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What types of Health Insurance are Available for Expats?
What types of Health Insurance are Available for Expats?
A lot of
preparation, planning and stress can precede a move abroad, and finding the
right health insurance can be one of the most difficult tasks on your to-do
list. However, it’s also one of the most important.
Moving
abroad without the right international health cover can result in visa issues,
being denied treatment or extortionate medical bills.
Not
every country has free healthcare for all.
Using a
trusted health insurance broker to help
you get the best plan for your needs is the solution. Nothing beats speaking to
an experienced insurance professional.
The
first thing you need to think about is whether you need travel insurance, short
term medical insurance or international health insurance (often called
international medical insurance). Not
understanding the difference between these types of health cover can leave you in
a difficult situation overseas. An international health insurance broker
can help with this in addition to guiding you through the different policies
and the extent of the protection they provide.
Types
of insurance
Travel insurance is for
holidays and people travelling for a length of time under 31 days usually. It
covers things like lost baggage and emergencies, and is not suitable for
expats.
Short term medical insurance. Short
term medical cover is used for people in the gaps between cover, for example if
you are working overseas on a short term contract, e.g. two months, but will
then return home. It is not suitable for people who will live abroad for longer
than 12 months.
International health insurance is
suitable for expats. Anyone who is moving overseas to live and work for longer
than 12 months will need international medical cover.
International
health insurance can cover everything from getting a prescription abroad to
pre-existing medical conditions and emergency treatment. It can also allow
expats to choose where they receive treatment, whereas travel insurance
doesn’t.
What
types of international health insurance are there?
Cover for individuals. International
health insurance ensures you get treatment when and where you need it.
Cover for corporations. If
your company is transferring you to an international office or you are starting
a new job abroad, it’s likely that your employer will provide you with health
insurance. However, it’s important to ensure you understand exactly what your
company plan offers you. Does it fall short of your individual needs? What
cover, if any, does it provide if you leave your employer?
Cover for families. If you
are moving abroad with a family, you can cover everyone with one plan for peace
of mind that your loved ones are protected.
International
health insurance plans can be limited to core cover or extended and tailored to
meet your individual needs, e.g. to include maternity benefits to cover for
pregnancy and childbirth. The type of international health insurance plan you
will need depends on where you are going, your own health and an array of other
factors.
Medibroker can advise you about the ins and
outs of the type of international health insurance available for expats. If you
are moving abroad, request a free
quote today.
Our advice is completely impartial and we are regulated in the UK by the FCA.
Dannielle is the digital
marketing fox from the Medibroker. Do check out the website and blog and you just might catch some
of her helpful helpful, did I mention helpful travel and expat posts. While you’re
at it, you may want to check out my favorite post from her here!
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