Most U.S. health plans do not cover Americans or Canadians living abroad. American Insurance for Expats offers a major medical, U.S. style health insurance policy with major differences: Worldwide coverage; medical evacuation options; on-line access to file claims and reach a customer service representatives, 24/7.
The typical U.S. managed care network in which you receive a lower negotiated rate for using in-network providers (HMO or PPO), does not exist in most other countries. When you live abroad, there is often no network and so you can go anywhere you want. However, where do you go in a foreign land?
This is where an international major medical insurance policy significantly helps when you need it most. International health insurers essentially create their own referral network of doctors, hospitals and medical professionals in more than 180 countries around the globe. Since health care outside the U.S. is significantly less, negotiated rates are not the primary function of international insurers, but providing a referred doctor or hospital is, along with direct electronic billing in multiple currencies.
In addition to establishing direct pay relationships, the insurer’s network provides a local physician referral service that can prove invaluable for expats who may not even speak the language.
Having a health insurance provider abroad is an invaluable service when you need it. Locating local doctors and hospitals, billing assistance in the native language and medical care translations are services international health care insurance provides.