| International Health Information
and Tips
International Health Insurance is your informed
source for health insurance and general health information.
International Health Insurance Tips
- Be careful not to authorize any major health services or
tests such as CT scans on your own once the immediate emergency is
over and your condition is stabilized. This is the responsibility of
your emergency assistance service. Make sure the claims will be
covered by the insurance company
- Always carry the name, telephone and fax
numbers of your personal doctor with you at all times.
- Carry a detailed list of your medications and major
illnesses along with prescription/doctor notes, especially when
traveling in the third world. Also, bring a copy of the prescription
if you are going through customs.
- Always examine your domestic and/or
international health plan before leaving
for an overseas assignment and avoid making last minute decisions.
- Try to avoid changing insurance companies if you
currently have a medical condition which is being treated or may
reoccur. This is because your new plan may not cover that condition
because of the pre-existing clauses in most expatriate health plans.
- Most insurance agents recommend that you obtain your out-patient medical health plan
coverage before you become pregnant, as all individual plans and most
group plans will view it as a pre-existing condition. You will still
be able to get coverage, but with your current pregnancy as an
exclusion.
- Article written by International Health
Insurance Danmark's Specialist Lene Hoj called
"Precautions When Traveling and Living Abroad." More
articles on similar subjects at
http://www.ihi.dk
- If you or your spouse are planning to have children in the
near future, make sure your current health plan covers maternity. Many
plans don't cover childbirth or only cover it after a 10 to 12 month
moratorium. Other health plans will cover maternity as a pre-existing
condition so that it either won't be covered at all or only to a
certain maximum. Childbirth expenses can be extremely high if there
are complications.
- Check any health policies you already have
very carefully. Find out if your coverage extends to emergency
medical services outside the country, what that coverage entails and
whether that coverage is adequate if something goes terribly wrong on
your holiday. Then begin shopping for any extra protection you might
need
- Don't take any chances. Understand, that whether
you are out of the country for two hours or two months, accidents are
never planned and ill health can come on very suddenly . You could
find yourself too sick to travel home for medical treatment and we all
know how expensive even a short hospital stay can be. Be aware that
you can't just buy your insurance when
you start to feel badly. Policies must always be paid in full prior to
your departure
- Ask about the insurance company's emergency procedures.
What happens if you become injured and need medical assistance
immediately? Is their Assistance Center staffed 24 hours a day? How
quickly and effectively will their medical staff react to your
particular needs? If their 800 emergency number doesn't operate from
where you are, will they accept collect calls? Will the
person at the other end of the line speak English?
- Never lie or omit any pertinent medical
information on your application! All emergency
health insurers have very strict rules in regard to pre-existing
medical conditions. Discuss these carefully with your insurance
company. It's absolute folly to go off without advising them of your
medical problems because, in the long run, you will probably lose your
coverage and no payments will be made
- You usually get what you pay for! Never buy your policy
based solely on the amount of the premium. If one insurance company is
charging far less for premiums than another, be wary. This is the time
to ask a lot of hard questions because chances are the coverage will
be far less, too.
- Try to personalize your health insurance policy. Think carefully
about the kind of coverage you need. Are you pregnant? Is this a
skiing holiday? Are you traveling with children? Are you a diabetic?
All of these factors will play an important role in your choice of
policies and they must be considered very carefully. For example, did
you know that many policies don't automatically cover
pregnancy-related conditions or nursery care for premature infants?
- Do your research. Allow the same time and
consideration for picking your policy as you would to deciding on a
destination, shopping for your airline ticket or buying a backpack
that's just right for you. The wrong backpack can mean a sore back.
Choosing the wrong insurance could mean thousands and thousands of
dollars in unnecessary debt!
- Deal with a qualified insurance broker who offers plans from
several different insurance providers
- If you want to get international health
insurance, make sure you purchase it from a reputable international
insurance broker. Also make sure the insurer is financially secure.
Health Sites
Note: Some of the products
and services described or advertised on this site may not be available
to residents of certain jurisdictions, depending on regulatory
constraints, including Canada and the U.S. Please contact your insurance
agent or the owner of this site for more information about your specific
jurisdiction. The above coverage
is NOT available to residents in British Columbia. |
