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The Intricacies of Expat Healthcare
An expat is an American who voluntarily lives in another country but who retain their American citizenship. Finding proper healthcare within the confines of the U.S. is sometimes difficult enough, but finding expat healthcare when one lives in another country highly exacerbates the quandary.
There are companies whose single area of expertise is providing expat healthcare. Because International underwriting, enrolment and fulfillment, claims assessment and assistance services have to cover the locale that the expat is residing in, it requires a more complex policy. Often such companies will even offer expert translation services in an emergency in order to provide the expat the proper healthcare required. Of course, it is imperative that the expat healthcare policy must work in conjunction with the healthcare available in that particular country.
The cost of expat healthcare is but the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes the rude awakening is simply receiving proper healthcare, for many find that the country they live in is “no longer America” and the medical doctors, hospitals and healthcare in general are nowhere near the quality they received in the U.S. Discovering the exact location where the expat healthcare is available is often the crux of the situation, especially in an emergency. This is even more difficult in rural areas or perhaps if the expat has settled in an underdeveloped country.
If a person is merely traveling through a country, serious thought may be given to using traveler’s insurance. Traveler’s insurance will cover the costs associated with emergency situations, but not the flu or other easily treatable medical needs. Also, too, keep in mind that traveler’s insurance only covers a bonafide traveler, and not a permanent expat in need of healthcare.
The costs of expat healthcare insurance vary but it is basically divided into different groups or geographical areas such as worldwide healthcare, worldwide less the U.S. and Canada, or simply Europe. Should the expat require healthcare that is totally beyond what that area is capable of giving you, your expat healthcare insurance will cover the cost of evacuating you and possibly even repatriating you.
A good expat healthcare insurance company will have already taken the steps to be sure that you are covered in that particular country, even making agreements with hospitals within that specific area. That way, the insurance company’s payment will be accepted without you having to suffer through financial red tape, or worse, need to make payment in advance for treatment.
Those involved in extreme sports such as sky diving, mountain climbing, etc. may have to pay more for their expat healthcare in order to find coverage that is specifically tailored to meet their exceptional needs. It is a good idea to be sure that you are covered if you avail yourself of these types of sports and are a thrill seeker or indulge in certain hazardous activities.
As with anything else, if you are planning on living or working abroad away from the U.S. for a period of time, it behooves you to seek the best expat healthcare you can find, as well as the most affordable. Diligent research on the Internet is highly suggested.