Health/Medical/Insurance Issues

Before beginning his job in Sao Paolo Jim, his wife Betty, and their children should take a number of health precautions. They should be up to date on routine vaccinations such as measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc. They should also get vaccinations for the following diseases: Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, and Rabies. Malaria is a big problem in South America. Sao Paolo itself is not in a Malaria risk area but if the family plans to visit any Malaria risk areas in Brazil they will need to take one of the following antimalarial drugs: atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine (primaquine in special circumstances and only after G6PD testing). The following are Malaria risk areas in Brazil States of Acre, Rondônia, Amapá, Amazonas, Roraima, and Tocantins. Parts of states of Maranhaõ (western part), Mato Grosso (northern part), and Pará (except Belem City). Also, transmission in urban areas, including large cities such as Porto Velho, Boa Vista, Macapa, Manaus, Santarem, and Maraba, where transmission occurs on the periphery of these cities. In addition there are a number of things the family should plan to bring with them to reduce the health risks during their time in Brazil. • Iodine tablets to purify water • Mosquito repellant • Antibacterial hand wipes It is advised that the family be very careful when coming in contact with animals and insects. Health Insurance policies may or may not cover the family while they are abroad. They should check to see if their plan includes coverage overseas and if it does not they should switch to a provider who does. Also, those that provide "customary and reasonable" hospital costs abroad may not pay for your medical evacuation back to the United States which can easily cost $10,000.00 and up depending on your location and medical condition. It is important to note that the Social Security Medicare program does not provide coverage outside of the United States of America. Many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service. There is a list of companies that provide coverage overseas here: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1470.html#companies Through Access America Travel Insurance and Assistance, American Airlines offers its customers very good deals on medical insurance. For as little as $24 a person you can receive insurance for trip cancellation and interruption, emergency dental and medical insurance, emergency medical transportation, travel or baggage delay, and collision/loss/damage.