Swine Flu: an Important Health Insurance Lesson for Expatriates

Some expats plan their relocation abroad meticulously and for months in advance, some are forced to do so as a result of having to go through a complex and lengthy visa application process, other expats just up sticks and land up abroad living in a new nation!  But whichever way you go about ‘planning’ and arranging your relocation overseas, one thing that often gets overlooked is getting the most appropriate international health insurance policy in place.

We understand it, we really do.  Health insurance is a very boring subject all told; what’s more, it’s not something anyone looks forward to having to pay out for…we all hope we’ll never need to use it.  But at the same time it’s highly likely that at some point during our travels and adventures overseas we will require at least a brief doctor’s visit.

So, in this article we’re going to show you how and why it’s important to have the right type of health insurance in place if you’re moving to live, work or retire abroad, and how to find the most appropriate policy too, because not all policies are actually suitable for your international lifestyle.  Swine flu has been an important health insurance lesson for expatriates recently – it has shown that indeed, not all policies are as good as each other, and you do have to do a little bit of research to make sure you’re properly protected, no matter what you get up to abroad.

According to BUPA, a leading provider of international health insurance policies for expatriates, there has been a significant increase in policy holders calling their helpline to ask questions such as whether they are covered for anti viral medicine, whether they have access to repatriation or medical evacuation services should an eventuality arise that makes it necessary for the policy holder to be treated elsewhere, and how they can go about finding a doctor in their local nation who can treat them when they’re already feeling ill.

This shows us that when seeking a health insurance policy it’s not just important to look at what the policy covers you for – such as drug treatment, evacuation or outpatient care as illustrated above – but that international citizens could really do with a health insurance provider who can support them too.  One which has a 24/7 helpdesk offering advice and practical help, one which can assist you in finding a doctor to treat you, and one which can provide you with a whole host of potential services under the umbrella of your policy.

Therefore, it’s safe to say that the global swine flu outbreak has shown expatriates that it is very important to get the right health insurance policy in place from the right provider.  It’s no good having a policy in place that just pays out if you get ill, you need a policy backed by a global insurer who has support services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - because we don’t all fall ill between the hours of 9am and 5pm GMT between a Monday and a Friday.

So, when looking for an international health insurance policy you have to make sure you’re looking not just at cost, but at value too.  Ensure any provider you’re considering using will be there to support you in any and all healthcare eventualities.  Make sure your policy covers the basics such as doctors visits and out patient drugs, and that if needs be, it can step up and get you out of a nation with rudimentary health care provision only, and into a first world hospital where you can be well cared for.

Whilst you need to be clear up front about what you want from a health insurance policy – such as the fact that it must cover you for travel between nations and health care in your old home nation if you visit for example – you also need to be aware that not all health insurance providers give as good a support service as others.  So, ensure you’re not only buying the best policy, but that you’re buying it from the best provider too.