Expats in the UAE prefer medical care overseas.

Ineffective communication, a lack of specialist services and the length of time it takes to consult with a doctor are among the reasons residents are seeking medical treatment abroad. the National www.thenational.ae write.

"The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Dubai Statistics Centre questioned expats who had treatment outside of the UAE.Eight per cent of respondents said they did not even seek medical advice in the UAE before opting for treatment overseas. More than half of this group (56 per cent) cited the lack of medical skill and equipment as the reason. Almost a fifth of respondents blamed long waiting times, a lack of medical skills and a lack of equipment. The cost of care was also listed as a factor in their refusal to consider treatment here.The three most popular treatments sought overseas were for cancer (19.7 per cent), bone and joint diseases (14.1 per cent) and cardiovascular diseases (12.5 per cent).More than half of those who travelled abroad cited a lack of specialist treatment as their reason for doing so, while 15 per cent did not know. Just under a third said they were aware the necessary treatment was available here.Of those, long waiting times, privacy concerns, the anticipation of unwanted outcomes and improper behaviour of service providers pushed them towards going abroad.The top places to travel for all types of treatment were Germany - favoured by 43.1 per cent of respondents - Thailand, Singapore, India, the UK and the US."

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Are expat packages a distant memory

Lucrative expat packages are becoming a distant memory in Asia, as employers no longer need to entice top talent

Perks such as international school fees, country club membership and a car allowance were once the norm for investment bankers, fund managers and other high-flying financial services staff.

However, these generous expat packages have been axed due to strong demand from employees to head east, according to headhunting company Astbury Marsden.

A spokesperson from Astbury Marsden in the Asia Pacific, said: “Demand for jobs in Singapore and Hong Kong has now started to outstrip supply, as Asia tops the wish list as the international location of choice for an increasing number of bankers.

“An absence of political pressure on bankers’ bonuses, an increasingly attractive tax regime and the distance from the eurozone crisis are making a banking career in Asia increasingly attractive.”

Experts also say Asia experience looks good on workers' CV, should they head back to Europe.

Astbury Marsden says that the standard expat package for Asia has been reduced to one month’s accommodation in a serviced apartment at the start of the employment contract and one free flight home a year for the employee and possibly their family. It also typically includes private medical care for the employee and their family and an allowance to cover shipping and container costs.

The credit crunch of 2008 also had a negative effect, as organisations could no longer afford to pay such expensive perks.

Before 2008 expat packages would frequently include a housing and car allowance, country club fees, private school fees and help with finding a job for a spouse. On top of this would be two or three free flights home a year for the employee and their family. Most senior staff would have also enjoyed the use of a driver, cook and maid.

Recruitment companies in Asia have reported a huge spike in applications for financial jobs, highlighting how strong demand is.

One company has received five to 10 times more CVs from Europe and the US in the past 12 months whilst another has seen a 30 per cent rise in applications.

One British expat, who works in banking, said: “To be honest I asked to move to Singapore as I wasn’t sure I’d still have a job if I stayed in London. My bank therefore knew it didn’t need to offer me a lucrative package to move.”
 
When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.


Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.

April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

Almost 90% would 'consider moving abroad' for better financial prospects

Nearly nine in 10 Britons would consider leaving the UK for a better - and wealthier - life abroad within the next five years. The current recession combined with the perception that property is cheaper overseas and job prospects better collectively accounted for nearly a third of all reasons for emigrating, according to a new survey by Skyscanner.


Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner’s travel editor, said: “For many people the idea of ‘living the dream’ abroad is very alluring. The survey revealed that our perception of life abroad is very positive – perhaps overly so – and many people come back from a holiday enamoured with their destination. Interestingly, Spain and USA were two of the most popular places even though both countries are currently suffering from their own economic problems, which suggests that the dream of moving abroad to improve financial prospects may be just that - a dream.

The dream may be more realistic if, rather than moving abroad to look for new work, you are sent abroad as part of an existing job. Around 750,000 British workers are being posted abroad on assignments with their existing employer, and a massive 84 per cent believe this is helping them to climb the corporate ladder, according to the NatWest International Personal Banking (IPB) Quality of Life Index.

They also feel they benefit from an improved lifestyle, backing up the Skyscanner research results, and the increasing use of temporary global workers means that the traditional definition of ‘expat’ is now being blurred, said Dave Isley, head of NatWest International Personal Banking.

He added: “The growth of the global worker has brought with it an opportunity to share knowledge and experience around the world. The great brain exchange is a fantastic concept of other economies temporarily sharing the strengths of British workers.

"Due to advances in travel and telecommunications, it is now much easier for international operations to run via daily phone calls, e-mail, and video conferencing. It has opened the door to sending young, talented, professionals abroad, while being supervised and coached by their managers in the UK.

“Expatriate workforces are also becoming more cosmopolitan with more than 50 per cent of companies now employing more than one nationality. Women make up 22 per cent of the expatriate workforce, up from 6 per cent, 15 years ago. In terms of the time spent overseas, the average time spent working out of the country on various assignments is 5.4 years.”

Top 10 most coveted countries to move to:

1. Australia (15%)
2. Spain (14%)
3. USA (13%)
4. Canada (8%)
5. New Zealand (7%)
6. France (6%)
7. Italy (5.5%)
8. Cyprus (3%)
9. Portugal (2.5%)
10. Thailand (2%)
Source: Skyscanner

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.

Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.


April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

US adds more consular staff to cope with extra visa demand

The US adds more consular staff in Brazil and China to cope with extra visa demand. There has been a surge in demand for visas from China and Brazil which has prompted a decision to add 100 more consular staff to offices in these countries.


Officials have processed more than one million visa applications in China in the last year, and more than 820,000 applications in Brazil for the same period as demand for travel rose with strong economic conditions.

A spokesperson explained that the State Department has already increased the hours of its consular services in each country but it has not been enough to cope with the surge in demand for visas. And they also predict that extra staff will mean that the US can process more than 2.2 million applications for visas in China, and 1.8 million applications in Brazil by 2013.

Chuck Bennett, the minister counsellor for consular affairs at the US embassy in Beijing, confirmed that the United States handled more than one million US visas for Chinese applicants in the last fiscal year, an increase of 34%.

Donald Jacobson of consular affairs at the US embassy in Brasilia, confirmed that the United States dealt with more than 820,000 visa applications in Brazil in the last fiscal year, a jump of 42%.

Bennett and Jacobson said the United States, which has already increased the hours of its consular services in each country, will start by adding 50 more consular officers in China and Brazil in the next year to cope with demand.

Jacobson said visa demand increased in Brazil as the country experienced strong economic growth and the rise of its currency against the dollar. Walt Disney World and shopping proved to be strong lures for Brazilians, he added.

Bennett said the China’s growing middle class showed an increased interest foreign travel as their economy grew.

Some 160,000 of the one million processed visa applications were Chinese student visas as they represented the largest foreign national group at US universities and colleges, he added.

The change comes as tourism promoters have been lobbying the federal government to address visa processing, especially in Brazil and China, saying difficulty obtaining permission to visit the US deters tourists and hurts the US economy.

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.


Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.

April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

Norway named as the best place in the world to live

According to the annual index produced by the United Nations, Norway is the best place in the world to live followed by Australia and the Netherlands. These three countries lead the world in the 2011 Human Development Index (HDI) which measures health, education, gender equality and political freedom, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger and Burundi are at the bottom.

The United States, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Sweden round out the top 10 countries in the 2011 HDI, but when the Index is adjusted for internal inequalities in health, education and income, some of the wealthiest nations drop out of the HDI’s top 20.

The United States falls from fourth to twenty third, the Republic of Korea from fifteenth to thirty second and Israel from seventeenth to twenty fifth. The United States and Israel drop in the Report’s Inequality-adjusted HDI (IHDI) mainly because of income inequality, though health care is also a factor in the US ranking change, while wide education gaps between generations detract from the Republic of Korea’s IHDI performance.

Other top national achievers rise in the IHDI due to greater relative internal equalities in health, education and income. Sweden jumps from tenth to fifth, Denmark climbs from sixteenth to twelfth and Slovenia rises from twenty first to fourteenth.

The IHDI and two other composite indices, the Multidimensional Poverty Index and the Gender Inequality Index, were designed to complement the Human Development Report’s HDI, which is based on national averages in schooling, life expectancy, and per capita income.

The 2011 HDI covers a record 187 countries and territories, up from 169 in 2010, reflecting in part improved data availability for many small island states of the Caribbean and the Pacific.

The 2011 report notes that income distribution has worsened in most of the world, with Latin America remaining the most unequal region in income terms, even though several countries including Brazil and Chile are narrowing internal income gaps. Yet in overall IHDI terms, including life expectancy and schooling, Latin America is more equitable than sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, the Report shows.

The 10 countries that place last in the 2011 HDI are all in sub-Saharan Africa: Guinea, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Chad, Mozambique, Burundi, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Gender Inequality Index (GII) shows that Sweden leads the world in gender equality, as measured by this composite index of reproductive health, years of schooling, parliamentary representation, and participation in the labour market. Sweden is followed in the gender inequality rankings by the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Germany, Singapore, Iceland and France.

Yemen ranks as the least equitable of the 146 countries in the GII, followed by Chad, Niger, Mali, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Liberia, Central African Republic and Sierra Leone.

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.
 
Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.
 
April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

Experts discount expat fears over back-tax ruling

Fears that last month’s UK Supreme Court ruling about the tax affairs of Seychelles-based millionaire pose a widespread threat to 'tax exiles' and British expats have been discounted by financial professionals. However they do acknowledge it has introduced an element of uncertainty as to who is and who is not tax resident in the UK.


The millionaire expat, aged 72, left the UK in 1976 for the Seychelles and argued that as he obeyed the rules which allow him to stay less than 90 days in the UK, he had lost his UK tax residency.

But HMRC argued he had not “made a clean break”. Among evidence cited was that he kept a family home in Henley-on-Thames, a UK-based collection of classic cars and made regular trips to Ascot. After a 13-year legal wrangle, the High Court ruled for HMRC, leaving the millianaire expat liable for back UK taxes.

HMRC is working on a “statutory residence test” to replace guidelines with a clearer definition, and which is planned to be in place in April 2012. A consultation process ended recently, and some announcement is expected this year .

Greg Jones, a partner of KPMG Isle of Man, said: “I don’t think the Gaines-Cooper decision creates further uncertainty as it was an extreme case. I didn’t think the HMRC arguments were at all unreasonable.”

But he said uncertainty has been created by the withdrawal of the old IR20 guidelines and its more recent replacement by new ones, HMRC 6.

“In particular we have had the removal of the 90-day safety threshold. HMRC no longer indicates that if you keep within 90 days a year you’ll normally be treated as non-resident. That’s made it very difficult to advise a frequent visitor who has some sort of ongoing connection that he can probably stay for up to 90 days.” He said the proposed statutory test, which uses “connecting factors” criteria, will provide more clarity.

Neil Chadwick, technical director of Royal London 360 degrees, believes the case is unusual, as Gaines-Cooper’s circumstances were different from those of the average UK expatriate who would be living with a family overseas and let out a UK home.

“The proposed new tests of statutory residence will be welcome as they clarify the issues. I think some people will be put off from moving to the UK because of uncertainty in the meantime,” he adds.

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.
 
Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.
 
April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

Shanghai launches expat recruitment drive

China has developed a five-year plan to turn Shanghai into an international financial hub, relying on a foreign recruitment drive to increase its financial sector workforce by 40 per cent.

Shanghai has long-held ambitions to create a finance district capable of rivalling the likes of New York, London and neighbouring Hong Kong but has struggled with finding enough skilled financial professionals, especially high-level managers and sector specialists.

The news comes at the same time as economists forecast a loss of 27,000 jobs in London's Square Mile by the end of 2011.

According to the "five-year plan for human resources development in Shanghai's financial sector" released this week, China's second biggest city aims to take on 90,000 financial employees, 70 per cent of whom would have a BA degree degree and 15 per cent an MA degree.

This would mean that by 2015 Shanghai would have a total number of 320,000 employees working in finance, if things go to plan. As things stands, less than two per cent of Shanghai's total workforce work in finance, compared to 10 per cent in New York. An improved medical care system, social insurance, and children's education services have been built into the plan in a bid to lure expats who would have previously favoured Singapore or Hong Kong.

A British Expat, who has been running his own education company, in China since 2003 said: "If it has been decreed by the government it will probably get done.

"As China drives towards an economy fuelled by domestic consumption, then they will have the opportunity to put in place huge incentives to make things work for firms that are keeping the money onshore.

"Logistically, Hong Kong was the gateway to China but now China is open, it’s almost superfluous and only has the advantage of the legal system left over from the UK."

Shanghai's income tax rates appear to present the main stumbling block: they are as high as 45 per cent in certain cases. Compared to Hong's maximum of 15 per cent and Singapore's 20 per cent, it means exceedingly generous expat packages will be required to coax financiers across the waters.

Coupled with this is new legislation that will require expat workers and their employers to pay into China's social welfare pot, although it is yet to be made clear exactly how much of their salaries they'll be required to hand over.

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.

Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.



April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

Expat housing tax rules tightend in Dubai

Rules are being tightened in Dubai to make sure that expats pay housing fees by the end of June next year in a crackdown aimed at reducing the numbers not being billed for the tax.

Dubai Municipality said that it is going to be more efficient in terms of sending out bills and tracing people as well as chasing non payers.

According to Addullah Hashin Abdulghafoor, fees and revenues officer at Dubai’s housing fee department the new rules should be in place by June 2012.

He defended the decision not to backdate fees.

‘Customers who haven’t been billed up until now are not going to be backdated. If we did that would mean customers facing a large bill through no fault of their own and it’s not something we feel is not appropriate to do,’ he explained.

Housing fees, billed through residents’ monthly utility bills, are calculated at 5% of the tenant’s annual rent or 5% of the property’s freehold value.

It was introduced in 2005 but Emiratis do not pay the charge, leading some residents to dub the fee an expat tax. Expats have long criticised the tax as unfair.

Dubai authorities are currently collecting fees from 17 out of a possible 27 zones across the emirate, Abdulghafoor said, including all new residents in the remaining 10 areas.

Among the areas not yet fully covered include Al Barsha, Discovery Gardens, Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa area and Dubai Marina.

Plans are underway to issue non paying residents with reminders to fill in online forms to ensure they are correctly billed. Those that fail to complete the application will see their housing fee calculated on estimated rent or property values from the city’s Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness
 
Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.
 
April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

More expats cancelling plans to return to Britain

This is according to a recent survey, A combination of improved financial prospects and the belief that quality of life is higher overseas seemed to be the main motivation behind expats’ decision to stay.


Despite the financial hardship that many expats, particularly those in Europe, have suffered due to adverse currency fluctuations since the beginning of the economic crisis, 64 per cent said they were still financially better-off abroad, with only a quarter saying that the cost of living was higher.

Britain’s grim economic outlook and the summer’s riots may have contributed to putting more than 800,000 expats off returning to their home country this year.

In February, Lloyds TBS International released a survey that suggested 67 per cent of expats had no plans to return to Britain – compared to just 56 per cent when the same survey was conducted six months before.

Now, research by the company has revealed that even more people (69 per cent) are planning to stay abroad permanently, with 15 per cent saying they have cancelled plans to return in just the past year.

A combination of improved financial prospects and the belief that quality of life is higher overseas seemed to be the main motivation behind expats’ decision to stay. Despite the financial hardship that many expats, particularly those in Europe, have suffered due to adverse currency fluctuations since the beginning of the economic crisis, 64 per cent said they were still financially better-off abroad, with only a quarter saying that the cost of living was higher.

Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) per cent said their quality of life was higher, with 51 per cent agreeing that their new home was a better place to bring up children. Many expats also felt safer abroad, with just 13 per cent saying that their neighbourhoods in Britain had been less dangerous.

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.
 
Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.
 
April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

Lack of clarity for expats in China around social insurance payments

New laws forcing expat workers and their employers to contribute into China’s social welfare scheme are causing confusion among those expected to pay.

On October 15, legislation came into effect making it compulsory for foreign workers and the companies that employ them to pay a portion of their salary to the Chinese government.

But the hundreds of thousands of individuals affected by the tax-grab still don’t know when payments are due to be made and how the new scheme will be implemented. Typically, when a new Chinese law becomes effective implementation rules are issued shortly afterwards explaining how the new law will work.

However, these rules are not likely to be issued until the end of November and employers are in the dark as to what they will be liable for. The level of contributions is expected to average 11 per cent for employees and 37 per cent for employers. The money will go towards benefits such as pension provision, medical insurance and unemployment benefit.

There are further complications, as the payments aren’t calculated on a unified national basis but vary from region to region. For example, Beijing-based employers will pay 33 per cent while Shanghai-based ones will pay 37 per cent.

There are also local differences on which authorities are removing a salary cap on how much employers will have to contribute for high-earning staff.

Confusion also arises from conflicting reports as to when the payments will be backdated to and how long employers have to make these first contributions. It has been suggested by a quasi-government agency in Beijing (FESCO) that payments will be backdated to July and should be collected by the end of the year.

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.

Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.

April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.