Annual Limits of Cover

Global Health Insurance plans have very high limits of cover such that you should be able to undertake the best medical treatment available when you need it.

Insurance companies normally give you an annual limit which is typically USD 1-2 million per year or a lifetime limit which is typically around USD 5 million. In either case the limit is very high and even if you choose to get treatment at the most expensive medical facilities anywhere in the world you are likely to be fully covered.

Some Global Health Insurance plans have limitations on the maximum amount you can claim for a specific type of treatment such as an organ transplant but these limits are normally also very high and should not prevent you getting the best treatment available anywhere.

Country Specific 

The cover provided by expatriate health insurance is generally global, but can also be split into different regions

Inpatient Medical Coverage

Inpatient coverage is common to all expat health insurance plans (insurers will not allow you to just take outpatient, maternity, dental coverage etc). An expat health insurance plan only containing inpatient coverage is normally called a ‘Basic’ plan or ‘Major Medical Plan’. This type of expat health insurance plan normally contains the following benefits:

Inpatient Benefits

• Hospital Accommodation
• Prescriptions Drugs and Dressing
• Surgical Fees, Including Anaesthetist fees
• Theatre Charges
• Intensive Care Unit
• Surgical Appliances and Prostheses
• Diagnostic Tests
• Physiotherapy
• Organ transplantation
• Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
• Accommodation costs for Parent
• Oncology
• MRI, CT, PET

Other benefits that may be included under Inpatient Treatment

• Day Care Treatment
• Out-Patient Surgery
• Nursing at Home
• Rehabilitation Treatment
• Local Ambulance
• Complications of Pregnancy
• Emergency Evacuation

Outpatient Medical Coverage

Outpatient coverage is not included in all expatriate medical insurance plans, but will be included by most insurers for an increased annual premium. An expatriate medical insurance plan with Inpatient and Outpatient cover usually has maximum limits on the amount that will be reimbursed.

Contact us for further information or quote on expatriate medical insurance plans with outpatient benefits included.

This type of expatriate medical insurance plan may cover you for the following:

Consultations with:

• General Practitioners
• Eye and Ear specialists
• Psychiatrists
• Diet Therapists
• Speech Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Chiropractor/Osteopath

Annual medical check ups

• Laboratory tests and analysis
• X-Rays
• ECG
• Scans and Endoscopic examinations
• Injections and Vaccinations
• Acupuncture (performed by a physician)
• Prescribed medicines

These treatments and consultations will usually be subject to a maximum annual reimbursement amount. It is therefore important to check before purchasing an expatriate medical insurance plan to ensure you get the cover you need.

Reading through or about an insurance policy might tempt you to arm yourself with a copy of "Insurance jargon in simple English" and a large pot of coffee to avoid spacing out during crucial parts. In a vain attempt to make this process a bit less complicated for the consumers, the following is the distinction between some of the most used terms in an insurance policy.

Deductibles verses Co-insurance 

Deductibles a.k.a. excess (for those from the Land of the Queen) is the amount of money defined in the insurance policy which the client agrees to pay each policy year and that is deducted from the reimbursable sum. Depending on the plan, you can choose different amounts of deductibles. It's a great way to keep your premiums low, without sacrificing any benefits.

The two types of deductibles generally encountered by the insured are "per condition" and "per year".

1. Per Condition This most common form of deductibles is applied once per treatment of a certain condition. The deductible amount is agreed upon between the insurance company and the policy holder.

Ex: A $30 deductible is applied for the course of treatment for an illness. If the total bill comes to $100, then the insurance company reimburses $70. If the total bill from 3 visits regarding the same illness comes to $300, then $270 is reimbursed by the insurance company.

2. Per Year

An annual limit is agreed upon between the policyholder and an insurance company. When the deductibles have reached this limit, all further expenses are reimbursed in full by the insurance company.

Ex: A $100 dollars deductible is applied per a policy year. A policy holder is responsible for the $100 towards the cost of the illness treatment; the rest will be covered by the insurance company. The policy holder does not have to pay for the rest of the year.

Co-insurance a.k.a. co-pay is a certain amount, most often a percentage of a total cost that insurance company requires policy holder to pay. Coinsurance usually applies for dental or maternity treatments and as for out-patient treatment the client will be reimbursement a percentage of the total expenses.

Ex: If insurance company requires 20% co-insurances and the total bill comes to $100, the policy holder will have $20 and then insurance company will pay the remaining $80.

Although these terms are just the tip of the iceberg that is an insurance policy, it is important to understand them. The higher the deductibles and co-insurance costs are, the lower will be the price of the premium. The final decision is up to you, it's always a bit of a gamble when it comes to purchasing an insurance plan because you never know what medical concerns you might come across. You might not go to the doctor a single time during an entire year, but if something serious does happen, you can bet on being very grateful to the decision of purchasing a comprehensive insurance plan.

You can contact our licensed advisers for professional advice