International travel has a few inherent challenges. You may find yourself communicating in a language you barely speak, sampling new foods you’re not sure about, and dealing with the inevitable fatigue and discomfort of jet lag. Perhaps the biggest challenge of all is what to do in case of a medical emergency. How do you get the help you need…
Here in the United States, we’ve battling against cigarette smoking for 50 years. And yet, lots of people smoke. That is even truer as you travel around the world; secondhand smoke is just part of the experience in many parts of the world. But the European Union apparently is ready to challenge “that nasty habit.” At the Wall Street Journal,…
As 2012 draws to a close it’s naturally a time to look back and reflect, and it seems clear that this has been a pretty remarkable year around the globe. There’s been the Euro-crisis, seemingly ever-present tumult in the Middle East, and obvious signs – including natural disasters – that climate change is impacting weather patterns. In a lot of ways,…
For employees, the future of healthcare benefits – not just in the U.S. but all around the world – is very much up in the air. With Healthcare Reform a reality in the U.S. – at least for now – many employers are considering dropping employee benefits and choosing to pay the penalty (or is it a tax?), which they’ve…
While much of the U.S.-based media took their nose off the grindstone this week, there was some very interesting news from abroad, particularly for expatriates. One of the big factors most people consider (or should consider) when contemplating a move overseas is the cost of healthcare. And, according to a new study from Towers Watson, the cost of healthcare around…
The last few years, most Americans have been wondering just how golden their golden years are going to be. But putting that aside and focusing on the upside, there’s been some interesting information in the news this week about Boomers retiring abroad. International Living recently came out with its 2012 Retirement Index. They ranked countries based upon categories such as…
I guess I drew the short straw. Here it is the last day of the year, and I have been tasked with writing the pivotal year-end post. Except that this year, it is the pivotal decade-ending post. I realize that today is not the last day of the first decade of the third millennium. As many others have pointed out,…
I started out today with the task of posting a short note about a cool new use for one’s mobile phone. As Sarah Perez recently wrote at ReadWriteWeb, STAR Analytical Services received a Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop software that can make a diagnosis based on the sound of a cough on…
In other timely world news, the Telegraph posted this stimulating bit, revealing that coffee and tea breaks can be hazardous to your health. It also taught me about the all-important Biscuit Injury Threat Evaluation (BITE) measure. I am not sure if this is peculiar to the UK, where tea time may make up a greater proportion of one's time, or if…
Healthy travel usually requires some understanding of how health care systems work in different parts of the world. This post is the first in a new series to help broaden our understanding by looking at practices outside the U.S. Of course, the current health care reform efforts in the United States make this information more topical than usual and help…
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