How to pick the right international health insurance plan

How to pick the right international health insurance plan

With so many options on offer, it can be difficult to decide which international health insurance plan will work best for you. We break down some of the complexities to help you decide which plan is right for you, and how you can be sure.

Here’s a brief checklist:

1. Know the type of healthcare system(s) in the country you’ll be living in
2. Be aware of local laws related to expatriates, such as whether or not you can access state healthcare
3. Be aware of your tax status and whether this affects your right to access state healthcare
4. Know whether you want to rely on state healthcare or opt for private healthcare
5. Make it your priority to declare any pre-existing conditions
6. Make sure you’re happy with the exclusions in your policy
7. Decide on an excess that suits your budget
8. See if you’re entitled to emergency medical evacuations and choose a level of cover

How do I choose the right international health insurance plan?

Whether you’re thinking of moving abroad or are already living overseas, you may have looked into choosing international health insurance to protect yourself or your family. If so, you’ve probably discovered that many plans offer multiple tiers of cover. How do you compare the plans?

On one end of the scale, you tend to find highly comprehensive packages that include a wide range of healthcare treatments – covering everything from pre-existing conditions, to serious illnesses like cancer, to optional extras such as maternity care and psychiatry.

At the other end, you’ll see very basic packages that provide the minimum level of cover you need to live comfortably (and sometimes, as a legal requirement) in other countries. This coverage tends to cover in-patient, out-patient and emergency hospital fees, perhaps with some minor procedures included too.

When looking to pick the right international health insurance plan, you may be tempted to choose the highest level of cover for total peace of mind – or the lowest level for the cost-saving benefits. But, if you’re not familiar with the options on the table, you may end up choosing a policy that leaves you over- or under-insured.

That’s why it’s important to ask yourself some questions before committing to an international health insurance scheme.

What are the legal minimum health insurance requirements for the country or countries you’ll be living in?

When choosing the right international health insurance plan, you’ll want to make sure you have the right level of cover to ensure you can:

• Access healthcare facilities in your new home country, especially in an emergency
• Get medication and other essential healthcare products as and when they are needed
• Foot the bill for any healthcare costs

The first step, then, is to understand what type of healthcare system you will be living under. Different countries have different models of healthcare. These include:

• The single-payer healthcare system where the government funds state-run healthcare costs from taxpayers’ contributions
• National insurance schemes where healthcare services are largely private but the state contributes towards healthcare costs
• The out-of-pocket system where the cost of healthcare is paid for by the individual

However, that’s not all – you must also check whether the rules are different for expatriates. Pay particular attention to your tax status – some countries rule that only local taxpayers can access state medical services. If you’re still intending to pay taxes in your home country, you may need to take out private medical insurance.

If you’re having trouble deciding, speak to an international health insurance provider. They will typically split their policies into worldwide zones, with countries grouped together according to the type of healthcare system they have and the minimum health insurance level required for expats.

Once you know what kinds of healthcare you need to fund yourself, you can decide the next thing, which is…

Can you rely on state-run healthcare services or should you go private?

Not all healthcare systems are created equal, and some countries have better healthcare systems than others. It’s important to know, therefore, where your new home country ranks in terms of quality of healthcare, and whether you and your family will be able to rely on state-run healthcare services.

As well as looking up your destination country’s OECD healthcare rank and profile, you should do your own research – looking into issues such as under-resourcing, corruption and bribery, which unfortunately tend to affect healthcare systems in developing countries.

If you don’t think your new country’s state healthcare will be of a high enough standard for your or your family’s needs, you may want to consider private healthcare as an alternative. Remember, if you or one of your family members is diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer, you’ll want to be sure you have access to the highest-quality facilities available.

In these instances, you will want to pick the right international health insurance plan that offers access to private healthcare facilities as standard. For instance, at William Russell, we have a network of over 40,000 clinics and facilities worldwide.

Now it’s time to start thinking about the finer details of your international health insurance policy.

Do you have any pre-existing health conditions?

You’ll need to answer this question when you apply for international health insurance.

Pre-existing conditions come in all shapes and sizes, and many can be easily accommodated into your plan. However, it’s important to be honest to ensure you can receive the right treatment at the best price.

Unless you have agreed otherwise, it’s unlikely your plan will cover you for any pre-existing conditions that you have not made clear at the time of taking out your policy, and you may have your policy invalidated if you try to claim for a condition that is later found to have been pre-existing.

A pre-existing condition is any disease, illness or injury that you have received treatment or medication for, or for which you have experienced symptoms, before your date of entry into your country of residence, whether or not you’ve received a formal diagnosis.

This includes:

• Brain or nervous system conditions
• Cancer, tumours or growths
• Heart or circulatory conditions
• Mental health conditions, drug and alcohol issues or sleep disorders
• Joint replacements
• Chronic conditions, such as diabetes

How much can you afford to pay as an excess?

An excess is your contribution towards the cost of any claim you make. When you make a claim, you will pay the excess, while your insurer will pay the remaining cost. William Russell plans offer a choice of excess options.

As a general rule, the higher the excess you’re willing to pay, the lower the overall cost (in terms of monthly and annual premiums) of your insurance. On the other hand, if you choose a lower excess, your insurance premiums may be higher, but you will not have to pay as much up-front if you make a claim. Some policies even offer nil excesses – but these tend to come with the highest premiums.

It may not always be a good idea to choose a high excess in order to secure lower premiums. The ideal is to choose an excess that you know you could afford to pay comfortably, and which is high enough to keep your insurance premiums as low as possible.

Still not sure on how to pick the right international health insurance plan?

At William Russell, we have 30 years’ experience providing international health insurance for expats just like you, in over 180 countries worldwide.

Choosing the right international health insurance plan is an important step when starting a new life as an expat. Once you have asked yourself the essential questions in this guide, you will be close to deciding the type of policy that suits you. Do not hesitate to contact us today – we’ll be happy to help.