It is a fact that your health and well-being is not something to be taken lightly. Being in a new location, dealing with varying pollution levels, and numerous other unforeseen factors can affect your overall well-being. This may lead to different health problems and exposure to various diseases.
Having medical coverage is significant for a few reasons. Without health insurance, an accident or a health issue that results in emergency care and involves expensive treatments can result in giant debt or even having your savings completely wiped out. The peace-of-mind of being covered in the event of an emergency is my top motivation to get health insurance.
You may be asking where you can get medical coverage in nations outside the US? Here are a few choices for you to consider in order to avoid unpleasant surprises in the event that you may need medical coverage.
Expat Health Insurance in Thailand
In the event that you are just traveling or choose to remain living abroad for the long-term, purchasing full medical insurance is a smart move. Full medical insurance, more often than not, covers you for hospital visits, in the event that you are in a mishap, or become sick, run a high fever, suffer heart failure, fall off a motorbike and break a few bones and have to get your body put into a cast or need to undergo major surgery and have to remain in a hospital bed for a few days, then having insurance will definitely ease your worries and guarantee that you will get treatment.
Some medical insurance coverages cover childbirth and dental health. Outpatient benefits which is any visit that is less than 24 hours is referred to as an outpatient benefit and are usually excluded and you have to get them as an extra, so on the off chance that you have a rash and you need to see a dermatologist, need lab tests and MRI scans, need treatment such as chemotherapy or need some form of physical therapy, then at that point, your standard coverage probably won't cover that. So make sure that if this is something you need that you opt-in for Outpatient benefits in your coverage.
Luma has staff that can speak multiple languages to cater to foreigners. They have a complete coverage plan that incorporates cancer care, inpatient care, and maternity care. They even have a mobile app, which is available on iOS and android phones, where you can login to view your benefits and even offers 24/7 care support right from the app. Premiums start from $796 for each year and Luma gives full coverage for COVID-19.
- Banks in Thailand (requires work permit)
A large number of banks in Thailand offer medical insurance for foreigners. But you have to have a work license that is valid for one year as well as a proper visa. The protection is generally valid following a month, so you have to wait 30 days before you visit a specialist. The banks in Thailand generally offer less expensive protection than some other organizations. They additionally make it simpler for their clients to guarantee the cash. You get a protection card and offer it to the clerk at the clinic.
The clinic will call the insurance agency and manage everything for you – no problem, no pressure, simple. Before you purchase protection from a Thai bank you have to keep in mind that it only covers you in Thailand. The costs start at around $260 every year.
Expat Health Insurance in Australia
Australia touts itself as having one of the best healthcare systems in the world, as government and private options are effectively encouraged. If you are from a country listed below then you can qualify for the government option of Medicare. Otherwise you will have to opt for a private health insurance option.
Medicare is Australia's health insurance framework is available for all residents. Travelers from Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Sweden are eligible for access to Medicare which is the government option for coverage. If your country is not listed you will not have access to any Medicare benefits. In fact, for foreign travelers, having health insurance is often a mandatory visa requirement.
An adult can expect to pay out somewhere close to $90 and $135 every month for premiums. It gives free or sponsored coverage to certain standard hospital visits, which implies it pays all or part of the expenses. Some non-residents may get Medicare benefits if treatment is viewed as medically necessary.
Be that as it may, Medicare doesn't cover treatment in a private clinics. You may likewise not have the option to pick your own primary care physician in the medical clinic. In any case, there are various significant things that Medicare doesn't cover you for, for example, ambulance services. That is the reason the Australian Government recommends that guests should consider taking out private insurance. It will offer you more flexibility in the quality of your medical treatment.
If you are not from Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Ireland, or Sweden then an alternative is Bupa: https://www.bupa.com.au/health-insurance/cover/overseas-visitors
Expat Health Insurance in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of the most costly nations for private treatment. Medical service costs are insanely expensive. If you are a student, a few organizations give plans for you to select like Overseas Student Care from AXA (https://www.axa.com.hk/en/overseas-student-care), which offers a comprehensive insurance plan including medical expenses coverage up to HKD2,000,000 and COVID-19 is covered. You will have to check with the website for more details. Below are some of the features that AXA says they will cover:
- Coverage For Emergency Repatriation: This includes costs for shifting the patient to an area where he can be treated with the best facilities.
- Coverage For Chronic Diseases: This allows cover for pre-existing ailments to some extent, depending on the merits of each case. However, an additional amount has to be paid for the same.
- Coverage For Maternity Care: Expenses relating to pregnancy and childbirth are exorbitantly high in Hong Kong. Hence, go for a plan that covers maternity care. Make sure that the cover is taken at least 12 months prior to the possibility of such a situation.
- Coverage For Specific Issues: Some policies may also be undertaken for protection against disability, dental and vision-related problems.
The following are some of the companies offering coverage to expats in Hong Kong:
- Pacific Prime,
- Alliance Insurance Services,
- Bupa (Asia) Limited,
- Zurich Insurance Hong Kong
Expat Health Insurance in Malaysia
While Malaysia doesn't have a national health care security, it has a framework set up to finance rates for clinical treatment. The public services are represented by the Ministry of Health and are financed together by the state, employers, and occupants.
Private services are costly, but as one would expect, will not be as crowded as a public hospital and you can expect to get more one-on-one care. You also can expect to have access to high-quality medical treatment that’s on par with developed nations.
Medical expenses are a lot higher for travelers in Malaysia as there is no public option for them. For instance, admission charges if there should be an occurrence of a medical procedure is $8 for citizens and for foreigners -- it very well may be as high as $260. For maternity cases, inhabitants are charged $4 while foreigners can be charged $190 and above.
Expat Health Insurance in Indonesia
The cost of healthcare treatment can be very cheap, however most places will refuse to see you if you don’t have enough cash on-hand, especially if you get into a serious situation that requires thousands of dollars in medical fees. According to expatden.com “The benefit of buying health insurance in Indonesia isn’t only about getting low-cost health coverage, in some cases it’s simply about getting treatment at all when you’re ill.”
If you are a foreigner residing for longer than 6 months then you can apply for national insurance coverage with BPJS Kesehatan https://www.bpjs-kesehatan.go.id/bpjs/
However for shorter lengths of travel a private health insurance provider is recommended and will be the best option.
Expat Health Insurance in Taiwan
When I lived in Taiwan, I was a full-time student and on a student VISA and so I qualified for the seven corners student plan (https://www.sevencorners.com) this plan covered all my medical visits and medicine costs 100% which added up to close to $700+ total. The only thing I had to do was provide proof of my current student enrollment status and provide them with english copies of my medical records which I easily got from the reports window at the hospital for about $3.
If you stay continuously in Taiwan for 4 months straight then you can apply for an alien residence card (ARC) and once you get this card you will automatically be enrolled in the public universal healthcare insurance service, which provides super low cost hospital visits and covers many things. So with the public universal healthcare coverage you pretty much don't need to purchase a third party insurance unless you feel like the public coverage isn't comprehensive enough or feel that the public doctors are not good enough.
Expat Health Insurance in Vietnam
As of now, Vietnam is attempting to build up a widespread medicinal insurance framework for its residents. At present, most foreigners select to utilize private clinics as these are typically provided with English-talking clinical staff. The quality of care in private medical clinics in Vietnam is very good and generally not very expensive when compared to western countries.
- Luma Health - Asia Care Plus Vietnam (https://www.lumahealth.com/products/asia-care-plus-vietnam/)
Intended for expats, travelers, digital nomads and even locals, Luma Health - Asia Care Plus gives you a good baseline of coverage, promising you complete peace of mind. It offers 24/7 worldwide multi language support and you also have access to the top hospitals in Vietnam.
The coronavirus pandemic has destroyed the travel industry—including insurance agencies. So it's critical to make sure that whichever health insurance provider you go with that they cover COVID-19.
In Conclusion
Numerous plans offer health care services coverage in the event that the crap hits the fan. But, policies differ massively by company―containing limits on payouts, copayments and conditions.
Some travel protection plans contain prohibitions for known or "predicted occasions." For example, some countries are at civil war and your provider may not cover that country. It is also common to have "pandemic" exclusion, in which the insurer will not pay for a traveler’s medical expenses if the expenses were related to an outbreak such as the coronavirus. So make sure to read the fine print!
Until next time, stay thirsty my friends.
References:
- https://www.urban.org/research/publication/why-health-insurance-important
- https://taxguru.in/income-tax/5-benefits-health-insurance.html
- https://www.theblondtravels.com/a-guide-to-buying-an-expat-medical-insurance-in-thailand/
- https://www.instarem.com/blog/an-expats-guide-to-getting-health-insurance-in-australia/
- https://www.instarem.com/blog/getting-a-health-insurance-in-hong-kong-heres-an-expat-guide/
- https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/tourists-beware-foreign-visitors-travel-health-insurance-might-exclude-pandemics
- https://www.expatden.com/indonesia/health-insurance-indonesia/#Private_Insurance
Insurance Providers:
- https://www.lumahealth.com/
- https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/medicare
- https://www.axa.com.hk/en/overseas-student-care
- https://www.axa.co.th/en/personal-health-insurance
- https://www.sevencorners.com/expatriate-health-insurance#getCoverage
- https://www.bupa.com.au/health-insurance/cover/overseas-visitors/aus-healthcare-working