Studying abroad for medical treatment should pay attention to these things

Studying abroad for medical treatment should pay attention to these things

Reporter Sun Yahui

Studying abroad, physical health is the top priority for overseas students and parents. Academic pressure and rushing fatigue add up, and sometimes it is inevitable that there will be headaches and brain fever and physical discomfort. Some minor diseases can also be handled by themselves, but serious illnesses or emergencies must go to professional medical institutions. The medical system and system are not the same between different countries, and the people's concept of medical treatment is also different, so overseas students should have a good idea of the medical overview and medical treatment process of the country where they are studying, so as to be prepared.

UNITED KINGDOM: Make an appointment for GP after enrolment

Many students who have a study abroad program in the UK have heard a little about the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK, a publicly funded medical system with a social welfare nature that provides British residents with medical services that most people need in their daily lives, including daily medical care, disease prevention, and disease care.

When international students come to the UK for full-time study, they are required to pay a medical surcharge at the time of visa application, so that they can enjoy medical services under the NHS system.

Zou Yizhi (pseudonym), who studied at the University of Sheffield, told this reporter that when international students enroll, the school will tell students to register as GP (General Practitioner, that is, community doctors in the United Kingdom). Students can choose the nearest GP based on their address. If you are sick, you should first see a GP, and the community doctor will judge whether you need to go to the hospital to make better use of medical resources.

"After enrollment, you must first complete the steps of GP registration, activation, etc., because it takes a relatively long time to complete the process in the middle." Don't wait until you are really sick to remember that the medical registration procedures have not been completed, delaying the disease. Zou Yizhi said.

The time required to make a GP appointment depends on the situation, and with good luck, you can successfully make an appointment within a few days, and some international students have the experience of spending 1-2 weeks to finally see a community doctor. If the doctor prescribes it, the patient does not have to pay for the prescription by going to a place that specializes in selling the drug ( such as a pharmacy ) .

The year after arriving in the UK, Zou Accidentally contracted tuberculous pleurisy and was hospitalized in London intermittently for several months, at the expense of the NHS. "'The leak in the house happened to rain overnight', and during the treatment, I got a hernia again and needed surgery. But my GP told me that since the situation wasn't urgent, the surgery had to wait a long time. He advised me to wait until surgery was necessary, when it was 'urgent'. Zou Yizhi said with a bitter smile. Therefore, Zou Yizhi, who had been waiting for a while and did not want to continue to wait, took advantage of the Easter holiday of that year to return to China for hernia surgery.

United States: Medicare covers part of the cost of care

"My sister studied in the United States, and when she was walking on the way to school during the day, she suddenly felt that her eyes were black (low blood sugar), and her last words before coma were 'Don't call an ambulance!'" A few years ago, this passage ridiculing the United States that "it is expensive to see a doctor and difficult to see a doctor" was once popular on the Internet, and it also resonated with many international students in the United States.

High medical expenses make Americans hesitate when facing hospitals. As early as 3 years ago, the "2018 U.S. Family Economic Situation Report" showed that 25% of American adults gave up necessary treatment because they could not afford medical expenses, and 20% of adults suffered unexpected and huge medical costs. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation.

For international students studying in the United States, the vast majority of American schools require students to purchase medical insurance, students can go to the hospital designated by the insurance company, and the costs incurred thereafter will be partially covered by the insurance.

Some common ailments of students can be diagnosed and treated in the school hospital, such as headaches, colds, allergies, etc. "The emergency rooms of hospitals are usually used to treat patients with particularly urgent situations, and the level of treatment services is high. The emergency room will determine which patient to treat first based on the severity and urgency of the patient's condition, and if the condition is not particularly serious, it will wait a long time to get treatment. Liu Mingyu, who studied in the third year of undergraduate studies at Boston University, told reporters that because most student insurance does not cover the cost of the emergency room, it is likely to cost a lot once you see the emergency department.

"Whether you have a doctor's experience in the United States or not depends on the insurance you buy. Some plans cover a large number of reimbursement costs, and patients can enjoy very good medical services without spending anything, but the premiums are relatively expensive. Liu Mingyu said.

Faced with expensive medical expenses, Liu Mingyu and her classmates have now become regular customers in the gym, and everyone has basically developed the habit of morning running. "It's important to strengthen exercise and improve physical fitness. This is actually another kind of thinking logic of seeing a doctor in the United States - mobilizing the body's immunity to achieve recovery. Liu Mingyu said that some students also brought some commonly used medicines from China in case of emergency. However, international students need to pay special attention to the fact that they must carry drugs in strict accordance with the us entry regulations, which restrict the composition of drugs, such as carrying prohibited drugs, the drugs will be directly confiscated by customs.

Australia: OSHC covers the study abroad cycle

Generally speaking, when international students travel to Australia, they need to purchase student medical insurance OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover), which is a type of insurance that the local government is mandatory for international students and accompanying students to purchase to ensure the safety of international students and accompanying students.

In fact, since international students are not eligible for national health insurance under Australia's public health care system, it becomes important to rely on OSHC for medical treatment during their study abroad. OSHC can buy from schools or directly from insurance companies. Most of the time at OSHC will cover the entire study period until the visa expires. Some schools will inform students directly of how long they need to purchase insurance when issuing the admission notice.

"Because insurance and visas are bound to each other, when students buy insurance, it is best to cover the period before the start of school and after graduation, because before the start of school involves many links such as registration and renting housing, and no insurance will affect entry." Hong Tong, who studies at the University of Melbourne, said. "With insurance, more than 70% of the cost of international students when they see a doctor can be reimbursed, and they only need to pay a few tens of Australian dollars for a normal visit, which is also acceptable for students."

In Australia, the medical system can be roughly divided into clinics, medical centers and public and private hospitals. Everyone needs to contact a general practitioner as a family doctor, who is responsible for the medical treatment. Family doctors are able to diagnose some common minor ailments. If you need to go to a higher-level medical institution, you need to contact and complete the docking through your family doctor.

Hong Tong suggested that overseas students can learn some professional medical vocabulary in a targeted manner before studying abroad.

"When you really need to go to the doctor, it is best to check the words and phrases you want to say, or even some strange medical words, so as not to understand what is being said when communicating with the doctor." Some students do not speak well, and it is indeed difficult to communicate with doctors, and they can also ask students who speak Well in English to accompany them to the clinic and help translate under the premise of obtaining the doctor's permission. She said.

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition