International Health Care Systems

Summary: When travelling abroad or relocating to a foreign country one of the most important things people should consider is their need for health insurance and also the likely standard and availability of health care in their chosen country.

When travelling abroad or relocating to a foreign country one of the most important things people should consider is their need for health insurance and also the likely standard and availability of health care in their chosen country.

When it comes to international health care systems they vary massively in cost, availability and in standard and it’s important to bear these facts in mind and insure against all eventualities.  However, insurances can be highly expensive and seeing as some companies are far better than others in terms of the cover they offer, the premiums they charge and the level of customer service they apply, how can you make sure you find the best health insurance provider for your needs?

If you do a search on the internet for health insurance there are between 70 and 80 million results returned - and most of the items and sites listed are from brokers or insurers offering you the benefits of their particular plan.  So if you have to compare like for like between all insurers you’ll probably be there for the rest of your life!  Who has time to sift through the small print of even ten providers’ plans? 

If you’re just about to expatriate the pressure to get covered becomes more intense and yet your time is more limited as you sort out even more pressing matters such as visas, removals, accommodation, work etc.

So what’s the solution? 
Pick the first provider’s plan that comes to hand and either insure you and your family to the hilt or just pay for the bare minimum that you can afford? 
Hardly ideal! 

What you need to do first is think about the country you are relocating to and find out a little about the health care system of that country.  If you’re moving to a Western European country, Australia or New Zealand you will find that the standards and availability of health care are excellent meaning that you will be unlikely to need repatriation insurance on top of your basic medical cover - that should save you some money straight away! 

If on the other hand you’re moving somewhere more remote or less ‘sophisticated’ where health care is rudimentary and likely to be costly you should seriously consider your need for repatriation cover. 

If you’re relocating to America or Canada things become a little more expensive.  Health insurance in the US is a total rip off but at the same time it is critical, essential, an absolute must (!) that you get the level of cover you can afford otherwise you may find yourself one day facing an impossibly high bill with your insurer looking the other way and at the same time reeling off all the exemption clauses that mean you not they pick up the tab!

Next you need to consider yours and your family’s requirements - do any of you have any pre-existing conditions that will either be expensive to cover or not eligible for cover...how will you handle this?  Will you need to personally afford to pay for treatment on top of any health insurance, will you need to increase the amount you have on standby to pay for a higher excess?  Forewarned is forearmed and the deeper the understanding you have of the country you’re moving to, the insurance cover you can rely on, your likely costs etc., the better prepared you can be financially speaking.

Finally, when it comes to the consideration of international health care systems and the requirements of the expatriate there is one company who set themselves apart from all the rest and who might offer you both the cover and peace of mind you need; and that is American Express.  They are world renowned for their exceptional reputation and they have recently formed an alliance with Good Health who are one of the world’s leading providers of health and medical care.  Together they have established an exclusive expatriate health and medical insurance available to American Express card holders and that has been designed specifically to target the varying needs of expatriates around the world.

To find out more about the services they offer, the plans available and the costs or to get an instant online personal quotation click here.  The site is actually quite slow to load but Global Health seem to have come up with a unique product which, with the backing of American Express, offers that extra level of peace of mind expatriates need when thinking about international health care cover.

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