CHAPTER 5.  MEDICAL CONCERNS AND COVERAGE

Health concerns while in Scotland?  Will you be covered?  This question may be answered as one might expect – you may or may not be covered under your regular insurance policy.  Just as the reasons and causes of emergencies and accidents may widely vary, so do the insurance coverage solutions.  If one could generalize when discussing this huge topic, it might be stated that – in general – a first-rate policy should have emergency and accident coverage while attending the Clan Cameron Gathering.  First and foremost, anyone making the trip to Scotland should directly contact their medical insurance provider and get answers from them person-to-person.     

Some policies will have certain restrictions, such as only extending coverage (typically with the same co-pays or fees that the policy has in your home country) for emergency or accident care.  Other considerations include whether you will have to provide payment up front.  Blue Cross recognizes this traveler’s dilemma and provides policy holders with an international phone number to call IF a situation arises where immediate attention is needed.  Granted, if one is being rushed to a hospital, then there is no time to place such a call, but – time allowing – this may make the paperwork and future red tape much easier to navigate. 

There is also the option of obtaining traveler’s insurance.  Many tourists never require this sort of coverage, or decide to take a chance and “red lightly” while abroad, but there is definitely a market for it amongst those with minor medical policies.  Peace of mind while thousands of miles from home is priceless.  Anyone with the need or desire to obtain such coverage should check both with their insurance company (first, for supplemental options, which may be somewhat reasonably priced) or perform a web search for “traveler’s medical insurance.”

Another issue is where to find assistance with minor medical issues.  A member of the Clan Cameron Association related the following story from 2001:

“I was photographing the northern shore of Loch Eil, just west of Lower Annat.  To reach the loch from this area, one must descend from the A830 and scramble back up a rocky embankment on which the railway line resides.  A misplaced boot resulted in a very brief slide down the hillside and my forearm was scratched (in a very minor way) by what appeared to be wild rose bushes.  Not being one to typically have allergic reactions, my initial thought was to simply apply antibiotic ointment when returning to our B&B.  However, within a few minutes the scratches became quite red and swollen, and it was obvious that an allergic reaction was taking place.  Being in a foreign country and having any medical issues is never a good situation, and one needs to act without hesitation.  Upon returning to Fort William I sought out a “chemist” shop (registered pharmacy) on High Street.  Fortunately, the cream he supplied was fast-acting and within an hour or two my mysterious scratched arm was back to normal.”

Those attending a Clan Cameron Gathering, with a pre-existing medical condition requiring them to bring prescribed medication, may need to take an extra step prior to their travels.  In some instances Customs has requested a signed letter from the doctor who initially prescribed the medication(s), confirming the patient’s need.  Common sense and word of mouth demonstrates that this is not a typical requirement, and should probably be considered only by those taking a large quantity of different prescriptions or a large quantity of any medication to Scotland.  Typically, one should bring slightly more medication than they require for their travels, but not a few months of remedies.  Travelers will be needlessly delayed by Customs inquiries into medication trafficking or a planned stay in Scotland beyond what was stated to Customs Officials.

The ancestral forefathers of Clan Cameron traveled the West Highlands with bare feet, sheer nerve and determination – do them one better and travel wisely; bring adequate medical coverage.