Optimum Global

What Optimum Global is

Optimum Global sells its own international private medical insurance (IPMI) plans to expats, families and employers, under its own brand. Its site says "Optimum Global Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for Insurance Mediation Activities," and describes the risk behind its plans in reinsurance terms rather than naming a direct underwriter: "Our medical insurance products are reinsured by AXA PPP healthcare Limited," which the about page describes as "part of the AXA Group." The individual-plans page puts it as "When you buy a plan with us, you're reinsured with an A-Rated insurance provider," without naming the rating agency.

The about page lists the partners behind the service. Evacuation runs through AXA Assistance: "Optimum Global offers evacuation and repatriation services in partnership with AXA Assistance," which "is on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to resolve any medical situation or emergency in any country throughout the world." Life, disability and income protection cover rests on "special terms with Lloyd's of London." MSO International, which the page says has its "head office based in Johannesburg, South Africa," handles "claims, cases and admissions for international clients with members in Africa," and a partner called MCI gives members "a personalised and individual healthcare card." The page also lists Hannover Re and Gen Re among its partners. It says "We have hand-picked a small number of brokers and distributors who we work closely with," so plans reach buyers both directly and through intermediaries.

What it covers

The individual-plans page publishes five packages, each defined by its annual policy limit:

• Emerald: "$1,000,000 Annual policy limit"
• Sapphire: "$2,000,000 Annual policy limit"
• Ruby: "$3,000,000 Annual policy limit"
• Jade: "$5,000,000 Annual policy limit"
• Diamond: "$8,000,000 Annual policy limit"

The benefit lines the page compares across the packages are hospital costs, cancer treatment, kidney dialysis, home nursing, pre and post hospitalisation, medical evacuation, GP consultations, alternative medicine, complications of maternity, maternity and dental, with optical marked "Group/Corporate only." The page does not print a premium for any package. The homepage adds benefit categories including "Cancer Cover," "Evacuation / Repatriation," "In-patient and Out-patient Options" and "COVID-19 Coverage," and a feature list that includes "No hospital restrictions," "Multilingual emergency assistance" and "Easy claims process." The FAQ says the plans cover "a range of alternative or complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and osteopathy, depending on the chosen plan," and that the company can offer "tailored IPMI solutions for high-net-worth individuals or groups with specific coverage requirements."

The FAQ glossary defines the cost-sharing terms its policies use: "An excess is an amount you have to pay towards any claim in a policy year. The excess is per person per annum," and co-insurance "Is a percentage of the claim you have to pay." It publishes no excess or co-insurance amount for any package. Evacuation needs sign-off: "Optimum Global has to authorise and arrange this evacuation."

Underwriting and pre-existing conditions

The FAQ sets out four underwriting routes, and which one applies decides how an existing condition is treated:

• Full Medical Underwriting: "we will ask you to answer questions regarding your medical history and after full evaluation confirm if we need to apply any exclusions to your policy."
• Moratorium: pre-existing conditions with symptoms, advice or treatment "in the five years before taking up the policy will be excluded from cover until you can remain symptom and treatment free for two years under the policy." The FAQ adds: "If you take daily medication or require regular check ups for a condition this will never be covered under a moratorium policy."
• Medical History Disregarded: "This is only available on corporate schemes with more than 10 employees and means we will not ask for any medical information unless there are ongoing claims of more than $5000."
• Continued Personal Medical Exclusions: "we will carry across any exclusions from your previous insurance as long as there is no break in cover," and can "honour any wait periods that have already been served."

So the no-exclusions promise of Medical History Disregarded belongs to the corporate schemes. The group-plans page describes that route as one that "doesn't impose exclusions based on pre-existing conditions," and an article on the site notes that "MHD underwriting may result in higher premiums due to the inclusion of pre-existing conditions." The FAQ gives no route that waives medical history for an individual buyer.

Who can buy it and how it works

The homepage says "We provide expat insurance to expats of any nationality living in almost any country," serving individuals, families, groups and corporates. The quote form asks for the "Age of everyone who needs cover." The pages give no minimum or maximum buyer age.

On claims, the individual-plans page says "We always aim to appraise your claim within 7 working days," and the FAQ says "Optimum Global employs experienced claims handlers who are trained to manage the entire claims process promptly and efficiently." Members get "Multi-lingual year round support," and the site states "Our systems and practices are GDPR compliant." On the group side, the FAQ says that when an employee leaves, cover under the group plan "usually ends," with the option to convert to an individual plan depending on the provider's policies. Employers get a separate group range. The FAQ describes group plans as "designed for organizations and provide coverage for multiple employees," says they "often offer discounted rates and more extensive benefits compared to individual plans," and says that "Generally, employees can add dependents, such as spouses and children, to the group plan." Optical cover, as noted, appears only on the group and corporate side.

Who it suits

Optimum Global suits an expat or family abroad who wants to compare packages by their annual limit before asking for a price, since the individual-plans page sets out five tiers from $1,000,000 to $8,000,000. It suits a buyer who wants the underwriting options spelled out, since the FAQ explains full underwriting, the moratorium's five-year look-back and two-year clear period, and continued exclusions in plain terms. An employer with more than 10 staff abroad fits the Medical History Disregarded route, which the FAQ reserves for corporate schemes of that size.

It fits less well for an individual with an ongoing condition who hopes to have it covered from day one, since that route is corporate-only and the moratorium never covers conditions needing daily medication or regular check-ups. A buyer who wants a premium or an excess figure up front gets neither on the pages, and the reinsurance wording names AXA PPP healthcare rather than a direct insurer on the policy.