They Know Where You Are

Most health insurance companies give members some coverage abroad. The only way to know exactly what is and isn't covered, however, is to ask your provider. But what do you ask about? It's impossible to anticipate every scenario in advance. With some prep work and an understanding of how the industry functions, you'll be able to minimize the unpleasantness of a bad situation. Emergencies The standard policies of many providers--including Aetna, Cigna, and Humana, to name a few--cover overseas emergencies. But what exactly qualifies as an emergency? Insurance companies use something called the prudent layperson standard. This means that if a reasonable person would believe the condition could lead to death or permanent damage, the situation is deemed an emergency and will therefore be covered. If a member experiences chest pains and thinks he's having a heart attack, an emergency-room visit would be covered, says Jackie Aube, vice president of product management for Cigna, "even if it turns out to be gas." James Coates, M.D., senior medical director for Aetna, says altitude sickness, broken bones, dog bites, heat stroke, and cuts requiring stitches are also examples of what would be covered under the standard. Pinkeye, poison ivy, mild cases of the flu, and other maladies that don't put life or limb in serious danger are rarely covered abroad. And even if an initial symptom qualifies as an emergency, you'll probably have to pay for follow-up care overseas. Paying Up Front Chances are that outside the U.S., your health insurance card will just be a useless piece of plastic. If you see a doctor or visit a hospital overseas, you'll most likely need to pay on the spot. Don't expect countries with free health care, like Canada, to pick up your tab: Coverage is intended for citizens only. In order to get reimbursed by your health care provider, you'll need to file a claim and include an itemized receipt from the hospital. The process can take weeks, if not months. The expenses covered will be on par with how your policy works in the U.S., meaning that if you normally have a $50 co-pay for emergency-room visits, your health insurer will subtract $50 from its reimbursement check. Medicare and Medicaid If your only source of coverage is Medicare or Medicaid, you effectively have no health insurance outside the U.S. Medicaid pays only for services in the 50 states; Washington, D.C.; and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico. Medicare is nearly as strict, though it provides coverage in Canada and Mexico when an emergency occurs in the U.S. but the nearest hospital is over the border. You're also covered if you're hurt or fall ill in Canada while on a direct route to Alaska. But in any other country, neither program pays for health services--even for emergencies. Finding a Good Doctor If you get hurt or sick abroad, you don't want to be flipping through the phone book to locate services you can trust. Some insurers provide online directories of prescreened foreign doctors and hospitals that meet U.S. standards. Many U.S. consulates have lists of local doctors, although the State Department makes a point of saying that it doesn't endorse them or guarantee the quality of service. Embassies and consulates can also facilitate medical evacuations and, if you need money to pay a hospital, help arrange for cash to be wired from home.  

Lisa Ann Schreier was a time-share salesperson and manager in Orlando for six years. Bad Reputation The slick, fast-talking time-share salesman still exists. He may no longer wear a lime-green leisure suit, but he's solely focused on the sale--and he's largely the reason the industry has a less-than-stellar reputation. Some salespeople talk, talk, and talk, and never listen to the client. There's no shortage of unseemly tactics, with questions like "Don't you think your children deserve better?" I've seen a salesperson give a tour of one time-share and then at the last minute try to sell a property in another part of the country. To avoid falling for a trick, pay close attention and never let a salesperson tell you want you want. A Scripted Pitch Although time-shares each have their own phrases, and salespeople have leeway to improvise, there are certain steps all staffers are trained to follow. The script begins with a Greeting; moves on to the Intent, in which a client hears what's going to happen during the presentation; and then gets to the Warm-up, which is basically small talk. At some point, the salesperson will steer the conversation to the Product, with an introduction to terms such as "fixed week" and "floating week," before proposing a Vacation Problem Solution in the form of a time-share purchase. Depending on the salesperson, the steps might feel like natural conversation or an extremely awkward blind date. The Puke Price Asking the client to buy is the final step. The salesperson will show a price sheet, often with a figure known as the "puke price" because it's so high, it'll make a client feel sick. Shortly afterward, a sales manager--whom insiders call a T.O., as in Take Over--will come in and say something about how that's the price for anyone who just walked in off the street. The T.O. may then say, "I'm not supposed to show you this . . ." or "We have a special inventory that's going to sell fast . . ." and offer a much cheaper price--what we call the Nosebleed Drop. Personally, I hate the whole game. It's a crock. If you want to avoid the gimmicks, insist up front that salespeople show you one price only. If they don't deliver on this, walk away. Fuzzy Math I remember how one salesperson used to describe hotel price inflation to an unsuspecting client. "If you pay $100 for a typical hotel room today," he'd say, "and figure an annual inflation rate of 10 percent, that means that in 10 years, that same hotel room will cost you $1,000!" Actually, even if such inflation occurred, the amount would be $260 in 10 years. Be doubly sure to check the numbers when it comes to financing and monthly payments. In fact, avoid the developer's financing, which is typically a rip-off. You're better off finding financing on your own. No Means No I sincerely believe that for the right people, buying a time-share is a legitimate alternative to paying for hotels year in, year out. But if you're really not interested in investing in a time-share, don't waste your time at a presentation. In my opinion, the discount you receive on lodging and entertainment is not worth the few hours of vacation you're giving up to hear the sales pitch that goes along with the deal. That said, if you're curious enough to listen to the pitch and decide a time-share isn't for you, just tell the salesperson so as firmly and plainly as possible. But salespeople don't give up easily: You may have to repeat yourself a half-dozen times before the message gets through.

When Google Earth launched in 2005, everyone who downloaded the free software was jazzed by the 3-D images that they could zoom in on and view from various angles. That was just the beginning. The Layers toolbar is always evolving and adding new content: Click on Transportation, for instance, and subway stops, bus routes, and gas stations appear on the satellite image. Anyone can create a layer, and layers can be viewed in any number of combinations. These are just a few examples . . . . Neighborhood OverviewSelect the Lodging layer, and bed icons appear at hotel locations. Under Dining, you can find restaurants (shown as a knife and fork), coffee shops (a steaming mug), and bars (a martini glass)--or all of the above. Click on an icon for the name, address, and phone number. Photos submitted by people from all over the world are noted by circular white icons with blue crosses. Historical MapsUnder Featured Content, select Rumsey Historical Maps for visions of Paris in 1716, Tokyo in 1680, San Francisco in 1853, or 1836-era New York City. The image next to it is also midtown Manhattan's east side, but it's the modern city; history buffs will love comparing old and new. The present-day view also includes a 3-D Buildings layer, in which skyscrapers are represented in geometric form. Helpful Park InfoThere are plenty of layers for outdoors lovers: Parks and golf courses appear as icons of a green tree and a golfer, respectively, under the Parks and Recreation Areas layer. Some national parks have enhanced features: At Yosemite, icons note campsites and picnic areas. Hiking trails appear in red; with the 3-D Terrain layer, you get an idea of how steep a path is and what kind of views you'll see on the way. Tracking FlightsTo find a layer not in the toolbar--they're not all there--do a Google search: Type "Google Earth" and a topic. A search on "Google Earth flight tracking" found a layer from aviation specialist fboweb.com, above, that tracks flights live. Landscapes in 3-DTo explore natural wonders in 3-D, choose Terrain. Though this shot of Washington State's Mount St. Helens is excellent, images are of varying quality--some parts of the world are downright blurry. Layers such as Wikipedia entries or Discovery Network videos offer context. The Smithsonian Institution created a layer about volcanoes. Restaurant ReviewsFive-pointed red icons represent restaurants and other businesses reviewed and rated via Internet submissions to yelp.com. Always double-check addresses: It's not unusual for an icon to appear blocks away from where the building actually is--like the Saigon Restaurant in Seattle, which seems to be in the middle of an intersection. Downloading Google EarthThe software generally works only on computers bought in the last few years. At earth.google.com, click on Downloads and follow the directions. It's easy and takes just a few minutes. A version is available for Macs.

Nobody likes long lines. That's why the Registered Traveler program--in which prescreened passengers have access to special airport security lanes--has attracted more than 45,000 people to sign up. If it means fewer hassles, folks are willing to pay the $100 annual fee and put up with the required iris and fingerprint scans and background check. Since Registered Traveler was first discussed six years ago, concerns have been raised that it would create an unfair, two-tier system, and that information from the background check might be used for other purposes. Now that the program is running, however, there's a more basic question worth addressing: Does joining really make life easier for travelers? Limited OptionsWhile Registered Traveler is overseen by the federal government, private companies handle most of the responsibility. Five companies are certified to do so, but only one was operating at press time. Clear Registered Traveler has special security lanes at six airports: San Jose, Calif.; Orlando; Indianapolis; Cincinnati; Newark (only in Terminal B); and New York City's JFK (Terminals 1, 4, and 7). Clear says a dozen more airports are expected to host its security lanes by year's end, but only Atlanta and Albany, N.Y., confirmed they'd be opening Registered Traveler lanes soon--and then only on a trial basis. If you're flying out of any other airport--or any other terminal--than those mentioned, your membership won't buy you any special treatment at all. Clothing RemovalRegistered Traveler kiosks verify a passenger's identity by matching either a fingerprint or an iris. At some airports, members place their feet into scanners, with the idea that they won't have to remove their shoes--but thus far, one third of passengers have had to take them off anyway. "I've tried different shoes, but they all set off the machine," says John Welch, an Orlando-area IT business analyst, and a Clear member since 2005. "The process is lengthened because it takes a minute for the machine to tell me I have metal in my shoes." Rule ChangesJust as in the normal security lanes, the rules for Registered Traveler members may change without notice. In January, Orlando suddenly began requiring photo IDs in addition to Clear cards, after a year of no such regulation. "Everyone was fumbling for their driver's license," wrote one person on flyertalk.com. "I've now paid for a background check for a service that requires more ID than the line with the 'unknown' travelers." Dubious Time-SaverLos Angeles International Airport intended to launch Registered Traveler early this year, but has since reconsidered. It turns out that the average time to clear security is now three to five minutes--roughly the same amount of time Registered Traveler takes to screen its members. Because the lines at San Francisco International average just five to seven minutes even during peak travel periods, the airport there isn't bothering with the program. In fact, most airports are taking a wait-and-see approach. Being a member might save you time and aggravation--but only at a handful of airports, during a peak travel time, if your shoes don't set off the scanner.