Posts Tagged ‘International Travel Insurance’
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
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Travel insurance is mandatory in many cases for organized mountaineering and trekking expeditions. If you are planning to go solo, you may also decide that you’d like to insure your adventure in case the unexpected happens. Whether you are planning to hike Mount Everest or Torres del Paine, it is important to look at specific features of your plan:
- Is there an elevation limitation on the plan?
- Do you need to purchase additional coverage for your activities?
- Does the plan cover emergency medical evacuation and repatriation?
- Will the plan transport you home in the event that it is medically necessary?
- How much will the plan cover for doctor visits and hospitalization?
A popular choice for mountaineering and trekking insurance is the Atlas Travel plan with the optional sports rider coverage. This plan will cover you for mountaineering and trekking without elevation limitations. Additionally, the plan provides 24 hour travel assistance and translation services are available. This mountaineering and trekking insurance not only covers medical evacuation and repatriation, but also doctor visits and hospitalization up to $1 million in coverage.
If you are planning to cover your upcoming excursion, whether as a group or individual, contact us today for more information.
Tags: excursion insurance, international hiking insurance, international mountaineering insurance, International Travel Insurance, international trekking insurance, mount everest insurance, mountaineering and trekking insurance, torres del paine insurance
Posted in 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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