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Find out how to compare international health insurance and make the right decision when it comes to getting started with your first international health insurance plan.
Megan Lewis
Senior Business Development Manager (Broker) & Technical Specialist
If you’re thinking of taking out international health insurance, you may find yourself overwhelmed with choices. It can be hard to know who to trust, what factors you need to consider, and which health insurance companies provide the right level of cover for you and your family.
While you’re living abroad, international health insurance is the best way to ensure you and your family can access the treatment you need from the best-quality healthcare providers, without having to pay huge costs. But choosing an international health insurance provider is about much more than finding a company to cover your costs. You’ll also want to be sure you can:
That’s why it’s essential to shop around and compare international health insurance for expats before deciding on a provider and a plan that’s right for you.
With healthcare growing ever-more expensive, there has never been a more important time for expats to choose health insurance. But if this is your first time taking out international health insurance, you may be unsure of a few things like:
To make an informed decision, you will need to know:
But wherever you’re relocating, taking out international health insurance is always a safe bet. With expat health cover, you can avoid paying potentially expensive healthcare costs out of your own pocket. This can include everything from basic services like GP visits, accident and emergency, and prescription drugs, to larger and more complex services like cancer care.
Before you decide which insurance provider to go with, it’s important to understand what you should be covered for.
A good international health insurance policy should cover all your immediate healthcare needs, while giving you peace of mind that – should you be involved in an accident, or diagnosed with a life-threatening illness like cancer – you will be able to get the treatment you need.
International health insurance doesn’t just cover healthcare costs, either. You will also be covered for supplementary costs, such as ambulance transfers, and medical evacuations (medevacs) if you have a life or limb-threatening condition that can’t be treated in your location.
It should give you the flexibility to choose the level of cover you want. Whether you want a basic plan to cover your essential costs, or comprehensive cover for a wide range of treatments, your provider should be able to offer you the right level of cover.
You should also be able to add additional cover to your policy, such as maternity cover or mental health services.
With international health insurance, you’re not only covered in the country you intend to move to, but within your entire coverage zone. This means if you cross regional, state or country borders, you’ll still be protected so long as you’re within your coverage zone.
When it comes to comparing health insurance providers, you may want to consider the following factors to ensure that you are getting the right policy that will suit your needs.
A comprehensive health plan should cover your most basic healthcare needs. Each plan will have limits on the amount you are covered for so you will need to check the policy carefully.
Certain benefits will have waiting periods. For example, you won’t be able to make a claim for maternity cover unless you have been covered for 12 months. It’s worth checking this.
It is vital that you can trust your health insurance provider. Read the company reviews before taking out health insurance.
Many factors can impact health insurance costs such as age, levels of cover, the country you want to be covered in etc. You will want to compare costs across providers to work out what falls within your budget.
Check the policy to find out what conditions may be excluded from your plan.
Make sure that you can easily communicate with your healthcare provider. If you’re in an emergency, being able to pick up the phone for support may provide some relief.
The best international health insurance provider for you will be the one who offers everything you need at the best price. When searching for the best international health insurance company, look for a company that combines:
Does your health insurance provider have the expertise in your new home country’s local insurance industry and healthcare system?
Can you be sure you’ll get to speak to a real person, if you have questions about your insurance plan or to make a claim?
Does your provider provide a full and easy-to-understand breakdown of their services, and can you be sure you’ll be covered for everything you need?
At William Russell, we have over 30 years of helping expatriates settle into their new lives overseas by providing world-class international health insurance. Here are some of the perks of being a William Russell member:
From medical professionals to customer service experts, our teams are on hand to offer you support when you need it the most around the clock. You can call our 24/7 emergency medical helpline on +44 1243 621 155
You’re free to choose which hospital you visit for treatment. We offer a network of 40,000 hand-picked hospitals and clinics worldwide ready to support our members.
We have a worldwide network of hospitals and doctors to call upon. Our plans are international, and you’ll have access to the best hospitals and doctors within your coverage zone.
We’re proud to have a high star rating based on customer feedback provided through independent reviewer Feefo.
Healthcare is expensive. We do everything possible to spread this inflation fairly. We calculate premiums with a longterm, sustainable pricing model, and we give you tailoring tools to help reduce your premium without compromising your cover.
Insurance is about trust, so we believe in being fair and open. We’re completely upfront with our health plans, and we want you to understand precisely what you’re buying.
We have four standard health plans to choose from; Bronze, SilverLite, Silver and Gold. Some plans are more comprehensive than others, each with different benefits, annual limits and conditions. Our plans are designed to give you the flexibility to choose the level of cover that you need within your budget.
However, all of our plans have the following essential benefits:
When you’re admitted to a hospital, you’ll be covered for pre-admission tests, accommodation costs, surgeon, anaesthetist and doctor’s fees, nursing care, drugs and surgical dressings, operating theatre charges, intensive care, X-Rays, scans and diagnostic tests, and physiotherapy.
When you need treatment for cancer, you’ll be covered for tests, scans and cancer drugs, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, consultations, restorative dental treatment following chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and reconstructive surgery to restore your appearance.
All our plans provide cover for these common outpatient treatments: doctor visits and specialist consultations, diagnostic tests (X-rays, MRI scans, CAT scans), emergency treatment you receive in the emergency ward of a hospital, and physiotherapy.
On the Bronze plan, you only have cover for post-hospital outpatient treatment.
If you experience a medical emergency but the treatment that you require isn’t available locally, we will arrange an emergency medical evacuation by road, sea or air if your condition is life-threatening or limb-threatening. We will also include the return airfare to your country of residence following your evacuation as well as travel and accommodation expenses of a companion while you’re hospitalised following your emergency.
Taking out an international health insurance policy should be straightforward:
Remember to pay particular attention to:
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The quickest way to reach us is by email.
Once you’ve successfully applied for a plan, all that’s left to do then is relax and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having international health insurance.
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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