Bupa International has surveyed over a thousand expatriates to determine whether they are happy with their health now that they’ve moved abroad, and to see if healthcare standards are higher overseas…unfortunately the findings are not positive.
It seems that expats are not happy with healthcare abroad, that standards are deemed to be lower and/or different in a negative way…what’s more, many surveyed revealed that they were less healthy now that they had relocated as well.
So, if expats are generally not happy with their healthcare abroad, what’s the solution? Today we’re going to examine the real reasons why expatriates believe that medical services are inferior overseas, why they feel they are less healthy and what can be done to improve the situation for expatriates like you and me.
Expatriates Aren’t Happy with Healthcare Abroad
Of those surveyed by Bupa International, almost half stated that they were less satisfied with medical services now that they had moved abroad – however, we do not believe that this is ‘just’ about the fact that healthcare standards overseas are perceived as being generally lower than in the UK or USA for example…
It’s a fact that we know nothing of a nation’s medical services until we need to call upon them, which is probably the worst time in our life for us to make a fair judgement call about the appropriateness of care or facilities available. What’s more, methods of care and delivery of service differ from nation to nation - and even from medical facility to medical facility.
How Healthcare can be Different Abroad
In certain nations such as Spain, Turkey and Northern Cyprus for example, basic nursing duties are expected to be performed by family members. For a single expatriate, or one living in the nation with just a partner on hand to help, nursing care is going to be poor as a result. This will therefore reflect badly for the expatriate in terms of their experience of care received.
Often nurses make all the difference when it come to a comfortable hospital experience…and if nursing is done differently abroad, it’s no wonder expatriates are left feeling less satisfied with healthcare standards in general.
Additional factors negatively impacting for expatriates include the cost of treatment of course – and gaining access to treatment. In the UK the process is fairly simple if you fall ill – you either attend an Accident and Emergency facility if you are in desperate need of assistance, or you visit your GP (general practitioner) if the condition is less urgent. If a referral to a specialist is deemed appropriate, your GP facilitates that.
In a country like Germany however, you almost have to self-diagnose your illness or complaint and then do your own research into which type of doctor may be best suited to help you! For expatriate Britons for example, having to do this is alien and stressful – and therefore it casts a negative shadow across the healthcare standards available. However, using the example in point, i.e., Germany, healthcare standards nationally are regarded as being excellent by those in the know!
So, an expatriate’s view of the healthcare standards and facilities available to them abroad is going to be subjective - and may therefore be negative as a result. Changing this perception is not easy…but one can protect against any unwelcome surprises when it comes to the healthcare you will be able to access when you relocate.
What Can You Do to Ensure You’re Happy with Healthcare Standards?
Those planning a move abroad really need to do their research when it come to medicine and health in their new nation. Time needs to be taken to allow the would-be expat to look at how the medical profession works from a patient’s point of view. For example, will you be able to have access to a GP to support your health abroad, will you need to pay for nursing care as an additional extra if you fall ill, where are the main hospitals and medical centres of excellence, will you live near them?
What happens in an emergency, should you look at the realities of needing repatriation in the event that you are ever seriously ill or injured? Where can you be moved to to get specialist care if the need arises – and how much is all this going to cost you?
Having done your research and due diligence you will know how much health insurance you need to buy, and any additional elements you need to fix to your policy such as repatriation cover. What’s more, you’ll be well aware of how you go about accessing care and treatment should the need arise. By doing all this work in advance of your relocation, if you do fall ill at any time during your sojourn overseas, the stress and frantic panic and worry associated with finding treatment will not affect you, you will know where to get help and how you are going to fund it.
Are Expats Less Healthy Living Abroad?
The rest of the Bupa International survey revealed that up to one in five expatriates feels that their health has deteriorated now that they have moved overseas…
This is a shocking statistic if you take it at face value – you could read it as a fact that moving abroad is quite bad for your health! However, I prefer to see it in a different light, bearing in mind the number of expatriates I know!!!
Expats are a social animal – because the easiest way to make friends and influence people when you are a stranger in a strange land is to go out, wine and dine, meet at the pub, spend time socialising outside of work and generally leading a much less healthy lifestyle than is ideal!
Many expatriates find it hard to establish a ‘real’ life when they are living and working abroad. They fall into the trap of needing to meet new people and make good social bonds, and so they go out more than they ever would if they were back home.
The usual leisure activities we engage in when we’re settled into our lives – from going to the gym to walking the dog, visiting family to sitting in and watching TV – fall by the wayside in favour of drinking, socialising, staying out too late and becoming far more sedentary.
The above is not a fact for everyone, but hey, it’s probably a fact for the one in five expats who claim they are unhealthier now that they’re living abroad!
Ageing is another factor that can affect our good health…and it’s a fact that happens to us all whether we move abroad or not – and it’s a fact that has probably affected many of the one in five less healthy expats too…
Have a Healthy Expat Experience
The fact of the matter is, you don’t have to go to the pub every lunchtime and every night to meet new people and make friends. You can spend some time exploring other social options such as joining a sports club, a gym or just a social club that enjoys hobbies or pastimes – from bridge to salsa dancing!
Alternatively, you can limit the amount of socialising you do – and spend the rest of the time living a ‘real’ life, getting to know the nation you’re in, getting to love the life you have.
If health is a concern for you, look at the improvements you could make to your diet and exercise pattern, and don’t forget that you need to manage and nurture your emotional wellbeing as well if you want to feel fully healthy.
Expatriates go through such a range of emotions – from pure elation and excitement about their new life, to depression or worry about being away from the familiarity of their former life - that psychological stress can creep in and also undermine good health.
Take practical and active steps to maintain or improve your health – and you will not be one of the one in five!
In Conclusion
Living abroad is a fantastic opportunity – it can bring so much good to your way of life, your lifestyle and your quality of life…however, there are elements of the move that will see fundamental changes in your life, and you need to manage these changes, and be aware of how they could affect you.
For example, your access to healthcare may differ, so determine how you will manage that in advance of your move so that the stress of the fact does not weigh upon you the first time you find you need to see a doctor.
Taking commonsense measures to remain active, fit and healthy once you have relocated will be very important if you want to get the very most out of your new life as an expatriate.
