What’s the main difference between inpatient and outpatient care?
Generally speaking, inpatient care requires you to stay in a hospital and outpatient care does not. So the big difference is whether you need to be hospitalised or not.
Related questions
I’m new to health insurance. Where can I find explanations for all the jargon?
We speak in plain English, but sometimes insurance terms are inevitable. We’ve put together a quick glossary of the most important insurance terms.
Do I need international health insurance in countries that provide free healthcare?
Countries like the UK, New Zealand, and Italy have public healthcare systems funded by national insurance contributions from taxpayers. However, these services may not be fully available to people who aren’t citizens of the country, so having international health insurance may still be necessary. It can also offer other benefits, including access to doctors who speak your language and medical evacuation or repatriation if urgent treatment isn’t available where you are.
Why do I need international health insurance?
Even if you have health insurance in your home country it’s unlikely that it covers you for medical treatment abroad. If you want access to private healthcare with English-speaking doctors, you’ll need some form of international cover. You’ll find that some travel insurance plans include some temporary cover for medical treatment. Our plans include cover for serious conditions such as cancer and heart disease, childbirth, and emergency medical evacuation.
What is medical evacuation
Medical evacuation is when you are transported to an appropriate hospital or medical facility. This could be by road, sea or air with life-saving medical equipment in the vehicle. If you become seriously ill or injured while working on a remote island, for example, you may be flown by air ambulance or private plane to a hospital in the nearest city on the mainland.
