International Health Insurance

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International Health Insurance provides long-term coverage to people living or working outside of their home country, typically for one year or longer. These plans are ideal for expats and their families, individuals with dual residences, multinational employers, and more. Being a global citizen can be an exciting experience, yet one that can pose many potential risks. Your health care abroad should not be one of those concerns. IMG offers revolutionary programs that provide the flexible worldwide coverage you need, backed by the world-class services you expect.

IMG's flagship international medical insurance plan, Global Medical Insurance, allows you to custom build a plan that is specifically tailored to you. The program provides benefits suitable for individuals and families, provides fully portable 24 hour coverage, and gives you the global piece of mind you are seeking. Additionally, the plan was designed to provide long-term, worldwide medical cover that allows you to receive and continue treatment wherever you choose.

Popular International Health Coverage Plans

Medical Insurance Ideal for Expats & Global Citizens
Recommended
Global Medical Insurance

Global Medical Insurance

Annually renewable worldwide medical insurance program for individuals and families

Highlights

  • Long-term (1+ year) worldwide medical insurance for individuals and families
  • Annually renewable medical coverage
  • Deductible options from $100 to $25,000
  • Maximum limit options from $1,000,000 to $8,000,000
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Trip Protection
Medical Benefits

Group International Health Insurance Programs

Group or employer-sponsored international health plans offer key benefits for companies with globally assigned associates. IMG international health insurance plans ensure that employees have access to essential healthcare services worldwide, minimizing risks and promoting well-being during international assignments. Explore our group international health insurance programs below.

The Global Employer's Option - GEO Group

The Global Employer's Option - GEO Group

Employer-sponsored group health insurance for internationally assigned employees.

International Marine Medical Insurance

International Marine Medical Insurance

Long-term (1+ year) medical coverage for professional marine crew.

MP+ International

MP+ International

Worldwide employer-sponsored group health insurance for mission groups.

 

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Recent Blog Articles

How to Choose the Best Travel Medical Insurance Plan

Nov 2, 2020, 15:14 PM by Kate Ruddell

What is the best travel medical insurance plan? What exactly is travel medical insurance? Is it required for my international trip? What should I look for in a travel medical insurance plan to make sure I’m covered?

These are just a few of the questions travelers have been asking themselves as they plan their first vacation, family visit, or study abroad semester since the coronavirus pandemic began. Travel medical insurance may appear overwhelming, but its purpose is simple: travel medical insurance provides coverage for unexpected accidents or illnesses when traveling outside your home country.

Many domestic health insurance plans don’t provide coverage beyond the borders of your home country. Getting bit by a dog or falling and breaking your leg while traveling internationally could leave you paying thousands of dollars for proper medical care.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, most countries didn’t require travel medical insurance for entry, but many countries are now requiring proof of travel medical insurance (some even require COVID-19 coverage) to enter (yes, even for short trips).

Countries with longstanding travel medical insurance requirements for entry include:

  • Schengen Countries – Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Spain
  • Antarctica
  • Cuba

Countries with new travel medical insurance requirements due to COVID-19 include:

  • Aruba
  • Brazil
  • Costa Rica
  • St Maarten
  • Tahiti
  • Turks and Caicos
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates

* https://www.cntraveler.com/story/these-countries-now-require-international-health-insurance-for-entry

Choosing the “best” travel medical insurance plan often depends on your reason for traveling as there are many plan and benefit options available. IMG has been a leader in the travel medical insurance industry since 1990 and offers several different plans to fit every traveler’s needs. Let’s take a look at some of the most common scenarios for travel and the best travel medical insurance plans for each.

International Travelers on Vacation or Holiday

2020 has everyone dreaming of their next international vacation. Maybe you’re planning a heritage trip to Italy with your family to explore your Italian roots for two weeks. A week into your trip, you notice a little sniffle, but nothing too serious; you chalk it up to allergies. The next morning, you wake up with a fever and a sore throat. You think it could be a dreaded sinus infection, but you need to find a doctor to get the appropriate care and medicine to get you back in action as soon as possible.

IMG's Patriot Travel Medical Insurance provides coverage for physician visits, urgent care clinics, and prescription medications.* Use the MyIMG portal to find a doctor and let IMG’s Customer Care team help you navigate the language barrier. Schedule a same-day appointment at an urgent care clinic, get all of your necessary medications, and then get on your way back to see your family without paying a fortune for international medical care.

Consider another example: you’re an adventure junky and can’t wait to hit the slopes. On your first day out, you hit a huge rock while and damage your skull and fracture your spine in four different places requiring you to be airlifted from the mountain to the hospital, where you spend 12 days recovering after surgery. This was a real-life scenario for one IMG member who was glad to have purchased a Patriot Travel Medical Insurance plan. Without a travel medical insurance plan, this event would have cost the member tens of thousands of dollars.

There is travel medical insurance, and then there is travel insurance (or travel protection insurance). It can be confusing, but travel insurance is meant to protect your trip investment in the case of unexpected cancellation or interruption of your trip. IMG’s travel protection plans also include medical benefits, which make them a great option if you have a large amount of pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs that you’d like to insure for your upcoming trip (e.g. cruises, safaris, or guided tours). Learn more about travel insurance here.

Visiting Family in the U.S.

Visitor insurance commonly refers to travel medical insurance for non-U.S. residents visiting the U.S. for a period of less than two years. Receiving medical care in the U.S. can be much more expensive than other areas of the world. Due to these higher medical costs, IMG has specific travel medical insurance plans designed for U.S. visitors such as Patriot America Plus and Patriot America Platinum travel medical insurance plans. While a travel medical insurance plan isn’t currently required for entry into the U.S., it is highly recommended.

Grandparents play a very important role in families and it’s common for grandparents of immigrants to travel to the U.S. to help care for their grandchildren or spend a few months visiting. While they’re in the U.S., it’s important to protect their health. Before choosing the proper level of visitor insurance coverage, consider these factors:

  • Health Status – if the traveler is in good health, does not get sick often, and does not have pre-existing conditions, then you may explore a plan with less coverage such as Visitors Care. If the traveler is the opposite, it is safest to purchase a plan with higher maximum limits and the most benefits available such as Patriot America Platinum (this plan also includes COVID-19 coverage if contraction and treatment occur after the effective date)*

  • Activities – When family comes to town, it’s a celebration! Perhaps your family has additional trips planned like a group ski or hiking trip, or maybe they’re looking forward to staying local and exploring your hometown with the children. For more active travelers, consider adding the Adventure Sports Rider to a Patriot Travel Series plan
  • Length of Stay – The longer the traveler stays, the higher chance that that the traveler may get sick or have an unexpected injury, so a Patriot America Plus or Patriot America Platinum plan would be ideal for longer stays

 
Overall, IMG’s most popular visitor insurance plan is Patriot America Plus, which provides coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions.** Additionally, IMG recently updated both their Patriot America Plus and Patriot America Platinum visitor insurance plans to include COVID-19 coverage (if contraction and treatment occur after effective date). To learn more and read about real life examples regarding IMG’s visitor insurance plans, check out our “How To Choose The Best Visitor Insurance Plan For You” blog here.

**Acute onset of pre-existing condition is defined as “a sudden and Unexpected outbreak or reoccurrence that is of short duration, is rapidly progressive, and requires urgent medical care.” Pre-existing conditions that are chronic or congenital, or that gradually become worse over time are not covered under this benefit.


International Students

Studying abroad can be one of the most exciting and rewarding times of a student’s scholarly career. International student health insurance is one thing you don’t want to leave off the school supply list. Many schools and universities require proof of health insurance before enrolling for the semester and IMG’s student health insurance plans meet most university requirements.

After enrolling, most universities will offer a group insurance plan with the option to waive your participation if you can provide your own plan. Oftentimes, students opt to purchase their own plans due to finding more affordable plans outside of the university’s offered group plan.

For international students that are healthy and budget conscious, our Patriot Exchange plans meet the U.S.’s J-1/J-2 visa health insurance requirements and most schools’ waiver requirements U.S.'s J-1/J-2 visa health insurance requirements and most schools' health insurance requirements (for F-1/F-2 and M-1/M-2 visa holders). The Patriot Exchange plan is the most budget friendly option, however, if the student becomes sick or injured, they are responsible for any remaining cost that goes above the selected maximum limit.

If you are looking for a student health insurance plan that covers younger and older scholars with dependents, Student Health Advantage (SHA) may be the plan for you. SHA is designed for students from kindergarten to graduate school and offers an enriched benefit schedule and more in-depth coverage (e.g. mental and nervous disorder coverage and organized sports coverage). To learn more and read about real life examples regarding IMG’s student health insurance plans, check out our “Choosing The Best International Student Health Plan” blog here.

Expatriates

For those spending a longer or indefinite period of time outside of their home country, you may be interested in one of IMG’s international private medical insurance plans designed specifically for expats.


At the end of the day, it’s important that you choose the best insurance plan that fits your needs. Not every traveler is the same age, has the same budget, is going to the same destination, or even traveling for the same amount of time. If you have questions or are looking for more information about any of our plans, we encourage you to reach out to our Sales Service Center. They would love to hear from you and can be reached at (866) 368-3724.

*This is a summary of a selection of plan benefits offered only as an illustration and does not supersede in any way the Certificate of Insurance and governing policy documents (together the “Insurance Contract”). The Insurance Contract is the only source of the actual benefits provided.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I seek medical help?

With an international health plan from IMG, you have medical coverage worldwide. Our plans give you the freedom to choose your own health care provider wherever you are in the world.To view IMG's exclusive provider list, visit the Find A Doctor page in the myIMG member area.

What is the definition of a "Qualified Expatriate"?

To qualify as an “expatriate health plan,” substantially all of the primary enrollees must be “qualified expatriates.” A “qualified expatriate” is a primary insured meeting all of the following:

Qualified Expatriates in the U.S.:

The individual’s skills, qualification, job duties, or expertise is of a type that has caused the employer to assign him to the U.S. for a specific temporary purpose or assignment tied to employment; and

In connection with such transfer or assignment, the plan sponsor reasonably determines that the individual will require access to health insurance in multiple countries, and is offered other multi-national benefits on a periodic basis (e.g., tax equalization benefits, cross-border moving expenses, compensation to enable the expatriate to return to his home country);

Qualified Expatriates Outside of the U.S.:

The individual is working outside the U.S. for a period of at least 180 days in a consecutive 12-month period that overlaps with the plan year. For purposes of the definition, “U.S.” includes the 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

There are also special provisions for members 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations who are traveling or relocating internationally for the organization, including students and religious missionaries.

Expatriate Health Plans are Minimum Essential Coverage

Expatriate health plans qualify as minimum essential coverage. This means that an expatriate health plan will satisfy the employer mandate and the enrollee’s individual mandate.

Employers are Still Subject to §6055/§6056 Reporting and Cadillac Tax on Certain Expatriates

The exemption from ACA requirements does not apply for the new health information reporting requirements for the beginning of 2016.

However, the information statements (primarily the Forms 1094-C and 1095-C for employers) may be provided electronically to individuals covered under an expatriate health plan even if the individual has not consented to electronic distribution (as long as the individual has not explicitly refused electronic distribution).

Expatriate health plans will be exempt from the §4980I excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage (generally referred to as the “Cadillac tax”) that is scheduled to take effect in 2018, except for expatriates assigned to work in the U.S.

Effective Date

These provisions related to expatriate health plans apply to expatriate health plans issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2015.

Am I getting the best deal on these plans?

Insurance prices are regulated by the government - you won't find a better price on IMG insurance plans anywhere else.  

How long does it take to process my application and receive my ID card and other documents?

If you are applying for coverage under the Patriot series of plans, IMG will process your application and send your ID card and other documents within one business day. If you are applying for coverage under the Global or Group series, IMG will process your application within three to four business days following the receipt of all required information, and your materials will be forwarded the same day coverage is approved. Every attempt will be made to process your application timely. The specific time frame depends largely on the type of coverage for which you are applying. 

I am a U.S. Citizen. Am I eligible for your Global Medical Insurance (GMI) plan?

You are eligible for our Global Medical insurance plan if you reside outside of the U.S. or have a good faith intent to reside outside of the U.S. for six months or more in a calendar year. Please note that IMG’s Global Medical Insurance Plan does not meet the definition of “minimum essential coverage” under PPACA. GMI is not intended to provide U.S. citizens residing in the U.S. with health insurance. While your GMI plan for worldwide coverage will not be affected by PPACA, you should review the information below to see if you are exempt from the requirements of PPACA or not, and whether you will have to pay a tax penalty or not. Under PPACA, all U.S. citizens, nationals and resident aliens will be required to purchase minimum essential coverage (PPACA compliant coverage), unless they are exempt. Exempt U.S. citizens include U.S. citizens who reside outside of the U.S. The exemption applies to a U.S. citizen who has a tax home (main place of work or employment, or if you don’t have a main place of work or employment, your main residence) in a foreign country, and is a bona fide resident of a foreign country. See details under the IRS foreign earned income exclusion test. If a person was required to purchase minimum essential coverage and did not, she/he would be required to pay a tax penalty for not purchasing PPACA coverage (if she/he files a U.S. tax return). In many cases, this tax is far less than the premiums that a person would pay for obtaining PPACA coverage.

Disclaimer

This is not an offer to enter into an insurance contract. This is only a summary and shall not bind the company or require the company to offer or write any insurance at any particular rate or to any particular group or individual. The information on this page does and will not affect, modify or supersede in any way the policy, certificate of insurance and governing policy documents (together the "Insurance Contract"). The actual rates and benefits are governed by the Insurance Contract and nothing else. Benefits are subject to exclusions and limitations.