* Always carry the name, telephone and fax numbers of your personal doctor.

* Always examine your health plan before leaving overseas and avoid making last minute decisions.

* Don’t authorize any major health services or tests such as CT scans on your own without permission from your insurance carrier.

* If you are planning to have children, make sure your current health plan covers maternity costs. Many plans don’t cover childbirth or only cover it after a 10 to 12 month moratorium. Other health plans will cover maternity as a pre-existing condition so that it either won’t be covered at all or only to a certain maximum. Childbirth expenses can be extremely high so don’t take a chance.

* Avoid changing insurance companies if you currently have a medical condition which is being treated or may reoccur. This is because your new plan may not cover that condition because of the pre-existing clauses in many health plans.

* Ask about the company’s emergency procedures. What happens if you become injured and need medical assistance immediately? Is their Assistance Center staffed 24 hours a day? How quickly and effectively will their medical staff react to your particular needs? If their 800 emergency number doesn’t operate from where you are, will they accept collect calls?
  

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