A quarter (25%) of expatriates do not have international health insurance cover because they think they do not need it, according to research by Now Health International.
Its study of 290 respondents found that this 25% felt they did not need international medical cover because they were currently healthy and did not believe they would fall ill.
In addition, 12% of respondents thought that they would be looked after by their new country’s state healthcare system.
Respondents who do have an international health insurance plan, provided either by Now Health or another provider, valued their cover. In terms of the services they receive, they ranked a 24-hour customer service helpline, fast service turnaround and cover for pre-existing conditions as bring most important to them.
Martin Garcia, chief executive officer of Now Health, said: “International health insurance isn’t just about benefit limits and claims processes. Its unseen value comes into play when expats want to seek treatment either in the centre of medical excellence for their medical condition or back in their home country.”
Bar chart showing the percentage breakdown of why people don’t have international health insurance
