International Nomad Health Insurance Plans

For expatriates and those living abroad (or getting ready to move overseas):

When choosing an international nomad health insurance plan to protect you or your family overseas for a year or more, there are some tips and questions you may want to consider before “signing on the dotted line” for one particular plan.

True “comparison shopping”:

On our site, we offer international health insurance plans from more than ten top-rated, western-style insurance carriers known and respected worldwide. Other sites may only offer plans from one carrier. That makes it difficult to know if you are getting the best deal, or if that plan is the best option to fit you or your family’s needs.

One of the easiest ways to compare and shop is to ask for a couple recommendations/quotes. You can do that by using our quote page (it may take a day or two to do this research for you, but it will save you time and money in the long run). Or by emailing us at [email protected] or using our live chat feature (we’ll get your message even if it is after hours). 

If you’d like to do the research on your own, here are some items to consider:

Who is going to be on the plan?

(Just you? Your spouse or significant other? Children?) 
Some plans will not allow a “significant other” on your same plan without being married. Some offer up to two children free if both parents are on the plan. You should know that some international insurance plans allow family deductibles of two (or more) times the individual deductible. Then they will pay all claims that year (regardless of family member needing medical attention), while others require each member to hit their own deductible before covering claims. This can add up if you have more than four children.

Also, some plans allow you to see every member after one log-in screen making things a bit easier to track, while others require separate log-ins and account numbers per member. (Little conveniences like this are included when we consider recommending a plan. Because once you are overseas, ease of use and getting answers and little things will become more important to you.)

Where are you going?

Local networks and direct pay agreements can become important elements in both choice of local care, as well as saving on cost of treatment (based of the strength of network discounts). Some plans and carriers have better networks or direct-pay agreements in various parts of the world. This means you will not need to pay out-of-pocket and then get reimbursed, but instead the carrier will work directly with the hospital or care provider to pay their portion of any bills.

Some carriers can save you money by “excluding the USA and Canada.” But, on other plans, “Excluding the USA and Canada” also excludes a number of countries in Southeast Asia. So depending on your location, that may or may not be an option.

Also, if you plan to return “home” to the USA for 2-3 weeks or 2-3 months a year, you will want a long-term plan that allows for up to 2 or 3 months in the U.S. per policy year. This is where having years of experience again comes in handy.

Your health and age

Long-term international health insurance requires medical underwriting. They will take into consideration your current health and medications, past medical history, your age, etc. and may accept or decline, or ask you to consider an exclusionary rider for a particular condition. Those knowing they may have trouble with underwriting can let us know, since some carriers are known to be a little more lenient in underwriting, or you might want to consider a short-term renewable travel insurance plan that does not have underwriting and is guaranteed issue.

Maternity benefits or International adoption

We have separate pages for those wanting recommendations on the best international health insurance for maternity. We offer plans for people considering overseas adoption, including plans that automatically accept newborns (without going through underwriting).

Additional benefits

You may want international term-life insurance to be a part of your health plan. Especially since stand-alone international term life plans are almost non-existent anymore and U.S. life insurance will usually not pay if you are living overseas. You may want high-risk or crisis response or you may be a scuba diver wanting adventure sports coverage. Or dental or vision benefits may be important to you.
It is a good time to consider what you may want before you select an international health insurance plan.

Even if you have found the best plan for your needs, it is always a good idea to get confirmation that your choice is a good fit. We always try to fit your budget rather than trying to talk you into a more expensive plan. Our experienced staff does not mind you asking “Why” they are recommending one plan over another. Sometimes if two plans are generally equal, it may be because their mobile app or online claims support is easier to work with and use.

Questions

Have questions? Call us at (480)813-9100 or email [email protected]. We also have a useful Live Chat option that can be used by clicking on the orange “Question?” button next to almost every plan.