Pre-Existing Medical Conditions and International Health Insurance - The Facts

Pre-existing medical conditions are perhaps one of the most important areas of International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI) and quite often one of the most overlooked areas of IPMI.

What is a pre-existing condition?

Put simply, it is any condition, illness or injury that you have ever been treated for in the past or are currently receiving treatment for now.

Crucially, this also includes conditions that most people may not consider are existing conditions – those that are well controlled by medication such as hypertension. Many people think that as a condition is managed by medication that it is not a pre-existing condition – this is NOT the case, this IS a pre-existing condition to an insurer.

Can I get my pre-existing condition covered?

Until recently it was a fact of IPMI that individuals and small corporate plans would usually be issued with exclusions of pre-existing conditions.

However, in the last couple of years, several plan providers have approached underwriting from a different angle. We now have plans that will look at your medical history and your pre-existing medical conditions and will try and include them in cover, albeit with a potential premium loading if they do.

What if I take a plan that excludes pre-existing conditions?

Where a provider excludes your pre-existing condition they will also exclude any consequences of the condition also. For the example of hypertension (or high blood pressure) an exclusion would not just exclude your relatively cheap medication but also any related treatment. You would find yourself faced with a whole host of exclusions on your policy, such as Angina, Aneurysm, Heart Attacks, Stroke, Thrombosis, and Phlebitis etc. The potential cost of someone having to pay their own medical bills following a heart attack is astronomical. In more costly countries even the ambulance alone can be much as $1,000.00, with a heart bypass being as much as $140,000.00.

How do the different types of underwriting work?

If you have a pre-existing condition then you should be aware of the implications of the different types of underwriting;

·         Full Medical Underwriting – This is where you declare your medical history to the insurer and depending on the provider and the condition they will either accept the condition, accept the condition with a premium loading, exclude the condition or decline the application altogether.

·         Moratorium Underwriting – No medical declarations are made at the time of application but any pre-existing conditions suffered in the past 2 years, five years or ever (depending on the insurer) will automatically be excluded from cover for at least the first two years of your plan. Once you have been completely free from the condition for, usually, two years then this can be included in your cover – by completely free from the condition this means no treatment, medication, symptoms or doctor’s advice or visits.

Which type of underwriting is best for me?

This will depend on your medical history. If you have a medical condition that you want included in cover then you will need to look at a plan that offers Full Medical Underwriting. Please note however that not all providers carry out Full Medical Underwriting in the same way, most underwrite to exclude existing conditions whereas a small number do underwrite to try and include your pre-existing conditions where ever possible, albeit with a premium increase for doing so.

Moratorium works well if you have a clean medical history, certainly for the last couple of years. Alternatively you may have been treated for a condition that is not anticipated to reoccur and so you are happy for this to be excluded.

One thing we do know is that this is a very complex area and our expert advisors will be able to provide the best advice to you.

For free advice and information on covering your pre-existing medical condition on an International Medical Insurance Plan visit us at Medibroker.com

International Medical Insurance when you are in a War Zone

As relocation around the world becomes more commonplace, so a greater number of factors need to be taken into account by those leaving the safety of their safe home country. Currently, the Middle East and Asia remain important destinations for UK, US and other nationalities, with increasing numbers now heading towards reconstruction zones such as Iraq and active conflict areas including Afghanistan. After yesterday, we must also sadly include Palestine, parts of Israel and not forgetting of course the flashpoints of emerging African states.

 

War zones are occupied not only by traditional armies, but also by huge numbers of businesses involved in post war reconstruction and aid work. As a member of these groups, it is vital that expatriates carefully choose a policy which is tailored to suit their needs and which takes into account the particular dangers of working in a country such as Iraq or Afghanistan. Finding the right policy is not always straightforward, as many insurers have special clauses relating to war and terrorist threats. 

Policies which include limited cover against terrorist attacks are available, but with conflicts not solely confined to war zones nowadays, effective cover which reflects this new global reality is now ever more important. . Medibroker have available policies that have a ‘stand out’ benefit that really makes a difference to those expatriates living and working in world hot spots. For these individuals, Medibroker can  provide policies with ‘passive war’ cover including war and terrorist attack, in contrast to other insurers whose policies may often have a full war risk exclusion. 

Passive war cover is likely to be of particular interest staff in aid agencies and rebuilding contractors working elsewhere in the Gulf area, especially in Lebanon, Kuwait or indeed Africa. Policyholders would benefit from the full range of International services, including hospital benefits and evacuation, in the event of injury by terrorists or as part of a broader war conflict. Evacuation is likely to be particularly relevant in conflict zones, where local medical facilities may be damaged or supplies of medication and blood for transfusions may be an issue.
With over 14 years experience of supporting the international business community worldwide, and clients from 86 nationalities in 114 countries, Medibroker are used to facing the challenges of covering individuals in some of the most inhospitable parts of the world.

For free impartial, independent advice and quotations on plans offering this service, please contact Medibroker and one of our expert advisors will be in touch.

Survey suggests employers "failing to protect" staff abroad

A survey has revealed a serious lack of awareness among companies of their duties towards staff on international assignments.


Those emerging markets that are a chief focus of business interest by Western companies are seen as among the countries most at risk of disease, terrorism and riots

The BRIC states – Brazil, Russia, India and China – are all high in a list of potentially hazardous countries.

Mexico was rated the highest risk location in a survey by International SOS, the medical assistance and security company. It surveyed more than 600 global companies, 95 per cent of which sent employees to high-risk locations.

Among threats faced were lawlessness, terrorism, political upheaval, civil unrest and pandemics.

A spokesman for International SOS, which operates for insurers such as market leader Bupa International and many other UK-based providers, said the survey pointed to an alarming lack of awareness among employers of their responsibilities towards staff on foreign assignment.

A high proportion of respondent companies – one third – did not know whether they had legal requirements for a duty of care provision.

The spokesman said: “This was a particular concern as a company can be held criminally responsible for harm to employees or their dependants in high risk locations abroad, should the risk result from a failure of duty of care in UK.”

Four of the identified top 10 risks were related to health issues, including illness, lack of access to western standards of medical care, infectious diseases and travel-related infections.

Despite the legal implications and medical costs involved in taking care of incidents, companies still perceived duty of care as primarily an ethical concern. Caring about the health, safety, and security of travelling employees and doing the right thing were both more popular considerations in upholding a duty of care than avoiding legal repercussions.

Arnaud Vaissié, chairman and chief executive of International SOS, said duty of care was essential for commercial success as well as avoiding high-cost legal settlements. However, awareness as to duty of care varied.

“The study highlights the need for companies to focus on the best ways to pre-emptively protect their employees and – through them – their businesses,” he said.

The study also identified discrepancies in the types of issues that are most concerning for particular industries. The IT sector had pronounced concerns around opportunistic crime, illness while on assignment, road accidents and travel delays.

The construction and real estate sector was mainly worried about lawlessness, violent crime and organised crime. The energy and natural resource sector was concerned about remoteness of work locations, language and cultural estrangement, and road accidents.

Companies in the aerospace and defence were ranked most highly for their approach to duty of care. Companies in natural resources and energy were also ranked well. Least aware sectors were education, construction and property.

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.