Posted by Andrew Hickey on Jul 23, 2009 in
Travel 
As a freelance writer I am privy to many cool perks when it comes to my job. I set my own schedule, barely ever wake up before 8am (unless I am on assignment) and can take that three way weekend at the last minute if I feel like it. Oh and then there are the real goodies. From reduced and sometimes complimentary travel, to articles written about my website on top media outlets like New York Times & Travelocity. Oh yeah, travel writing as a means for living (or sometimes surviving) in New York is something I particularly enjoy. But one thing I do not get with my gig is health insurance.
Yes, like some estimated 46 million people living in the United States of America, I am without insurance. So when I need to do anything from dental work to blood tests it comes right out of the ol’ nomad piggy bank. I am often puzzled at why such a great country like the U.S.A. is without a universal health plan. I mean shouldn’t my country care about ALL Americans and not just a select few that are “lucky enough” to afford or get insurance through their job?
Well with President Obama in the news a lot lately concerning his plan to overhaul the way in which this country deals with health insurance, I figured that it was the perfect time to talk about a great book that I came across a few weeks ago.
Patients Beyond Borders is a fascinating guide to affordable world-class travel. Well I’m sold. Okay maybe I wasn’t sold that quickly, but after going through this nearly 400 page book, it indeed changed my opinion about getting medial procedures done outside my country.
I must admit that I have had work done overseas. While on my last trip to Poland, which is well known for it’s amazing dentistry, I had some work done at an insanely high tech, super clean, and very professional dentist office. I was blown away with some of the gadgets this dentist was packing. Stuff that would make my dentist back in the States drool. After I had all of my work done it costs me about $325 (roughly 1,100 Polish zloty)! The same procedure would have cost me easily $3,000 back in the United States.
Now this is not a bash USA article, as I am a true blue American that loves my country and would not want to live anywhere else. It is just that I am frustrated with the way my government has dropped the ball and mistreated so many hard working citizens. They have turned their citizen’s health into big business.
What makes author Josef Woodman’s Patients Beyond Borders so enjoyable, and why I think you need to pick up a copy, is that not only is it informative and very well put together, but it is also an extremely easy and enjoyable read. This is not some boring and dry medical book. Some interesting features in the guide include:
- This completely revised book provides information on the world’s best international hospitals and clinics. Patients Beyond Borders locates the top overseas hospitals, including fully American-accredited clinics in 21 countries.
- By reading this book, you can save anywhere from 30-80% on most medical procedures.
- Assist you with working with health travel agents.
- A comprehensive “Do’s and Don’ts” for successful and safe medical travel.
- Provides readers with a helpful hospital & treatment finder.
- 10 must-ask questions for your in-country MD.
- If you think getting medical work done overseas is right for you, this guide will show you how to plan & budget your trip.
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Here are just some of the interesting notes that I learned while reading Patients Beyond Borders:
- Currently, at least 28 countries on four continents cater to the international health traveler, with more than 2 million patients visiting hospitals and clinics each year in countries other than their own.
- Governments of countries such as India and Thailand have poured billions of dollars into improving their health care systems, which are now aggressively catering to the international health traveler.
- Some of the most-traveled health destinations include Mexico, India, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, Panama, Costa Rica, Antigua, Barbados, Hungary, Turkey, Jordan, and United Arab Emirates.
- Some or all of your travel expenses may be tax deductible. This of course depends on your income level and cost of treatment.
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To pick up a copy of Josef Woodman’s all new revised and expanded edition of Patients Beyond Borders, visit their website by clicking here. You can also tweet with Mr. Woodman at @JosefWoodman.
Tags: Antigua, barbados, Costa Rica, hungary, india, Jordan, Korea, mexico, new york times, Panama, patients beyond border, Taiwan, thailand, turkey, united arab emirates
Posted by Andrew Hickey on Jun 7, 2009 in
Travel 
This past Thursday evening I had the pleasure to check out one of the most talked about new dining experiences to hit Manhattan. Montenapo, which borrows its name from a popular shopping street in Milan, is a stunningly beautiful restaurant located in the city’s theater and fashion districts.
The roughly 5,200 square-foot, glassed-in space, overlooks the Renzo Piano designed Birch-tree garden in the New York Times building. Montenapo has a modern and simple decor mixed with an elegant and laid back atmosphere. The waitress that served my wife and I was extremely friendly and equally helpful with picking out the perfect wine to start the night. Her selection of a particular white wine was spot on and a very delicious way to prepare us for our meal.
We enjoyed some of their warm bread and “finest olive oil imported from Italy” while looking over the menu. The appetizer was an outstanding 24-month aged Parma ham with fresh mozzarella, baby arugula, organic cherry tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil. Just the right amount for the two of us to share.
Up next was one of the restaurant’s pasta tasting specials, which is two or three of the pastas from the menu. We decided on two (always save room for dessert) and picked the gnocchi and cheese filled ravioli. Both were so tasty and hit the spot.
The gnocchi was covered in a rather rich Gorgonzola cheese sauce and spinach, while the ravioli was filled with ricotta and Parmesan cheese and served in a sweet tomato sauce that had hints of honey and mint. I thought that the addition of the aforementioned honey and mint would not work with a tomato sauce, I was proven wrong and absolutely savored this dish.
For entrees, my wife went with a perfectly baked filet of red snapper that was just so soft and mouth watering. It was served with cherry tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, black olive tapenade & fresh thyme. My wife found this to be of her favorite seafood dishes in some time and luckily gave me a little sample of it before finishing it all.
I decided on the baked free range boneless young chicken that was stuffed with chestnuts, fresh herbs, black truffle, and chicken liver. Bravo! The chicken was so soft and juicy. It came with a side of creamy mashed potatoes and organic vegetables.
Bring on the desserts! My wife is the one with the sweet tooth in the relationship and she knows a thing or two about desserts. When she saw tiramisu was on the menu, she instantly knew what she was ordering. Quite possibly the best tiramisu she (and I) have tasted. They even sprinkled a little edible gold on top. I went with the creme brule and found it to be extremely delectable. The topping of raspberries and blackberries added a nice touch to an already tasty treat.
We washed down all of this goodness with a cappuccino that had a great foamy top and reminded me of being back in Italy. It was a great way to end one stellar evening in an outstanding new addition to the culinary scene of New York City.
Go…here…now!
Restaurant information:
- Name: Montenapo
- Address: 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY
- Phone Number: 212 764 7663
- Website: MontenapoRestaurant.com
- Price Range: $$$$ (Expensive)
Tags: food, milan, montenapo, new york city, new york times, restaurant, times square
Posted by Andrew Hickey on Apr 3, 2009 in
Travel 
As the unemployment rate skyrockets to 8.5% today, is it any wonder why the travel industry is slashing prices left and right? The economy absolutely sucks right now! So what better way to ease the pain of being let go than by taking advantage of the airline, cruise and hotels desperate need for business. “Vulture vacationers” is a term used in a great New York Times article by Michelle Higgins that talks about how with no job opportunities out there for certain people, there next move was to book a cheap trip before heading back into the work force.
Many people have worked hard for years, saved a good amount in their piggy bank and see an opportunity that normally is not there for them. They have more time to see more places! Is it a smart idea for everyone? Of course not. If you live paycheck to paycheck and lose your gig the last thing you should be doing is flying off to Paris or cruising in Bermuda. But if you are one of the thousands of people that were recently canned, why not take a break from resume sending and sitting on the couch watching The Price is Right (which actually isn’t that bad when I think of it) and take that trip you have been holding off on for years due to not enough time or because it was super expensive.
May I suggest some places that are “on sale” right now? Las Vegas, Hawaii, Ireland,cruises (everywhere) and even your local top hotels (for a weekend getaway) are all down compared to a year ago and in some cases more than 50% off! I am off to Toronto next week and snagged a 4-star hotel for more than 50% off the price when I did a Price Line bid. In June I will fly to Poland for three weeks and saved a bundle when I booked a flight using Aer Lingus ($730 for a round-trip flight that is usually well over a thousand easily in June). So go now…search…bid…book…take a break from this awful economy and get your mind off of job hunting. It may very well recharge yoru batteries and even bring you back refreshed and ready to start searching again.
New York Times: Hard Times? Time To Take Off
Where to find good deals for your unemployed excursion: TravelZoo.com
Tags: airfares, cruises, hawaii, ireland, Las Vegas, new york times, Travel, travelzoo, unemployed
Posted by Andrew Hickey on Mar 29, 2009 in
Travel 
Prices are dropping from the sky as airline try to get your business.
In early February I purchased two tickets for my brother and I to check out Toronto for his 18th birthday. After taxes and fees we were able to snag a pair of round-trip tickets for $207 each through American Airlines. I was pretty happy with this price considering that it was originally going for $280 for a few weeks while I tracked it on Yapta.
However just weeks later the price for the same route had gone down to $190. Doh! So I simply called up American Airlines and tried to negotiate with them and explain the price difference. Unfortunately my early booking was bad news for me as AA’s policy was any changes to the tickets would result in a $150 penalty. That includes changing the flight, date or even requesting a price adjustment. My options were AA would refund me my $414 for the two reserved seats and then deduct $300 (that lovely $150 penalty is per ticket) leaving me $114 credit or AA would adjust my tickets to $190 each ($380 total) and then whack me with a $300 penalty. Oh and the airlines wonder why they are crumbling.
I do not know what was more unnerving to me, the fact that AA is pulling such a stunt in this competitive environment or that the woman over the phone gave me these options so casually as if i was going to accept one of them. When I laughed over the phone at my two choices, she kind of giggle too and said that these options really only helped people that maybe spend “700 and up for tickets.”
Really? How does it help them? Because they spent so much money on your airline that by taking away the $150 penalty meant that they still were able to have enough left to use your airline again with the credit? Is American Airlines for real?
So obviously I kept my $207 tickets and will be flying to the great white north in a few weeks to celebrate a fun weekend in Toronto. But I will definitely be sure to A) Not use American Airlines that often in the future and B) Read all the restrictions before purchasing a low priced ticket through an airline.
The New York Times Sunday Travel section has a great piece by writer Michelle Higgins entitled, “As Airfares Fall, Save Even After Buying”, which goes over the lengths that certain opaque travel companies like Expedia and Orbitz are going through to ensure travelers that they will indeed get the lowest price on their airfare in these tough economic times. It even talks about how one man called United Airlines and in fact received a price adjustment on already purchased tickets with some trips he had booked – one refund was for $682! But before you run off and book United, NY Times points out that as of March 20 the airline is now charging a $150 “administrative fee” to change the ticket price on fares on or after March 20. Ok so check off AA and United from my list.
Tracking your tickets prices and finding out if you are eligible for a refund, if it drops below what you paid for them, is something all customers should be doing before taking their next trip. NY Times (and The Brooklyn Nomad) highly recommend websites like Yapta.com, which does all the work for you. Fortunately the Canadian dollar is weak right now, so I can make up the difference (sort of) when I visit that great country in mid April. But right now booking air travel is something that can not be predicted by a website or travel expert as proven so far this year.
I mean take a look at Europe fares for example. Normally you would book far in advance in order to lock in low prices for summer travel. Not completely true this year. Even though prices have crept up slightly since the new year, they are still way down and in some cases even dropping as we approach the warmer months. Usually untouchable summer spots like Paris, Rome and Madrid have all stayed far below their typical prices and have plummeted more than 50% in comparison to summer ‘08.
I booked a flight in January for three weeks in Poland. The price for the ticket was $730. That is downright madness for June in Europe, but I got a sale price and felt that I got in at the right time. Well that “right time” has stuck around much longer than expected and three months later you can still fly to Krakow for under $1000 round-trip with taxes and fees included. So there is still time to book a last minute jaunt to many top European destinations. Just shop around first and be sure to check both sites like Kayak, TripAdvisor (with their handy new travel search engine) and the airline’s websites (which often times offer unadvertised sales).
Do you have a nightmare booking story? Vent here by clicking on the little post-it note next to the headline. Go on, it will make you feel better.
New York Times: As Airfares Fall, Save Even After Buying
Yapta.com
Kayak.com
TripAdvisor.com
Tags: american airlines, kayak.com, krakow, new york times, ny times, poland, toronto, tripadvisor.com, united, yapta.com
