Area of Cover

International medical insurance plans allow you to choose where you go for treatment and this means you can also choose to go to another country (normally the cost of travel is not covered). The cost of medical treatment varies greatly around the world and therefore the insurers allow you to exclude treatment in certain countries in order to reduce the cost of the insurance.

The price of an international medical insurance plan depends greatly on geographical area of cover. Most international policies are divided into two areas of cover:

• Worldwide
• Worldwide excluding North America (or excluding United States )

The reason for such division is due to the cost of medical treatment in North America . The United States is the most expensive country in the world for medical treatment. The consequence of this is that if you wish to be able to go for treatment in North America then the insurance costs are substantially higher. Most non American expats choose to take coverage which is worldwide excluding North America .

Some insurers offer further alternatives, excluding treatment in places like Hong Kong , Singapore , Japan etc. that are also expensive places to undergo treatment. When choosing a global medical plan you can reduce your premium by only taking cover in the parts of the world that are important to you.

A lot of people have a common misconception that developing countries will have cheaper insurance policies; this is not always correct. For example, purchasing an international insurance plan for China will cost the insured as much as purchasing a plan with cover for the United Kingdom. Medical treatment in the best medical facilities in China is the same price as in the UK .

The insurance plans 'Area of cover' is normally related to scheduled or elective treatment; most plans cover medical emergencies even outside of the area of coverage. For example, if your plan excludes coverage in North America but during a vacation there you were involved in a car accident the plan would still cover you for the emergency medical treatment necessary. However, since not all plans offer this option and there can be limitations, it is important to check with the insurance advisor on the specific details of the plan.

Our expert advisers can help you to find the plan that best fits your needs. For more information about an international medical insurance plan, or to receive a free quote, please contact us.