International health insurance is the most popular type of health insurance for expats here in Singapore. And, for good reason. Here, our friends at Allianz Singapore share the many benefits of choosing an international health plan over other types of coverage; plus, hear about the added advantages of Allianz Care’s Expat Assistance programme and more.
Insurance for expats in 2022: Why choose international health insurance?
Designed to cover you globally, international health insurance plans offer coverage anywhere within your chosen region of cover, making it an ideal choice for expat families, frequent travellers and expats who plan on continuing to relocate.
Additionally, international health insurance plans tend to be more comprehensive than local insurance plans. They usually feature higher coverage limits and a wider network of providers. So, while international health insurance plans can be more costly than local ones, the rewards you’ll reap in the long run are totally worth it. For example, that necessary medical treatment during your trip abroad.
That said, you might be asking, “Why buy international health insurance when I can buy travel insurance?” While travel insurance is certainly important for short-term and one-off trips, international health insurance offers:
- much more extensive medical coverage than travel insurance does;
- the ability to schedule treatments or surgeries abroad in advance; and
- coverage for your elective, day-to-day doctor and dental visits, and emergency care.
The added benefits of Allianz Care’s international health insurance
Of course, not all international health insurance plans are created equal. You’ll need to consider your lifestyle, needs and life stage when choosing the right plan that’s best for you and your family. Not only can Allianz Care’s international health insurance cover you worldwide, but it also include cover for COVID-19, along with pandemics and epidemics.
Here are some key features that set Allianz Care’s international health insurance plans apart from the crowd.
#1 Designed with expats in mind
Allianz’s Core Plans have been designed specifically for expatriates and local nationals living in Singapore. They include routine and emergency healthcare in one’s country of residence, along with multi-country coverage.
As a policy member, you can also choose from two geographical regions where cover will apply. Plus, you have the freedom to choose your preferred doctors and hospitals.
In fact, Allianz Care has a large (and growing) network of over 900,000 medical providers to choose from globally. So, no matter where you are in the world, you can be pretty positive there’s a provider who can help you. And, where the necessary treatment is not available locally, you can choose to be medically repatriated to your home country.
Flexibility and convenience
Allianz Care’s international health insurance plans offer lots of flexibility, too – and, for every stage of your life. Benefits include a range of treatments, from specialist fees and diagnostic tests, to cover for alternative treatments and physiotherapy. Many of the Core Plans even offer cover for chronic medical conditions.
Additionally, policy holders can supplement their chosen Core Plan with extra cover such as dental, maternity, repatriation and out-patient plans.
Oh, and the cherry on top? Where possible, Allianz will pay your provider directly, while you focus on getting better. And, you can expect fully completed claims to be processed within 48 hours!
#2 Access to the multilingual Expat Assistance Programme
One of the most exciting extras as part of Allianz Care’s international health insurance plans is the Expat Assistance Programme. This is a total must when it comes to insurance for expats here in Singapore.
Designed to help policy members with all of life’s questions, issues and concerns, the service provides confidential and multilingual support that’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.
With this new wellbeing platform, you’ll have access to:
- expert counselling; this includes in-person, phone and video-chat support from professional specialists in financial and legal, child care and elder care, future planning, retirement and debt support;
- personalised wellness content; this includes articles, blogs, book excerpts and more, written by leading wellness industry experts and bestselling authors;
- podcasts that offer tips on time management, health and more
So, whether you’ve got parenting concerns, need help coping with culture shock or need a listening ear for your struggles as a trailing spouse, these guys have got your covered!
#3 Travel security services
Policy holders have 24/7 access to personal security information and advice on all travel safety queries. This includes:
- An Emergency Security Assistance Hotline where you can discuss any safety concerns associated with a travel destination; it also includes access to immediate assistance while travelling;
- security information for a number of countries worldwide, plus security advice; and
- daily security news and travel safety alerts; this includes email notification of high-risk events, including civil unrest and severe weather risks in or near your current location.
#4 Digital health services and support apps
As a policy member, you’ve got access to the MyHealth app. This allows you to manage your coverage, claims payment details, and access policy documents, from wherever you are. With the app, you can even look up the local equivalent names of branded drugs and translate common ailments into one of 17 languages! Plus, it’s got a hospital location, a symptom-checker and more.
What’s more, Allianz Care’s Health & Wellness support programme, Olive, includes a fitness app, monthly webinars and access to other wellness resources.
#5 Family-friendly perks
It’s one thing to move overseas by yourself. But, if your family is coming too, you’ll need to know they have access to the very best healthcare. This is where the high coverage of an international health insurance plan comes in handy if you’ve got kids, or plan on having them soon. With kids come a whole lot of doctor visits. These visits can get costly, so all the coverage you can get is a welcome breath of fresh air.
In addition to great benefits such as 24/7 assistance, direct billing with medical providers, multilingual support and fully completed medical claims processed within 48 hours, your family will benefit from:
- a first aid course that’s offered to parents of children insured as dependants;
- child hearing exam; and
- a premium discount when two or more children are added to the policy
In addition, if you’re planning to grow your family, you can supplement your plan with maternity and newborn coverage. This includes in- and out-patient treatments, check-ups and any childbirth complications.
You can discover more benefits and information on Allianz Care here.
Read more on living in Singapore!
Amy Greenburg
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