Over three quarters of employees would consider moving abroad to help improve their health and wellbeing, according to new research from Aviva UK Health.
The research found that 40% of UK workers would move abroad to improve their health and wellbeing, and 36% believe other countries offer a healthier environment and more varied lifestyle.
However, a quarter are not aware of what state healthcare they are entitled to if they move overseas, and 17% believe they would automatically qualify for free healthcare.
Almost half of respondents (41%) wrongly believe that as a UK citizen they automatically qualify for state-funded healthcare in the EU and Commonwealth.
Over a third of young workers (34%) would not take out additional health insurance if they were moving abroad.
Teresa Rogers, international sales and marketing manager at Aviva UK Health, said: “In the UK we’re in the enviable position of being able to choose to complement the ‘free at the point of delivery’ health services available from the NHS with a private health insurance policy.
“However, in many countries private health insurance is a necessity you can’t afford to be without.
“Healthcare provision varies greatly around the world and even routine medical care can prove costly in countries that don’t offer a similar service to the NHS.
“While we’re delighted to see that the majority of people would consider taking out additional private health insurance if they move overseas, our research clearly shows that many people have a very limited understanding of overseas health provision which could result in them choosing inappropriate cover or worse still, wrongly believing that either the state will provide cover or a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is sufficient.”
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