globestethIt’s a haunting fear that most of us share in one form or another: You step off the curb in a foreign city, trip, and a sharp pain shoots up from your ankle. It might be broken. In another version, you’re enjoying a Caribbean cruise, and suddenly you have a high fever and feel nauseated. It could be something you ate or the flu, or it might be appendicitis. There are other scenarios too: you leave your carry-on bag with your prescription medicines in the taxi in Melbourne, or you crack a tooth chewing the ice in your drink in Puerto Vallarta.

All these scenarios share a common element—you’re abroad and you need medical help. Fortunately, friendly people guide you to the help you need. In addition, you are able to pay your bills with a credit card or a pile of traveler’s checks, or you arrange a wire transfer of funds from your bank. But now, you have a whole new set of concerns and questions: (continue reading…)