Half a world from home, a traveler to the Summer Olympic games in Bejing will wonder if good medical care is available. In fact, any visitor to China may seek competent care for a chronic health condition ,accident, contraction of an infectious disease or reaction to local air, food and water. With the prevalence of traditional, herbal medicine in China, the wary Westerner could easily encounter treatment that is not recognizable as “modern” medicine.

Planners in Beijing conservatively estimate that the 2008 Olympics will attract at least 500,000 visitors from outside China for the seventeen-day event in August. According to research published in the Journal of Travel Medicine, 8% of travelers to developing countries can be expected to seek medical care while abroad. Even this small fraction, amounting to over 2,300 Olympics visitors per day, will overwhelm the capacity of clinics, hospitals and doctors practicing western-style medicine in Beijing.

These daunting figures put a premium on careful preparation and the selection of high-quality travel health insurance and assistance services. Travelers should consider the following questions when visiting a developing country: What happens in an emergency? Where are the best doctors? Which hospitals provide the best care? How do I find a pharmacy, and are their medications reliable? What should I expect to pay for medical services and drugs?

The cost and quality of medical care in China, along with the availability and reliability of prescription medications, are unpredictable, and steps should be taken to avoid surprises. The prudent traveler should get clearance to travel from his or her own physician, have an ample supply of prescription medicines, avoid behaviors that could cause injury or exacerbate an illness, and obtain a travel insurance policy from a company that strives to create access to carefully selected providers and medical care around the world.

One Option to Consider

Among the various plans on the market, there is a new program of medical assistance services and insurance benefits that far exceed traditional offerings and are designed to help travelers to China and the Beijing Olympics prepare to manage health risks and gain access to qualified medical care when they need it. HTH Worldwide’s TravelGap® China program is designed for the millions of Americans who visit China every year on business and leisure, including the hundreds of thousands who are expected to make the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games part of their China itinerary.

HTH has anticipated this capacity crunch and, through its international community of carefully selected, contracted medical providers has pre-arranged access during the Olympic Games to primary care services at clinics staffed by highly-qualified, English-speaking physicians. These facilities are operated by Beijing United Family Hospital and Hong Kong International Medical Clinics, which set the standard for healthcare services in Beijing. Members can call HTH twenty four hours a day to arrange an appointment, and they will be treated without incurring any out-of pocket expense. TravelGap China also includes pandemic evacuation services to assist members in the event of the rapid spread of an infectious disease such as avian flu.

Included with TravelGap China is access to HTH’s vital global health and safety databases, HTH Mobile Healthsm, available worldwide both online and via handheld communication devices. Members take with them emergency numbers, profiles of carefully selected doctors and hospitals, translation databases for medical conditions, brand name drugs and key medical phrases as well as up-to-the minute health and security alerts. Customers can access these databases via a convenient, electronic Medical Passport to China delivered online with purchase confirmation.

TravelGap China is a travel medical insurance program with up to $1 million in medical benefits, and a $0 deductible, that covers routine, urgent and emergency medical services. Benefits include coverage for pre-existing medical conditions and as well as $500,000 in medical evacuation costs. Pricing and benefits schedule are available online at www.hthtravelinsurance.com. Click on the “Traveling to China?” image or go directly to TravelGap China.

Getting the Care You Need Could be a Challenge

Emergency response to a medical crisis in major cities is not up to western standards. Ambulances in China are not well equipped. Although there is usually a nurse and a doctor onboard, they are not always prepared for real emergencies. They are not well trained in basic life support and do not carry a lot of medication. Public ground ambulances in Beijing generally respond quickly, but their responsiveness depends on the location of the medical emergency. Gridlock is rampant in Beijing, so traffic is a real struggle for ground ambulances. In rural areas, emergency medical services do not even exist. Although China is working hard to prepare for the Olympics, with hospital experts from France and the United States providing advice, it is unlikely that the emergency response system will improve significantly before the Summer of 2008.

In contrast, some private clinics operate their own ambulance service, and there are several well-trained, English-speaking physicians to greet Westerners upon arrival. There is no free medical care in China. Unless covered by a travel insurance company like HTH Worldwide which has contracted with physicians and hospitals in China, a traveler should expect to pay cash for medical services, whether at a private or public facility. Moreover, the care provided at public facilities, although generally inexpensive, is usually not up to Western standards.

Pharmacies in China are licensed to carry Western prescription and over-the-counter drugs, traditional Chinese medicines, health foods and family planning products. The pharmacies are government controlled and have strict price controls in place. If a traveler needs to refill or replace a prescription, there is a moderate chance it will be unavailable at any price.

For more info see www.hthworldwide.com

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