Travelling can be a risky business. But while there’s a school of thought that says the more you travel the more you expose yourself to risk, there’s an argument that greater experience (and access to the right information) about how to protect yourself and your family, means you can make the best decisions.
Article written by Cigna Global Health Options
And that’s pretty much why international private medical insurance needs research and careful consideration.
International health insurance is a specialised market, but it’s also an area where quality and service count. Jim Bruce, Head of Strategy and Business Development Manager for Cigna Global Health Options (CGHO) outlines the burning questions you should ask anyone offering their services in the international healthcare market.
It’s relatively easy to get high quality medical care in your own country, where you’re familiar with the language, culture and processes. Getting the same quality of care – and peace of mind – in unfamiliar, sometimes hostile territory presents its own specific challenges. Where standards and costs vary dramatically and you will be feeling at your most vulnerable, expertise and experience at mitigating those risks really comes into its own.
Here are questions to help you uncover the very real differences in the benefits and services on offer, subtleties in policy wordings and the practises that need careful thought.
Q: Which emergency assistance company do they use and how experienced are they?
A: The industry has its share of the very good, very poor and the untested. It’s important to explore the company’s true capability and experience.
Q: Which emergency medical assistance services are included in your basic service offering?
A: Some carriers bundle certain medical assistance services into their core offering, while others make this a fee-for-service option.
Q: Who are the staff delivering clinical advice? Where are they located? What is their international clinical experience?
A: Beware of an overly one region set-up. For example, while the value of US nurses is clearly understood within North America and many European countries, a US-based nurse may not have the professional stature required to get the co-operation of a treating doctor in the rest of the world. The most effective care managers don’t simply receive information. Seek an insurer that has a balance of US expertise to manage situations likely in that region along with regional expertise to provide a broad level of clinical expertise across the spectrum.
Q: Do they employ a full-time international medical director? What is his/her international clinical experience?
A: Few health insurers have a full-time international medical director, much less one with international clinical experience. Their presence indicates a commitment to quality medical care.
Q: How do they select hospitals and healthcare facilities?
A: There is no single international qualification, accreditation standard or process applied by health insurers. Answers to this question will range from those who simply provide a directory of known providers, similar to the phone book, compiled without any selection criteria. On-site evaluations by medical professionals represent the “gold standard.”
Q: Can you rely on them to ensure your healthcare provision is compliant with international legislation?
A: This is one of the areas where international private medical insurance providers have the opportunity to distinguish themselves. It’s easy to fall foul of the frequent changes being made to healthcare legislation around the world. By offering access to expertise and sharing it with their customers, health insurers have the opportunity to add value.
Q: What key features should I look for from an international PMI provider?
A:
- Broad, comprehensive range of benefits
- Consistent global healthcare provision
- Medical/provider referral service
- Robust emergency evacuation/repatriation services
- Experience and a proven track record in delivering worldwide healthcare.
- Fast and easy access to an unrivalled network of healthcare professionals and facilities all over the world.
- Upfront payment of treatment or reimbursement within 5 working days.
- Payment of claims in your own currency 24 hours, seven days a week access to service/medical advice, 365 days of the year.
- Ability to tailor your plan to get the cover that’s right for you and your family.
Q: Why not use the local healthcare provider in the destination country?
A: The real challenge of expatriate healthcare is to overcome global variations in healthcare cover. It’s relatively easy to arrange healthcare cover for a single country of destination, but in reality most expatriates will be mobile within a region. Localised healthcare can be at best expensive or, at worst leaves the expatriate exposed to the risk of finding they are without healthcare cover when they need it most.
For more information, call out advisors on 01475 492 222 or visit www.cignaglobal.com