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Aetna International: Offering more than just international health insurance

As they began preparing a long-term mission to Honduras, Javier and his wife, Daniela, thought all they needed from Aetna International was an answer to a few quick medical questions.

They ended up getting a lot more than they expected — opening their eyes to how a bit of careful planning can help ease a stressful international move. 

Helping the helpers

Javier is president of a non-governmental organisation that runs missions throughout the world. He initially contacted us because he lives with sleep apnea — a condition that can be successfully managed using a medical device known as a CPAP. He wondered whether he would be able to obtain the CPAP supplies, medications and contact lenses he and his wife would need in San Pedro Sula, the city where they would be based. As Aetna International members, Javier and his wife have access to a wide range of health and wellness services, from condition management to pre-trip planning and even emergency medical evacuations, through the Care and Response Excellence (CARE) team.

Pre-trip planning matters

We connected Javier with Rose Kaufman on our CARE management team. Rose discovered that the regional distributor for his CPAP model was located in Miami. Although that company usually doesn’t deal directly with the public, they agreed he could contact them to arrange for shipping his supplies to his new location.

Rose also went through the couple’s list of medications to make sure they would be able to refill them in Honduras. It turned out that one medication is restricted there. She was able to advise Javier of the paperwork he would need and how to get a 90-day supply by mail order. Then she found out that Daniela’s specific contact lens brand was not available there. She worked with her to identify an alternative brand and found out where she could buy them locally.

Extending their need-to-know

The couple thought everything was set. But Rose felt they would benefit from additional information. She reminded them when they would need to get their recommended vaccinations and identified a local in-network doctor they could turn to for routine medical care. She explained how our claims process works if they ended up needing out-of-network care. And knowing how people living abroad can often struggle with stress, anxiety or assimilation issues, she provided them with our wellness resources.

Safe and secure

Rose was also aware that the area they were travelling to was considered higher risk. She referred them to our country destination guides for local intel and resources. She also provided our pre-trip planning checklist, which covers considerations ranging from medical needs to cell phone services to banking arrangements. And she explained how our Aetna Security Assistance - powered by WorldAware (Please note that this service is now provided by Crisis 24 - 04/2021) travel safety advice and assistance works. They learned more about the support they could get in the event of theft, loss of passports, personal safety crises or emergency advice.verything she’s done to make our move as stress-free as possible,” says Javier. “Now we’ll know what to do if we have any medical or safety issues while living there.”

When you don’t know what you don’t know, turn to our CARE team for reliable information and support. As an Aetna International member, our CARE team is standing by when you or your loved ones need one-to-one support. If you’d like to learn more about our health and wellness services for expats, get in touch with one of our expert consultants.

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