International health insurance

General FAQs

These are some of the FAQs we hear about International Solutions. We’re always happy to explain our benefits and costs, or find out answers if there’s something else you’d like to know. If these FAQs don’t give you the answers you need, call our team of friendly experts or ask us to call you back.

Who is International Solutions for?

International Solutions is for anyone who is living or working abroad. It’s not suitable for you if you spend six months or more living in your country of nationality.

How do I buy a policy, do I need to be in the UK?

We can give you a quote over the phone. If you are in the UK, call us on 0800 051 1524 . If you are outside the UK, call us on (+44) 23 8037 1944. Or use our online form and ask us to call you back. You’ll need to complete an application form, but we’ll do our best to make your policy simple and straightforward to arrange.

Will my policy cover an evacuation?

If you need treatment that’s not available locally, then we’ll evacuate you to the nearest facility, even If this is a different country or region. And, if you choose the Compassionate Travel Option, then we’ll pay up to £1,000 or €1,100 or $1,500 towards a flight to recuperate, once you’re well enough to travel alone. This option also provides travel benefits if you need to return home to attend the funeral of a close friend or relative, or in the event of your death, we will cover costs towards a local burial or returning mortal remains to your home country.

We will work with MEDEX Global Solutions, as quickly as possible, to find out whether evacuation is appropriate. MEDEX Global Solutions is a specialist medical assistance company with over 30 years experience. They have a fully computerised database of over 40,000 preferred medical care providers around the world, and can help us to find you medical care and assistance in your own language. If you incur travel costs without prior approval, we may not cover them.

Isn’t travel insurance enough? How is International Solutions different?

There are clear differences between travel insurance and international health insurance. Travel insurance is for people travelling overseas for a limited period of time, and often excludes cover if you are working abroad. Everyday medical expenses, such as prescriptions and routine medical treatments, aren’t usually covered.

International Solutions gives you extensive cover that can include routine medical support, such as dental treatment or GP’s prescriptions, whereas travel insurance generally deals with emergency situations only. If you would like to find out more, we can give you more information about travel insurance.

How do I pay for International Solutions?

You can pay your premium in Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars. We can give you more details about methods and frequency of payment available in each currency, when we speak to you.

If I’m overseas, could the terms and conditions of my policy change?

Your International Solutions policy is an annual contract. From time to time we may make changes so that your policy is more relevant to your circumstances. But we’ll let you know in advance.

How do you calculate my premium?

Your premium is calculated using a number of factors. It includes any options and the healthcare rating region that you choose. You are automatically covered in lower rated regions for no extra charge. For instance, if you choose region 5 then you are automatically covered for regions 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well. However, if you choose region 3 and you need treatment in region 4 or higher, then you’d only be covered for emergency treatment, up to a maximum of 60 days, outside your selected region.

Will my premiums go up?

The costs of healthcare can rise, either as a result of such things as inflation or from advances in new technologies. In addition, the International Solutions policy premiums are calculated according to age bands to reflect that people are more likely to claim as they get older. That’s why we review our premiums on an annual basis – although this does not necessarily mean that your premiums will rise each year. Where a premium increase is necessary, either as a result of rising costs or because you have entered a new age band, we will notify you of any change before your annual renewal is due.

Won’t my EHIC card cover treatments in the EU?

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid in all 27 member states of the EU. In most cases, it gives you access to some care from the state system, but you may need to pay in advance and the cover might be at a reduced level in comparison to the UK. Also, if you are planning to work, you’ll need to have a completed A1 form to show that you’re still paying tax and NI in the UK. Unless you apply for extension, EHIC cover will only last for one year.

If I switch providers, will I get the same cover?

We can offer continued medical exclusions in some cases. This means that, if you’re transferring from another international insurer, on equivalent cover, we may accept the same personal medical exclusions that were applied to your previous plan. All you need to do is supply us with current certificates from your existing insurer and complete the ‘switch’ section of the individual International Solutions application form. Continued medical exclusion terms may not be offered in some circumstances. Please note: if your previous insurer increased your premium instead of excluding your conditions, you will have to complete a full application form and may be fully medically underwritten. This means that we’ll ask you questions about your past health, and any pre-existing conditions and related conditions will be excluded unless we agree to accept them.

What kinds of underwriting are there?

International Solutions uses two kinds of underwriting: full medical underwriting and continued medical exclusions.

• With full medical underwriting, we’ll ask you to fill out a health questionnaire with your GP. This will tell us about any pre-existing conditions you’ve had. We’ll use this information to specify which conditions if any will be excluded from your cover. This means that you won’t be covered for any pre-existing condition unless you declare it and then we decide not to put an exclusion on the policy.
• Your policy may be on a continued medical exclusions basis. This means that if you are transferring from another recognised international insurer, on equivalent cover, we may accept the same personal medical exclusions, if any, that were applied to your previous plan.

If you have questions about pre-existing conditions, you’re welcome to call and ask us for more information on 0800 051 1524 if you’re in the UK. If you’re currently outside the UK, you can call us on (+44) 23 8037 1944. Or ask us to call you back, using our simple online form.

More questions? We’re happy to answer them…

You can phone us direct on 0800 051 1524 from the UK
Call (+44) 23 8037 1944 if you are outside the UK

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