What type of health insurance plan will I need when I move overseas

Question: 
I need an international insurance to move overseas. What health insurance plan will I need?

Answer: 
Pacific
Prime can offer a range of expat health insurance plans for
individuals and families moving overseas. Pacific Prime works with
over 55 global health insurance companies, some of which include the
top leaders worldwide in providing international medical insurance
coverage.

Expatriates
are generally offered the choice of two
types of health insurance plans: local health insurance and
international health insurance. A local health insurance plan and an
international health insurance plan will typically include a range of
hospital
and outpatient
benefits, plus the option to add on other benefits such as dental or
maternity. While both plans offer a range of inpatient and outpatient
treatment coverage, the overall level of benefits will vary greatly.

An
international
health insurance plan will typically include worldwide coverage,
entitling you to treatment
and benefits in any country worldwide. Whereas a local health
insurance plan will normally entitle treatment within their
residential country and offer a limited level of medical benefits
when traveling abroad. For example, a local health insurance plan
will normally put a limit of up to 90 days (emergency treatment only)
when traveling overseas.

In
addition, an international health insurance plan will usually include
medical evacuation and repatriation benefits, which will entitle the
policyholder to air transportation overseas (if a high level
of medical care is not available in a
local hospital). International health insurance plans will normally
offer other benefits such as guarantee renewal. This benefit will
guarantee the renewal of a health insurance policy, regardless of age
or a chronic
health condition that has been acquired since the policy holders’
last renewal. While international health insurance plans guarantee
renewal of health insurance at the end of every policy year, local
health insurance plans will typically be unable to offer this
benefit.

Another
consideration is global portability. An international health
insurance plan will normally allow the policy holder to carry their
health insurance membership overseas if they decide to relocate or
return to their home country. There will also be no interruption to
waiting periods that have been completed by the policy holder.
Whereas local health insurance plans will normally be unable to offer
global portability. So if the policy holder moves abroad, they will
need to apply for a health insurance plan, which may be difficult if
a chronic health condition has been acquired.

Together,
these are some of the main reasons why expatriates tend to sway
towards the selection of an international health insurance plan, over
the selection of a local health insurance plan. With an international
health insurance plan, policy holders are assured they will have
worldwide access to quality health care, for the rest of their life.

For
more information on the Expatriate
Health Insurance Plans or to receive
a free global health insurance quote, please contact one of our
dedicated advisers today.