Learn more about Employer Group Insurance
Ask Doug – Questions and Answers about your global employer group medical insurance, is a series of videos providing information on how to use your international employer group medical insurance best for you and your family.
Good Neighbor Insurance, https://www.gninsurance.com, provides international employer group health insurance plans and comprehensive global insurance options for employers, non-profits, entrepreneurs, social good and mission agencies, for paid overseas staff, 1099 works, volunteers, and foreign nationals. Since our founding in 1997, we have provided international and U.S. insurance solutions for social entrepreneurs and global businesses both large and small with a variety of top-rated U.S. and international carriers such as UHC Global, Cigna Global, IMG, Talent Trust, and Azimuth to name a few.
For the most up-to-date information on our international employer group medical insurance options please –
- visit our web page at https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health.
- or call one of our international employer group and travel insurance agents at 480-813-9100 here in Gilbert, Arizona, USA
- or email us at [email protected].
Safe Global Travels – from your GNI Team!
- How does my deductible work on my international employer group medical insurance?
- Why is my deductible higher in the U.S. than overseas?
- What does cross-accumulate deductible mean when it comes to my international employer group insurance?
- What do these different levels of deductibles mean that I see on my schedule of benefits?
- What does “out-of-pocket maximum” mean when it comes to my international employer group insurance?
- What does “co-insurance” mean on my expatriate employer group medical insurance policy?
- Who should I call in a medical emergency on my international employer group medical insurance?
- Can our children have their own account online on my international employer group insurance?
- How do I know if I have a co-pay when I visit a doctor’s office on my international employer group medical insurance?
Ask Doug – How does my deductible work on my international employer group medical insurance?
Ask Doug – Questions and Answers about your global employer group medical insurance, https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health, is a series of videos providing information on how to use your international employer group medical insurance best for you and your family.
Question – How does my deductible work on my employer group medical insurance, Doug?
Answer – That is a great question, Sophia. International group medical insurance has an “annual” deductible, not a per incident deductible. Sophia, some employer group plans have the annual deductible based on the calendar (January 1 through December 31) and others based on the policy year (when the policy started during the year). Deductibles are also calculated according to the service date, not according to when the claim was filed.
Ask Doug – Why is my deductible higher in the U.S. than overseas?
Ask Doug – Questions and Answers about your global employer group medical insurance, https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health, is a series of videos providing information on how to use your international employer group medical insurance best for you and your family.
Question – Why is my deductible higher in the U.S. than overseas, Doug?
Answer – That is a great question, Chiara.
Chiara, some employer group plans have a lower or zero-dollar deductible for medical expenses incurred outside the U.S. This is to encourage you to have medical care in your country of service. Lower medical costs, will help lower increases to your employer group insurance premium next year. In the U.S, some employer group medical plans have a higher deductible “out of network” expenses. That’s because the international insurance company doesn’t get a discount with that hospital or doctor.
Chiara, all employer group insurance allows deductibles to cross-accumulate, which means, any deductible met in one place will apply to the other. So, if you already met your U.S. deductible and go back overseas, any additional medical care in that year won’t need to meet the deductible.
Ask Doug – What does cross-accumulate deductible mean when it comes to my international employer group insurance?
Ask Doug – Questions and Answers about your global employer group medical insurance, https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health, is a series of videos providing information on how to use your international employer group medical insurance best for you and your family.
Question – What does cross-accumulate deductible mean when it comes to my international employer group insurance, Doug?
Answer – That is a great question, Henrik. All international employer group insurance policies allow deductibles to cross-accumulate. Henrik, this means any deductible met in one place / location will apply to the other location. So, if you already met your U.S. deductible and go back overseas, any additional medical care in that year won’t need to meet the deductible.
Ask Doug – What do these different levels of deductibles mean that I see on my schedule of benefits?
Ask Doug – Questions and Answers about your global employer group medical insurance, https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health, is a series of videos providing information on how to use your international employer group medical insurance best for you and your family.
Question – What do these different levels of deductibles mean that I see on my schedule of benefits, Doug?
Answer – That is a fabulous question, Annabelle. Here is a quick definition of a deductible: This is the part that you pay first before your international medical insurance company will pay anything.
Annabelle, there may be 1, 2 or 3 different deductibles depending on the international employer group insurance and how it is structured. The different deductibles can go into one of these three categories, of where the medical care is received:
- International (Outside the U.S.)
- U.S. In-Network
- U.S. Out-of-Network
Annabelle, a typical annual deductible structure might be (all in USD):
- $250 deductible overseas
- $2,500 deductible in the U.S. for network providers.
- $5,000 deductible in the U.S. for out-of-Network providers.
Ask Doug – What does “out-of-pocket maximum” mean when it comes to my international employer group insurance?
Ask Doug – Questions and Answers about your global employer group medical insurance, https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health, is a series of videos providing information on how to use your international employer group medical insurance best for you and your family.
Question – What does “out-of-pocket maximum” mean when it comes to my international employer group insurance, Doug?
Answer – That is a great question, Katherine. Here is a general definition of “out of pocket maximum” = These are expenses that the patient (or the Patient’s parents) can expect to pay themselves before the insurance company covers the rest at 100%.
Katherine, every international medical insurance company has their own formula for how the Out-of-Pocket Maximum is Calculated. Here are the four major components that may be used to calculate out-of-pocket maximum expense (Not all companies count all of these components).
- Deductible
- Co-insurance
- Co-pays
- International, U.S. In-Network, U.S. Out-of-Network
Katherine, you will also have the total amount of your out of pocket maximum in U.S. dollars (international and U.S. in-network), which is shown on your schedule of benefits.
Ask Doug – What does “co-insurance” mean on my expatriate employer group medical insurance policy?
Ask Doug – Questions and Answers about your global employer group medical insurance, https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health, is a series of videos providing information on how to use your international employer group medical insurance best for you and your family.
Question – My family is heading to reside as expats in Austria. What does “co-insurance” mean on my expatriate employer group medical insurance policy?
Answer – Great question, Kimiko. After your deductible is met, your international insurance company pays a percent of the next part of the medical bill. This is shown in percentages, Kimiko.
When you see 80 percent next to a medical expense, that means that the international insurance company will pay 80 percent of that cost and you will pay the 20 percent after the deductible is met. That does sound like a lot of money to pay out, Kimiko. But don’t worry, there is a dollar cap. This is where the out-of-pocket maximum comes into play.
Once you have met your out-of-pocket maximum (one person) for all covered medical services, the company will pay all the other eligible medical expenses at 100% for the rest of Policy or Calendar year (depending on your policy). The family maximum out of pocket is 2 or 3 times the individual depending on the expatriate medical insurance policy, Kimiko.
For the most up-to-date information on our international employer group medical insurance options please –
- visit our web page at https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health.
- or call one of our international employer group and travel insurance agents at 480-813-9100 here in Gilbert, Arizona, USA
- or email us at [email protected].
Safe Global Travels – from your GNI Team!
https://www.gninsurance.com
Ask Doug – Who should I call in a medical emergency on my international employer group medical insurance?
Ask Doug – Questions and Answers about your global employer group medical insurance, https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health, is a series of videos providing information on how to use your international employer group medical insurance best for you and your family.
Question – Who should I call in a medical emergency on my international employer group medical insurance, Doug?
Answer – Luciana, that is a great question. Besides calling 911 or the equivalent in your country of service, Luciana, your next call should be the Customer Care, Customer Service or Member Services of your international employer medical insurance which is on your medical ID card. Your medical ID card has an emergency phone number that you may call, Luciana. These phones are monitored 24/7 and they will take collect calls. If you have to leave a message, be sure to leave your phone number. Please also include your telephone country code, if you are outside of the U.S.
Luciana, sometimes when we are anxious, which is very understandable, we speak too quickly or forget to leave important information in our message. So please speak slower than usual and provide all important information. Repeat your phone number and name also will be greatly appreciated. It is also a good idea to make a request by e-mail, through your account online or on the mobile app after you have called. This allows for anything you have missed saying on the phone to be added to your account, so they can best assist you.
For the most up-to-date information on our international employer group medical insurance options please –
- visit our web page at https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health.
- or call one of our international employer group and travel insurance agents at 480-813-9100 here in Gilbert, Arizona, USA
- or email us at [email protected].
Safe Global Travels – from your GNI Team!
https://www.gninsurance.com
Can our children have their own account online on my international employer group insurance?
Hi Doug, my spouse, Benjamin, and I will be residing overseas in Indonesia for a few years in a couple of weeks. Quick question as we go over our global employer group medical insurance.
Can our children, who are now in university in England and the U.S., have their own online accounts on my international employer group insurance?
Answer –
That is a great question, Charlotte.
- The answer may vary depending on the international employer group medical insurance company. This is a typical question from employees residing overseas (outside the U.S.) who may have dependents that are full-time students in the U.S. and around the world. Sometimes, college students may wish to have the ability to securely schedule their own appointments and manage their healthcare without having to go through a parent who could be more than 10 time zones away.
I am so glad you asked this question, Charlotte.
- We are happy to answer any questions regarding your global employer group medical insurance policy, whether they concern your plan benefits, how to submit claims, or any other administrative issues you may have.
- Your global insurance team here at GNI is in the office from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Arizona time on business days.
- You may call us at 1-480-813-9100 or we can set up a video call meeting.
- We also respond to emails within 24 business hours. You may reach us at [email protected].
Change is always in the air! Please check out our international employer group medical insurance options on our web page at https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health for the most up-to-date information on your global employer group insurance –
- or call us at 480-813-9100 or we can set up a video call.
- or email us at [email protected]
Your GNI team here in Gilbert, Arizona, wishes you both safe and awe-inspiring expatriate travels in Indonesia and beyond, Charlotte and Benjamin.
How do I know if I have a co-pay when I visit a doctor’s office on my international employer group medical insurance?
Question –
- Hi Doug, Sabrina and I are going over our global employer medical insurance benefits over our fried rice lunch here in Indonesia, and we have a quick question on copays.
- How do I know if I have a co-pay when I visit a doctor’s office?
Answer –
That is an awesome question that you and Sabrina brought up, Bill.
There are three ways to find out ahead of time if you need to make a co-pay to a physician’s office.
- The ID card provided by your global employer medical insurance company, whether it’s a physical card or an electronic one, will have a phone number on the back. You can call this number to be connected with the Help Desk / Member Services of the international employer group insurance company. There, you may ask any questions about your global medical insurance policy and benefits.
- If you have set up your online account (and you certainly should!), you may submit this inquiry online and receive an answer via email.
- If you have a copy of the Summary of Benefits, any copays will be listed there.
For example:
- In this example, the charges and copays vary by situation:
- There are no charges and no copay if you are overseas / outside the U.S. (second column).
- There is a copay if you are using an in-network provider in the U.S. (third column).
- The appointment is covered at 50% after the deductible – with no copay – if you are using an out-of-network provider in the U.S. (last column).
- If you do not have your Summary of Benefits, we will be glad to send you a copy.
I am so glad you asked this question, Bill and Sabrina.
- We are happy to answer any questions regarding your global employer group medical insurance policy, whether they concern your plan benefits, how to submit claims, or any other administrative issues you may have.
- Your global insurance team here at GNI is in the office from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Arizona time on business days.
- You may call us at 1-480-813-9100 or we can set up a video call meeting.
- We also respond to emails within 24 business hours. You may reach us at [email protected].
Change is always in the air! Please check out our international employer group medical insurance options on our web page at https://www.gninsurance.com/group-health for the most up-to-date information on your global employer group insurance –
- or call us at 480-813-9100 or we can set up a video call.
- or email us at [email protected]
Your GNI team here in Gilbert Arizona, wishes you both safe and awe-inspiring expatriate travels in Indonesia and throughout, Bill and Sabrina.