Archive for the ‘International Health Insurance’ Category
Friday, April 22nd, 2011
Bon voyage! You’ve finally booked that luxury cruise to some exotic location a question occurs to you – Should I purchase travel insurance? The last thing you want to worry about is travel insurance and besides, what could go wrong? Trust me – there’s a myriad of things that can go wrong on a cruise vacation and having insurance can wash those worries away, allowing you focus on more important things like which swimsuit you should pack!
There are number of reasons you should consider purchasing Cruise Travel Insurance. The following are some key things to consider:
Trip Cancellation – What if something happens and you can no longer go on your cruise? Sickness, accidents, job loss, destruction to your primary residence and even death can occur. You can insure your non-refundable trip costs so that you’re protected against unforeseen events that can cause your trip to be canceled.
Trip Interruption – Sometimes trips can be delayed. What if you’re involved in a traffic accident on you’re way to the airport and you missed your flight or connection? A lengthy trip delay can cause you unexpected food and lodging expenses, having travel insurance can help you re-coup these costs.
Baggage Delay/Loss – What if you arrive from the airport in time to depart but your baggage missed the boat? This is an inconvenience that unfortunately, happens more often than you’d like. Cruise Travel Insurance can provide coverage to make sure your bag gets to the next port of call.
Medical Expenses – Everyone usually thinks “It won’t happen to us” but accidents happen all the time. Slips, falls, illnesses and injuries can occur anytime and travel insurance can help to cover expensive medical costs and diagnostic testing.
Emergency Medical Evacuation/Repatriation – What if something catastrophic occurs like a heart attack, stroke or other serious illness/injury and requires you to be flown from the ship (usually from out in the middle of nowhere) to a full service hospital? Cruise Travel Insurance can provide this life-saving benefit to you or your loved ones. It also covers the repatriation of remains if a death occurs during an insured vacation.
When should you purchase a Cruise Travel Insurance policy?
This is really important if you want a “Trip Cancellation” benefit on your plan. Trip Cancellation benefits are usually only available if you purchase the insurance plan within a certain numbers of days from when you purchased your cruise. This time-frame is typically between 10 and 20 days. However, if you’re just looking to cover medical (accident/sickness) then these policies can be purchased the very same day you’re leaving.
Tags: Costa Rica Travel Health Insurance, Cruise Travel Insurance, International Health Insurance, Travel Medical for Cruises, Trip Cancellation for Cruises
Posted in Evacuation Insurance, International Health Insurance, International Travel Insurance | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Let’s face it; we all know that health insurance lingo can be complex and difficult to interpret at times. Especially, if it’s international/expatriate insurance and the terminology isn’t what most people are typically used to. Insurance agents/brokers selling insurance inside the US are required to be licensed in order to even sell various insurance products. So how does the regular insurance consumer know what benefits they are getting when it comes to expatriate insurance terminology?
The following is a brief overview of common expatriate insurance terminology and definitions that are found in expatriate health insurance:
Premium: This is the actual amount of money charged by insurance companies to be insured. An insurance premium can be collected in several ways; monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and of course, pay in full. If the insured (the person to be covered) fails to make a scheduled payment, the insurance company can choose to cancel policy.
Deductible: a deductible is a specified dollar amount that you would pay to a doctor or hospital before the insurance pays for claims. A deductible can offset the cost of your premium (what you pay for the plan itself). The higher you set the deductible, then the lower your premium cost will be. However, in most cases, you will need to pay the deductible before the insurance will pay any benefits (claims).
* Please note: in the UK and some parts of Europe this is also known as an “excess”.
Coinsurance: Coinsurance is a percentage of the medical bill that you pay. Many plans offset the cost of the premium with coinsurance. By sharing a portion of the medical expenses, it reduces the premium rate because you’re paying more out-of pocket. For example, if a plan has 80/20 coinsurance the insurance will pay 80% of the medical expenses and you would pay the remaining 20%.
PPO or Provider Network: PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization or Network. A PPO is an organization of medical doctors, hospitals, facilities and other health care providers who have a contractual agreement with an insurer to provide health care at reduced rates to the insurer’s or administrator’s clients. You are strongly encouraged to visit medical provider and facilities that are part of the insurance plan network. This usually allows for direct billing and can remove the need for you to pay up front for medical expenses.
Underwriting: International major medical plans are medically underwritten. This means that your family’s medical status and history will be used to determine your eligibility for coverage. When you apply for a major medical plan you will have to answer a series of health history and lifestyle questions. Based on your responses to these questions, the insurer can decide the following things:
- Issue coverage and complete your application
- Request further information regarding your past medical history
- Request that a rider be placed on your application that limits or excludes certain medical conditions
- Request a premium increase due to your medical and/or family history
- Deny coverage
You are notified if the terms will be different than what you applied for – to ensure that you still want to proceed with the policy under new terms or conditions. If you are not happy with anything you can withdraw the application with no penalty.
Usual Reasonable & Customary (URC): Usual Reasonable and Customary is a term that insurers use to describe a limitation on their responsibility to pay for eligible medical expenses. Basically, URC refers to the fee typically charged by a provider for a specific procedure in a specific geographic location. If a particular procedure typically costs $5,000 in the New York City area, and most providers customarily charge about $5,000 for that procedure, the insurance company will not pay your provider in New York City $10,000 for the same exact procedure. Instead, they will limit their payment amount to “Usual Reasonable and Customary” – in this example, $5,000.
Emergency Medical Evacuation: This benefit will provides transportation (emergency air and/or ground) to the nearest hospital that is qualified to provide medically necessary treatment when treatment is not available locally.
Repatriation: In the event of a covered injury or illness resulting in your death, this benefit provides the following benefit: air and/or ground transportation of bodily remains or ashes to the area of your residence, and usually includes reasonable costs of preparation of your remains necessary for transportation.
This is just a few of the most common definitions and benefits that come with most expatriate insurance plans. When choosing a plan that right for you, it’s always a smart idea to pay close attention to the policy benefits and exclusions – making sure that you choose a plan that’s right for you and your health needs.
If expatriate insurance terminology becomes too daunting and you’d like assistance in choosing the right plan for you, please contact one of our licensed expatriate insurance agents. They will be happy to help!
Tags: Expatriate Insurance Terminology, expatriate plan terminology, international insurance agents, International Insurance Definitions, International Insurance Terminology
Posted in Expat News, International Health Insurance, Major Medical Insurance for Expatriates | Comments Off
Monday, January 31st, 2011
Many retirees dream of enjoying their retirement as an expatriate, immersing themselves in a new language, culture and way life. Living out your golden years in another country can be exciting, thrilling and nerve wracking- all at the same time. As the number of older expatriates is increasing so are some concerns like healthcare and insurance. Health insurance for aging expatriates can difficult to understand and find. Some important questions you should consider before retiring are as follows:
- Will my policy end when I reach a certain age?
- Will I be covered if I return back to my country of citizenship?
As you begin to research the many expatriate plans out there, you will notice that a big eligibility factor with most of them is age. Unfortunately, age is a huge underwriting factor with most health insurance plans for aging expatriates. As we get older, we “age” out of eligibility for a lot of health plans that are available.
For some plans the age for eligibility completely ends at 65 years. Other plans offer “senior coverage” if you’ve had their plan for a specified length of time (this is usually 10 years of continuous coverage. Most plans that offer “senior coverage” have limited benefits and reduced maximum policy limits. Because of this, it’s wise to have an annually renewable international health plan in place – early.
There are several types of health insurance plans for aging expatriates available in the marketplace today. Some are annually renewable, providing worldwide coverage and others are short-term plans that will provide coverage outside the home country.
If you are considering a long-term, annually renewable plan then the Global Medical plan provides worldwide health insurance for aging expatriates. This plan offers lifetime coverage if you enroll in the plan by your 65th birthday and maintain continuous coverage to age 75. Prior to your 75th birthday you will receive a summary of benefits for the new plan, “Global Senior Plan”, and an enrollment form for coverage. There is no additional medical underwriting required! You simply need to review the benefits, complete and return the enrollment form with your premium.
If you’re already over 65 and haven’t been enrolled in a long-term plan there are still other options available. The IHHP health plan offers annually renewable coverage to expatriates until 80 years of age. If taken out before 80 years of age, this plan will offer lifetime coverage, as long as you maintain your premium. This is a great health insurance for aging expatriates.
Tags: expat insurance for seniors, expatriate health insurance, Health Insurance for Aging Expatriates, insurance for senior expats, International Health Insurance
Posted in International Expatriate Health Insurance, International Health Insurance, Major Medical Insurance for Expatriates | Comments Off
Monday, January 24th, 2011
As we develop into a more global society, living abroad is becoming more common than ever before. Whether you’re living outside your country temporarily or permanently the experience can be rewarding, exciting and life changing. There are many reasons that people choose to live abroad. For example, some are students wishing to learn a new language or culture and some have relocated for their careers or new employment opportunities. While the majority of global citizens have found wealth and happiness since moving abroad, it seems that doesn’t apply when it comes to healthcare.
According to a recent survey by Bupa International, almost half of expats believe the standard of healthcare is worse in their new country. The research also shows that one in five expats say they would rather be treated outside their country of origin or current residence if they fell seriously ill.
The perfect solution to this dilemma is a major medical insurance plan for expatriates that offers worldwide coverage. International Citizens offers several major medical insurance plans that work for well for global citizens and the short-term traveler. A solid major medical insurance plan can not only protect your finances if the unexpected happens, it also provides peace of mind – knowing that you have access to great healthcare, should you need it.
As healthcare needs vary so can major medical insurance for expatriates. There are many types of plans out there available for global citizens. Some plans allow you to pick and choose which benefits you want while others have fixed benefits. The IHHP plan is an example of a major medical plan that allows you to pick and choose your benefits. This is great option for many global citizens needing worldwide coverage. The Global Medical plan is another great option, offering fixed benefits (meaning the benefits cannot be modified). If you have any questions about which plan is right for you or your family, please contact our licensed insurance agents who will be happy to assist you.
Major medical insurance plans are medically underwritten. This mean, you will have to complete an application that has health and lifestyle questions about yourself and/or dependents. This application is reviewed by an underwriter. The two key purposes of the underwriting process are as follows:
- decide whether to offer or deny coverage
- determine what premium rate to set for the policy
Medical underwriting is necessary for the insurers as it prevents people from purchasing health insurance coverage only when they are sick, pregnant or need medical care. You can see from this how important it is to have a great major medical insurance plan for expatriates in place – before the unexpected happens.
Tags: expat health insurance, expatriate health insurance, International Health Insurance, International Travel Insurance, major medical insurance for expats
Posted in Expat News, International Expatriate Health Insurance, International Health Insurance, International Travel Insurance, Major Medical Insurance for Expatriates | Comments Off
Friday, January 21st, 2011
As you prepare to travel internationally, one primary consideration is your international health insurance plan. Once you do your preliminary research, you will notice that there are many options – travel insurance or health insurance.
Depending on the duration of your coverage, you will want to think about coverage in your home country:
- Do you intend on returning back home for short trips while you are overseas?
- If you come back home do you have an insurance plan in place?
- If you do not have a plan that will cover you at home, what happens if you need to return home unexpectedly?
- If an emergency occurs overseas and you’d like to seek treatment at home, what is your back up to have your treatment covered?
Here at International Citizens we run into this question often. Travel insurance plans are well designed for international coverage but most travel policies exclude coverage in your home country. Some travel plans may offer limited home country coverage for a short, specified length of time. Other international travel policies may exclude home country coverage altogether. For those international travel insurance plans that do offer limited home country coverage, you will find that most insurance policies only cover you for incidental visits and would not cover you if there is an emergency overseas and you elect to return home for treatment (especially when it is NOT medically necessary).
If you are interested in a more comprehensive policy that will cover you at home, we recommend looking into a comprehensive international health insurance plan that will cover you internationally. Most international health insurance plan are destination based so you’ll be able to include coverage in your home country. International health insurance plans tend to be more flexible and allow you to choose your doctor and hospital anywhere in the covered areas. By choosing home country coverage, you have the ability to return home with the same plan to cover your treatment.
Why does that matter?
You may have recently heard in the news the term “pre-existing conditions”. If you return home and secure a health insurance plan, it is not uncommon for conditions to have waiting period – or even for a condition to be excluded. By purchasing a plan that provides worldwide coverage, you will have the flexibility to keep your international health insurance plan and get the same benefits back home. Quite simply – you can rest assure that the condition will be covered, even if you return home.
We advise contacting our licensed insurance agents to discuss your specific situation. Our agents work with people like you everyday to help select the best suited plan for your upcoming travel.
Tags: home country coverage, international coverage including home country, International Health Insurance, international insurance, International Travel Insurance, worldwide health insurance, worldwide insurance
Posted in International Expatriate Health Insurance, International Health Insurance, International Travel Insurance | Comments Off
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
Turkey embraced health care reform back in 2003 placing a greater importance on having both private and public facilities. This reform was intended to improve the quality of service and increase access for the general population. Successfully, this reform led the way to a growth in private facilities, which in effect, created a competitive environment forcing public facilities to improve the quality of care.
Now, Turkey has a complex health system with both governmentally-run and private clinics, doctor’s offices, and hospitals. However, many would agree that care among privately run facilities is superior although more expensive. In fact, many Turkish residents have opted to purchase private insurance in addition to contributing to the state insurance system so that they can receive better quality health services at affordable rates.
Comparative to other developed countries, medical costs in Turkey are less expensive fueling the medical tourism industry. Even though more and more people are traveling to Turkey for care, it is important to look into the facilities as some may not have the resources to treat all serious medical conditions. To underscore this point, the US State Department recommends that pregnant employees leave the country prior to giving birth.
For many expatriates living in Turkey, purchasing a private health insurance policy is highly recommended by both the UK and US consulates. An expatriate health insurance policy in Turkey will allow you to choose a private facility so that you can avoid long lines, overcrowding and the lack of funds that public facilities frequently face. Recently modern facilities and equipment are available in major cities like Ankara, Antalya, and Istanbul, which also include US trained specialist. In other cases, certain treatments are not available and may require medical evacuation to get the medical treatment needed.
According to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which allows free medical treatment in the European Union countries is not valid in Turkey. Instead, they recommend purchasing a comprehensive expatriate health insurance plan that is valid in Turkey, preferably one that includes medical evacuation/repatriation.
Our Global Medical Health Insurance is a popular option for those expatriates looking for health insurance in Turkey. This comprehensive health insurance provides coverage internationally, including in Turkey, and will allow individuals to seek treatment in private facilities. Additionally, this expatriate health insurance in Turkey provides comprehensive coverage includes doctor office visit, prescriptions, hospitalization, emergency evacuation, and repatriation. Contact one of our licensed agents for further information on this plan or to help select the right plan for you.
Tags: Expatriate Health Insurance in Turkey, Health Insurance in Turkey, international expatriate insurance in Turkey, International health insurance in Turkey, international medical insurance in Turkey, Medical Insurance in Turkey, Travel Insurance in Turkey
Posted in International Expatriate Health Insurance, International Health Insurance | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
If you plan to relocate overseas, you will want to consider a long-term expatriate health insurance. Whether you are relocating for a job, retiring, or simply looking for a change of pace, long-term expatriate health insurance is an important consideration especially since the health care system may differ dramatically from what you may be accustomed to.
Some health care systems may have limited resources; others may allow you to go to public facilities requiring an insurance plan to cover private facilities. Knowing about the country you are traveling to and the health care they provide is crucial. Questions to ask yourself, include:
- What will I do if I have an emergency situation in my host country?
- Will I be able to seek treatment in a non-emergency situation?
- What type of doctors and hospitals will I be able to go to?
- Are there doctors and hospitals that I want to go to – will I be able to seek treatment there?
- What happens if I return home and have developed a condition that requires continuous treatment?
You should investigate your options so that you are properly covered at home and abroad. For many, individuals who are relocating overseas choose a long-term expatriate health insurance plan since it will give you flexibility in choosing your doctor or hospital – including at private facilities. Some insurance plans will even cover you when you return home for short or long-term visits, including if you need continuous care at home.
If you would like specific assistance, contact our licensed agents who would be able to recommend the best-suited long-term expatriate health insurance plan.
Tags: expatriate health insurance, international health care, international relocation health insurance, Long-Term Expatriate Health Insurance
Posted in International Expatriate Health Insurance, International Health Insurance | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, November 30th, 2010
Every year, more and more US citizens are establishing permanent residency in Mexico. In fact, Mexico is now ranked #1 for the country with the most US Citizens living abroad. If you are an expatriate in Mexico or are thinking about relocating, one of the most important considerations is proper health and medical insurance.
Health and medical insurance in Mexico is considered a “pluralistic” health care system meaning that there are both private and public health insurance options. The public option is called the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social (IMSS) which covers public facilities only. In order to be eligible for the national health care system as a non-Mexican citizen, you will need to be employed. The health care system withholds a portion of your salary and your employers pay a large contribution to cover the insurance premiums each year. The coverage includes doctor visits, hospitalization, prescriptions, labs, x-rays, etc. However, some pre-existing conditions are not covered and the public system has longer wait periods to obtain care than in private facilities.
Because of this, many expatriates living in Mexico prefer to have a private international health and medical insurance plan in place. In many cases this allows individuals to choose either a public or private facility. An additional advantage is that expatriates have the option to receive treatment in the country of choice – whether in Mexico or their home country.
Many expatriates find that the Citizen Secure plan is well designed as a health and medical insurance for Mexico. The plan features worldwide coverage and you have the option to include the US and Canada as well. Securing a private insurance plan will allow you to choose your doctor or hospital – including private facilities – and can be annually renewed to give you the protection you need year after year.
Furthermore, you will have the option to seek treatment either in Mexico or at home. Many international health and medical insurance plans also provide translation services which may be helpful in Mexico if you are not as familiar with Spanish. Contact one of our licensed agent for more information on health and medical insurance plans in Mexico.
Tags: Expatriate insurance for Mexico, Health and Medical Insurance for Mexico, health insurance for mexico, medical insurance for mexico, travel insurance for mexico
Posted in International Expatriate Health Insurance, International Health Insurance, Major Medical Insurance for Expatriates | 2 Comments »
Thursday, October 7th, 2010
Over the past 15 years, more and more companies are sending their employees internationally to conduct business. As a result, companies are now looking into alternatives to their current health insurance to find an international health insurance better suited to accommodate the international lifestyle of their employees.
Whether your employees are traveling overseas for short trips or are planning to relocate overseas, it is important to ensure that your employees are properly covered no matter where they are internationally.
International Citizens works together with companies from all around the world to find international health insurance solutions. Whether you are looking for an international health insurance policy that will cover your employees at home and abroad or if you are looking for a plan that will just cover them overseas, International Citizens is well suited to customizing an insurance plan to meet the needs of your employees.
If you would like to look into international health insurance options for your employees, please contact our licensed agents to help find solutions for your company.
Tags: business international health insurance, company international health insurance, employee travel insurance, employer international health insurance, international health insurance for employees
Posted in International Health Insurance | Comments Off
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
Are you planning to relocate to Spain? You are not alone – in fact, Spain is ranked # 1 in the world for the number of immigrants. In 2008, Spain had an influx immigration population of 800,000 – this accounted for 11.4% of the population. As you become one of the many individuals relocating to Spain, one of the most important considerations is proper health and medical insurance as an expatriate in Spain.
The healthcare system in Spain is universal and is called Instituto Nacional de la Salud (or in English, National Health Institution). In order to be eligible for the national healthcare system you will need a social security number. The easiest way to do this is to either be employed or self employed. Another way to be covered under the health and medical system is if your home country has a reciprocity agreement that will allow you to be insured under the universal system. Tourists from the European Union can receive free treatment up to three months, however if you need additional coverage beyond this period you will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For non-residents and tourists from other countries, while you can never be denied treatment you should be prepared to pay for any costs.
Because of this, you will want to secure a health insurance policy that will cover you as an expatriate in Spain. In many cases, Spanish citizens have a private health insurance policy even though they can seek treatment under the public system. Many opt to do this in order to avoid long waiting periods patients are often faced with.
Many expatriates find that the Global Medical plan is well designed as a health and medical insurance for Spain. The plan features worldwide coverage and is available in 4 levels to provide you with the type of coverage you are looking for. Securing a private insurance plan will allow you to choose your doctor or hospital – including private facilities – and can be annually renewed to give you the protection you need year after year.
Tags: expatriate insurance for spain, Health and Medical Insurance for Spain, health insurance spain, medical insurance spain, spain expatriate insurance, travel insurance spain
Posted in International Expatriate Health Insurance, International Health Insurance | Comments Off
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