Many British workers leave the United Kingdom to pursue their career or personal interests in another country. In European countries such as Cyprus, as many as half the residents in some coastal villages are British. Property prices are rising and new developments are booming as more and more people seek out their own place in the sun.
However, moving overseas with inadequate health insurance can be a huge risk. Being uninsured when you become ill abroad can be so expensive that some expatriates are forced into debt or even have to move home to the UK:
- If things do go wrong, you may find that the statutory medical care in your new country of residence is nowhere near the standard you are used to in the UK. This can be quite a shock if you are expecting a similar level of care.
- You may find that basic medical attention is free, but anything above this is chargeable, leaving you without adequate treatment for serious conditions. With urgent conditions such as broken bones, could you find the money for a complete course of treatment at short notice?
- In remote areas medical facilities may be lacking compared to the relative ease of access back home. Often the local hospital may be in a city several miles away, and these smaller units may struggle to provide you with the care you need for a serious illness.
The cost of being uninsured
Moving overseas is a huge commitment for most people and often involves several years of saving and planning. Without international health insurance, you could see your savings wiped out within weeks as the cost of medical care mounts up. And if you are working overseas, you may have to take a decreased wage or cease working completely.
A relatively common accident, such as a broken joint, can cost expatriates tens of thousands of pounds on top of any lost income and expenses. An ongoing infection or chronic condition, such as pneumonia or breast cancer, could see your medical bills rise nearer to a six figure sum.
Dental treatment is rarely free and even trips to casualty can be extremely expensive. Unfortunately, health problems are entirely unpredictable. A healthy adult can become ill relatively quickly, and children are naturally more prone to infection and accidents and often need to visit the doctor for check-ups as they grow up. It is highly recommended that expatriates consider their healthcare options and purchase insurance for their whole family.
Tailoring your plan
Expatriate health insurance can be customised to suit your needs by adding or removing the desired components from your plan. It may be that you do not need a call-out GP service, or prefer not to be covered for dental treatment. Equally, you may wish to ensure you have access to emergency medical care or maternity services. You may also choose to be insured only in your country of residence, or the countries you regularly visit, so you are not paying for unnecessary cover in the rest of the world.
As with most types of insurance, you have the option of varying the excess or including the rest of the family under one policy. This can have cost benefits as well as adding convenience.
The cost of expatriates health insurance
For added value, choose a policy that gives you access to good-quality on-demand medical advice over the telephone. You may use this service at any time of the day or night, in English and local languages, providing another layer of support. And if the worst happens to a relative, many policies will pay for you to return to the United Kingdom at short notice. Many expats who take out expatriates health insurance feel that this kind of advice takes a huge weight off their mind – and this is worth the monthly premium alone.
Many international health insurance plans offer ongoing health checks to ensure early detection of illness. Make sure you use these services to get the maximum value from your plan. Not only do regular checkups and advice reassure you, it will ensure any conditions that do occur are dealt with promptly, minimising any associated costs such as loss of earnings.
Expatriates health insurance is available for a very modest monthly premium but will protect you against unfortunate and unexpected medical bills. International health insurance provides the high standard of care you are used to and access to the best quality facilities while outside the UK, whether you are travelling or at home. The fact that you are fit and healthy, and therefore unlikely to lose earnings through ill health, is in itself a benefit worth paying for.
Altogether, expatriates health insurance represents fantastic value for money and is highly recommended for anyone who could not cope financially if they had an accident or illness in their new country of residence.
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