WellAway

What WellAway is

WellAway sells international health plans under its own name to expats, international students, families and groups. Its about page calls it "a truly international private medical insurance company with health and lifestyle products for expatriates throughout the entire world." The corporate page sets out the structure behind that brand: "WellAway Limited is the exclusive distributor of the insurance products developed by WellAway insurance (SA)," and the page lists a "WellAway family of companies" covering Insurance, MGU, Third Party Administration and Provider Network. On who stands behind the risk, the same page says "WellAway Limited is reinsured by Arch Re," and adds that "Arch has earned financial ratings of A + from A.M. Best, A+ (Strong) from Standard & Poor's and A+ from Fitch." Those ratings belong to Arch, the reinsurer, not to WellAway itself.

The company is based in Bermuda. The compliance page says "As a Bermuda registered company, WellAway Limited is compliant with the rules and regulations of the Bermuda Monetary Authority," and the corporate page gives a corporate office on Cedar Avenue in Hamilton, Bermuda, and a "Presence in U.S., Bermuda, Europe, Latin America and Asia." The compliance page also covers US rules: FATCA reporting "consistent with the treaty signed between the governments of Bermuda and the United States on December 19, 2013," the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and OFAC screening. The corporate page adds that WellAway "can offer life P&C and liability coverage, for individuals, students, businesses and their employees," though its health plans are the core of the site.

What the EXPAT plan covers

The page this listing links to describes EXPAT as "Our top-tier non-ACA compliant plan," one that "includes wellness and preventive care services." The coverage summary reads: "Expat is a well-rounded plan that provides full coverage, except for preexisting conditions and maternity, which helps keep premiums affordable." Those two exclusions are stated for EXPAT as a whole. The page also flags the US angle: "EXPAT doesn't meet ACA requirements. If you live in a state where ACA penalties apply, you might want to consider New Horizon for more extensive coverage."

The page's "Things to consider" box carries the plan's hard terms:

• "Plan Coverage limits: Gold $1,000,000 USD Diamond & Expat Plus $3,000,000 USD."
• "Gold and Diamond plans offer flexible options with 3 different deductibles to choose from." The deductible amounts themselves are not printed.
• "Expat Plus offers the most comprehensive level of coverage, featuring a $0 Deductible and 0% coinsurance."
• "Provider Access within the U.S.: Access to Premium Care Physicians and at In-Network Facilities with UnitedHealthcare Global."
• "Unmarried dependent children are covered up to age 26 if in full-time education."
• "Our products are medically underwritten; therefore, applications undergo an approval procedure."

Members also get ConciergeCare, which the page describes as a service where "A dedicated ConciergeCare counselor will ensure that you and your family have easy access to health and wellness services," adding that "ConciergeCare is at no extra cost." The about page says the "24/7 multi-lingual ConciergeCare services" help with "setting up appointments," explaining benefits, and finding "a provider that's right for you," and it lists emergency medical assistance and telemedicine services among the member services. It counts "1.2M+ UnitedHealthcare Global Providers in the US" and "180+ Countries Covered with an International Open Network."

The other plans

The plans page puts EXPAT beside three others. New American is "Our top tier ACA-compliant plan," offering "the most comprehensive coverage with minimal cost shares for all healthcare services." New Horizon is "Complete ACA-compliant healthcare coverage with an affordable premium," with "a lower premium and reasonable cost shares." WORLD is the entry-level plan, with "an annual coverage limit of up to $1 million," and the page notes that it "focuses on emergency coverage and doesn't include regular preventative care and doctor visits." No plan page prints a premium; each routes to a quote.

For students coming to the United States, the student-plans page offers "Coverage that is designed for students, going to the United States with an F-1, M-1 or J-1 visa." Three World Elite tiers are each described as a fit for students "on an F-1 or J-1 student visa" whose university requires "an ACA compliant health plan": World Elite PLUS "with a $0 deductible," World Elite 250 "with a $250 deductible," and World Elite 450 "with a $450 deductible." Royal and Cromo plans are aimed at F-1, M-1 or J-1 students "going to the USA for an undergraduate or graduate program," and Scholar plans "meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of State for scholars, full-time visiting faculty & researchers on a J-1 visa." There is also a University of Southern California version of World Elite, offered "with $450, $250 & $0 deductible options," and a USC Scholar plan. A separate page covers students on Optional Practical Training.

Who can buy it and how it works

The homepage splits buyers into individuals and families, a "Global Work & Study" track for people who "study or work abroad," and groups and businesses, which get "Customized health coverage solutions to meet the demand of global groups." Every application is medically underwritten, per the EXPAT page, so acceptance is not automatic.

Claims mostly run without the member's involvement. The student-plans page says "In most cases, your claims will be filled by the doctor or facility where you received care and you will not need to send any information to us," and that for a claim "that was not filed electronically, there is a guide on what you should do on our MEMBER resources page." The site has member and broker logins and a provider search. The pages give no premium, no upper age limit for the applicant and no claim deadline.

Who it suits

WellAway suits an expat who wants an international plan with a published coverage ceiling and wants to know the reinsurer behind it: the EXPAT page states $1,000,000 for Gold and $3,000,000 for Diamond and Expat Plus, and the corporate page names Arch Re with its ratings. Expat Plus, with its "$0 Deductible and 0% coinsurance," fits a buyer who wants no cost-sharing at the point of care, and families get dependent cover for full-time students up to age 26. It also suits international students and J-1 scholars in the United States, where the World Elite, Royal, Cromo and Scholar plans are built around visa and university requirements.

EXPAT is a poor fit for someone who needs maternity cover or cover for an existing condition, since the plan excludes both, and for a US resident in a state with ACA penalties, whom the page itself points to New Horizon. A buyer who wants a premium before starting an application gets it only through the quote form.