Learn How To Save Thousands On Your Expat Health Insurance

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Introduction
Welcome to this Free report from WTTR Asia, experts in providing free advice,
comparisons and quotations for expat health insurance and travel medical insurance.

This highly valuable guide provides you with a wealth of information that could help you
easily save $1,000s on your expat health insurance.

Whether you are looking to arrange expat health insurance for you, your family or for an
employer group – make sure to consider the information contained in this report.

Why not also save yourself the time, hassle and cost of phoning around or completing
numerous online applications by contacting WTTR Asia for further free advice, or a
quotation for your expat health insurance plan?

www.wttrasia.com / www.expathealthinsurance.com.sg

What is Expat Health Insurance?
Now, more than at any other point in history, individuals and families are choosing to
take advantage of employment opportunities overseas and an increasing number of
companies are expanding and operating internationally outside of their domestic
markets and requiring staff to work internationally or relocate with them.

With global mobility and expansion comes the facilitation of moving operations and
individuals to foreign locations. When an individual lives in a ‘foreign’ location to their
primary upbringing (generally the location of their citizenship) they are known as an
expatriate, or ‘expat’.

Living in different locations internationally means a diverse, and extended, set of cultural
considerations, one of which can be getting access to quality healthcare in the new

Need a Quote for Expat Health Insurance?
www.expathealthinsurance.com.sg Click Here!

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country of residence when you need it, or if quality healthcare is not readily available
then the ability to easily access quality healthcare back at home or overseas.

Healthcare differences range from the types of medical facilities and treatments
available, language barriers, access to emergency treatment, various associated costs
and fees, etc.

Expat health insurance is a medical insurance plan that is either a compliment, or
supplement, to the typical healthcare or healthcare insurance available in the ‘foreign’
location in which you (and your family) reside or work.

For example, your existing health insurance is unlikely to cover you overseas, and while
an overseas country may have health insurance available domestically it may not be
available to foreigners.

This leaves you vulnerable to very large medical treatment costs. Likewise it may even
have a national healthcare system with adequate emergency services, but that may not
readily accept ‘foreigners’ either, or if it does it may be fraught with long waiting lists and
delays before you can access non-emergency healthcare you require – or indeed your
required treatment or drugs may not even be available locally!.

Expat health insurance overcomes these obstacles and provides you peace of mind and
access to the very best healthcare locally, or even overseas if your required treatment is
not available in your country of residence.

In many situations an expat health insurance plan can be tailored to ‘mimic’ the
healthcare coverage you are familiar with in your home country, or you can use the
flexible cover options available, from most expat health insurance providers, to design a
policy custom suited to your new expat lifestyle.


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Why do you need expat health insurance?
Expat health insurance plans can ensure that when medical treatment is needed, either
routine or unexpected, you (and your family) can have access to the facilities and
treatment you need, with protection against the significant unexpected costs and fees
that may otherwise have been incurred.

You need expat health insurance for the same reasons you would want domestic health
insurance in your own country – to ensure access to healthcare and cost control.
Medical costs can spiral out of control and you could wind up with medical bills totalling
thousands, to hundreds-of-thousands before you know it.

For example, if you didn’t have the right expat health insurance in place you could be
faced with some substantial out-of-pocket expenses, such as:
- A dislocated shoulder in the UK could cost you over $7,000
- Getting Pneumonia in Singapore could easily be over $80,000
- A heart attack in Hong Kong would likely be over $25,000

* Numbers is US Dollars $


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Peace of Mind Abroad
Receiving medical treatment can be a stressful situation even in your home country –
but factor in cultural differences, language barriers, unfamiliar treatments, currency
exchange, etc. and you can quickly find yourself overwhelmed, scared and confused.

Having the right expat health insurance provider can help alleviate a lot of that stress
with the various services and resources they provide. Whether it’s language translation
or emergency medical evacuation – it is their job to provide peace of mind for you (and
your family) while abroad.

An established, and reputable, expat health insurance provider will have relationships
with thousands of medical facilities, doctors, and specialists around the world. So if you
were looking for quality healthcare services, they can point you to the nearest
appropriate hospital. Or if you were looking for a specialist, such as a paediatrician for
your child, they can provide you with the information you need to make an informed
decision. Not to mention, pre-established relationships means that in most situations
there will be no out-of-pocket expenses for you to worry about when seeking covered in-
patient medical treatment.


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What will expat health insurance policies cover?
Many expat health insurance policies have flexible cover options, which means you can
have as much, or as little, cover as you want (or can afford). The following is a list of
cover options typically available:

 In-patient  Long-term care

 Out-Patient  Optical

 Maternity  Preventative Care & Health Checks

 Dental  Emergency Medial Evacuation

 Vaccinations  Repatriation

 Some plans may offer ‘Security & Political Evacuation’ and even ‘Natural Disaster
Evacuation and Accommodation.’ Whilst these are not medical related coverages, they
can still protect you from significant unexpected costs and perils of being an expat.

 Some plans may offer ‘Income Protection’ if you are in hospital or suffer a personal
accident. Many expat workers overseas would not receive any sick pay or income
should you be hospitalized due to illness or injury, or should you suffer a major personal
accident that prevents you from working.

 Just like most domestic health insurance policies, there will be certain cover
exclusions such as: cosmetic surgery, experimental treatment, self-inflicted injuries, etc.
Make sure you check the exclusions/restrictions section of your policy if you have any
questions.

 Expat Health insurance is designed for long term coverage, typically for a year or
more. If you require shorter term travel medical insurance please don’t hesitate to visit
www.expathealthinsurance.com.sg as we are able to provide low cost short term travel
medical insurance for virtually any nationality travelling or working outside of their
country of citizenship.


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Ways to save money on your expat health insurance:
Below are some ways you can easily save $1,000s on your expat health insurance:

1 Use a consultant/advisor/broker that specialises in expat health insurance.
 Whilst most insurance consultants may be able to help you with your everyday
motor or home insurance, very few have an understanding of international and
expat health insurance. So make sure you pick an expert, like WTTR Asia, that is
an expert in this field and also staffed by expats themselves that understand your
needs internationally.

 Rather than spend lots of time contacting many expat health insurance
companies direct to discuss your needs, get quotes and buy your coverage, here
are some more reasons why you should use a consultant/advisor/broker that
specializes in expat health insurance:

 Before you Purchase:
An expat health insurance provider will be dealing with higher volumes of
people, and may be able to quote plan options to you. But it will only have
an understanding of its own plans, and you will generally be dealing with a
customer service agent who may not be adequately equipped to provide
expert advice specific to your personal situation. This means you run the
risk of not having adequate coverage, or too much coverage that you can’t
afford and may not need.

The expat health insurance consultant/advisor/broker can save you time,
money and do all the hard work for you, compared to you having to do all
the shopping around yourself.


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 After the Purchase:
If you purchased directly through the expat health insurance company and
you end up having any policy questions, claims issues, etc. you will likely
be routed to a call center and could end up dealing with a number of
different people.

Whereas, the consultant/advisor/broker can communicate with the expat
health insurance provider on your behalf, saving you time and hassle
should you have a policy question, claim, billing issue, etc.

Likewise, if you have any disputes about claims handling, or claims
payments, then your consultant/advisor/broker can assist you in
negotiating with the expat health insurance provider to ensure a fair
outcome and interpretation of the policy terms and conditions.

2 Increase your deductible/excess.
 The amount of money you pay out of your own pocket, before your expat health
insurance provider pays out, is called your deductible, or excess. A
deductible/excess may vary depending on time frames, incidence, whether it
applies to each individual or the whole family, etc. The higher the
deductible/excess you select (the amount you are willing to pay out of pocket) =
the lower your premium. In some cases by choosing a higher deductible, you can
sometimes save up to 50% on your expat health insurance.

 If you, or your employer, are happy to cover the cost of low value treatments
yourself for example – perhaps by using your savings or a credit card then
choosing a higher level of excess/deductible can offer massive savings. But of
course, if you do need to use your policy, remember though you will need to pay
the excess or deductible yourself before the policy provides protection – so make
sure you pick at a level you can comfortably afford.


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3 Don’t pay for cover you don’t need.
 It’s simple, don’t pay for stuff you don’t need! Think of it like picking out the
options on a new car, the more items you add to the list the more expensive it will
be. So if you are on a budget and live in a hot climate you probably don’t need
the optional seat-heaters or snow tires right? Well, the same applies to insurance
cover, if you are a single male then it makes sense to exclude maternity cover
and save some money?

4 Don’t pay for family doctor cover in an area where you have access to public
national healthcare.
 If you are an expat residing in an area of the world where there is a form of
national healthcare that provides family doctor coverage, you can save money by
utilizing this part of the national healthcare system and opting out of the private
family doctor coverage on an expat health insurance plan.

 Cutting out the coverage for private routine family doctor treatments and
consultations can save you 10-20+% on your expat health insurance.

 However, it is important to note that you would be subject to the same terms,
conditions and any applicable waiting periods of other residents. So if having
‘private’ family doctor coverage is important to you then this may not be an area
of your policy you choose to save money on.


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5 Don’t pay for areas of cover you don’t need.
 There are usually different ranges of geographic cover available, depending on
the individual expats’ needs and area of travel. You can save money by
excluding certain geographic areas that you know you will not be travelling too.

 For example, if you know for certain that there is no chance of travelling to the
US, or Canada, then you can probably save money by excluding these locations.
This is because the average healthcare costs in the US, and Canada, can easily
be more than double, or even triple, the rest of the world.

6 Pay annually instead of instalments.
 Most expat health insurance providers offer a financial incentive for paying the full
annual premium ‘up front’ in the form of a discounted premium. This means that
the overall premium you pay in a 12 month period will be less than if you paid on
a monthly basis.

 Find out what the discount is for paying by annual premium – it can sometimes be
as much as 20% cheaper to pay annually up-front. Plus, you will typically find
that even if you have to put the payment on a credit card the percentage savings
can be greater than what you would have to pay out in credit card interest
charges.


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7 Buy cover now don’t risk leaving it until later.
 This is particularly important if there is a waiting period for cover that you
need/want. If you are trying to start a family and want coverage for the
pregnancy, maternity and delivery, but the cover has a maternity waiting period
(very common), then you could end up with only part, or none of the pregnancy
being covered if you wait too long and become pregnant before the waiting period
has elapsed.

 Accidents happen! Whatever reason you have for waiting to get cover in place
won’t seem very important when you get stuck with an outrageous and financially
crippling medical bill for emergency treatment! – OR, even worse not having
access to the proper medical treatment for you and your family, and no help from
a dedicated expat health insurance provider to get the help and treatment you (or
your family) may need desperately. It’s always better to be safe than sorry – the
true question is can you afford to not have expat health insurance!?!?

 Why not contact WTTR Asia to find out more, or for an instant online quote at:
http://www.expathealthinsurance.com.sg


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8 Don’t think you have to switch providers to get a better price.
 You may see websites telling you to shop around, or talk to a broker who swears
they can get you a better price – sometimes this is true. However, you should be
very careful for several reasons:
 Some expat health insurance providers on price comparison websites will
under-cut the competition to ‘get you on board’, only to find your premiums
significantly increase at policy renewal.

 Some expat health insurance policies will not cover pre-existing conditions, so
if you developed a condition whilst with your existing insurer (that was
covered), if you switch to a different insurer the condition may then be
classified as ‘pre-existing’ and it would typically not be covered.

 Waiting periods for certain covers may apply, for example there is usually a
waiting period for maternity cover – meaning you have to be covered with the
insurer for a specified amount of time before you would be covered for any
maternity medical expenses. If you switch insurers you will have to start the
waiting periods over again.

9 Find out what discounts you can get!
 Some expat health insurance providers will have discounts available, so why not
ask and see if you qualify for any? Some discounts that may be available:
 Very few insurers offer a no-claims-discount, or even a low-claims-discount,
but some do! So make sure to ask and ensure you get rewarded or a discount
in some way if you have a good claims history.
 Group Discount (Small Group Discount also sometimes available)
 Children & Family Discount
 Annual Premium Payment Discount


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10 Some Final Money Saving Tips!
 Remember that sometimes some things can be too good (i.e. too cheap) to be
true. So always do your due diligence and ask your consultant/advisor/broker
‘why?’ if something seems too cheap?

 Always ensure your expat health insurance plan is underwritten by a reputable
and financially strong insurance company that has a long standing history of
providing expat health insurance.

 Choose a plan that gives you the freedom to choose any hospital, clinic or doctor
in your area of cover. Not one that restricts you just to their own ‘approved’ list.

 Always make sure your plan has emergency medical evacuation. This is a must
have feature for expats, especially if the choice of healthcare is limited in your
expat location.

 Always complete the application 100% truthfully and completely. Don’t run the
risk of ‘omitting’ any medical information, previous treatment or drugs, etc. as this
may invalidate your policy - meaning it may not payout later when you actually
need coverage. If in doubt, simply declare additional information on the form.

 Remember ‘local’ plans, if they do allow ‘expats’ to be covered will virtually
always restrict you to just local medical facilities and treatments. This means that
if the treatment you need is not available locally – you could end up in big trouble.
Or, if you contract a medical condition whilst under their plan, but have to later
return home and stop being an expat, you won’t be covered by them in your
home country. And to make things worse you may not be able to get coverage in
your home country as you’ll have a pre-existing condition!


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Understanding Basic Insurance Terminology:
 Having a basic understanding of insurance terminology can help you save money
as it will allow you a better understanding of what you are buying and how it
applies to you and your family specifically so you can make the right decision for
your situation and budget.

 Here are some of the most common and more important terms you should
become acquainted with (note that you should also check your policy documents
as their definition will probably differ in some way from these below).:
 Premium – The money paid to an expat health insurance provider in
exchange for cover.
 Deductible/Excess - The amount of money you pay out of your own pocket,
before your expat health insurance provider pays out.
 Pre-Existing Condition – A medical condition that was present before policy
inception.
 Chronic Condition – Health condition that is continual or long-lasting.
 Table of Benefits (Schedule of Benefits) – Outlines your benefits cover and
limitations that may apply.
 Claim – Request for payment for a covered incidence by the expat health
insurance provider.
 Co-Insurance – Percentage of a claim (above excess/deductible) to be paid
by policy holder.
 Co-Pay – Flat rate fee to be paid by policy holder for designated healthcare
treatments.
 Coverage Area – Geographic area of cover.
 Exclusions – Incidence not covered under the policy.
 Waiting Period – The time that must elapse from policy inception before the
designated benefit is covered.
* (This is not a comprehensive list of terms, please refer to your policy wording for any
questions you may have and/or additional terms you may need an explanation for.)


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WTTR Asia
WTTR Asia is one of the fastest growing online expat health insurance services
companies in Southeast Asia.

Our company holds the general agency rights to locally market expat health insurance
and travel medical insurance products from International Medical Group, Inc. (IMG) and
IMG Europe (IMGE), a worldwide leader in offering a comprehensive range of
international medical and health related insurance products and services to expatriate
individuals, families and companies globally.

Contact WTTR Asia Today for a FREE Quote on Expat Health Insurance or Travel
Medical Insurance:


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Learn How To Save Thousands On Your Expat Health Insurance