Health & Insurance

Travel Insurance

The cost of travel insurance varies widely, depending on 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.

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. Permissible reasons for trip cancellation can range from sickness to natural disasters to the State Department declaring a destination unsafe for travel.

For more information, contact one of the following recommended insurers: Access America (tel. 866/807-3982; www.accessamerica.com); Travel Guard International (tel. 800/826-4919; www.travelguard.com); Travel Insured International (tel. 800/243-3174; www.travelinsured.com); and Travelex Insurance Services (tel. 888/457-4602; www.travelex-insurance.com).

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 Assistance (tel. 410/453-6300; 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).

Lost Luggage Insurance -- On international flights (including U.S. portions of international trips), baggage coverage is limited to approximately $9.07 per pound, up to approximately $635 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 free of charge.

Health & Safety

Staying Healthy -- Chile poses few health risks to travelers, and no special vaccinations are required. In fact, there are no poisonous plants or animals in Chile either. Nevertheless, standard wisdom says that travelers should get tetanus and hepatitis boosters before leaving.

Dietary Ailments -- Few visitors to Chile experience anything other than run-of-the-mill traveler's stomach in reaction to unfamiliar foods and any microorganisms in them, but even this is uncommon. Chile's tap water is clean and safe to drink, but bottled water is widely available throughout Chile for wary travelers. The only exception is in San Pedro de Atacama -- do not under any circumstances drink tap water while in that town, as it contains trace amounts of arsenic. As a general rule, it's best to eat shellfish only in reputable restaurants or those that are near the sea and receive fresh supplies daily.

Altitude Sickness -- Altitude sickness, known as soroche or puna, is a temporary yet often debilitating affliction that affects about a quarter of travelers to the northern altiplano, or the Andes at 2,400m (7,872 ft.) and up. Nausea, fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, and feeling "out of it" are the symptoms, which can last from 1 to 5 days. If affected, drink plenty of water, take aspirin or ibuprofen, and avoid alcohol and sleeping pills -- or better yet, avoid the condition by acclimatizing yourself by breaking the climb to higher regions into segments.

Sun & the Ozone Layer -- Do not take this lightly. Chile's ozone layer, especially in the southern region and Patagonia, is thinner than in the U.S. or Europe, and you'll burn a lot faster here, especially if you're in high altitudes. In Patagonia, "red alert" days (Sept-Nov) mean that fair-skinned visitors can burn within 10 minutes. Protect yourself with sunblock, a long-sleeved shirt, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses. Slap sunscreen on even when at the beach in Viña.

General Availability of Health Care

Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT; tel. 716/754-4883 or, in Canada, 416/652-0137; www.iamat.org) for tips on travel and health concerns, and for lists of local, English-speaking doctors. The U.S. Embassy in Santiago (tel. 2/232-2600; www.usembassy.cl), also has a list of English-speaking doctors that you can download from their website. 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. The website 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 clinics overseas at the International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org).

What to Do if You Get Sick Away From Home

Medical care in Santiago is world-class, and many doctors are English-speaking. In smaller towns, always visit a private clinic instead of a public hospital. Some rural areas have only a basic clinic, and you'll need to travel to the nearest large town for more complicated procedures. We list hospitals and emergency numbers under "Fast Facts" throughout this guide.

If you suffer from a chronic illness, consult your doctor before your departure -- especially if planning to visit high altitudes. 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.

For travel abroad, you may have to pay all medical costs upfront and be reimbursed later.

Staying Safe

Chile is one of the safest countries in Latin America, with little political unrest, corruption, or violent crime. A traveler's principal concerns are pickpockets and break-ins, which are on the rise in cities like Santiago. Never leave valuables in your rental car, and always keep a close eye on your belongings when in public.

Police officers wear olive-green uniforms and are referred to as carabineros, or colloquially as pacos. Never, ever, think about bribing a police officer -- you'll be taken straight to the comiseria (police station). Chile's police force is fair and courteous to travelers, if just not very effective when it comes to petty crime. If you've been robbed, you're insurance company will most likely ask for a police report, called a constancia, which you can get at any police station.