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If you’re thinking of moving abroad with your family, make sure you’ve considered international family health insurance. This is the most effective way to make sure you, your spouse and children have access to the best-quality healthcare while you settle into your new lives as expats.
Andy Canham
Group Account Manager
Starting a new life as an expat is a thrilling adventure for the whole family. Whether you’re going to be relaxing in a tropical paradise or moving to a cosmopolitan city, there has never been a better time to join the world’s 50 million+ expats living overseas, as a digital nomad, retiree or to begin a new job.
But before you go, make sure you have considered the most important thing for yours and your family’s peace of mind – international health insurance. International family health insurance provides flexible, comprehensive level of cover for you and your whole family, covering you for a wide range of conditions – including maternity care.
With various levels of cover, international family health insurance offers flexible, tailor-made plans designed for expat families relocating overseas. We provide international family health insurance to expat families in over 150 countries. No need to worry if you’re a frequent traveller or have children in school overseas – your policy works in multiple countries.
Different countries have different healthcare systems, and many countries do not offer state-funded healthcare to expatriates. Therefore, depending on where you and your family move to, you may find yourselves having to pay for healthcare out of your own pocket.
With the cost of healthcare increasing worldwide, expats run the risk of facing huge bills for healthcare costs. Should you or your family find yourselves in need of healthcare – whether hospital treatment, care for a major illness or even maternity – international family health insurance is your best investment to mitigate the costs of treatment.
There are also advantages you can enjoy as an expatriate with international family health insurance that you wouldn’t otherwise get. These include:
Every country has a different healthcare system, and some can be especially tricky to figure out. You and your family may find yourselves entitled to some costs through public healthcare, while others need to be paid out-of-pocket. Worse still, you may receive healthcare thinking it’s funded, only to be slapped with a huge bill at the end.
With international family health insurance, you won’t need to worry about any of this, as you and your family can be sure you’re covered for the things you need. You have the flexibility to choose a level of cover that suits you, and even things like dentistry and maternity care can be included.
As an international family health insurance customer, you will be entitled to healthcare at private facilities. These often promise shorter waiting lists, higher-quality treatment and more comfortable hospital stays.
The thought of falling sick in a foreign country where you haven’t mastered the language can be daunting. What if you needed to communicate symptoms, or receive a diagnosis in a language you couldn’t understand?
With international family health insurance, you won’t need to worry, because there is a much better chance you will be matched with healthcare professionals who speak your language.
As an expat, you’ll probably find yourself doing a lot of travelling – that’s part the expat lifestyle. So, you’ll be glad to know that when you take out international family health insurance, you’ll be covered not only in the country you become a resident, but in all countries included within your coverage zone.
If you’re moving to a country where the quality of public healthcare is not as high as you’re used to, you will undoubtedly prefer the quality and convenience of private healthcare. At William Russell, we have a network of over 40,000 hospitals and clinics worldwide, which we will connect you and your family to in order to help you receive the highest-quality private healthcare treatment.
At William Russell, we offer 6 coverage zones, including one worldwide (excluding USA) option. This gives you and your family the freedom to choose any hospital, anywhere in the world, should you need one while on the road.
Depending on where you are in the world, if you have a life or limb-threatening condition, you may not be able to get the right treatment locally. This is where a medical evacuation (medevac) can help. A medevac transports you to another country within your coverage zone for treatment that you could not receive in your country of residence.
Medical evacuations are included in your international family health insurance policy as standard.
Our plans are flexible and personalised, so coverage is bespoke to you and your needs. The range of illnesses covered is extensive and, depending on your level of cover, you could access a variety of treatments for conditions including transplants, kidney dialysis and more:
In general, you can expect to be covered for being admitted to hospital and serious issues such as cancer and mental health.
Most insurance providers don’t cover pre-existing health conditions or related conditions, so check before you decide on a provider.
Bronze
SilverLite
Silver
Gold
Certain benefits in this table of benefits specify a waiting period. You must be covered by the same plan for the full duration of the specified waiting period before you can claim for that benefit. No benefit is payable for any treatment costs incurred during the waiting period.
*Cover is limited to post-hospital care.
The cost of international family health insurance can vary. Although it’s generally more expensive than a local health plan, it gives you more coverage and the added assurance that you’re getting the best possible care.
For example, most international medical insurance plans include cover in multiple countries and emergency medical evacuation. To calculate your premium, we look at a number of factors including your age and where you live or work.
Example monthly premium based on a mature family with kids (4 and 14 years old) from the United Kingdom living in South Africa, with a US$250 per annum excess and Zone 2 cover.
Bronze plan
SilverLite plan
Silver plan
Gold plan
See our full plan description here.
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The quickest way to reach us is by email.
You can add any immediate family member to your plan, subject to medical exclusions.
Most expats choose to cover themselves, a spouse and their children, but you can also add parents, grandparents and grandchildren to your plan, after an assessment.
Everyone is then free to enjoy the same benefits, as set out in your policy, and all can be paid for through a single account.
If you have a new child while living abroad, they must be added to your plan within 30 days of birth.
Moving abroad as an expat shouldn’t stop you from starting or growing your family. However, you may be wondering whether you will have access to maternity healthcare services in your new home.
With international family health insurance, you needn’t worry. William Russell’s Gold plan gives access to maternity cover featuring a wide range of maternity services and medical treatments – so if you have a new child overseas, you can expect to benefit from the highest quality support. Our maternity cover includes:
We also cover emergency surgical procedures as a result of childbirth, including emergency C-sections and complications as a result of pregnancy.
Better still, international family health insurance will also extend to your new arrivals. If you give birth overseas, maternity cover as part of your international family health insurance plan will cover your child or children’s’ basic healthcare after birth, including:
All these benefits are accessible so long as the mother of the child(ren) is included on your international family health insurance plan. Check your policy wording for full details.
Here are some of our top tips:
You can call our 24/7 emergency medical helpline
You’re free to choose which hospital you visit for treatment
We have a worldwide network of hospitals and doctors to call upon
For over three decades, William Russell has specialised in providing international student health insurance around the globe.
Get the plan to suit your student lifestyle, with a choice of premium and lower-cost options.
Our product teams keep an eye on global healthcare, looking out for breakthroughs in medical science and monitoring trends.
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about international family health insurance. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, or would like to speak to our award-winning customer service team, please call us on +44 1276 486 477.
Our plans are divided into 6 zones:
Zone 1
Worldwide cover, with restricted cover in the USA.
Zone 2
Provides cover in most countries. But in countries where the cost of private health insurance is high, this is subject to certain limits. There is no cover in the USA.
Zone 3
Special coverage zone for residents in Indonesia only, with restricted cover where private healthcare is expensive but no cover in the USA.
Zone 4
Full cover in Africa & Indian Subcontinent, with restricted cover elsewhere but no cover in the USA.
Zone 5
Full cover in Africa (except South Africa) & Indian Subcontinent, with restricted cover elsewhere but no cover in the USA.
Zone 6
Worldwide cover, excluding the USA, with restricted cover in certain countries and regions. Only available for residents in Indonesia.
Zone 7
Full cover in South East Asia (except Thailand and Singapore), and no cover elsewhere.
The Gold plan is a popular choice amongst our members with families or who are planning to have a family in the near future. You’ll have:
We have a range of tools and options so you can tailor your plan to suit the needs of your family.
All William Russell plans come with some cover for for emergency dental treatment following an accident, and you may be able to add more depending on what plan you choose.
Yes, it can do. Healthcare plans from William Russell are international, so your cover doesn’t need to stop if you travel abroad or return home temporarily, provided this is within your cover zone.
If you return home permanently, we can offer cover in your home country. Please note the cover is not available to you if the USA, Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Syria or Yemen is or becomes your country of residence, irrespective of your nationality.
If you want to keep your international family health insurance, you must renew your plan each year. Renewing your plan is straightforward, and it usually happens automatically.
Once your plan has started, we won’t ask you to answer medical questions each year—even if your health deteriorates.
While you must be age 75 or under when your plan starts, you can renew your plan for as long as you need it. Once your plan has started, we won’t ask you to answer medical questions each year—even if your health deteriorates.
Making a claim with us is really easy. You simply need to fill out a claims form and provide any supporting documents. Some benefits may require pre-authorisation for treatment.
All the benefits on this webpage are per member per policy year, unless we state otherwise. We show the benefit limits in US dollars, but we can also denominate your policy in pounds sterling or Euros. You won’t find complete information for our plans on this webpage, nor the full T&Cs, limitations, and exclusions that would apply if you purchase a health insurance policy. You can find complete information in the plan agreement, which we suggest you read together with this webpage. We work hard to ensure the information we provide on this webpage is accurate and up-to-date, but inaccuracies are possible. We rectify errors as soon as we become aware of them. The T&Cs that apply to your policy are those found in your plan agreement.
At William Russell, we have over 30 years’ experience of helping expatriates move abroad and settle into their new lives overseas by providing world-class international health insurance.
Joe Holden Global Relationship Manager
If you’re ready to see prices for health insurance, click on ‘Get a Quote’ below to head on over to our online quote tool.
We’ll ask you a few details (your age, your location), and then we’ll show you prices—it only takes a few minutes!
A couple of days after you’ve received you quote, Joe will email or call you to find out how we can help you further. Joe won’t bug you, and you can opt out at any time.
It’s filled with handy information and tips for expats.
We were one of the first insurance providers to cover people living abroad, and we’ve earned a reputation for our wonderful customer service.
The insurer behind our policies is part of the Allianz group
We’re proud of our award-winning service and our members rate it highly
You will get your own dedicated adviser when you join
If you’re not happy with your health insurance policy or the service we provide, and you haven’t yet made a claim, then we’ll refund the premium you’ve paid—no questions asked.
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