Traveling outside of the U.S. on dialysis
By DaVita® Social Worker Rob Ross, LSW
Traveling outside of the United States may be a scary proposition when you start to think about working around your dialysis treatments and not being close to your home or by your familiar dialysis center. But there is no need to give up your dreams of vacationing abroad just yet. It can be done. Maintaining quality of life is an important aspect of living with a medical condition, and if traveling abroad is an important goal, you can make it a reality.
Give yourself time to plan
First, give yourself plenty of time to make travel arrangements. At least 10 weeks lead time is recommended. A language barrier or other unforeseen issue may slow down your plans to get dialysis while you’re abroad.
Your first destination: the Web
The more you learn about your destination, the more confident you will feel about your trip. In addition to providing general travelers’ information, the Internet can help answer the big question that needs to be asked before buying a ticket: Do they have reliable treatment centers there? At Globaldialysis.com, enter the city and country you plan to visit and you’ll get information on clinics in that area. The site even features patient reviews of the clinics.
Another resource is Dialysis and Transplant magazine, which maintains a list of dialysis centers in the United States and abroad. It is referred to as “The List” and is often sent to dialysis centers. Ask your social worker if they receive copies of this publication or similar ones that may be helpful in your search.
Social workers can help
Now that you’ve identified a country to visit and a center to go for treatment, what’s next? For people who dialyze with DaVita, the Guest Services Contact Center (GSCC) can be of assistance. Provide contact information for the overseas center you plan to visit so they can call internationally and fax your necessary paperwork, including:
- Name, address, phone number
- Recent physical exam, lab and dialysis treatment reports
- Type of dialysis access
- Special medical needs
- List of medicines you take
- Where you’ll stay during your trip
Provide the GSCC with the name of more than one clinic if possible, because they are unable to recommend or locate clinics overseas.
If there is not a language barrier, you can call the facility abroad and request a spot for your arrival. You can then work with your facility to coordinate the transfer of records. If you’re on peritoneal dialysis (PD), you can also ask for help concerning the transfer of your supplies. Although this process is different due to the supplies involved, you can still travel overseas. Discuss any travel logistics with your PD nurse and the supplier.
Paying for dialysis while vacationing abroad
When you vacation and do dialysis in another country, you have to consider that your health insurance may not cover your treatment costs. As a rule of thumb, Medicare only covers regular treatments within the U.S. and its territories. According to the pamphlet Medicare Coverage Outside the United States, published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: “Unless it’s an emergency in which you get dialysis at a hospital, Medicare doesn’t cover dialysis when you travel outside the U.S.”
There are some instances where private insurance may cover foreign travel medical expenses. If you have private insurance, call your insurer directly and inquire about any foreign travel benefits. If it turns out you’ll have to pay for treatments yourself, ask the center you will be at what their costs are. If you are a citizen of the country you will be visiting, ask if you can receive any sort of benefit or subsidy.
Diet while traveling overseas
One of the joys of travel is the opportunity to try new and exotic foods. For dialysis patients, this can pose a problem since it may be difficult to know how much salt, phosphorus or potassium some unusual foods may have.
It may be worth doing some homework regarding the various foods that you are likely to encounter while traveling abroad, and then discussing them with your renal dietitian before leaving. This way you know in advance which foods are safe to eat.
Additional tips for traveling abroad
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) recommends that you also keep in mind the following regarding foreign travel:
- Carry on essential medical information, your medicines and other medical supplies in case of the unexpected, such as lost luggage. In most cases, you will not be allowed to carry on peritoneal dialysis solutions. However, you will want to bring a few bags of solution in your luggage in case there is a delay in delivery of dialysis solution to your destination.
- Bring enough of your medications to last for your entire trip, as well as extra to help during possible emergencies. Also carry written prescriptions, just in case you need more.
- If you need assistance boarding a plane or train, inform personnel when you check in so they can give you special instructions.
- If you plan to travel by plane or train, make arrangements for special meals such as low-salt, low-fat or diabetes-specific when you make your reservations.
- If stairs or distances are a problem, request a first-floor room or handicapped-accessible room when making a hotel reservation.
- If you use a travel agent, tell the agent about any special needs you may have. The agent can also advise you about special considerations regarding safe transport of dialysis supplies.
Summary
Traveling outside of the U.S. when you’re on dialysis is possible. Researching your destination, getting help from your social worker and preparing for overseas dialysis treatment is worth it for many people with kidney disease to get away from it all.
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External links
- Search for a dialysis center on GlobalDialysis.com
- Travel Tips: A Guide for Kidney Patients – National Kidney Foundation
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