Health Insurance Abroad, Healthcare Advice For Expatriates & Others Overseas

IVF Treatment Abroad – Risks Versus Potential Rewards

Thursday, July 02, 2009 at 2:55 pm

In the news today it has been reported that increasing numbers of British women are travelling abroad to seek IVF treatment privately. These women are finding it hard to gain access to treatment in the UK for a number of reasons, and because having a child is so many women’s absolute desire, we’re not at all surprised to read of the increase in numbers – particularly as accessing private IVF treatment in the UK is simply so expensive.

However, there are risks involved with seeking treatment abroad – as well as the obvious potential rewards - and so in this guide to seeking IVF treatment overseas, we’ll examine both sides of the coin for anyone looking for an unbiased and open discussion to help them decide whether, for the sake of their health, their future and their choices, they should go overseas for fertility treatment or not.

If you’re wondering about your options, there is such a wealth of information on the internet, but a great deal of it is weighted in favour of overseas treatment because it is written by international clinics. In this report we will remain as unbiased as we possibly can be…

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Expatriate Healthcare: Get Your Checklist

Monday, June 29, 2009 at 12:05 pm

We always talk about how important it is to get your health insurance in place before you move abroad ideally, and to at least ensure you get medical cover established once you have moved abroad. This is simply because few countries in the world have a free system like the NHS, and even where medical care is available free to certain groups of expatriates such as British retirees, the care available is always limited and supplementary charges will often be incurred by anyone if they seek treatment.

You need to understand the level of healthcare you will be entitled to or have access to in your new nation of residence, and then you need to begin examining which expatriate healthcare and insurance providers will be able to give you the type of policy you need to cover the protection of your health and that of your family.

In this article we look at expatriate healthcare and help you get your checklist in order so that you can examine and judge each and every single health insurance provider on the same criteria to see which one offers you the best level of cover and the best value for money.

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What’s The One Thing Expats Apparently Can’t Do Without?

Tuesday, June 09, 2009 at 10:56 am

According to surprising new findings from a leading international health insurance company, the one thing expats apparently can’t do without is health care cover.

Colour us happy, because we’ve been going on and on about how important it is for expats caught up in the recession to keep their health care cover going. It seems that we haven’t been rattling on in vain – and we’re pleased because in our opinion and in our experience, it is vital to be well covered for all of your health care needs.

In this report we’ll show you why you really do need health insurance if you’re living abroad, and how you can cut costs on cover if you need to, or get an all singing all dancing policy to cover every eventuality from some specialist insurance providers. (You’d probably opt for the latter if someone else was paying!)

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What Constitutes Good Expat Health Insurance?

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 9:03 am

The Daily Telegraph recently brought the need for decent expatriate health insurance plans to the top of the agenda for many by highlighting the fact that if something like Swine Flu took hold, and a pandemic broke out, those living in poorer or less sophisticated nations could find that their local health services are ill equipped to cope, or even perhaps become overwhelmed.

In such a situation it would be critical for expatriates to have decent heath insurance cover in place to ensure that they had access to the treatment they needed locally, or that there was funding in place to evacuate and repatriate them.

So, what constitutes good expat health insurance cover, because surely it must differ from nation to nation right? So how can an international health insurer offer a ‘one size fits all’ health insurance policy? We investigate…

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Britons Warned They Are Risking Their Health Abroad

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 11:19 am

The Department of Health in the UK is warning Britons that they are risking their health when they go abroad because up to three million of those who are travelling to Europe are thought to be without a valid European Health Insurance Card.

This worrying fact comes hot on the heels of news that Britons living abroad are unaware that they need a flexible health insurance plan if they intend to return home to the UK for any length of time, as access to the British NHS is not guaranteed for Brits who are resident outside the UK.

At a time when the global community is facing everything from the very real symptoms of recession depression to a potential pandemic of swine flu, we find it extraordinary that travelling and expatriating Britons aren’t making more of an effort to ensure that their global health requirements are taken care of. In this article we’ll look at the worrying facts and statistics, and show you how you can get affordable cover in place that will take care of you and your family no matter where in the world you’re travelling to or living.

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The Expat Health Insurance Gap

Tuesday, May 05, 2009 at 12:00 pm

The recession and deflation are seeing prices for all sorts of services, goods and commodities fall in real terms. Some say this is a downward spiral that’s hard to break as we all wait for prices to fall before we buy anything – but that aside for a moment, there is one ‘commodity’ or service that’s actually fast increasing in expense, and that’s health insurance.

For expatriates and those thinking about a move overseas, this is worrying news. Health insurance is already an expensive necessity to have for expatriates in most nations, and many expats are looking at ways of cutting the overall cost of their cover. Some find that by taking local insurance only they can cut their costs, but then they leave themselves exposed to the expat health insurance gap.

The expat health insurance gap exists for those who want to travel, relocate or repatriate, and it’s those who fall into the latter category who are being particularly affected at the moment as they realise that they are not automatically entitled to NHS care if they do return to Great Britain. What’s more, some of the largest international insurers such as AXAPPP and BUPA are keen to let expats know that their international policies are actually more competitively priced than many may previously have thought.

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Should Struggling Expats Self-Insure Their Health?

Friday, May 01, 2009 at 9:49 am

A sad story in last week’s Sunday Times about struggling expats highlights the reality that there are those who are living abroad and who are suffering the fall out from the global financial crisis as much as many who’re still resident in the UK.

We can’t all run and hide from the credit crunch, and recession depression is a reality for many of us, no matter where in the world we’re living. The fact of the matter is, jobs are harder to come by, property values have deteriorated, and as a result people are having to live with much less in their pocket each month.

So, should struggling expats consider cancelling their private medical insurance and self-insuring their health instead? Is it a legitimate way to save money, or is it a dangerous risk to take?

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Is International Health Insurance Valid in the UK?

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 7:42 am

Some returning Britons are discovering that their so-called ‘international’ health insurance plans are no longer quite as valid and as valuable when they return to the UK, leading to an increase in complaints against insurers - according to a recent report in the Telegraph.

The trouble is, the cost of health care at home and abroad differs greatly, therefore insurers look at where an individual is resident when they are initially insured, and tailor their quotation accordingly. As soon as you move the goalposts by moving to another country or by repatriating, you need to be very wary of changing policy wording and/or of changes to the premiums that you pay!

If you’ve been living abroad for some years and have taken out a health insurance policy, you need to look into the usefulness of it if you’re now thinking of returning to the UK. Do this sooner rather than later or you could find yourself underinsured, or worse still, uninsured.

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Essential Health Advice for Expats in Ecuador

Monday, April 13, 2009 at 8:23 am

If you’re thinking of heading off to look at property for sale in the emerging market of Ecuador or maybe taking a holiday in the Galapagos Islands, you need to be organising your healthcare between 4-6 weeks in advance of travel.

One of the first places you’d be advised to check out is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website which gives valuable information to travellers about health issues, crime and what to do in the event of emergencies during your holiday or fact finding trip in Ecuador. The information covered by the FCO is pretty clear and concise and may save a lot of hassles and heartache.

If you’re going to live in Ecuador or take a holiday there it is important to take precautions against insect bites. You are strongly advised to use mosquito netting, wear long sleeved clothing and trousers, shoes or boots rather than sandals, use DEET repellent sprays and to take anti malarial treatment if you are visiting areas outside of Quito, Guayaquil, the Galapagos Islands, the Central Highland tourist areas and any area below an altitude of 1500 metres. Chagas disease, a tropical parasitic disease spread by biting insects, can be found in Ecuador and standard insect protection measures will help in the prevention of this disease. This is the first essential piece of health advice for expats in Ecuador…

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Expat Medical Advice for Thailand

Wednesday, April 08, 2009 at 9:24 am

Whilst Leonardo De Caprio seemed to have gotten off relatively scot free during his time “on the beach” in Thailand, apart from losing a few mates to shark bites and drug barons that is, you do need to plan your healthcare in advance if you’re thinking of travelling to, or living in Thailand.

A country of many contrasts and striking beauty, Thailand also has an interesting list of ailments and infections awaiting the traveller and naïve expat. So, if you’re planning a trip, you’d better take more than the “Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand.”

Here’s the Shelter Offshore guide to expat medical advice for Thailand.

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Healthcare Insurance Abroad For Expatriates & Others Overseas Seeking Healthier Living Abroad

Health Abroad