Five hospitals sit within an easy drive of my Indianapolis home. It's comforting to know, considering that my wife will deliver our second child in late August.

But that information will become temporarily useless next month when we take our annual family vacation to Holden Beach, N.C., a strip of Atlantic Ocean sand about an hour's drive from even a small city. The lack of beach-side maternity services won't keep us from making the trip. It just requires planning and prudent steps that doctors recommend for all travelers, regardless of whether they are great with child.

Here are some health care considerations to think about before hopping in a car or plane for your summer vacation.

1. DO A LITTLE RESEARCH

If you're staying somewhere for more than a few days, do a quick Internet search to learn what health care help might be available, especially if you have a medical condition. In our case, a new medical center with birthing rooms and a nursery is located roughly 30 minutes inland from the beach house if the baby comes early.

If time and my wife's contractions allow us to drive farther, we might be able reach a hospital in Wilmington, N.C., that provides a neonatal intensive care unit equipped to handle premature babies.

It's not enough to just know what's available. Know which hospitals are in your health insurer's provider network. Costs can pile up quickly for care outside the network.

Depending on the plan, a patient may have to pay a separate deductible. You also could pay a higher co-insurance percentage. That's the amount of the bill leftover after the deductible is met.

On top of all that, the doctor or hospital can bill patients for the balance between what they charge and what the insurer pays, something they can't do for in-network care. All this can add up to thousands of dollars in extra expenses.

Big insurers like UnitedHealth Group Inc. or Cigna Corp. maintain national provider networks, but don't fret if you have coverage through a small insurer. Check to see if they offer the use of a larger insurer's network under certain conditions.

Continued here:

3 steps to avoid health care hassles on vacation