International Health Cover

What International Health Cover is

International Health Cover is a broker, not an insurer. Its about page opens: "International Health Cover Brokers is an independent International Health insurance broker." It places clients with outside insurers and supports them afterward; the insurer issues the policy and pays the claims. The footer on every page says "International Health Cover is wholly operated by Azuria Life, Licensed as an Insurance Broker by ORIAS (15004436)", ORIAS being the French register of insurance intermediaries, and dates the site's copyright from 2009. The site runs in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Chinese.

The homepage frames the firm as an adviser working for the buyer: it says it focuses on "the right protection, professional customer service and comprehensive claim support" and that "we represent our clients' interests and not those of the insurer." The about page says its consultants have international backgrounds and speak several languages, that some are expatriates themselves, and that the personal adviser explains why one plan fits better than another. It also warns that the insurers keep offices around the world and "may offer different plans depending on which location your country of residence is", so which plans a buyer can get depends on where they live.

The insurers page names the providers it works with: Aetna, ALC, Allianz, A+ International Insurance, Bupa, Cigna, Globality Health (formerly DKV International), Henner Healthcare International, HTH Worldwide, ihi Bupa, IMG, Integraglobal, International SOS, Medicare International, Now Health, Vanbreda, WellAway and William Russell. It says the firm works closely with these insurers, has direct contacts inside each so applications can be processed quickly, and meets them regularly to keep product details current.

The plan lines it arranges

The homepage divides the offer into three lines. Individual and family plans are described as offering cover for maternity and "free medical cover for children under their parent healthcare plan", and the page says these plans are guaranteed renewable. Teacher plans are also described as guaranteed renewable and "suitable for expatriates of all ages", with premiums that change with where the teacher lives and their age "but are not dependent on your nationality." Group plans require "a group of at least 3 employees", can include employees' spouses and children, and carry discounts that the page says depend on the number of employees.

The group plan page goes further. It says corporate plans are renewable and generally suitable for people of all ages, and lets an employer choose between hospitalization-only cover, hospitalization and outpatient cover, and cover for chronic conditions, dental and maternity. Some corporate plans add medical check-ups, chiropractor visits or vaccinations; others can add travel cover, personal accident, emergency evacuation or repatriation to the core hospital benefit. An employer can take a deductible (excess) to keep premiums down. Depending on location, plans may offer direct billing or emailed outpatient claims. The site keeps a group table of benefits split into four sections, inpatient, outpatient, maternity and dental, and notes the table is indicative and varies by insurer. The page says there are special plans for small, medium and big organizations, and that corporate plans usually offer more flexibility and better benefits than individual ones. Employee families can sit on the same group plan. Quotes for groups are built after an adviser defines the scheme, taking into account the number of employees and where they are based.

On pre-existing conditions, the group page says: "If you are suffering from a pre-existing medical condition, we can help select the best Healthcare provider to extend coverage according to this pre-existing medical condition." It is an offer to search, with no insurer or outcome named.

Areas of cover

The worldwide coverage page explains the two standard areas: "Worldwide including North America and Worldwide excluding North America." It says the excluding option allows treatment anywhere except the United States, that "Premiums that includes coverage in North America are normally much higher," and that most buyers choose the excluding option unless they are US citizens. It adds that plans without North America for elective treatment "may still cover you for emergency or unscheduled treatment" during a short business or vacation visit to the US. The same page describes expatriate plans as global policies that move a patient to the nearest suitable facility when treatment is not available locally, and says the broker's team can supply detailed information on medical facilities in an emergency. The resources section publishes insurance information and hospital lists country by country, and the homepage lists destinations from Norway, the UK and France to Senegal, Gabon, Kazakhstan and the Solomon Islands.

Now Health, the insurer profiled in detail

One provider has its own profile page. It says Now Health International has its head office in Hong Kong with regional service centers in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Dubai and the United Kingdom, and that "Now Health plans are underwritten by AXA." It describes continuous cover when a member relocates to a new country, and an online portal for managing the plan. Dental cover is optional on the Excel and Apex plans and includes orthodontics for children; maternity is another option. "Most application are processed within 5 working days," the page says, after which the broker returns with the documents once the application has been underwritten. The page closes by saying the broker can offer "a significant discount" on company plans.

How buying and service work

Everything starts with a free quote request or a phone call. The about page lists what follows purchase: "free support after purchase, free claims support, free administration, renewals, emergencies and payment processing." An emergency contact form sits in the site's menu. The insurers page says: "We will do all the hard work for you for free !" The site prints no premium, deductible amount or waiting period for any plan; those come with the quote from the chosen insurer.

Who it suits

International Health Cover fits an individual expat, a family, a teacher or an employer with three or more staff who wants a French-registered broker to shop a roster of international insurers and stay on hand for claims and renewals at no fee. Its homepage's note that teacher premiums do not depend on nationality, and its detail on direct billing and group discounts, are aimed at those groups. A buyer who wants to compare printed prices before any contact will find the site built around a quote request.