Whether you’re exploring a bustling city or trekking through remote mountains, emergencies can happen. Being prepared and remaining calm can make the difference between a minor hiccup and a major ordeal.
Here’s how you can handle emergencies while away from home — especially when help might be far away.
Urgent care for non-emergent situations
Urgent care centers are designed to provide medical assistance for non-life-threatening conditions that require immediate attention but are not severe enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room. These facilities are ideal for issues such as minor injuries, common illnesses, or mild allergic reactions.
Here are some scenarios where urgent care might be the appropriate choice:
- Minor injuries: Sprains, strains, minor cuts, and bruises can often be treated effectively at urgent care centers without the need for emergency room services.
- Common illnesses: Non-life-threatening illnesses like colds, flu, sore throats, and urinary tract infections can be evaluated and treated at urgent care facilities.
- Mild allergic reactions: Allergic reactions that manifest as rashes, itching, or mild swelling can typically be managed at urgent care centers.
One of the primary advantages of urgent care centers is their accessibility and shorter wait times compared to emergency rooms. You don’t need an ambulance or other emergency medical transportation to visit an urgent care facility. You can usually walk in without an appointment and receive timely care.
Emergency care for life-threatening situations
While urgent care centers cater to non-emergent situations, emergency care is designed to manage severe injuries and medical emergencies that could be potentially life-threatening if not treated promptly.
Ambulances essentially function as portable emergency rooms that deliver immediate care, bridging the gap between the scene of an emergency and a healthcare facility. If you’re in need of care for a severe or life-threatening situation, emergency medical transport serves as a crucial gateway to emergency care. Once you arrive at the hospital or trauma center, you can receive more comprehensive emergency care
Here are some situations where emergency care is warranted:
- Traumatic injuries: Severe injuries such as deep lacerations, broken bones, head trauma, or injuries sustained in accidents necessitate evaluation and treatment in an emergency room setting.
- Chest pain and difficulty breathing: Symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing could indicate serious medical conditions like heart attacks or pulmonary embolisms, requiring immediate evaluation by emergency room staff.
- Severe allergic reactions: Anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction characterized by swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing, and a drop in blood pressure, requires immediate administration of epinephrine and close monitoring in an emergency room setting.
When faced with a medical emergency while away from home, it’s essential to prioritize your health and safety above all else. If you’re uncertain about whether your condition requires urgent care or emergency care, err on the side of caution and seek medical transport to the nearest emergency room.
Accessing care in remote areas
If you experience an emergent or non-emergent situation while in a remote area, it may be more difficult or take more time to reach an urgent care or emergency care center. In situations like these, you may need to provide your own care until help can arrive. If you’ve brought along any basic first aid, use it to help keep yourself stable until help can arrive. You’ll also want to try to get to higher ground or open space to improve the signal on your mobile device so you can call for help or use a GPS device to send an SOS.
Insight from our MASA claims team
Emergencies can happen anywhere. MASA benefits include transport from remote areas, ensuring members can access care no matter how far they are from home. Our members enjoy peace of mind, wherever their journey takes them.
Before you go
Ultimately, the best way to handle an emergency is preparation and prevention.
Before you leave, here’s what to do:
Review your MASA benefits
If you’re a MASA member, review your plan benefits by logging into the member portal. While MASA isn’t travel insurance, some of your benefits may extend worldwide. If you think you’ll be outside the U.S, make sure to submit your itinerary in the member portal 10 days prior to your departure. Depending upon your plan, there may be many services available to you. For example, our repatriation benefit ensures that if you are hospitalized more than 100 miles away from home, we can coordinate with your physician to get you transferred by ambulance to a medical facility near your home. We also offer commercial transport return coverage for children or pets who may be with you, so they won’t be left unattended and can return home if you are hospitalized due to an emergency. And we even provide vehicle return coverage and services, if you’re hospitalized and unable to bring your vehicle back home.
Backup your documents
Keep digital and physical copies of your passport, visa, insurance details, prescriptions, and emergency contacts. Use cloud storage or a secure app. If you haven’t already, download the MASA app, so you can have all your MASA plan details close at hand.
Make an emergency contact list
Make a list of local emergency numbers (primary care physician, local hospital, police, ambulance, embassy/consulate). Store them in your phone or on paper, so they are easily accessible.
How to store emergency contacts on an iPhone
How to store emergency contacts on an Android phone
Know your health needs
Bring enough medication for your needs while away and consider bringing a bit extra to cover delays. If you have a medical ID bracelet, be sure to wear it. Your bracelet can provide first responders with crucial health information in an emergency when you may be unable to communicate.
If you’re going abroad, learn how to describe your health conditions in the local language of the location you are visiting. Consider also carrying a basic first aid kit, especially if you’ll be in a more remote area where there may not be quick or easy access to first aid during an emergency.
We’re there for you at home or away
Understanding when to seek urgent care versus emergency care is essential for maintaining your health and safety on the road. By knowing the difference between these two types of medical facilities and being prepared for potential health emergencies, you can navigate unexpected health challenges with confidence.
Remember, no matter where you explore, you can count on your MASA benefits to protect you from unexpected emergency medical transport costs. MASA helps you have peace of mind no matter where you are, so you can focus on your next adventure.
