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 A life in the sunabout every day, whether it be through the telecasting, radio, press or the net, we’re sold an aspirational life in the sun that many only dared to dream of 20 years ago. Scene up home in foreign climes is even more achievable now for most Britons than it has ever been. Moving abroad, whether it’s consciously for a good way of life or to follow a calling path, is a trend that doesn’t look set to alteration.
The BBC published figures at the end of 2006, estimating that 1.3 1000000 Britons live in Commonwealth of Australia, with Spain a close sec at about 1 million Britons living there either permanently, or for more than three calendar month of the year. A life in the sun may be these expats’ life style of pick, but does the sun still shine when they need checkup attention? The outlook and exhilaration of preparing for a life abroad, more often than not, overshadows the practical aspects of moving to another country, and considering the deduction of paying for wellness care. That’s why International Private checkup Insurance (IPMI) is a must-have for all expats. IPMI offering a full spectrum of wellness care benefits, from providing world-wide cover for doc visits and hospitalization to exigency evacuation. To avoid the cost of IPMI although, many Brits decide to either rely on their occupant country’s wellness service (hoping the cost of treatment does not out-weigh the cost of cover), or they rely on returning home for any necessity treatment on the NHS. Pickings a risk with either option could leave UK expats seriously vulnerable. Firstly, many Brits don’t appreciate that very few state have a subject health scheme that provides free wellness care for it’s occupant, in the same way that the UK’s NHS does. Even across the Channel in France, for example, a GP visit could cost £30 - £40 and if you’re a family with children, the mounting costs could be an unexpected and unwelcome surprise. Having to cope with a medical situation abroad, no matter how small, being hundreds or thousands of miles away from home, sometimes coping with a foreign language and alien customs, can be a daunting prospect. Add into the equation, facing expensive medical bills and actually finding treatment, the effects of uninsured sickness abroad can prove highly stressful and have severe consequences. In general, the understanding of what private health care offers has been based on the domestic policies that have been available to Brits for many years. Private medical insurance has, at times, been stigmatised as being something that only the wealthier could afford. There is a tendency to think of private medical insurance as a way of being treated quicker for, perhaps, the more serious health care problems. IPMI, however, is not just there for what we regard as the more serious medical problems that may never happen. It’s there also for the day-to-day medical needs - like visiting the GP, having a routine dental check-up or a pregnant woman having an ultrasound scan - that can make a difference. IPMI is also about providing peace of mind. Living abroad can be exciting and challenging but it does come with inherent risks. As mentioned earlier, UK expats may be tempted to opt out of IPMI in favour of relying on the NHS in their hour of need. ‘Health tourism’ has usually been associated with foreign nationals deliberately visiting the UK to use the free national health service. As a consequence, the drain on health service budgets and resources that has resulted, forced the government to take a broader view on who should qualify as a health tourist. In their legislative changes of 2004, many may be surprised to know that, despite being a UK national, if you are not ‘normally’ resident in the UK you are not eligible for free GP and NHS treatment. If you are under retirement age, and have spent more than three consecutive months outside of the UK you could qualify as a ‘health tourist’ yourself. There are exceptions that must be studied in full on the Department of Health’s web site at www.dh.gov.uk, but the rule changes have meant that a UK expat visiting the UK should not rely on free medical treatment. The enforcement of these rules has been left to the hospitals and GPs, but a UK expat shouldn’t be surprised to be asked for proof of residency in the UK before free treatment is provided. Proving they qualify for a service they probably thought was theirs by rights in the first place, could come as a shock. With the financial state of the NHS, as time goes by, we will most definitely see an increase in the policing of health tourism. And with medical costs inflating at an exponential rate all over the world, there will be a heavier reliance on International Private Medical Insurance for all UK expats. Intermediaries can therefore provide valuable help and advise in identifying where IPMI is appropriate, and highlighting it’s benefits to clients looking to move abroad. A comprehensive IPMI policy such as William Russell’s Global Health Elite plan range, should offer:
A new life in the sun should be a bright and memorable experience. Life-style choices play a big part in our happiness, but health is paramount to being able to enjoy life. Anyone committed to a life abroad should seriously consider IPMI to protect themselves and their families for their own well-being and peace of mind, wherever they are.
Rosanna Turner Marketing Manager William Russell Limited June 2007 Click to return to Articles Click to return to Homepage
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