What questions to ask before taking out expatriate insurance?

What questions to ask before taking out expatriate insurance?
expatriation-insurance-questions Expatriate insurance is the ideal solution to cover the health expenses of a person who lives or works in a foreign country.

Faced with the proliferation of the offer, however, it is necessary to clearly define your needs in order to benefit from appropriate cover and avoid unnecessary financial charges by opting for unnecessary guarantees.

Do i need global coverage?

Whether you decide to relocate to London, the United States or Japan, expatriation insurance can help you with illness or hospitalization. You must find out beforehand about the cost of care in the country where you are going to work. You can get this information from the Medical Information Committee (CIMED), which collects health information from more than 200 cities in 130 countries around the world.

Typically, these fees are exorbitant in the United States, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, and Australia. It is therefore wise to opt for a maximum level of coverage if you are going to move to one of these countries. To know if global coverage is right for you, you must also take into account your business trips and the frequency of your returns to France.

Do I need outpatient care?

In terms of health insurance, hospitalization generally includes expenses for drugs and consumables as well as ancillary costs such as a hospital bed. As for outpatient care, this involves consultations, biology or medical imaging check-ups as well as minor surgery procedures performed elsewhere than at the approved doctor or clinic. Visits to the dermatologist, pediatrician or physiotherapist are also included in outpatient care.

If you are in good health, it is very likely that you do not need outpatient care. On the other hand, if your health is fragile and you have to carry out regular check-ups, insurance that covers the expenses of outpatient care can quickly show all its interest.

Do I need the care of comfort care?

Comfort care concerns in particular the management of childbirth, dental or optical treatments. They should be carefully researched before choosing international insurance. If you are traveling with your family or have teething problems, this support can be very useful in obtaining reimbursement of your expenses. In the event that your pregnant spouse remains in France, it would be best to find out whether her childbirth would be covered if it takes place in France.

It is important to be well informed about the reimbursement limits for each contract, because once this threshold is reached, the insurance will no longer reimburse your expenses. Likewise, it is appropriate to ask for the elimination period, that is to say the period between the effective date of the contract and the effective start of coverage by the insurance. For example, it is common for complex dental care such as dentures, crowns, bridges and inlays that insurance companies include a waiting period of six to nine months.

Do I need to insure a previous condition?

If you have suffered from a long-standing ailment or if you are undergoing treatment for an illness when you take out your expatriate insurance, it is essential to mention it in your declaration of health. If you voluntarily omit this illness and the insurance finds out your bad faith, you risk the outright cancellation of your contract. Which means that you will have to bear your health expenses.

Honesty is therefore recommended when completing this vital document to determine your profile and therefore the amount of contributions you will have to pay. These may be more important if the insurer agrees to include these pre-existing conditions in its coverage. Otherwise, it is always possible to take out expatriate insurance that does not include these conditions and whose related expenses will be entirely yours.

Does this insurance cover all of my needs?

When it comes to health insurance, coverage needs vary from individual to individual. Likewise, for the same person, the risks and quality of care differ depending on whether they move to Canada, Thailand or Angola. It is therefore advisable to make a list of your most significant coverage needs. Ask for several proposals in order to be able to compare with a rested head. Do not hesitate to ask questions of the advisor who is able to enlighten you on the services offered by his company.