Correction: On the Money-Health Care Overseas story

WASHINGTON — In a story July 24 about finding medical care overseas, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the American Board of Medical Specialties maintains a directory of board certified doctors outside the U.S. The group only keeps track of doctors in the U.S.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Tips for handling your health care needs overseas

Tips to keep unexpected health issues from throwing your overseas vacation off-course

By MATTHEW PERRONE

AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — An international vacation typically involves months of advance planning, from renewing passports to finding flights and booking hotels. But even the most carefully planned itinerary can be knocked off course by an unexpected health problem.

Last year nearly 61 million Americans traveled abroad either for business or pleasure, with trips peaking at 6.8 million in July, according to the U.S. office of Travel and Tourism Industries. The most popular overseas destinations included Europe, the Caribbean and Asia, which together accounted for nearly 80 percent of all trips outside North America.

Here are some tips on getting the medical care you need, no matter where your travels take you:

PRESCRIPTIONS: Travelers who rely on a prescription medication should plan on doing some extra research and planning before traveling outside the U.S. Generally, it's far easier to bring an ample supply of medication from home than to try and get it refilled overseas.

If you're going to be traveling for a few weeks, for example, most pharmacies will give you an extended supply of medication if you show them your travel itinerary. All prescriptions should be kept in their original bottles that clearly display your name. This is important when traveling through foreign customs where your baggage may be searched.

"Generally speaking, any medication that is prescribed to you must be identified as such and be in the properly marked bottles," said Dr. Sal Pardo, vice chair of emergency medicine at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center. "That's the most reasonable and fail-safe way to travel with medicine."

If you lose your medication or need a new prescription abroad, most pharmacies will honor a fax or email from a U.S. physician. However, some countries do not even require prescriptions for common medications. In Mexico, for example, antibiotics, pain medications and other common pharmaceuticals are dispensed at the pharmacy without a prescription.

DOCTORS: Sometimes you'll need more than a prescription refill to get your trip back on track.

Let's say you're swimming on a beach in Ecuador and get stung by a jellyfish. A small rash develops into a larger infection and you want to find an English-speaking doctor who can diagnose the problem and prescribe the best treatment. Your health insurance does not cover overseas travel and your Spanish is limited.

Fortunately there are several organizations that offer free help finding qualified physicians.

The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers maintains an online database of licensed, English-speaking doctors in 90 countries: http://www.iamat.org/doctors_clinics.cfm .

Doctors recommend that travelers with chronic conditions, allergies or rare blood types bring a form with their medical history. The American College of Emergency Physicians offers a medical history form on the website www.er101.org, and your doctor can help you figure out what to include.

This is something you will want to keep in your wallet or purse, not in the luggage that stays in your hotel room.

INSURANCE: Most government and employer-based health plans do not cover medical care overseas. For this reason, many travel agencies recommend customers purchase some sort of travel health insurance.

Along with covering the cost of cancelled trips or travel delays, companies like Travel Guard, http://www.travelguard.com , provide a range of health coverage options, from basic medical expenses to medical evacuation.

Depending on the country and the condition of the patient, an international medical flight can cost $50,000 or more, making an insurance policy a smart financial decision. Adventure travelers who face a serious risk of harm can even be covered for the repatriation of dismembered limbs and other remains, according to Laurene Taylor of Liberty Travel, a New York-based travel agency.

Dr. Pardo recommends such policies for both older patients with established health issues and younger patients.