Being an expatriate in a foreign land comes with many challenges. There are the relocation costs to account for – unless your company is paying for them – opening a new bank account, building a credit history with the banks, finding appropriate schools for your children at an affordable cost, and then of course learning to speak the native language. With all of that to think about, it’s no wonder that many forget to take time to source an appropriate international medical insurance plan that fits in with their budget and provides for medical evacuation.
As an interGlobal Member you can rest assured that if you suffer a critical medical condition and you can’t receive adequate treatment locally, we will evacuate you and your insured family to a more appropriate facility – which could be in another country altogether. Even if your condition isn’t critical, if we feel it’s medically necessary to find you more suitable medical care, we will always consider evacuation if that is the best option for you.
Unfortunately though for those who don’t consider it necessary to have international medical insurance cover, much less a plan that covers them for evacuation, the cost of that decision can end in financial ruin.
You see, dependent on the location from which a patient has to be transported, distance to be flown and the type of aircraft, a typical medical evacuation by air ambulance can start at anywhere from US$5,000 to upwards of US$100,000.
Most international medical insurance providers would cover all related costs up to an overall plan limit, greatly reducing the financial or emotional stress for the member and their loved ones.
Case files
Disaster in Japan costs over US$180,000
An accident or other disaster abroad can quite often amount to a financial catastrophe for most people. Too often, there are media reports of expatriates involved in mishaps abroad and either having no insurance or for a variety of reasons having their claim declined by their insurer, leading to friends and family having to raise funds to help repatriate them. InterGlobal’s PMI Cover is designed for just such eventualities.
An example of this was a case where a British expatriate working in Japan had a life altering experience. A serious accident meant the expatriate needed to be repatriated to recover at home.
InterGlobal’s repatriation benefits enabled the member’s family to accompany the patient on the journey home for treatment. Our InterGlobal Assistance team arranged and worked with an airline to provide a complete intensive care unit, medical facilities and experienced medical staff on board an aircraft to enable the repatriation to take place in the safest possible way. Whilst back home, our team assisted in ensuring that the member was admitted to an appropriate hospital for further treatment and care.
The member’s evacuation and medical care costs amounted to over US$180,000. An amount that, had the cover not been in place, would have resulted in an additional financial burden and trauma for the family.
“Our role in situations such as these is to ensure that our customer’s care and well-being is a top priority. We therefore ensure that they receive all the support and assistance they require to enable the situation to be managed appropriately,” said the InterGlobal Country Manager handling the case.
