Health & Insurance

Travel Insurance

The cost of travel insurance varies widely, depending on the destination, the cost and length of your trip, your age and health, and the type of trip you're taking, but expect to pay between 5% and 8% of the vacation itself. You can get estimates from various providers through InsureMyTrip.com. Enter your trip cost and dates, your age, and other information, for prices from more than a dozen companies.

U.K. citizens and their families who make more than one trip abroad per year may find an annual travel insurance policy works out cheaper. Check www.moneysupermarket.com, which compares prices across a wide range of providers for single- and multi-trip policies.

Most big travel agents offer their own insurance and will probably try to sell you their package when you book a holiday. Think before you sign. Britain's Consumers' Association recommends that you insist on seeing the policy and reading the fine print before buying travel insurance. The Association of British Insurers (tel. 020/7600-3333; www.abi.org.uk) gives advice by phone and publishes Holiday Insurance, a free guide to policy provisions and prices. You might also shop around for better deals: Try Columbus Direct (tel. 0870/033- 9988; www.columbusdirect.net).

Medical Insurance -- For travel overseas, most U.S. health plans (including Medicare and Medicaid) do not provide coverage, and the ones that do often require you to pay for services upfront and reimburse you only after you return home.

As a safety net, you may want to buy travel medical insurance, particularly if you're traveling to a remote or high-risk area where emergency evacuation might be necessary. If you require additional medical insurance, try MEDEX Travel Insurance and Emergency Assistance (tel. 800/732-5309; www.medexassist.com) or Travel Assistance International (tel. 800/821-2828; www.travelassistance.com; for general information on services, call the company's Worldwide Assistance Services, Inc., at tel. 800/777-8710).

Canadians should check with their provincial health plan offices or call Health Canada (tel. 866/225-0709; www.hc-sc.gc.ca) to find out the extent of their coverage and what documentation and receipts they must take home in case they are treated overseas.

Lost-Luggage Insurance -- On international flights (including U.S. portions of international trips), baggage coverage is limited to approximately US$9.07 (£4.57) per pound, up to approximately US$635 (£320) per checked bag. If you plan to check items more valuable than what's covered by the standard liability, see if your homeowner's policy covers your valuables, get baggage insurance as part of your comprehensive travel-insurance package, or buy Travel Guard's "BagTrak" product.

If your luggage is lost, immediately file a lost-luggage claim at the airport, detailing the luggage contents. Most airlines require that you report delayed, damaged, or lost baggage within 4 hours of arrival. The airlines are required to deliver luggage, once found, directly to your house or destination for free.

Trip-Cancellation Insurance -- Trip-cancellation insurance will help retrieve your money if you have to back out of a trip or depart early, or if your travel supplier goes bankrupt. Trip cancellation traditionally covers such events as sickness, natural disasters, and State Department advisories. The latest news in trip-cancellation insurance is the availability of expanded hurricane coverage and the "any-reason" cancellation coverage -- which costs more but covers cancellations made for any reason. You won't get back 100% of your prepaid trip cost, but you'll be refunded a substantial portion. TravelSafe (tel. 888/885-7233; www.travelsafe.com) offers both types of coverage. Expedia also offers any-reason cancellation coverage for its air-hotel packages. Trip-cancellation insurance makes good sense as the Cayman Islands are prone to hurricanes.

For details, contact one of the following recommended insurers: Access America (tel. 800/729-6021; www.accessamerica.com), AIG Travel Guard (tel. 800/826-4919; www.travelguard.com), Travel Insured International (tel. 800/243-3174; www.travelinsured.com), and Travelex Insurance Services (tel. 800/228-9792; www.travelex-insurance.com).

Health

General Availability of Health Care -- There are no particular health concerns in the Cayman Islands. It is one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean, with the best and most comprehensive facilities found on Grand Cayman.

While medical facilities are fully developed on Grand Cayman, only adequate clinics are available on Little Cayman or Cayman Brac. If a visitor develops a serious illness while vacationing on the two smaller sibling islands, he or she is quickly airlifted to George Town. Grand Cayman also has a decompression chamber. All victims of scuba diving accidents in the Cayman Islands are immediately taken or airlifted to this facility.

On Grand Cayman it's easy to get over-the-counter medicine if necessary, less so on Cayman Brac or Little Cayman. If you're visiting these smaller islands, stock up on whatever medication you think you'll need.

Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage. Carry written prescriptions in generic, not brand-name, form, and dispense all prescription medications from their original labeled vials. Many people try to slip drugs such as cocaine into the Cayman Islands (or pick them up there). Drugs are often placed into a container for prescription medication after the legal medications have been removed. Customs officials are well aware of this type of smuggling and often check medications if they suspect a passenger is bringing illegal drugs into or out of a country.

Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT) (tel. 716/754-4883 or, in Canada, 416/652-0137; www.iamat.org) for tips on travel and health concerns in the countries you're visiting, and for lists of local doctors. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (tel. 800/311-3435; www.cdc.gov) provides up-to-date information on health hazards by region or country and offers tips on food safety. Travel Health Online (www.tripprep.com), sponsored by a consortium of travel medicine practitioners, may also offer helpful advice on traveling abroad. You can find listings of reliable medical clinics overseas at the International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org).

Common Ailments
Sun Exposure -- The Cayman sun can be brutal. Wear sunglasses and a hat, and use sunscreen liberally. Limit your time on the beach the first day. If you do overexpose yourself, stay out of the sun until you recover. If fever, chills, headache, nausea, or dizziness follows your overexposure to the sun, see a doctor.

Bugs & Bites -- One of the biggest menaces is the "no-see-ums," which appear mainly in the early evening. You can't see these gnats, but you sure can "feel-um." Mosquitoes are also a nuisance. Window screens don't keep these critters out, so carry bug repellent.

What to Do If You Get Sick Away from Home -- Finding a good doctor in the Cayman Islands is not a problem, and all of them speak English.

For travel abroad, you may have to pay all medical costs upfront and be reimbursed later. Medicare and Medicaid do not provide coverage for medical costs outside the U.S. Before leaving home, find out what medical services your health insurance covers. To protect yourself, consider buying medical travel insurance. The Cayman Islands and the U.K. do not have a mutual insurance agreement. U.K. citizens looking for advice on healthy travel and medical insurance, see www.dh.gov.uk/travellers.

Very few health insurance plans will pay for medical evacuation back to the U.S. (which can cost US$10,000 and up). A number of companies offer medical evacuation services anywhere in the world. If you're ever hospitalized more than 150 miles from home, MedjetAssist (tel. 800/527-7478; www.medjetassistance.com) will pick you up and fly you to the hospital of your choice virtually anywhere in the world in a medically equipped and staffed aircraft 24 hours day, 7 days a week. Annual memberships are US$225 individual, US$350 family; you can also purchase short-term memberships.

If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure. Pack prescription medications in your carry-on luggage, and carry them in their original containers, with pharmacy labels -- otherwise they won't make it through airport security. Carry the generic name of prescription medicines, in case a local pharmacist is unfamiliar with the brand name.

Drugstore and pharmacies are not plentiful, but adequate. They stock most generic drugs; however, if you are on special drugs it is best to arrive in the Caymans with an adequate supply and not count on local pharmacies. At Cayman hospitals you will need to be covered by health insurance -- or else be prepared to pay in cash or with a credit card.

Healthy Travels to You -- The following government websites offer up-to-date health-related travel advice.

U.S.: www.cdc.gov/travel

Staying Safe

Violent crime is rare in the Cayman Islands, but petty thefts, pickpocketing, and purse snatchings occasionally occur. There have been incidents of sexual assault, some reportedly involving the use of so-called "date rape" drugs, such as Rohypnol. To avoid becoming a victim of a crime, visitors should exercise common sense and take basic precautions, including being aware of one's surroundings, not walking alone after dark or in remote areas, and using reasonable caution when offered food or beverages from strangers.

The loss or theft abroad of a passport should be reported immediately to the local police. U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State's pamphlet, A Safe Trip Abroad, for ways to experience a trouble-free journey. The pamphlet is available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402; via the Internet at www.gpoaccess.gov; or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov.

Safety & Security for Scuba Divers -- On average, one American citizen per month drowns or suffers cardiac arrest while snorkeling or scuba diving in the Cayman Islands. These deaths may be attributed to tourists attempting to do more than they are trained to do or may be due to poor physical fitness or preexisting medical conditions that are exacerbated when snorkeling or diving. Know and respect your limits. Inexperienced or first-time divers should obtain proper training, and may wish to undergo a physical examination before diving. Divers Alert Network (tel. 800/446-2671 or 919/684-8111; www.diversalertnetwork.org) insures scuba divers.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Portable Cayman Islands, 3rd Edition Author: Darwin Porter Pub Date: September 24, 2007 Price: $12.99				Related Titles: Bahamas For Dummies, 4th Edition Caribbean For Dummies, 4th Edition Frommer's Bahamas 2008