Expatriate International Health Insurance
If you are not covered under a group medical insurance program, an individual international medical policy should be purchased. These policies include worldwide medical protection and also can include evacuation services. Many of these plans have direct-pay with hospitals & global networks worldwide.
Costs are reasonable and, in many cases, less expensive than coverage in the USA.Generally an International Health Insurance policy will calculate premiums based on a policyholders age, current medical history and area of coverage rather than on their claims history. These plans will normally offer two areas of cover; Worldwide or Worldwide excluding the USA. The reason for this is that medical care in the USA is the most expensive in the world, however, most international insurance companies (BUPA and Clements International for example) will rank countries by medical costs and have premiums adjusted accordingly.
The majority of international health insurance plans for expatriates are, however globally portable. This allows foreign nationals overseas to move fluidly form one country to the next without any periods of no cover. This is a significant difference from Local health insurance plans and makes these policies attractive to many individuals. For the most part, however, an international health insurance policy will not cover an individual when they have returned to their home nation, making the investment practical only if the policyholder is planning to be overseas for an extended period of time. There are some policies which do cover treatments in a persons home country.
Those traveling abroad for shorter periods of time, may wish to purchase a travel medical policy which can provide assistance during emergency medical situations abroad. These policies are less expensive as they are time specific rather than annual policies, this allows the policyholder to specifically tailor the plan to the exact length of their trip. A majority of international travel insurance policies will also allow the policyholder to be evacuated to the nearest center of medical excellence in the event of a serious illness or injury; it is also possible to obtain repatriation coverage.
It is important to understand how your medical policy will assist you should you need urgent medical care in your host country. Many countries have less than adequate facilities and may require immediate payment for services. Therefore, it is advisable to understand the assistance your policy will provide to locate suitable medical facilities.
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