HealthForExpats

What HealthForExpats is

HealthForExpats is a comparison service run by an insurance broker. It does not insure anyone: the policies it shows belong to the insurers in its panel. Its legal notice says "International Santé SARL is an insurance brokerage company with a capital of 20000€, whose head office is located Hélios 3, 116 route d'Espagne 31100 Toulouse," registered in the Toulouse Trade Register under number 797 778 446 and with ORIAS, the French register of insurance intermediaries, under number 14001206.

The about page's heading reads "HealthForExpats, insurance experts since 1995" and quotes the founder, Raphaël Reiter, on his first international insurance project, cover for the employees of a boiler manufacturer in Europe, Asia and Africa. The same page says the comparison service itself was created in 2014, which makes 1995 the founder's career and 2014 the start of the service. It adds a conduct record: "2957 days without any claims", meaning that since 2014 no policyholder or insurer has complained of mistakes or withheld information by its advisers. It says the team works from France and French Polynesia (GMT-11) to answer questions around the clock.

How the comparison works

The homepage promises "300+ insurance plans" from "20 Insurance providers presented" on a single chart, and says "Any insurer can be included in the comparison tool." The comparison method page sets the rules. Plans are ranked "from lowest to highest price. No other criteria are used to rank the plans." The price shown for long-term plans is the monthly premium excluding options, enrollment costs and installment fees, which appear in a separate fees box, and HealthForExpats says it charges no additional fees itself. It also says it does not charge insurers for listings, and that plans are updated manually from information the insurers supply.

To judge cover rather than price, the site built a scoring algorithm that it says took almost two years, drawing on insurer statistics, WHO reports and the reimbursement rules of France's Caisse des Français de l'Étranger (CFE). It splits care into four categories: hospitalization, general practitioners and specialists, other common expenses such as pharmacies, physiotherapists and nurses, and vision and dental. The page gives an example of a hidden cost the scoring looks for: a specialist's technical procedures, such as an ECG or an ultrasound, with fees it puts at €200 to €2,000 depending on the country. Scores are recalculated for each country of residence, so "A plan that earns only 3 stars in Hong Kong might earn 5 stars in Argentina," and a 5/5 rating means the plan "will fully reimburse you in at least 95% of cases."

A plan only appears if it covers the destination, accepts the user's nationality, type of stay and age, and pays from the first euro or on top of the CFE. Users pick one of four levels, Economy, Comfort, Enhanced or Maximum; for temporary plans under a year, Economy is described as basic accident cover and Maximum adds non-emergency expenses and check-ups.

The method page is candid about the chart's limits. Because underwriting and selection terms are complex, plan names are hidden at first; after "a 10- to 30-minute interview with a consultant" the user receives a detailed comparison, at no charge. The listed criteria "do not exhaustively reflect the insurer's underwriting terms," and insurers may ask for a health questionnaire or details such as employment status. After the health questionnaire, the page says, an insurer may accept on normal terms, propose a higher premium, apply partial exclusions or refuse, and "The insurer's Medical Department makes all final determinations." The terms of service say the site's information cannot be treated as personalized advice.

On money, the method page is direct: HealthForExpats is not paid for listing insurers or ranking plans, but "receives a fee for each requested insurance company referral and sale," which it says has no impact on the ranking. It also says the plans shown "are not an exhaustive list of all insurance plans available on the market."

What it shows about insurers and prices

The site publishes insurer reviews. Its April International page gives a launch year of 2000, 42 plans compared, a policyholder score of 3.8/5 from 55 reviews and an expert score of 82/100. It names Groupama GAN as the insurer behind the expat policy and Europ Assistance for evacuation assistance, says enrollment is open up to 70 and to 75 in zones 3 to 5 (excluding Thailand and Mexico), and describes three management centers in Paris, Mexico and Bangkok. These terms belong to April's plan, not to HealthForExpats.

Its United States page is the most detailed country guide read here. It says the service represents 14 insurance providers, "including 12 French insurers and two American," and that in the US six of them offer 70 policy options, including full cover and plans that top up the CFE, some of them ACA compliant. It gives key figures for the US market: an annual cost of hospitalization cover of €2089 for a 30-year-old and €3959 for a 50-year-old, and a hospitalization reimbursement rate with CFE cover of 19%. It notes that expatriate premiums depend on age and that there are generally discounts for families with three or more children, and it lists state individual mandates such as those in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Washington DC and California. The same page offers "Local direct billing for US expatriates" and advisers available "from 6am to 11pm EST and 6am to 9pm PST", and says "62% of new policyholders come on referral."

Buying and support

A visitor enters a destination and profile, gets the ranked chart, and can then talk to an adviser. Buying happens with the chosen insurer's plan; the site says the rates displayed "are the lowest available from each insurer" and that "No additional fees are charged, our service is free of charge." It says its advice is independent and that "No insurance company is privileged over another." A VIP support service follows the policy, and the site describes itself as defending the client's rights throughout the expatriation. Complaints about the site go first to HealthForExpats customer service in Toulouse, with a separate insurance mediation route for complaints about a policy. The homepage says 95482 expatriates have compared their insurance there and cites 4.9/5 on Trustpilot from over 1,000 reviews.

Who it suits

HealthForExpats fits an expat, especially a French citizen weighing the CFE, who wants to see many insurers' prices ranked on one chart and then refine the list with a registered French broker. It also carries detailed material for anyone moving to the United States. The first chart hides plan names until a consultant call, and the final price depends on each insurer's underwriting.