Frequently Asked Questions for Travel Medicine
What is covered in an appointment with your travel medicine nurse?
The intensity of medical care required varies greatly based on travel location, duration, and purpose. Care provided will range from brief counseling and immunizations to a complete physical with extensive education and preparation. Key components are the 7-I's of travel:
- Immunizations
- Insects: repellents, nets, medication
- Ingestions: the safety of water, food
- Indiscretion: HIV, sexually transmitted disease
- Injuries: accident avoidance, personal safety
- Immersion: schistosomiasis
- Insurance: coverage and services during travel, access to care
Additionally, our travel clinic offers most or all of the vaccinations that might be necessary for safe travel to the country (or region) a patient is visiting. A sample list of vaccinations offered by our travel medicine clinic is included below:
- Hepatitis A and B
- Measles
- Poliomyelitis
- Diphtheria
- Mumps
- Tetanus
- Typhoid Fever
- Rabies
- Measles
- Shingles
- Yellow Fever*
- Meningitis
- Pneumonia
- Rubella
- Varicella
* Due to a national shortage of the yellow fever vaccine, Saint Alphonsus Travel Medicine is unable to offer it at this time. More information regarding the shortage and where to find clinics in Idaho offering the vaccine can be found on the CDC website.
Does private insurance cover travel medicine services?
You should expect to provide payment for services provided at the time of your visit. Although we will collect payment in full at your visit, we will be happy to bill your insurance at your request. Payment made by your insurance to Saint Alphonsus for services rendered will be reimbursed to you by check mailed to the home address on file.
The coverage of travel medicine services by payers is still sporadic and varies by plan. Travel medicine is fully covered by some insurance plans, while others will only cover a limited number of travel medicine services if any. Patients should contact their insurance carriers to determine if travel medicine services are covered by their plan.
How much will my visit cost?
The cost of your visit will vary based on where you are traveling and how much counseling you might need. A counseling visit could take place with our travel medicine nurse. You can get additional information on the cost of the vaccinations from our travel medicine nurse.
If I have a medical emergency on my trip, what should I do?
During your visit, we provide you with valuable information to prepare you for potential problems. We provide all our patients with an email address to contact us if needed while they are traveling. We also encourage all our travel patients to sign up for MySaintAls.com. This is a free service that allows you to store all your medical information and records online in a private and secure manner. This way your medical caregivers can access important information about your health over the internet. For more information, click here to visit MySaintAls.com.
What are the Travel Medicine Clinic hours and location?
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
6533 W. Emerald St.
Boise, ID 83704
Phone: 208-302-5200
Where can I find additional travel medicine information?
There are several travel medicine resources that have been developed by infectious disease experts. You can find additional travel medicine information through these websites:
- International Society of Travel Medicine
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Department of State's traveler's alerts
- Saint Alphonsus' Travel Health Information