How It Works
Complete the intake form
Your age, nationality, country of residence, and a brief health history. Takes a few minutes. No personal financial information required at this stage.
Review your options
Your situation is matched against multiple international carriers to identify plans that fit your coverage needs, country of residence, and budget.
Apply
Choose a plan and apply online. You will know your timeline, underwriting requirements, and confirmed start date before you commit.
What Is International Health Insurance?
International health insurance pays for private medical treatment when you are living outside your home country. It covers consultations, diagnostics, hospitalization, surgery, and in most cases emergency evacuation, regardless of which country the treatment takes place in.
It is not travel insurance. Travel insurance is designed for short trips and covers emergencies only, typically up to 90 days. International health insurance is designed for people who live abroad long term. It renews annually, covers routine care as well as emergencies, and follows you across borders as your life abroad continues.
It is also not your home country's national health system. Once you live abroad, your entitlement to domestic public healthcare typically ends or becomes severely restricted. Medicare does not cover treatment outside the United States except in very limited circumstances. The NHS in the United Kingdom applies residency tests that most long term expats no longer meet. International health insurance fills that gap with private coverage that works in the country where you actually live.
What makes it different from local health insurance in your country of residence is portability and scope. A local Thai health insurance policy covers you in Thailand. An international health insurance policy covers you in Thailand, and in the next country you move to, and when you visit your home country, and when you need treatment in a third country. The coverage travels with you.
Why Your Existing Coverage Probably Does Not Work Abroad
Most people who move abroad discover their existing health coverage has significant gaps once they are actually living outside their home country.
Domestic health insurance policies, including employer group plans, are almost always restricted to the country of issue. The network of covered hospitals and clinics exists in your home country. Once you are living abroad, those facilities are inaccessible for routine care and the policy typically excludes treatment in foreign countries except for genuine emergencies.
Employer group health plans end when your employment ends or when you relocate outside the plan's coverage territory. They are not portable and they are not designed for expat life.
Medicare does not cover routine medical treatment outside the United States. There are narrow exceptions for border situations and certain cruise ship scenarios, but for an American living in Thailand, Vietnam, or anywhere else abroad, Medicare provides no meaningful coverage. Paying Medicare premiums while living abroad and relying on it for coverage is a common and costly misconception.
Travel insurance fills a short term gap but it is not a substitute for health coverage. Most travel policies cap out at 30 to 90 days and exclude anything that could be classified as a pre-existing condition. Living abroad on travel insurance is both expensive and inadequate.
The practical result is that most newly arrived expats are either uninsured, underinsured, or relying on out of pocket payments. For routine care in low cost countries that is manageable. For a serious diagnosis, a surgical event, or a medical evacuation, out of pocket exposure runs into tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Who International Health Insurance Is For
Working professionals living abroad
If you relocated for work, your employer's group coverage ends with your job or assignment. If you are self employed or between roles, there is no employer plan to fall back on. International health insurance gives you continuous private coverage that does not depend on your employment status.
Retirees living abroad permanently
Healthcare needs increase with age, local out of pocket costs add up quickly, and the risk of a serious event requiring hospitalization or evacuation is real. Many retirees also discover their domestic policies have residency requirements their expat status no longer satisfies.
Digital nomads and long-term travelers
A local health insurance policy in any single country does not solve the problem if you move between countries frequently. International health insurance is built for exactly this situation, with coverage that does not reset or lapse when you cross a border.
Families with dependents abroad
A child's illness or injury abroad can become a significant financial and logistical event without the right coverage in place. International family plans cover all dependents under a single policy, at the private hospitals and clinics expat families typically use.
Visa requirement cases
Several countries require proof of health insurance as a condition of obtaining or renewing a long term visa. International health insurance policies typically satisfy these requirements, though thresholds should be confirmed against your country of residence.
"Thailand's retirement visa (Non-OA) requires inpatient and outpatient coverage meeting specific minimums. Other countries have similar requirements."
How Coverage Works
What is covered
Policies vary by plan level, but most cover inpatient treatment (hospitalization, surgery, specialist consultations while admitted), and higher tier plans extend to outpatient care (GP visits, diagnostics, specialist consultations without admission), dental, optical, and mental health. Maternity coverage is available on some plans with a waiting period. Emergency medical evacuation is included on most international policies and covers transport to the nearest appropriate facility or repatriation home when local treatment is inadequate.
What is typically excluded
Pre-existing conditions diagnosed before the policy start date are commonly excluded, either permanently or subject to a moratorium period after which they may become covered if you have been symptom free and treatment free. Cosmetic procedures, experimental treatments, and self inflicted injuries are standard exclusions across carriers. Some plans exclude chronic conditions or apply sublimits to specific treatments. The intake form captures your health history so exclusions are identified upfront before you apply.
Networks and direct billing
Most carriers maintain networks of hospitals and clinics where you can receive treatment and have the bill settled directly between the hospital and the insurer, without paying out of pocket and waiting for reimbursement. Outside the network, most plans operate on a reimbursement basis. In major expat destinations like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila, the private hospitals most expats use are typically covered under direct billing arrangements with major international carriers.
Premiums and what affects them
Premiums are determined by your age, health history, country of residence, coverage area (worldwide including or excluding the US, or regional), plan level, and deductible. Coverage areas excluding the United States are significantly cheaper because US treatment costs are dramatically higher than anywhere else in the world. If you are not planning to seek treatment in the US, excluding it from your coverage area is a straightforward way to reduce your premium without meaningful impact on your actual coverage.
Renewals and rate increases
International health insurance policies renew annually. Premiums typically increase at renewal based on age banding and medical inflation in your coverage area. Unlike life insurance, health insurance premiums are not locked at the rate you start with. Understanding how a carrier manages renewal increases is worth factoring into your carrier selection, and it is something the intake form process covers.
How to Get Covered
Complete the intake form
The form takes a few minutes. It captures your age, nationality, country of residence, the type of coverage you are looking for, and a brief health history. No personal financial information is required at this stage.
Review your options
Your situation is matched against multiple international carriers to identify plans that fit your coverage needs, country of residence, health profile, and budget. You receive the options with enough detail to compare them properly, including coverage scope, network access, and premium.
Apply
When you choose a plan, the application goes to the carrier. Most applications are completed online. You will know your timeline, any additional underwriting requirements, and your confirmed start date before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is international health insurance the same as travel insurance?
No. Travel insurance is designed for short trips, typically up to 90 days, and covers emergencies only. International health insurance is designed for people living abroad long term. It renews annually, covers routine care as well as emergencies, and follows you across borders as your situation changes. If you are living abroad, travel insurance is not an adequate substitute for health coverage.
Does Medicare cover me if I live abroad?
In almost all cases, no. Medicare does not cover routine medical treatment outside the United States. There are very narrow exceptions for border situations and certain ship based scenarios, but for Americans living abroad in any meaningful sense, Medicare provides no usable coverage. Paying Medicare premiums while relying on them for healthcare abroad is a common misconception that leaves people exposed.
Can I use local health insurance in my country of residence instead?
You can, but it has significant limitations. A local health insurance policy covers you only in that country. If you travel, move, or need treatment in a third country, you are not covered. Local policies also vary considerably in quality, network access, and the availability of English language documentation and support. International health insurance covers you across borders and is designed for the realities of expat life rather than local residency.
What does international health insurance actually cover?
Coverage depends on the plan level you choose. Most plans cover inpatient treatment including hospitalization, surgery, and specialist consultations while admitted. Higher tier plans add outpatient cover including GP visits, diagnostics, and specialist consultations. Most international policies can include emergency medical evacuation. Dental, optical, and mental health are available on certain plans. The intake form process identifies which coverage levels are available to you based on your situation.
Will I be covered for pre-existing conditions?
It depends on the condition and the carrier. Pre-existing conditions are commonly excluded at the time of application, either permanently or subject to a moratorium period after which they may become covered if you have been symptom and treatment free for a defined period. Some carriers are more flexible than others. The intake form captures your health history so the options are identified upfront rather than after you apply.
How much does international health insurance cost?
Premiums vary based on your age, country of residence, coverage area, plan level, health history, and deductible. One of the biggest factors is whether your coverage area includes the United States. Excluding the US significantly reduces the premium because US treatment costs are dramatically higher than elsewhere. A healthy expat in their 30s living in Southeast Asia on a plan that excludes the US can typically secure solid coverage for a few hundred dollars a month. The intake form produces options based on your actual situation.
What is a coverage area and how does it affect my premium?
Coverage area defines which countries your policy will pay for treatment in. The standard options are worldwide including the US, worldwide excluding the US, or regional coverage limited to a specific part of the world. Excluding the US from your coverage area is the single biggest lever for reducing your premium. If you do not plan to seek medical treatment in the US, excluding it is a straightforward decision. If you visit the US regularly or want the option of treatment there, worldwide including US coverage is worth the additional cost.
What is medical evacuation and do I need it?
Medical evacuation covers the cost of transporting you to the nearest appropriate medical facility or back to your home country when local treatment is inadequate for your condition. In many expat destinations, particularly in less developed areas or smaller countries, the nearest facility capable of treating a serious condition may be in a different city or a different country. Medical evacuation coverage is typically included in international health insurance policies and is worth having regardless of where you live abroad.
Can I get covered if I am already abroad?
Yes, in most cases. Most international health insurance carriers will accept applications from people who are already living abroad. Some carriers apply waiting periods for conditions that arise shortly after the policy start date, and pre-existing conditions are handled through underwriting regardless of when you apply. The intake form captures your current situation so the right options are identified.
What happens to my coverage if I move to a different country?
International health insurance policies are designed to move with you. If you relocate from Thailand to Portugal or from Vietnam to Mexico, your coverage can generally continue without requiring you to reapply, provided the country isn't on the carrier's excluded list. You may need to notify the carrier of your new country of residence, and your premium at renewal may reflect your new location. The coverage itself does not lapse because you moved.
How do renewals work and will my premium increase?
International health insurance policies renew annually. Premiums typically increase at renewal based on your age banding and medical inflation in your coverage area. Unlike term life insurance where your premium is fixed for the policy term, health insurance premiums are not locked in. How a carrier manages renewal increases varies and is worth understanding before you choose a plan. This is part of what the intake form process covers when comparing options.
What is a deductible and how does it affect my coverage?
A deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage begins. Choosing a higher deductible reduces your annual premium. A lower or zero deductible means the insurer pays from the first dollar of treatment but your premium is higher. The right deductible depends on your financial situation, your risk tolerance, and how you plan to use the coverage. This is covered as part of the options review after you complete the intake form.
Ready to get covered?
Complete the intake form in a few minutes. No personal financial information required. No commitment until you choose a plan.
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