It is a common misconception that if a country has a public healthcare system then it's fine for expats to utilise the public healthcare. In some situations, yes, expats are allowed to use the local healthcare, but most of the time this is not the situation. However, even if there is a public healthcare system, there may be long waiting lists or inadequate facilities to meet your personal medical needs.

It is also a common misconception that your domestic health insurance in your home country will also cover you abroad. Most domestic health insurance plans, especially if you are based in the US, will not cover you abroad.

Expat Health insurance is the international healthcare solution for expatriates living abroad. Different people have different needs and those needs will also vary depending on your location. For example, the international medical insurance needs of a family with children could be vastly different to those of a single person. XactExpat (www.xactexpat.com) provides tailored solutions for your international healthcare needs and personal budget.

The primary goal of expatriate health insurance is to provide you with comparable, or even better, coverage and access to medical facilities that you would have been use to in your home country.

For example if you are an expat in a big modern city then you will likely have access to the medical facilities and treatment you need and your expat health insurance will primarily serve to keep your international healthcare costs minimized. But if you are working in a jungle somewhere with minimal medical options your expat health insurance will make sure if you break your leg and need surgery your plan will cover airlifting you to a hospital for proper treatment.

Expat Medical Insurance Benefits:

Although each international medical insurance provider has different plans, with all of them you can choose from a range of benefit options and levels, such as:

Inpatient Care (Compulsory and the most important!)

Outpatient Care

Maternity Care

Dental Care

Healthcare across the globe can vary greatly from what you and your family are used to. Depending on your relocation destination there could be a vast difference in the type of facilities available, the type of treatment available, types of drugs available, and more. On top of that there will be a wide variation in healthcare costs as well. Expats need insurance to protect their health and wallet, but also to help bridge the gap between what they are use to and what is available to them in their new location.

Expatriate health insurance allows you to select from a variety of cover options to tailor fit a plan that suits your personal circumstances. Not only does this ensure that you have the best level of international medical insurance in place while living abroad, but also allows you to have treatment wherever you want it in the medical facility of your choice.

So What Do You Really Get From Expat Health Insurance?

Peace of Mind
Quality Care
Reduced Financial Risk
Choice