Posts Tagged ‘International Health Insurance’
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
You have been preparing for weeks for your hiking trip by arranging for a guide, re-lacing your hiking boots and learning how to use your compass. Perhaps you have even researched the foreign area you will be exploring and made notes on the map you will use. Another important thing that you won’t want to forget to do is be prepared for mosquitoes and ticks.
Although the threat of mosquitoes and ticks might sound minuscule, these little creatures can carry big consequences such as diseases like yellow fever and malaria. To be prepared for mosquitoes and ticks the CDC recommends the following preventative measures:
Avoid Outbreaks: Before your adventure takes place, check the regional disease transmission patterns and outbreaks to ensure the area you are headed to does not have a warning.
Dress to NOT impress: The mosquitoes and ticks that is. To avoid giving them easy access to biting you, wear clothes that cover as much skin as possible. Long pants should be tucked into socks or boots and shirts should be long sleeved. It is best to avoid shoes that are open such as sandals.
Don’t Bring Home Guests: After your time outdoors ensure that you don’t have any ticks attached to your clothes or body. If one is found, remove it promptly.
Use a Repellent: Not all repellents are made equal. Ensure that your repellent is providing you with long-lasting protection. Look for repellents that contain the following ingredients: DEET, Picaridin, Oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD, or IR3535. When using a repellent ensure you read the safety precautions and instructions.
Be Aware: Research the time of day when the creatures you are trying to avoid bite most. Keep up your guard during the peak times and use preventative measures. You can also stay protected at night by using a bed net.
Tags: International Health Insurance, Mosquitoes and Ticks
Posted in International Health Insurance | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
Living abroad might sound like a scary option to many, but to some it is an exciting thought for many reasons.
Just as you probably know your home town or city like the back of your hand, living abroad allows individuals the chance to learn foreign towns just the same. Perhaps there is somewhere you have always wanted to go, or a culture that you have been interested in for a long time. Living abroad allows you to become fully emerged in the other culture and even grants you the chance to “live like the locals.”
Of course “living like a local” does not always come automatically. It requires the individual living abroad to make conscious choices every day. If you would decide to live in another country for a year you would come across situations that allow you to make a choice to live as you do in your home country or to live as they do in the area you are visiting. For example, many locations around the world have the same fast food chains that are offered in multiple countries. Instead of frequenting what you have already become accustom to in the past, try something new that the locals frequent.
What you are going to eat for dinner might seem like a simple suggestion for living like the locals, but the advantages of this one act can be great. Not only will you be able to experience a new cuisine, but you might find a new favorite dish. Also, you might even run into the chance to meet new people who live within the culture you are trying to submerse yourself in. Making connections like these can open multiple doors for your cultural experience.
If you choose to experience living abroad ensure you have proper International Health Insurance as medical expenses should be the least of your worries while having the change to experience a new culture.
Tags: International Health Insurance, Living Abroad
Posted in International Expatriate Health Insurance | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
Imagine you are touring around a small, distant village that you have always dreamed about being in. You are walking the streets, soaking in the spicy smells that are wafting from the local restaurants while taking a mental picture of the foreign sights around. You are simply enjoying the atmosphere when all of a sudden you encounter a life-threatening situation that requires more medical care than the one local doctor says she can provide. What do you do? Emergency medical evacuation is more than likely the answer in an instance such as this.
Emergency medical evacuation can literally be a life saver; however it can also break the bank costing thousands of dollars if you have to pay out of pocket due to lack of coverage. To save yourself from dwindling away your life savings in paying the bills associated with this one accident, ensure you have proper international health insurance. One plan that provides this coverage is the Atlas Travel plan. It provides emergency medical evacuation with a $500,000 lifetime maximum ($25,000 if for acute onset of pre-existing condition). Medical evacuation coverage provides benefits for expenses associated with transporting you to the nearest medical facility that is qualified to treat your life-threatening condition.
Another benefit included in the event of a covered medical evacuation is emergency reunion. When a life threatening accident occurs most people want to have a support system nearby. The emergency reunion benefit will cover transportation, lodging and meal costs for a family member (parent, spouse, sibling or child age 18 or older) to join you when you are faced with a life-threatening condition. This benefit will cover them for up to 15 days.
Don’t let the thought of a life-threatening situation stop you from exploring the sights you have always wanted to see. Simply ensure that you are covered to prepare for the worst.
Tags: Emergency medical evacuation, International Health Insurance, medical evacuation
Posted in Evacuation Insurance | No Comments »
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 »
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
Monday, February 8th, 2010
When traveling abroad, it is important to decide what type of insurance coverage will best suit your needs – a health or travel insurance policy? To help with your decision, here are some helpful tips to determine which option is best for you.
The first place to start is: how long do you need coverage? If you need coverage for less than one year, then a travel plan is your answer. Health insurance plans are generally annually renewable and can be purchased for a minimum of one year. With a travel plan, you can customize your period of coverage from a few days, up to one year. In many cases, the travel plan can also be renewed for an even longer period should you decide to stay.
If this doesn’t help narrow it down, you’ll also want to decide which countries you need to be covered in. Travel plans are designed to cover you outside your home country. Although some travel plans may include coverage in your home country – coverage is generally limited. On the other hand, if you are looking for a plan that will provide coverage back home, health insurance plans can be designed to cover you internationally including in your home country.
If you are still on the fence as to which category best suits you, one of the most important considerations is the benefits of the plans. Travel plans are generally guaranteed issued plan – which means you can purchase the plan with automatic coverage. In many cases, these plans exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions so that it will only cover you for new injuries or illnesses that occur during your period of coverage. In contrast, health insurance plans are generally underwritten. This means that you apply for standard coverage and the underwriters can modify or deny coverage based on your medical history.
Another difference with a health insurance policy is that coverage is renewable. This feature will allow you to continue the plan as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. If a chronic illness or injury occurs during the coverage period, you will be able to continue the policy and receive treatment. This is an important key since travel plans can only be renewed up until a specified number of years. Should you meet this limitation with a travel policy, you will have to purchase a new plan which may not cover your newly developed pre-existing condition.
If you’d like to discuss which of these plans are best suited for you, please contact our customer service representatives as they are experienced agents and can direct you to the most appropriate plan.
Tags: International Health Insurance, international health versus international travel insurance, International Travel Insurance, international travel or health insurance, travel versus health insurance
Posted in International Health Insurance, International Travel Insurance | Comments Off
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