happening is they start talking about health when they get together with others, instead of sports, travel, cars or other common topics.

 

[Ronstar]

About 55 years old. I have balance issues and accident prone. Fell and broke my wrist in Arizona. Solo trip. Drove to ER and got it casted.

So I tend to not get too crazy now out of town away from medical facilities.

 

[nancyfrank232]

Oct 20, 2018.

What prompted thinking about health concerns when travelling (as opposed to only thinking about the food, sights and fun)?

 

[Souschef]

Since almost all our traveling is cruising, our main concern is Norovirus. We carry a spray can of Lysol#3, and spray everything in our cabin. This includes telephone, remote controls, handles and drawer pulls, etc.

 

[Eagle43]

Just got back from a cruise. Flying back from Fort Lauderdale we put on masks (first time ever) because a guy seated in the row behind me was wheezing and coughing. We don't think we got anything on the cruise and were determined not to get sick on the plane. I used to laugh at the people wearing face masks. Not any more.

 

[Alan]

A few weeks after my 60th birthday I found myself in the ER feeling dizzy and with an irregular heartbeat. By the time I completed a bunch of tests and the cardiologist gave me the all-clear to travel, a few weeks later, we were 1 week behind our planned 6-month vacation with a whole bunch of reservations in place. I now had AFib and there was always the possibility of my heart going off to the races requiring a trip to the ER.

Prior to that I had never given much thought to serious health issues but had always ensured that I knew the in-network doctors and hospitals in the cities, foreign and US, for my BCBS PPO plan.

 

[LiveBelowMeans]

I had an issue this year while traveling in Europe. I now charge all my travel to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card as they have travel insurance and evacuation included. Jmho

 

[Fermion]

I wasn't *that* concerned at age 49 until a few weeks ago. I had even made a post on here lamenting our limited network ACA health insurance and the emergency only coverage available outside network.

Then I went to Disney in Florida and came down with the flu (after getting a flu shot several months ago) and then got yet another secondary infection that about felt like I was dying. Eventually I went to a urgent care center in Florida and paid $175 flat fee for what turned out to be an amazing amount of tests (blood, urine, xray, a shot of steroids) and a prescription for antibiotics to help wiith the secondary infection.

I am better now but it opened my eyes how helpless you feel when way outside your network and in a condition where you really don't feel like moving at all.

Now I either want to stay near home or move to a state with a big network (like Florida blue cross)

 

[Alan]

I currently have travel insurance worldwide with my bank, up to age 70. In less than 6 years I'm going to have to start looking for travel insurance when traveling overseas. Something else to look forward to.

 

[Nemo2]

What prompted thinking about health concerns when travelling (as opposed to only thinking about the food, sights and fun)?

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...today-2018-version-90060-103.html#post2129043

Posts 2048/9 (and others).

I'd just turned 76 a month earlier. The, totally unanticipated, (and unverifiable), TIA was not confirmed by subsequent tests in Spain or here in Canada.

This year I have had kidney stone blastings, (yet another scheduled for January 17), hospitalization which included contracting sepsis, prostate laser surgery....

We are hoping, (hope being the operative word), that I will be eligible for medical travel insurance sometime this year; it'll be expensive, but the writing is on the wall and we'd like at least a couple more trips* before we have to pack it in.

(*We have our eyes on one of 3 transatlantics in the Spring to take us to Europe, (we want to visit Ukraine, among other places).....but we're not holding our breath.

We have placed small, non-refundable, deposits for a Fall 2020 trip.)

Bottom line, I've gone from someone stair climbing thousands of steps a day, to concerns about insurance eligibility, in a proverbial heartbeat.

But....did 60 minutes on the elliptical, (interval settings with good resistance/angle), and have just received (but not yet used) a vibration machine, (purchased after discussion with another poster here).

Hope abounds.

(Added: Oh, and things can become more difficult in places where you don't speak their language, and they don't speak yours.....Catch 22, these are the places we like to go.)

 

[Car-Guy]

In my younger days when traveling internationally a good bit, I often worried about heath issues when traveling. Sometimes I'd check with the medical department to see what, if anything, was recommended for a particular area of travel. (e.g. shots). Since retiring I don't travel internationally (been there done that). Medical concerns never even cross my mind traveling here in the US.

 

[street]

Not that I fear it but I do think about it. When younger it never crossed my mind but as I age it is a reality of health issues at any time in our life.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

That is why we like Mexico, as if anything happens; a) We are relatively close to home, b) worst case it will not break the bank if it is an emergency, c) For the most part, where we go at least, HC is as good , if not better than the US.

 

[Amethyst]

My observation is that as people age, many do become hyper-conscious of health issues, their own and everybody else's. Also, the people who've chosen to stop traveling may have issues you don't know about. They are probably just using common sense.

In Africa, our group of travelers, many over 70 but all trim and healthy-looking, sometimes slept in tents with no electric power. One time, we slept out in the desert under the stars with no tent. How do you suppose the CPAP people would get along without their electric masks? How do people with bowel issues deal with a hole-in-the-ground lavatory?

Also, many interesting sites around the world need to be reached on foot. Old people, who don't have "mobility issues," still may be unsure of their footing and balance when it comes to ancient, uneven, slippery marble staircases and the like.

I never thought twice about health issues coming up during travel

My parents are in their 80s and I’m noticing that it’s always on the minds of their cohort every time they plan a trip. They constantly relay stories in the media about unplanned emergency visits to the hospital in a foreign land

Some of them even choose to not travel at all, citing potential unplanned health issues abroad (despite not having any health or mobility issues)

Do we get hyper anxious as we get older?

Has this happened to you already? When did it start being a concern when travelling?

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

I got sick and then HaloFIRE got sick on a transatlantic crossing. We got worse not better when we hit land in Europe. Eye opening. Then a good friend fell on a cruise we took together where she was summarily thrown off the ship in nowhere, Alaska. 2 days to patch together flights to get home for surgery. Now i think about it a lot. PS I'm prob the youngesr person on this board.

 

[folivier]

Since we were scuba divers and traveled frequently in Honduras, Belize, and the Caribbean we always had an evacuation policy. Quite frequently the island we were on only had a very basic clinic and infrequently had a decompression chamber. Sometimes there was a chamber but no one around who could run it!
Fast forward and we now carry a SPOT satellite messenger that has an evac. policy. Never had to use it but driving through northwest Canada to Alaska we realized in the event of an emergency we were hours or longer from a hospital with no cell service.
So while we don't worry we do prepare in advance for any medical care needs.

 

[Splash]

My healthcare concern while traveling started when we retired at 55. Only limited network insurance is available to us where we reside in WI. We snowbird in Florida for 4 months each year so we assume the financial risk. Becoming FL residents would fix this plus eliminate our state income tax but we just can't bring ourselves to be away from family for the 6+ months that would require.

 

[harllee]

About 10 years ago (when we were much healthier) DH and I were playing golf carrying our own clubs at Machrihanish Golf Course in Scotland (wonderful golf course for all you golfers). In Scotland you walk and take a caddy or carry your own clubs. Most courses do not have golf carts (they call them buggies in Scotland and they are frowned upon). We were very far from the clubhouse when DH stepped off a tee into a hole and sprained his knee, it immediately swelled. We had a heck of a time getting back to the clubhouse (no cellphone with us at that time). I carried both sets off clubs most of the way until we could get someone's attention and DH limped in. I took him to the local emergency room, they saw him immediately did x rays, etc and decided it was a sprain not a break. They loaned us crutches. The rest of the golf trip was a bust but DH made it home OK. We did not have travel insurance ( we always get it now). We were concerned about the hospital bill but they told us we owed nothing.