1. Buy medical insurance and understand the important terms.
Most American high schools require students to buy medical insurance to enroll. Schools will choose reputable companies to provide medical insurance for students. I suggest you buy it through the school. The medical expenses at your own expense are very expensive.
However, for most students and parents, it is not appropriate to browse the medical insurance manual and ignore it. Not familiar with the specific terms of American medical insurance will bury hidden dangers and cause unnecessary losses to future medical claims.
Remind everyone that after getting the medical insurance manual, you should know the following points:
1) Understand the scope of hospitals covered by insurance. Some schools have their own clinics, and the medical services that students receive in the school clinics can generally be fully reimbursed from the insurance. However, due to the limited service items and time of school clinics, for example, they may not be open on holidays, or only treat some simple diseases. In this case, students can only go to the off-campus hospital for treatment. Reminder: Get familiar with the distribution addresses and telephone numbers of hospitals around the living area in advance (you can call 9 1 1 in case of emergency) to find out which hospital is the contracted hospital of your insurance company. Don't go to the wrong hospital in an emergency and give the insurance company an excuse to refuse to pay or pay less.
2) Date of insurance, such as whether to insure during school holidays. Holidays are the concentrated time for international students to travel. Many people will engage in high-risk sports, such as skiing, so there must be medical insurance during this period.
3) Almost all medical insurance will not cover students' pre-existing status. Be sure to know what known or chronic health problems your child has before going abroad. See a doctor before going abroad to find out the situation. Daily medication needs to make the best preparation in advance, and write down the English name of the disease first, so as to communicate with school teachers or American doctors.
4) Medical insurance for international students in the United States is separate from dental and ophthalmic insurance. The school does not require students to buy dental and ophthalmic insurance, and general dental insurance does not include orthodontics; Most of the students' eye problems are myopia, and they only need to wear glasses to meet the vision requirements for school, so most international students do not need to buy dental and ophthalmic insurance.
5) Whether insurance can go with people. If the medical insurance purchased before transfer can be refunded or cancelled, you can also transfer with the students.
2. American medical consultation guide
1) You need to know these things about family doctors.
The American family doctor is actually a private doctor, but he doesn't just serve one person. Generally speaking, family doctors are provided by your health insurance company with several alternative doctors, and then you choose one of them. Generally, they are general practitioners, who can prescribe drugs or give injections to deal with common diseases. But if the examination is abnormal, or he has questions, he will help you make an appointment with a specialist, do the corresponding examination and make a more accurate diagnosis. General allergies, headaches, diarrhea, broken skin, etc. The school has standing over-the-counter drugs; For minor sprains, students themselves know the common method in America: ice compress. These teachers will give timely treatment without seeing a doctor. There is also a routine practice in the United States: after a common cold or fever, the doctor will not let you go to the clinic for three days, but rest at home, drink water and take antipyretics, and recover by your own resistance. If the symptoms are not relieved after three days, you need to make an appointment with a family doctor.
2) Specialist must make an appointment to see an expert clinic in advance, such as special skin problems, migraine, heartburn, endocrine disorders, etc. And generally consult a family doctor first to determine what the problem is, and then consider whether you need to make an appointment with a corresponding specialist. Different from the registration method in domestic hospitals, it is not surprising that experts, especially famous doctors, can't make an appointment within two months, because many of their old patients have already filled their time slots, unless the patient who made the appointment has something to do temporarily and you happen to be nearby, so you can "catch up".
3) The emergency clinic for emergency care is a 24-hour clinic. In case of sudden sports injury, severe diarrhea, severe vomiting, allergies and other emergencies, you can go directly to the emergency room, and the registration fee should be paid at your own expense. You can take an X-ray at that time, make a preliminary judgment, carry out protective treatment, and then let you go back and make an appointment with a specialist. After all, the emergency room is not a hospital emergency room, the equipment is not as perfect as the hospital, and the cost will be much cheaper than the hospital emergency room. Because it's an outpatient clinic, you can leave after seeing the doctor.
4) If the emergency clinic can't handle emergencies, such as sudden dyspnea and fainting, you must go to the emergency room. It's usually not five or six hours here. It's impossible to let you out without checking it out. There are doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists in the emergency room of the hospital, and the medical equipment is perfect, which can handle almost all problems, and of course it is very expensive. Language communication that people are worried about: Many hospitals in the United States have free language translation services, including Chinese, which can help patients communicate with doctors. Don't worry too much.
3. OTC refers to OTC in China, that is, drugs that can be purchased by themselves without a doctor's prescription. Common cold, fever, pain relief and other minor problems can be dealt with by preparing some OTC drugs at home. Common OTC drugs are generally available in CVS, Wal-Mart, Target, Costco and other places.
Precautions for the use of OTC drugs: Be sure to read the instructions, warnings and precautions for the use of drugs; Know as much as possible about the ingredients of the medicine you are taking, know what you are eating, and check the "ingredients" listed in the package instructions.
Please do not take OTC drugs without authorization. If the symptoms are serious, you should see a doctor or consult a doctor in time. I don't know what's wrong with me; Suffering from chronic diseases or taking prescription drugs;
Classification of over-the-counter drugs commonly used in American families
1) Gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea, are the most common problems for foreign students. Anti-diarrhea capsule tablets: loperamide hydrochloride tablets, used to control diarrhea. Cola ce doc usate soda stool softener: A mild laxative used for occasional constipation, usually defecating within 12 to 72 hours after use. Dulcolax？ Fecal softener liquid gel for gentle softening and relief: a fecal softener that softens feces and makes it easier to discharge. You can buy it at Target. Fleet glycerin suppository laxative: it is suitable for occasional constipation, and can generally defecate within 15 minutes-1 hour after use. It's available at Wal-Mart. Easy fiber: dissolved in drinks, used to supplement dietary fiber, thus relieving constipation. Aloe juice: Aloe juice is taken orally to relieve constipation.
2) Allergy Some students are allergic to hot and humid climate or changing seasons. Claritin 24-hour non-drowsy allergy tablets: non-drowsy formula can relieve various allergic symptoms. Zyrtec anti-allergic tablets: not sleepy formula, can relieve allergic symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose, itchy throat and itchy eyes. Benadryl dye-free antiallergic reliever: relieves sneezing, runny nose, itchy throat, itchy eyes and other symptoms. Advil allergies and allergies. Congestion relieving coated tablets: used for allergic symptoms such as sinus hypertension, nasal swelling and congestion, sneezing, runny nose and headache. Allegra allergic fexofenadine hydrochloride tablets: relieve allergic symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose and itchy throat. Spray, temporarily relieve mild asthma symptoms. NeilMed sinus irrigation: relieves nasal irritation caused by dust, animal dander, pollen and smoke.
3) Cold is a common disease. Although it can be cured without taking medicine, taking medicine can prevent or alleviate symptoms. Mucinex expects maximum intensity tablets: to relieve chest tightness, phlegm concentration and other symptoms. Bekool: There are two sizes of antipyretic stickers for adults and children. Tylenol Super Strength Acetaminophen: No aspirin, it can relieve pain and reduce fever. Hallmentho-Lyptus drops Cherry: mints, which can relieve sore throat and cough, and relieve nasal discomfort. Breathe right nose patch Tan Da: patch, used to relieve nasal congestion and reduce snoring. Bee's natural throat lozenge honey. Pomegranate: Relieve symptoms such as dry throat, and the target is available. The combination of Vickers Dyquil and Niquil is cold. Alleviate flu: It can relieve the symptoms of comprehensive cold such as ache, sore throat and fever, and can be divided into daytime formula and night formula; The daytime formula is not sleepy. CVS multi-symptom night cold/flu relieving liquid: comprehensive cold oral liquid, which is used to relieve symptoms such as soreness, fever, cough, sore throat, sneezing and runny nose.
4. Don't travel naked.
1. Buy a medical insurance with high share and wide coverage. Traveling abroad, accidents are inevitable, and medical expenses abroad are generally high. It is recommended to purchase necessary personal accident and medical insurance before traveling and during your stay overseas. If you encounter an emergency abroad, the professionals of the insurance company will help you arrange medical and other emergency rescue services. It is recommended to buy overseas travel insurance covering medical insurance, accident insurance and rescue services, and do not swim naked. It is recommended to buy travel insurance with rescue. Rescue services include medical transfer and repatriation, medical assistance, advance medical expenses, telephone translation, repatriation of remains and other services. Pay attention to the adequacy of medical insurance, especially for countries with high medical expenses.
Second, the cost of emergency examination can be more than three times that of routine examination. In the United States and other countries, most medical insurance does not cover emergency expenses. In many countries, the emergency room sees a doctor first, and then makes a medical bill. I don't know the cost when I see a doctor.
Third, if you get sick or have an accident abroad, try to seek medical treatment as soon as possible, and don't delay returning to China for treatment, which is likely to aggravate your condition. If you don't go abroad to see a doctor, it may be difficult for the insurance company to judge whether it happened during the policy period, and it is difficult to determine the responsibility. If you don't report it overseas, you may be refused compensation. General travel insurance does not restrict overseas hospitals, but returning to China for treatment generally requires restrictions from public hospitals above the second level, and some will also restrict medical insurance drugs. Domestic medical insurance coverage should be discounted, and after returning home, the treatment coverage is only 10% to 20% of the policy coverage.