Living Abroad Blogs
Living Abroad Blogs
Moving abroad? Don't forget your health insurance!
It's only natural to protect the things that matter most to us. Many animal-lovers have pet insurance in place, whilst homeowners leave no stone unturned in their quest to ensure their house and contents are fully covered, just in case.
With all this worrying about other things, it's easy to overlook ourselves. If you're fortunate enough to have had a clean bill of health throughout your life, that's great – but things can change in a heartbeat.
This may seem pessimistic, but it's a fact of life. The older we get the more prone we are to health problems - and even those in the prime of their youth can suffer tumbles, scrapes and strains that can lead to short or long term health problems.
In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) has provided healthcare for over sixty years, but it can be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security regarding what the NHS is able to offer. With life-expectancy rising all the time and infant mortality rates lower than ever, more and more pressure is being placed on NHS resources. Indeed, waiting lists are longer than ever.
However, this isn't unique to the UK. In most westernised countries medical advances mean that people are living longer and government-supported health schemes are falling under increasing pressure.
Moreover, with many people leaving the UK to live and work abroad – whether that's for a fixed period of time or permanently – how they provide adequate medical cover for themselves and their loved ones is an issue worth considering.
For example, dedicated expat health insurance policies are great for people who want peace-of-mind whilst living abroad. These policies generally cover essential hospital treatment, either as part of an emergency or a planned visit. And these can usually be tailored too, so you can create the right insurance plan through adding specialised treatments, medicines, evacuation and more to the cover plan.
With the advent of the internet era, it's easier than ever for consumers to search for the best deals for all sorts of services and products, and health insurance is no different, so it does pay to search around online before plumping for your expat health insurance plan.
Given that so many people pay upwards of £50 a month for a gym membership they may only use occasionally, the relative cost of having the appropriate health care insurance in place really starts to make sense. And if you're moving abroad, taking out expat health insurance could be the best decision you ever make.
The author of this article is a part of a digital blogging team who work with brands like Bupa. The contents of this article are of a general nature only and do not constitute specific advice. This article does not take into account your circumstances or needs and must not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice
About the Author
Isla is a part of the digital blogging team at cashzilla.co.uk who work with brands like Bupa. For more information about me, or to keep up to date with the latest in finance news, check out my posts at cashzilla.co.uk or visit my Twitter account, @cashzilla.
Second one: Living Abroad and Japanese Books
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The Family Sabbatical Handbook: The Budget Guide To Living Abroad With Your Family
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Top 4 Volunteer abroad books
"No matter how big and powerful government gets, and the many services it provides, it can never take the place of volunteers."- Ronald Reagan. Volunteering abroad is an endeavor that changes the lives of the volunteers as well as the lives of those being helped. As volunteer, especially those who are first time volunteers, they are excited about the prospect of going abroad and helping out. They have a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty because they don't have much information on how life is abroad, and the kind of work that they will do. There is information on volunteer work on the internet on blogs, reviews and volunteer service organizations. In addition to information on the internet, there are books available. These books are written by past volunteers on how life is abroad. The authors are writing from firsthand experience on volunteer work abroad, and life in different countries. These volunteer books are: How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Abroad It is authored by Joseph Collins, Stefano DeZerega, and Zahara Heckscher. The book is Based on six years of research that included fieldwork in over 25 countries, the book is not just a directory of opportunities, but a critical review of over 80 volunteer placement organizations in this rapidly growing field, as well as a detailed but easy to read manual about everything from why to volunteer to what to do when you get back. It is an in-depth guide for anyone who wants volunteer in Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East or Eastern Europe Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others The authors are Bill McMillon, Doug Cutchins, Anne Geissinger, and Ed Asner. This book provides one to two pages of information on 150 organizations through which travelers can help others while on vacation at locations both in the United States and around the world. The authors state that they have carefully vetted the organizations but they have stopped short of providing reviews or ratings. While essential information on each organization's work, locations, costs, needed skills, age restrictions, and contact information is provided, the authors encourage readers to research further on their own. They provide tips on how to evaluate an organization, and they intersperse inspiring testimonials from former volunteers throughout the book. This guide is both a good starting point and a sound overview for those interested in undertaking a service-oriented vacation. The International Directory of Voluntary Work It is written by Victoria Pybus. The book is a freshly revised eighth edition of the book that covers all types of voluntary work all over the world. Over 700 organizations worldwide need all types of people, both skilled and unskilled, for all types of work. Residential work available worldwide includes schemes such as organic farming in Thailand, nursing in Chile, archaeological digs in France, re-enacting battles in Pennsylvania, bird observation in the Madagascan rainforest, bee-keeping in Hungary, working with street children in Brazil, studying humpback whales in Hawaii, teaching English in Laos, or running development programs in India. The book also covers non-residential work in the UK and the USA such as planting trees in San Francisco, caring for seal pups in Cornwall, helping to re-house homeless people, working in a dragonfly museum, restoring steam locomotives, and preparing food for dolphins in Florida The straight stuff about joining the Peace Corps It is written by Dillon Banerjee. The book grew from Dillon Banerjee's personal frustration trying to answer these questions for himself: he couldn't find a single book written from the perspective of a Volunteer. It is organized around 73 questions starting with "1. What is the application process like?" and ending with "73. Would you go back and do the Peace Corps all over again?" The nine appendices are rich with information including PCV requirements and how to strengthen your own application plus lists of loan programs and RPCV support groups arranged by state.
About the Author
Zablon Mukuba is the Director of Volunteer Capital Centre (VCC) the leading provider of quality and affordable volunteer abroad work programs and opportunities in third world countries. For more information and great deals on volunteering abroad visit http://www.volunteercapitalcentre.org.
