Expat Daily News: What to Look for in a Health Insurance Provider

Whether you’re planning to spend next summer traveling the world or you’re about to begin an assignment abroad, one of the most important things that will probably strike you very early on in your planning will be your lack of access to home based medical care should you fall ill or need treatment when overseas.

Few American based insurers will extend their coverage outside the country, and so immediately you will need to delve into the probably unfamiliar world of international health insurance plans…but where on earth do you begin?

In this report we’re going to guide you through what you need to look for in a heath insurance provider to cover your international needs – because as a bottom line you will need peace of mind that whoever you choose to insure your good health will come through for you if ever you need to call on them. So here are the 10 essentials that you need to seek out from an international health insurance provider to make sure that all your needs will be covered when you’re living, working, studying, traveling or just enjoying time abroad.

1. You need an insurance company that can open doors for you, no matter where in the world you are and no matter what type or level of treatment or care you need. Therefore, you need an insurer who has an extensive list of treatment centers and providers around the world that you can gain access to immediately should you need to.

2. To that end you also need an insurance company that you can speak to 24 hours a day 7 days a week; a company that will always pick up your call, help you find a doctor, help you get treatment and then pick up the bill at the end of it all.

3. Wherever possible and whenever you can, call in advance and inform your insurer about the treatment you are going to need, you will want an insurer who can arrange to pay for your care directly.

4. You need an insurance company with US regulation behind it so that your rights are protected and you know that you will be well cared for at home and abroad.

5. Ideally you will want to find an insurer who can cut a swathe through waiting lists because of the network of healthcare centers and providers they have an association with globally.

6. If you have a pre-existing condition and you can show proof of prior creditable insurance, you want an insurer who will consider waiving any pre-existing condition exclusions.

7. No pre-certification would also be an advantage…

8. And coverage for injuries or treatment required following a terrorist act would be a benefit in today’s world.

9. No limit on the amount of time you either spend in or out of America would be an advantage for many people too, because for most of us our lives are not so prescriptively regulated that we necessarily know how long we’re going to be in the US or abroad in any given year!

10. And finally, you will be best served by a recognized leader in international health insurance and medical assistance services which already serves hundreds of thousands of world travelers annually and who knows all about the services that you’re likely to require even before you need them!

In conclusion, you need a dedicated health insurance team behind you when you spend time abroad, because the last thing you want to be worrying about is protecting your health! With such a team behind you and permanently poised to assist you should you need to call on them, you can forget all about your health insurance needs and get on with having the time of your life overseas, safe in the knowledge that if you do get sick, you have absolutely the best team behind you and absolutely the best insurance available.